Luigi Rusca (Алоизий Иванович Руска; 1762–1822) was a
Neoclassical architect from
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
who worked in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...
between 1783 and 1818.
Life and career
Rusca was apprenticed to
Georg Veldten and
Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi (; rus, Джа́комо Кваре́нги, Džákomo Kvaréngi, ˈdʐakəmə kvɐˈrʲenʲɡʲɪ; 20 or 21 September 1744) was an Italian architect who was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of neoclassical architectu ...
, then went on to a successful career on his own. In 1783 he arrived in St. Petersburg, worked as a master mason to
Yury Felten,
Vincenzo Brenna
Vincenzo Brenna (1747Lanceray, p. 37, states birth year as 1745. Contemporary historians ( Dmitry Shvidkovsky) agree on 1747 (Shvidkovsky, p. 293) – May 17, 1820) was an Italian architect and painter who was the house architect of Paul I of Rus ...
and
Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi (; rus, Джа́комо Кваре́нги, Džákomo Kvaréngi, ˈdʐakəmə kvɐˈrʲenʲɡʲɪ; 20 or 21 September 1744) was an Italian architect who was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of neoclassical architectu ...
and by 1790, had set up as an independent architect. By 1802, he had been appointed to the position of court architect. Rusca's arrival in Saint Petersburg coincided with a period of great demand for Roccoco and Neoclassical designs with a Western aesthetic. Rusca's time in Saint Petersburg was very productive as he worked on more than 50 buildings throughout Russia and the Ukraine.
In around 1833, while Rusca's team were working in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, they employed a young Swiss-Italian architect,
Gaspari Fossati, also from Ticino, who in 1837, married Rusca's daughter. Gaspare was subsequently appointed as the court architect in
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
. He recruited Rusca's son, (Gaspari's brother-in-law), Alessandro Rusca, along with Gaspari's own younger brother to become part of his team. They set sail from Odessa, arriving in Constantinople on 20 March, 1837 where they would remain for just over 20 years, and would enjoy a distinguished career.
In 1818, at the time he decided to leave Russia, Rusca was living at Nevsky Prospekt, 26,
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. After leaving Saint Petersburg, Rusca and family and returned to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, leaving his wife's nephew,
Louis-Henri Charlemagne-Baudet called "Ludwig" (russ.: Людвиг (Людовик) Иванович Шарлемань-Боде), to supervise the completion of his buildings. He died 1822 in Valenza (Italy).
Work
Several boulevards in St. Petersburg (including the modern-day
Admiralty Garden) and the Neoclassical interiors at
Ropsha,
Gatchina
The town of Gatchina ( rus, Га́тчина, , ˈɡatːɕɪnə, links=y) serves as the administrative center of the Gatchinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies south-south-west of St. Petersburg, along the E95 highway which ...
, and the
Anichkov Palace
The Anichkov Palace, a former imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, stands at the intersection of Nevsky Avenue and the Fontanka River.
History 18th century
The palace, situated on the plot formerly owned by Antonio de Vieira (1682?-1745), ...
are also the work of Luigi Rusca and his associates.
[The Encyclopaedia of St. Petersburg](_blank)
/ref>
In 1810, Rusca published an album of ''Standardised Facades for Private Two- and Three-storeyed Houses in Towns throughout Russia''.[Cited from: Anthony Glenn Cross. ''By the Banks of the Neva''. Cambridge University Press, 1997. . Page 307.] Many of his designs lacked originality and were never carried out.
In addition to his construction work, Rusca published more than 14 books, mostly works containing designs and plans for building projects.
Among the surviving buildings he designed are:
* the Skorbyashchenskaya Church in St. Petersburg;
* the Bobrinsky
The Counts Bobrinsky or Bobrinskoy (''Бобринские'') are a Russian noble family descending from Count Aleksey Grigorievich Bobrinsky (1762–1813), who was Catherine the Great's natural son by Count Grigory Orlov.
The first Count Bob ...
Palace on the Moika Embankment;
* the Zubov family mausoleum in Strelna
Strelna ( rus, Стре́льна, p=ˈstrʲelʲnə) is a municipal settlement in Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, about halfway between Saint Petersburg proper and Petergof, and overlooking the shore o ...
;
* the Nikolskaya Tower
The following is a list of towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kremlin Wall is a defensive wall that surrounds the Moscow Kremlin, recognizable by the characteristic notches and its towers. The original walls were likely a simple wooden fence wi ...
of the Moscow Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...
;
* the Nizhyn Lyceum;
* the Gostiny Dvor
Gostinyi dvor ( rus, гостиный двор, p=ɡɐˈsʲtʲinɨj ˈdvor) is a historic Russian term for an indoor market or shopping centre. It is translated from Russian either as "guest court" or "merchant yard", although both translations ...
in Podil
Podil ( uk, Поділ) or the Lower cityIvankin, H., Vortman, D. Podil (ПОДІЛ)'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. is a historic neighborhood in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is located on a floodplain terrace over the Dnieper betwe ...
, Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Ky ...
;
* the triumphal arches in Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as ...
and Dikanka
Dykanka ( uk, Диканька) is an urban-type settlement and formerly the administrative center of Dykanka Raion. It is now administrated under Poltava Raion of Poltava Oblast in central Ukraine. Population:
The settlement is located away f ...
.
Gallery
File:016. Saint-Petersburg. Italian street, 23.jpg, House of the Expedition of State Revenues (house with four colonnades) (architect: Luigi Rusca
File:636. St. Petersburg. Fontanka Embankment, 120.jpg, Fontanka Embankment, St. Petersburg
File:Admiralty Canal Emb. dvorec Bobrinskih 17-04-2004.jpg, Admiralty Canal Embassy, Bobrinskih
File:The bell tower of St. Nicholas Church in Dykanka.jpg, The bell tower of St. Nicholas Church in Dykanka
File:Sankt-Petěrburg 217.jpg, Bell tower of Vladimirskaya Church, Saint Petersburg
See also
* Russian architecture
The architecture of Russia refers to the architecture of modern Russia as well as the architecture of both the original Kievan Rus’ state, the Russian principalities, and Imperial Russia. Due to the geographical size of modern and imperial ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusca, Luigi
1762 births
1822 deaths
Architects from Ticino
Russian neoclassical architects
Russian architects