Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
Within the framework of the V National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation “Reconstruction and restoration of architectural heritage” (RRAN-2025), a lecture block “On the 140th anniversary of the “star graduation” was held. Its initiators were Associate Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU, PhD in Architecture Svetlana Levoshko, PhD in Philosophy, independent researcher Elena Travina and Director of the Historical and Information Center of SPbGASU Elena Klimenko.
The reason to celebrate this date is truly loud: in 1885, the Institute of Civil Engineers (IGI, now SPbGASU) graduated a galaxy of architects and engineers who became world-class professionals and made a huge contribution to the development of our country. Among them are the director of IGI, architect, statesman Vasily Kosyakov (1862-1921), civil engineer Gavriil Baranovsky (1860-1920), architect Nikolay Sokolov (1859-1906). As the researchers who spoke emphasized, new details are still being revealed in the biographies and professional activities of these outstanding individuals.
Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU Sergey Semenov called holding such meetings a good idea, since the accumulation and preservation of information is of great value. It is no coincidence that during the Great Patriotic War, the Nazi troops primarily sought to destroy museums, libraries and educational institutions, including our university.
“Graduates who have become outstanding engineers and architects confirm the highest level of training of specialists at our university at all times. The basic knowledge base was mastered by students even with low academic performance. Thus, Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of the famous director, worked as the chief architect of Riga and built several streets, some buildings of which are recognized as cultural heritage sites. The best graduates are a good example for students,” noted Sergey Semenov.
Moderator of the lecture block Svetlana Levoshko clarified that the discussion will be about “star” graduates who have made a great contribution to the development of the industry and the country.
The Kosyakovs’ example: talent and hard work lead to success
Doctor of Art History, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Professor of the Faculty of Arts of Moscow State University, graduate of the Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineering (now St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering) in 1983. Sergei Savelyev initially wrote three books about Nikolai Vladimirovich Sultanov (1850–1908), Director of the Institute of Civil Engineers (1895–1903), Russian architect, civil engineer, art historian and architectural historian, restorer, teacher, and full member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
“Vasily Antonovich Kosyakov was a student of Nikolay Vladimirovich Sultanov and a graduate of the IGI architectural and construction school, the largest in Europe at the time, comparable to German and French schools. Only thanks to such a powerful school did Kosyakov develop into a major architect and statesman: he was an elected director of the IGI and held many other posts, including a member of the economic administration of the Holy Synod. At the end of his life, he became an architect of the Imperial Court, that is, he reached heights in his professional service activities. This indicates that talented people had every opportunity for development in the Russian Empire. Vasily Kosyakov was of humble origin – his father was a master of the kitchen workshop, in other words, a cook. During his years of study at the IGI, Kosyakov wrote a petition for a scholarship and even received a certificate of poverty. In essence, a person who had neither a status nor a financial starting point, reached heights solely due to his talent and hard work. For today’s students, this is a great example,” noted Sergey Savelyev.
He added that Vasily Kosyakov is inseparable from the work of his two brothers Vladimir and Georgy. Georgy studied at the Academy of Arts, in the workshop of L. N. Benois and was an excellent artist, watercolourist, member of the society of architects and artists, artists of watercolour painting, participated in exhibitions. The ornamentation in Vasily Kosyakov’s projects appears precisely thanks to him. Their joint famous work of architecture is the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. Vladimir Kosyakov also studied at the IGI and was a remarkable architect and artist.
“The example of the Kosyakov brothers is relevant for today’s students: you need to do graphics, draw, despite the computer programs. Each of the brothers had a certain professional profile. Vasily could do everything: he is a universal specialist in organizing construction. Georgy is a master of watercolors, an architect and artist. Vladimir was also involved in organizing construction work, a school for foremen for construction work, that is, he worked as a foreman. The qualifications of builders at that time were at a very high level largely due to the fact that the architectural community took the training of construction workers into its own hands,” explained Sergei Savelyev.
He emphasized that the Kosyakovs’ theme is inexhaustible. In the course of the research, it is possible to discover more and more new materials, since their activity falls on the “silver age”: the heyday of Russian literature and fine arts, painting and architecture of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. And these people constituted one of the important pages of the IGI school. Many beautiful churches, public buildings, engineering structures were built. By 1917, the IGI architectural and construction school was on the rise. Today, it continues the traditions and serves as a magnificent foundation for new achievements.
Engineer Baranovsky and architect Sokolov
Elena Travina recalled that civil engineer Gavriil Vasilyevich Baranovsky (1860–1920) is known for his buildings, which became “postcard views” of St. Petersburg. His creative path began in 1881 in the building of the Construction School/Institute of Civil Engineers.
“The engineer made a decent career, having risen to the rank of actual state councilor and sitting on all sorts of commissions and committees. But what do we know about the man Gavriil Baranovsky: his family, youth, friends, hobbies? Over more than ten years of research, we managed to find photographs, documents, projects that were previously unknown and not introduced into scientific circulation. They allowed us to imagine the image of Baranovsky – a son, husband, father, friend, a man who completely devoted himself to his favorite business – architecture, but at the same time a versatile personality. His son characterized his father as a mathematician, philologist, artist, lawyer and philosopher. Without all this knowledge, Gavriil Baranovsky would not have been able to publish the magazine “Builder”, create the seven-volume “Architectural Encyclopedia of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century”, work on the legal subtleties of the Construction Code and write the philosophical treatise “World Matter and Its Derivatives. Geometric Manifestation of the Ontological Problem”, explained Elena Travina.
On July 30, 1920, his funeral service was held in the Dukhovskaya Church in the village of Kellomäki (now the village of Komarovo in the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg). In 2020, a cenotaph was erected in his memory at the local cemetery (designed by architect R. M. Dayanov).
Let us recall some of Baranovsky’s famous works: the Eliseev Brothers Trading Company building on Nevsky Prospect and the Moscow Eliseevsky store on Tverskaya (together with V. V. Voeikov and M. M. Peretyatkovich).
Doctor of Architecture, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of History of Architecture, Art and Architectural Restoration at the Southern Federal University Anna Ivanova-Ilyicheva spoke about the architect Nikolai Matveevich Sokolov (1859–1906). Sokolov worked as the chief architect of Rostov-on-Don and left behind a rich architectural heritage.
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