Matvey Kazakov was born in the fall of 1738. His father Fyodor Kazakov, a serf, was once given by the landowner to become a sailor. By chance, Fyodor remained to serve at the Admiralty office as a copyist (copyist of papers), which gave him and his family freedom, but his hard work provided his son with a wonderful future.
At the age of 13, as a reward for his father’s impeccable service, Matvey was enrolled in the architectural school of architect Dmitry Vasilyevich Ukhtomsky. His students not only studied theory, but also gained practical skills: they controlled the construction process, drawing up reports on all noticed errors. At the age of 23, having received the rank of ensign in architecture, Matvey Kazakov entered the workshop of the chief city architect of Moscow P.R. Nikitina. And two years later, in 1763, Tver burned to the ground, and the team of architect Nikitin was entrusted with restoring it. Kazakov participates in the development master plan a new city, in addition, he draws up a project for the bishop's house or, in other words, the Tver Palace. The palace became the best building in the city and brought its author well-deserved recognition.
After Tver there was work with Bazhenov on the project of a palace in the Kremlin, the construction of the entrance Petrovsky Travel Palace. The palace was not yet finished, and Kazakov was already receiving a new order - the Senate building in the Kremlin. The inconvenient location of the planned structure plus a brilliant solution to the above problem and the architect is among the best of his time. There are countless orders from individuals. M.F. Kazakov introduces a lot of new things into the architecture of a city house. He is reworking the old estate system of house planning and now it is placed not in the depths of the plot, but opposite it - along the red line. Thus, the houses are included with all their, often downright palatial, architecture into the general appearance of the city. Several dozen houses and palaces he created, not counting many large public buildings, decorated the streets of Moscow. Particularly famous are the houses of Demidov on Gorokhovsky Lane, Gagarin on Petrovsky Boulevard, Menshikov on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, and Baryshnikov on Myasnitskaya.
Having replaced Bazhenov as head of the Kremlin expedition, M.F. Kazakov organized an architectural school with it. Among the students are his three sons: Vasily, Matvey and Pavel. Vasily studied architecture from the age of ten, but already at the age of 22 he submitted his resignation due to illness - consumption. At the age of 13, Pavel applied for enlistment on the same day as his older brother, Matvey, who at that time turned 16. A year later, both brothers were already receiving a salary of one hundred rubles a year. In 1800, together with his father, they worked on drawing up a “facade” plan for Moscow. In 1810, at the age of 25, Pavel Kazakov died, and a little earlier Vasily also died of consumption. Matvey lived until he was 39 years old and was well known in Moscow for his works.
In 1800-1804, M. F. Kazakov worked on the creation of general and “facade” (“bird's eye view”) plans of Moscow and a series of architectural albums (13) of the most significant Moscow buildings. Several “Architectural Albums of M. F. Kazakov” have survived, including plans, facades and sections of 103 “particular buildings” by the architect himself and his contemporaries. The head of the Kremlin expedition, Valuev, wrote: “Only the famous and most skillful architect, State Councilor Kazakov, renowned throughout Russia for his excellent knowledge of this art and practical production... filled not only Moscow, but also many regions of Russia with good architects.”
In 1812, the family took M.F. Kazakov from Moscow to Ryazan. Here he learned about the fire. “This news,” wrote his son, “inflicted a mortal defeat on him. Having devoted his entire life to architecture, decorating the throne city with magnificent buildings, he could not imagine without a shudder that his many years of work had turned to ashes and disappeared with fire smoke.”
- Chief Architect of Moscow
And the architect Matvey Kazakov is one of the founders of Russian classicism. Thanks to him, Moscow turned from a “big village,” as the residents of St. Petersburg called it, into a city with beautiful architecture. The architect erected about 100 buildings here, despite the fact that he did not have a higher architectural education.
"Ensign of Architecture" Matvey Kazakov
Matvey Kazakov was born in 1738 into a poor family in Moscow. Elementary education the boy received it at the local Kosmodemyansk church. WITH early childhood he was interested in architecture: he spent hours sitting on scaffolding and sketching buildings. After the death of his father, his mother submitted a petition to the Senate to admit her son to the Moscow architectural school. In response there was a decree: “To teach the architecture of the Main Commissariat to the deceased sub-chancellor Kazakov’s son Matvey, determine with the awarding of salaries against junior students of a ruble per month”.
So in 1751, 13-year-old Matvey Kazakov entered the architectural school of Prince Dmitry Ukhtomsky. Students learned the basics of architecture from the treatises of famous Italian architects Marcus Vitruvius, Andrea Palladio, Jacom da Vignola and the writings of the 18th century French theorist Francois Blondel. At the same time, the students were also instilled with a love of ancient Russian architecture. This is how it was formed characteristic creative style Kazakova - a combination of classical and ancient Russian architecture.
