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2023 | Buch

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The History of Natural Stone in Saint-Petersburg

herausgegeben von: Elena Panova

Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland

Buchreihe : Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

The book introduces readers to the heritage of St. Petersburg, sharing the geological history of a unique city, a world heritage site, and part of the UNESCO list. It also explains the role of small towns and fortresses near St. Petersburg, whose stone decoration played an essential role in the city’s evolution and was key in the history of neighboring cultures. The book also describes the main architectural symbols of St. Petersburg, such as the Alexander Column, the Bronze Horseman, the Peter and Paul Fortress and more. In addition to five guided tours of the city center, it offers descriptions of historic quarries, some of which are now open-air museums.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Walking Around the Stone City

Frontmatter

Stone in the Architecture of St. Petersburg

Abstract

Natural stone is a strong building material. Buildings lined with stone convey to us architectural forms created several centuries ago. Natural stone from deposits near the city played an important role in the unique appearance of St. Petersburg.

Andrey Bulakh, Elena Olhovaya

The History of St. Petersburg Stones

Frontmatter

St. Petersburg Decorative Stones

Abstract

In accordance with the geological situation, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks used in the decoration of St Petersburg. In the granites group are known: Rapakivi granite, Gangut granite, Valaam granite, Antrea granite, Kovantsaari granite, Serdobol granite, Nystadt granite, Garberg granite from Sweden. They have a different structure. Their color changes from gray to red.

Andrey Bulakh, Elena Olhovaya

The Bronze Horseman and Thunder Stone: History and Nowadays

Abstract

2022 marks the 350th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Peter the Great (1672–1725), the founder of St. Petersburg, who “opened a window to Europe”. The first and most famous monument to Peter I was erected in 1782 in front of the Senate building in St. Petersburg in the Senate Square. The pedestal made of enormous glacial boulder known as the Thunder Stone deserves special attention. Falconet, even while still in Paris, before leaving for St. Petersburg, had decided that a rock would be the pedestal of the monument to Peter—a symbol of the difficulties that he overcame. The pedestal of the Bronze Horseman is also a piece of art, the integral part of the monument to Peter the Great, like the sculpture of the emperor itself. In 2016, a team of St. Petersburg geologists carried out the first geological study of the Thunder Stone. In addition to observations, sketches, photography, measurements of radioactivity, smallest mineral samples were taken. A detailed visual examination of the Bronze Horseman pedestal showed that it is composed of light pink, coarse-grained, massive granite. The Thunder Stone granite is not a typical rapakivi granite. It has been established that the Bronze Horseman's pedestal consists of four different-sized fragments. Basing on three-dimensional model of the pedestal its mass was calculated.

Georgy Popov, Mihail Ivanov, Svetlana Janson

The Alexander Column—From Finnish Friedrichsham to Palace Square in St. Petersburg

Abstract

On August 30, 1834, in accordance with the project of the great architect Auguste Montferrand, in the very center of Palace Square, a column of pink coarse-grained rapakivi granite with a statue on its top 47.5 m high was installed—a monument to Alexander I who won the war of 1812–1814 with Napoleon. The monument consists of a pedestal (2.8 m) and a column scape (25.6 m).

Nikolay Filippov, Svetlana Tochanskaya

The Alexander Column: Life After Installation

Abstract

The Alexander Column is made of rapakivi granite. It was erected in 1834. A few years after unveiling of the monument, small, thin vertical cracks appeared. Attentive observers began to notice that some cracks elongated over time and new ones appeared. Attempts were taken to remedy them with cement, granite inserts, synthetic resins, layers of wax and special mastic.

