The Presidential Library marking the birthday of the great architect

The architectural ensemble of Senate Square, including the Presidential Library, is one of the most recognizable in St. Petersburg. It, like many other architectural pearls of the city, was created according to the design of the architect Carlo Rossi, who celebrates his 248th anniversary this year on December 29 (December 18, old style), 2023. 

There is very little biographical information about the famous architect. His personal archive does not exist. Teacher Nikolai Weinert writes about this in his book Rossi (1939).

The literature dedicated to Rossi mentions that the future architect came to the Russian Empire in his youth with his mother and stepfather (both of them were famous ballet dancers). He studied on Nevsky Prospect at the famous Petrishule school at the parish of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and then began to serve as a draftsman at the Admiralty College. In particular, the drawings of the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg were made by his hand, which indicates work under the direction of the architect Vincenzo Brenna. It is known that in 1802 Rossi studied at the Florence Academy, after which he returned to Russia 3 years later with the appropriate diploma. This trip had a great influence on the development of Russia's talent. The architect gradually gained fame as a talented builder. In St. Petersburg, he was entrusted with the construction of the Elagin Palace, the Mikhailovsky Palace, the design of the Winter Palace square, the Alexandrinsky Theater and other buildings.

The Presidential Library's collections contain a lot of illustrative material related to the works of the famous architect. These are, for example, photographs of the arch of the General Staff on Palace Square, the terrace of the palace on Elagin Island, the Rossi Pavilion in the Mikhailovsky Garden and, of course, Rossi Street; a watercolor by A. L. Rotach The Street of the Architect Rossi. Blockade (1941–1943) is also available.

It was about a major project of a new embankment with ten arches that was not implemented by the architect. Unfortunately, Rossi’s drawings have not survived; today we can only imagine this grandiose structure.

Nikolai Weinert's book states that the design and construction of the Senate and Synod was Rossi's last great work.

The Presidential Library's portal features the Internet project “Ensemble of Senate and Synod Buildings” which spotlights the history of the creation of the Senate and Synod buildings and the activities of institutions located here at different times.