Tver Imperial Travel Palace. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1764-1766. Photo: Andres_rus / wikipedia
House of Unions (Noble Assembly). Architects: Matvey Kazakov, Alexey Bakarev, Alexander Meisner. First half of the 18th century. Photo: A.Savin / wikipedia
IN school years Kazakov began to put his knowledge into practice: he measured ancient buildings, restored dilapidated Kremlin buildings, drew up drawings and estimates, and worked on construction sites supervised by his teachers. Soon Kazakov was noticed by Ukhtomsky himself and appointed him as his junior assistant. At that time, the prince built a lot for Moscow: he built the Kuznetsky Bridge, completed the Arsenal in the Kremlin and the “spare palace” at the Red Gate, reconstructed the Main Pharmacy and adapted the buildings of former government offices for Moscow University. Kazakov helped his teacher in everything.
In 1760, Dmitry Ukhtomsky resigned, and the school was headed by his assistant, Pyotr Nikitin. On your own former place new manager appointed Kazakov - the young architect had just graduated from school and received the rank of “ensign of architecture.” One of the first major tasks of Nikitin’s team was the restoration of Tver after the fire of 1763. Together with other architects, Kazakov designed provision stores, facades of government buildings in the almost completely burned city main square, “business” and residential buildings, the trading office of Nikita Demidov. Also, on the instructions of Catherine II, they erected the Empress's Travel Palace on the ruins of the bishop's house - the main building in the city.
Temple of the Ascension on the Pea Field. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1788-1793. Photo: Solundir / wikipedia
Moscow City Hall building. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1782. Photo: arch-house.ru
Kazakov's work on the restoration of Tver immediately promoted him to the ranks of the first architects of the empire - he began to receive private orders. His first major independent work became a church in Pavel Nashchokin's estate near Moscow, Rai-Semenovskoye. This project was followed by the next one: at the request of Ivan Betsky, the architect drew up a plan of the facade and the entire site for the Moscow Orphanage.
Independent projects of the architect
The fire in Tver led to major urban planning reforms in the country. Old wooden buildings, dense buildings, winding streets and alleys have been the main causes of large fires in many cities. Therefore, large-scale reconstruction began in the empire, primarily in Moscow.
In 1768, Matvey Kazakov got a job in the “Expedition to build the Kremlin Palace,” which carried out government orders in Moscow. Together with the chief architect of the expedition, Vasily Bazhenov, Kazakov built the Grand Kremlin Palace. Later they developed a project for the festive decoration of Khodynskoye Field in honor of the victory in Russian-Turkish war. Working with a venerable architect became a high school for Kazakov: a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and a student of European architects taught his assistant a lot. In 1775, Kazakov received the title of independent architect, but continued to collaborate with Bazhenov.
Senate Palace. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1776-1787. Photo: rdh.ru
Petrovsky Travel Palace. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1776-1780. Photo: arch-house.ru
In 1776, by decree of Catherine II, Matvey Kazakov developed a project for the Petrovsky Travel Palace. This building was supposed to become a residence for the rest of noble people after long journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow, hence the name - “travel”. The shape of the palace resembled buildings in the classicist style: there was a main house with outbuildings, a front courtyard and two outbuildings. But the external decoration combined elements of different eras and architectural styles: a high boyar tower porch was adjacent to Baroque windows, and white stone ancient Russian belts were adjacent to lancet Gothic windows.
Having built this ensemble, Matvey Kazakov began to receive many orders for the construction of public and private buildings in Moscow. One of Kazakov’s most significant creations was the Senate building in the Russian classicism style. This building fits harmoniously into the complex of existing Kremlin buildings. The architect made a round hall the compositional accent of the Senate. He created the roof for it in the form of a huge dome, which was supported by Corinthian columns. The hall was decorated with bas-relief portraits of Russian princes and tsars, as well as scenes dedicated to the most important deeds of Catherine II. For its magnificent decoration, contemporaries called it the Russian pantheon. Kazakov’s work was highly appreciated by his contemporaries and Catherine the Great herself.
University of Moscow. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1786-1793. Photo: artpoisk.info
Church of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1777-1788. Photo: NVO/wikipedia
Kazakov's next major creation was Moscow University. Construction of the institution began in 1782 and took more than 10 years. The architect strove for simplicity and grandeur, so he abandoned complex decorative elements and large quantity sculptures. The university building resembled a large city estate in the classicism style, organically fitting into the ensemble of the center of Moscow. Simultaneously with the construction of the university, the architect was engaged in reconstruction former home Prince Mikhail Dolgoruky for the Moscow Noble Assembly.
Chief Architect of Moscow
In 1786, Kazakov led the “Kremlin Expedition” and actually became the chief architect of Moscow. According to his designs, central squares and streets, houses and courtyards were developed. Among them are Tverskaya Square, Gorokhovsky Lane, Ilyinka, Mokhovaya and Lubyanka streets. Unlike the architects of St. Petersburg, who built the city from scratch, Kazakov fit entire ensembles into the already built ancient quarters of Moscow. With his classicist buildings with columns and pediments, Kazakov brought order to the chaos of Moscow streets and ennobled the appearance of the former capital.
