A Neoclassical masterpiece. That’s what this building is. The Saint Petersburg Mining University. It stands proudly on the Neva River. Its imposing facade greets ships entering the city.
This isn’t just any university. It’s Russia’s oldest technical university. Founded in 1773 by Empress Catherine the Great. She fulfilled a dream. Peter the Great and Mikhail Lomonosov envisioned training engineers. Engineers for mining and metals. A strong engineering profession was vital. Vital to maintaining Russia’s power. Historians like Alfred J Rieber noted the connection. The connection between technology and state power. It was a natural attraction for rulers. For Peter the Great and his successors.
The university wasn’t always called what it is today. It began as the Mining School. Later it became the Mining Cadet Corps. Then the Institute of the Corps of Mining Engineers. Finally the Mining Institute. It’s still known as Gorny. Mining.
During the Siege of Leningrad this building served a purpose. It was a manufacturing base. It produced explosives and grenades. The university even has a church. A church dedicated to St Macarius of Egypt. It opened in 1805. The Soviet government closed it in 1918. It became a cinema. Then a gym. The interior suffered damage. It was restored fully in 1996.
The main building is a testament to neoclassical architecture. Architect Andrey Voronikhin designed it. He also designed the Kazan Cathedral. His design for the university reflected mining’s harshness. The portico symbolized entry into the underworld of Pluto. Twelve Doric columns frame the entrance.
Two sculptures stand at the entrance. One is Vasily Demut-Malinovsky’s Abduction of Proserpina. The other is Stepan Pimenov’s Hercules and Antaeus. These sculptures symbolise the earth. Its power and wealth. Antaeus drew strength from Mother Earth. The sculptures contrast with the portico’s solidity.
The university even has a unique tradition. A uniform. Students and staff wear it. It’s a double-breasted red uniform. It has a white collar and gold trimmings. The uniform was reintroduced in 2000. It revived traditions of Russia’s first technical college.
The Saint Petersburg Mining University. It’s more than bricks and mortar. It’s a history lesson. A symbol of Russia’s engineering prowess. A testament to enduring spirit.