Mihail Ivanov, Georgy Popov

Rapakivi Granite—Symbol of St. Petersburg

Abstract

Rapakivi red granite is widely used in the construction and architecture of St. Petersburg. This stone is a symbol of the city. Examples of its application: the embankments of the Neva, the Hermitage Bridge, the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress, Mikhailovsky Castle, the interior of the Kazan Cathedral, St. Isaac's Cathedral. The famous Alexander column from the Rapakivi monolith has a height of 25.6 m. Two types of rapakivi granite were used - vyborgite (ovoids with a light border) and peterlite (ovoids without a border). The stone was mined in the Piterlakh quarry on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Currently, the main varieties of Finnish Rapakivi are Baltic Brown, Baltic Green, Carmen Red, Karelia Red, Eagle Red and Balmoral Red. Near Vyborg (Russia), Rapakivi granite varieties are mined in Vozrozhdenie and Ala-Noskua quarries.

Andrey Bulakh, Elena Panova

Valaam Monastery Granite

Abstract

At the beginning of the twentieth century, "Valaam granite" was used in the decoration of churches and temples in St. Petersburg. The Tibetan Datsan Buddha Temple and the church of the French Embassy are lined with it. This beautiful, slightly striped red granite is found in the decor of houses on Nevsky Prospekt and Malaya Morskaya Street. "Valaam" granite is used in the decor of the Kshesinskaya mansion; it can be seen in the lining of the tsar's pavilion of the Vitebsk railway station; it is decorated with the tsar's pier in Kronstadt. For its noble color and for the fact that it was the favorite stone of the emperors of Russia, this stone was called royal. It was mined on the island of St. Herman (now Syuskuyansaari Island) in the northeastern part of Lake Ladoga. The island belonged to the Valaam Monastery, the stone was mined by monks and supplied to St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities. On the island of Valaam, the columns of the Transfiguration Monastery and the chapel on the shore of the Monastery Bay were carved from this stone.

Elena Panova, Vladimir Gavrilenko

Atlantes Hold Sky on Stone Shoulders

Abstract

One of the symbolic places in St. Petersburg is the gallery in front of the main entrance to the New Hermitage. Its portico is decorated with 10 figures of Atlantes by the sculptor A. I. Terebenev, made of gray Serdobol granite, standing on pedestals made of rapakivi granite (Fig. 1).

Igor Borisov

Old Stories of Ruskeala

Abstract

St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the main architectural landmarks of St. Petersburg. It is one of the most grandiose and majestic cathedrals of Russia. The outside walls of the cathedral are cladded with light gray marble slabs. The color of this stone reminds the light of northern white nights (Fig. 1). This stone is from Ruskeala on the northwestern shore of Lake Ladoga.

Igor Borisov

Putilovo Limestone—First in St Petersburg

Abstract

Starting from 1710, one of the main building materials of the city, along with brick, became layered carbonate rocks, which occur in the southern environs of St. Petersburg. Quarrying began near the village of Putilovo, after which this stone is named “Putilovo stone” or “Putilovo limestone”. Limestone was quarried within the ledge of the Baltic–Ladoga glint (Fig. 1). In winter, the stone was delivered by sleigh to the shores of Lake Ladoga, and then shipped to St. Petersburg.

Leonid Hariuzov, Anton Savchenok

Such Different Sandstones

Abstract

Sandstone occupies a special position in stone decoration of many cities all over the world. It is easily processed by a chisel, and thus preserves the shape of different complexity in architectural details and sculpture. It is resistant to weathering. This type of decorative facing stone is typical for buildings of the eclectic and Art Nouveau periods erected in the 1850s–1910s in St. Petersburg. At this time, interest in domestic natural stone gradually faded and fashion turned to imported foreign stones. Techniques for using sandstone came to Russia from Western countries, where this material is traditional. The most prominent examples are the Reichstag (Bundestag) building, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Dome in Berlin, cathedrals, churches, the Royal Palace, and the railway station in Dresden.

