Envision an edifice that stretches almost 600 meters. It curves gracefully around Palace Square. This is the General Staff Building. More specifically we are standing before the eastern wing of the General Staff Building.
Designed by Carlo Rossi, this Neoclassical masterpiece was built between 1819 and 1829. The General Staff Building stands opposite the Winter Palace. It mirrors its grandeur. The building’s facade is bow-shaped and quite impressive.
Until 1918, when the capital shifted to Moscow, this building buzzed with activity. The western wing was the headquarters of the General Staff. The eastern wing housed the Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry. Imagine the important decisions made within these walls.
Notice the triumphal arch. It divides the General Staff Building into two wings. Sculptors Stepan Pimenov and Vasily Demuth-Malinovsky adorned it beautifully. The arch commemorates Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. It links Palace Square to Nevsky Prospekt through Bolshaya Morskaya Street.
The eastern wing, the one we’re facing, now belongs to the Hermitage Museum. It was given to them in 1993. Extensive remodeling has transformed its interior. You can explore vast collections of art inside.
Rossi repeated the composition on the eastern side. He mirrored it from the other side of the building. To widen the extended structure, Rossi built Millionnaya Street with buildings of the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Rossi emphasized the compositional center. It is the arch connecting the wings. The arch aligns exactly with the Winter Palace axis. To achieve this, Bolshaya Morskaya Street was extended to the square at an angle.
The arch’s dimensions surpass all known triumphal monuments of antiquity. Emperor Alexander I initially wanted a stricter design. However, Nicholas I desired a more triumphant monument. It should glorify Russia’s victory in the war of 1812. So a new design was made.
Sculptural details enhance the arch. Figures of warriors and reliefs of flying geniuses adorn it. A sculpture of Glory in her Chariot crowns the arch. It is pulled by six horses. Warriors hold the outer two horses.
To ease the structure, M. Klark suggested a solution. Only the chariot’s base was cast in iron. The remaining figures were crafted from hammered copper.
Inside, the rooms were strictly functional. They were designed for ministry work. On the second floor of this eastern wing were the private apartments. They belonged to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Count K.V. Nesselrode was the first owner. Prince A.M. Gorchakov later replaced him.
On the building’s top floor Rossi created space for the archives. Nicholas I ordered old documents to be put in order. These related to internal affairs and important events in the empire. The archives became state property in 1834.
The General Staff Building stands as a testament to Russia’s history. It embodies architectural brilliance. It now serves as a bridge between eras. From military headquarters to a museum, its story continues. Its contribution to art and culture endures.