Empire Style

From Moscowiki

The final phase in the development of Classicism in Moscow is known as Moscow Empire style. It elaborated war and patriotic motives; among its typical ornamentation details were laurels, burning torches and ancient Gods of Victory. The Empire style spread after the Great Fire in 1812 when almost entire Moscow was razed to the ground and the hearts of Muscovites were overfilled with patriotic feelings. Osip Bove fully revealed his architectural talent in this style endowing the city with such remarkable works as Manezh, Triumphal Arch and, of course, the Bolshoy Theatre.

Architects Domenico Gilardi and his student Afanasy Grigoriev apparently had a fit of inspiration presenting Moscow with fabulous samples of the Empire Style (Luniny’s House in Nikitsky Boulevard now occupied by the Oriental Museum, Gagariny’s House in Povarskaya Street by Gilardi and Khruschevy’s and Lopukhiny Houses in Prechistenka by Grigoriev). Their creative work helped Moscow to obtain its unique architectural appearance.