Architectural details

Decoration with stained-glass was one of the characteristic techniques in building of mid-XIX — early XX centuries in Saint-Petersburg. Though first stained-glass windows appeared in Russia in XII century, they were not widely spread. Stained-glass boom began during the reign of Nicolas I in 1820ies. At the end of XIX — beginning of XX century the appearance of the new technologies of coloring ... ↓ and glazing of glass brought into fashion the stained-glass pictures once again. The architects began to use stained-glass windows actively in their projects, and the city gained new stained-glass masterpieces. The fund has about 150 examples of art Nouveau and Neoclassical stained-glass windows dating back to the period of the end of 19th — early 20th centuries. These are the works of different artists, for instance from the building 116, Fontanka emb. (architect Bosset Y.A.), from 1/3 Kamennoostrovsky pr. (architect Lidval F.I.), 60 Furshtatskaya str. (architect Shenet V.I.). The stained-glass windows were collected mainly from the reconstructed buildings. ↑

Well-made fireplaces and stoves are the adornment of any room. They bring in the atmosphere of maximum comfort and coziness. Decoration with tiles is one of the remarkable branches of applied art. Tiled stoves played a significant role in decorating of the interiors of temples, refectory chambers and living rooms. Craftsmen took the subjects for their artworks from legends, national embroidery ... ↓ motives; they often used the plant ornament, domestic and hunting scenes. The fund displays various types of revetment for fireplaces and stoves from the houses of Saint-Petersburg dating back to the period of late XIX — early XX centuries. Though the manufacturers of revetment for fireplaces are practically unknown (except architects- authors of interiors), the producers of stove ceramics are well-known thanks to trade-marks. The fund has the trade-marks of various manufacturers: Rakkolaniosky Pottery Mill, “Abo” Pottery Mill (in Turku), M.S.Kuznetsov’s Factory in Konakovo (Tver province) and others. Besides the stationary fireworks with wooden, marble and tiled facing and tiled stoves, the collection displays the movable fireplaces (“kameliok”), for instance, and the “Salamander” mobile fireplace (France).  ↑

Ceramics was used in decoration of interiors and exteriors from ancient times. The greatest application of ceramics in architecture took place in modernist and neo-russian styles, which developed in late XIX — early XX centuries. Using ceramics in interiors gave high quality besides aesthetic effect, since ceramics was solid, weather-resisting and non-fading. It looked great combined with metal, ... ↓ wooden and even marble elements of constructions. The fund has elements of ceramic facades of the buildings of Saint-Petersburg. These are the products of P.K. Vaulin’s and O.O.Geldvein’s ceramics workshops, the items from the buildings of architect N.N.Nikonov, etc. Decorative ceramic panels of various forms were often placed in interiors. The fund displays ceramic panels made by artist A.N. Danov. Doors appear to be the integral part of exteriors and interiors. The historical transformation of doors can be traced in Russian architecture. The Russian style was replaced by European baroque followed by rococo and classicism and gradually rounded into modern. The fund has many doors of late XIX — early XX centuries. The collection displays the doors of various styles and origin. The production of Meltzer’s workshop is of special interest. ↑

Various groups of sanitary ware of different firms and countries form the fund. There is an interesting collection of w.c. pans and wash-bowls of English firms «Schill Seebohm & Co Ltd» and «Cauldon», the w.c.pan «Gladiator» bundled with a tank painted with blue cobalt in decalcomania technique. The fund has marble wash-bowls, decorated by decalcomania method, and a number of granite, marble ... ↓ and metal baths. The faucets of various modifications, forms and constructions are included into the collection. ↑

The collection of decorative and industrial metal products of the fund includes park and garden fences, balcony barriers, holders of entrance canopies, street lamps, manhole covers, fireplace portals and furnaces, oven doors. The elements of bridge decorations (the Anichkov, the Blagoveshensky bridges), the elements of the dome of the Smolny cathedral are also in the fund. All these industrial ... ↓ products demonstrate the artistic and historical beauty of casting and forging in urban environment. ↑

The models, kept in the fund, illustrate all the periods of development St.Petersburg as a city. They cover the period from the epoch of Peter the Great (for example, houses for different social classes) up to the second part of XX c., where one can find the projects of the Lenin stadium (1946), models “Planning of the Haven area” of 1950-ies, “Project of the 19-storey building of the 137th ... ↓ series in Belgorodskaya street” (1974), etc. There are also reconstruction models showing the city of various historical periods, for instance the model “Area reclamation in the middle of XVIII c.” The fund has a number of layouts on domestic topics, such as “Corner flat of workers in the second part of XIX c.”. The models of the Oreshek fortress of different historical periods— the XVI c., XVIII c., beginning of XX c. (before 1914, when it was a prison), and the period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are displayed in the fund. Besides the construction and domestic models there are theatrical layouts — “The first stage of the tale “The Little Humpbacked Horse” in TYS, 1922”, the scenery for the play “Home”, 1980, by the artist Kochergin E.S. On basis of our models one can trace the development retrospective of St. Petersburg. ↑