Anton Savchenok

Soapstone (Talc-Chlorite Schist)

Abstract

Talc-chlorite schist in geological, architectural, and local history literature is called “pot stone” or “soapstone”. It is a metamorphic rock consisting of talc, magnesite, and chlorite. Traditionally, this stone was used in everyday life due to its special physical and mechanical properties, such as high heat capacity and low coefficient of thermal expansion. The peasants carved stove pots and other kitchen utensils out of it, for which the stone is called “potted”. Dishes made of this stone retained heat for a long time, due to its high heat capacity. It is also used in the manufacture of stoves and fireplaces. The presence of talc in the rock gives it a greasy shine. For this, the stone is named “soapstone”.

Anton Savchenok, Leonid Hariuzov

Natural Stone in Modern St. Petersburg

Abstract

Wide usage of various natural stones, including those from the quarries of the Karelian Isthmus, played a significant role in creating the unique image of St. Petersburg. Since the first half of the eighteenth century, granites have been quarried on the Karelian Isthmus and the coast of the Gulf of Finland (the territory of modern Finland) for the construction of St. Petersburg. This is facilitated by the unique geographical, geological, and historical position of the city. It is a great pleasure to observe that the fashion for natural stone is reviving in the modern architecture of St. Petersburg. This chapter deals with the application of natural stone of the Karelian Isthmus in modern architecture of St. Petersburg. The chapter includes examples and illustrations of the use of this unique building material and brief description of natural stone deposits on the Karelian Isthmus.

Anna Tutakova

Where and How Did Stone Mine Near St. Petersburg

Frontmatter

Where and How Did Stone Mine Near St. Petersburg

Abstract

St. Petersburg is located in a unique geological situation, which determined its unique stone appearance. To the north of the city, rocks of the Baltic Crystal Shield come to the surface. These are igneous and metamorphic rocks (granites, marble, quartzites, gneiss, crystalline shales). To the south of St. Petersburg, you can see a lot of sedimentary rocks (limestone and tuff). All the listed rocks have a variety of colors and could have been delivered by water for the construction of the city.

Andrey Bulakh, Elena Panova

Master of Columns

Abstract

The reign of Alexander I was marked by the formation of grand architectural ensembles in the northern capital. Imitating the best examples of antiquity, St. Petersburg was decorated with majestic and solemn classical buildings with colonnades. Famous architects, engineers, and sculptors worked on the creation of the “city of columns”, and thousands of ordinary Russian artisans embodied their ideas in stone. Due to the incredible work and high skill of stonebreakers and stonecutters, St. Petersburg acquired its elegant image. One of these masters was a talented self-taught stonecutter Samson Sukhanov. The son of a poor shepherd became a famous stonecutter and left a noticeable mark in the history of the construction of the northern capital. There was no person in Russia, or in the whole world, under whose leadership or by himself about 400 columns were processed and erected, not counting the bases and capitals to them.

Valentina Stolbova

Granite Industry (End Nineteenth–Early Twentieth Centuries)

Abstract

The history of the mining industry connects with the Vyborg province, the former Grand Duchy of Finland. This region, being the richest in granite reserves, has been supplying building materials for the construction of St. Petersburg since the second half of the eighteenth century. By the beginning of the twentieth century, this fact played a great role in the architectural grandeur of the Northern capital.

Maria Svetoch (Ivanova)

Granite Weathering Under Urban Condition

Frontmatter

Granite Weathering Under Urban Condition

Abstract

Various aspects of the granite destruction in urban environments were studied in Saint-Petersburg. Granite is commonly used to create monuments, buildings, and embankments. Rock degradation is associated with physical, chemical, and biological factors. In this chapter, the main forms of granite destruction are described and a classification of biofouling granite is developed. Features of granite biological colonization were established. Rapakivi granite is most strongly subjected to damage by abiotic weathering processes as well as biological colonization, which can be explained by the peculiarities of the mineral composition and texture of these rocks.

Elena Panova, Dmitry Vlasov, Marina Zelenskaya, Alexey Vlasov

Titel: The History of Natural Stone in Saint-Petersburg
herausgegeben von: Elena Panova
Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-031-18861-9
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-18860-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18861-9