Baryshnikov's estate. Architect Matvey Kazakov. 1793-1802. Photo: svadebka.ws
IN early XIX century, Matvey Kazakov organized an architectural school on his estate. Future famous architects and restorers Osip Bove, Alexey Bakarev, Ivan Egotov, Ivan Mironovsky, Ivan Tamansky studied here. Together with his students, the architect compiled the “General Atlas of Moscow” for many years. Captured in drawings and drawings overall plan, facade and section of the most significant buildings of the ancient capital. These albums became an invaluable source of information about the external appearance of the city at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries for restorers.
During Patriotic War In 1812, Kazakov’s relatives took the sick architect to Ryazan. Here he learned about the fire in the old capital and that almost everything he had created throughout his life had burned down.
Matvey Kazakov died on November 7, 1812. The architect was buried in the Trinity Monastery on the outskirts of Ryazan.
Kazakov Matvey Fedorovich is an outstanding Russian architect, one of the founders of Russian classicism. Born in 1738 in the Moscow family of the sub-office clerk of the Main Commissariat, Fyodor Kazakov, who came from serfdom. The Kazakov family lived near the Kremlin, in the area of Borovitsky Bridge. When the head of the family died in 1750, his mother, Fedosya Semyonovna, decided to send her son to the architectural school of the famous architect D. V. Ukhtomsky. The boy so impressed the teachers with his talent that he was immediately taken to a class where young people much older than him were studying. Ukhtomsky’s school was famous for the fact that, along with the theory of studying principles classical architecture students had the opportunity to engage in live practice, as well as master the basics of classics using examples of monuments of ancient Russian architecture. This is where it starts characteristic feature creativity of Matvey Kazakov: a synthesis of classics and traditions of Russian architecture, multiplied by enormous talent.
Kazakov's first independent work was the restoration of Tver after a terrible fire in 1763. Matvey Fedorovich practically designed the new city: grocery stores, facades of government buildings. Senior colleagues closely watched the young talent, and very soon he was invited as 
co-author for the design of the Grand Kremlin Palace. By that time, Kazakov’s name was already becoming world famous, he acts as an established architect with his own style, way of thinking and unique embodiment of classic images. Matvey Fedorovich knows what Moscow should be like... He is closely involved in the projects of the Petrovsky Palace, the Petrovskoye Alabino estate, the Philip Church on 2nd Meshchanskaya. It must be understood that Kazakov was not only a brilliant imperial architect and artist, but also an outstanding builder who owned perfectly mastered the technique of this matter. He had a great understanding of the material, personally visiting to select stone or wood.
The architect understood perfectly well that architectural work requires not only continuous development and continuation 
but also preserving the traditions of Russian classical forms, therefore he devoted a lot of effort and time to his pedagogical activity. In the Kremlin expedition of 1789, Kazakov organized an architectural art school. In a petition to Catherine II for the creation of this lyceum of construction masters, Matvey Fedorovich wrote that it was needed in order to “have perfect Russian masters... and therefore there will be no need for foreigners who are not versed in either the goodness of local materials or the what the Russian land can produce! O. Bove, I. Egotov, R. Kazakov and other famous artists subsequently emerged from the walls of the school, who made a significant contribution to cultural heritage Russia.
Matvey Fedorovich worked for many years on drawing up a “facade” plan for Moscow. Him and him 
assistants developed designs for the best buildings in the city and prepared plans for its individual parts. “A statesman in spirit and a patriot with a warm heart” - this is how compatriots characterized the qualities of an outstanding architect of Russia. Matvey Kazakov developed a number of types architectural structures of various purposes, character and scale, ranging from huge government and public buildings, palaces and estates to small residential buildings and rotunda churches. He solved the problem of creating a new type of urban residential building that would meet the economic, social and artistic needs of his time. He also developed a new type of “income” building for the era, where there were retail premises and apartments for rent. Kazakov also became famous as a brilliant interior designer. He created the Columned Hall of the Noble Assembly with skillful use of columns, pilasters, and cornices. He built palaces and merchant mansions (Demidov's house-estate in Gorokhov Lane, Gubin's house on Petrovka), numerous churches (the Church of Kozma and Damian on Maroseyka, etc.), and the house of the Moscow Governor-General.
Matvey Kazakov forever entered the history of Russia as an architect who developed types of urban 
residential buildings and public buildings that organize large urban spaces: the Senate in the Kremlin, Moscow University (later rebuilt after the fire of 1812 by the architect D. Gilardi), Golitsyn (1st City) Hospital, Petrovsky Palace (1775-1782) and other historical and iconic monuments architecture of Russia.
The clear and monumental forms of Matvey Kazakov’s numerous buildings predetermined the new, classic look of Moscow architecture, created its mood, tone, and recognizable features over the centuries.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Kazakov’s relatives, having learned about the approach of the French army, took Matvey Fedorovich from Moscow to Ryazan. When the architect heard the terrible news about burning Moscow, the heart of the great artist, architect and patriot of Russia could not stand it...
According to his son, “I could not imagine without a shudder that his many years of labor had turned to ashes.” He was buried in the cemetery of the Ryazan Trinity Monastery. Unfortunately, the graveyard of Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov itself has not survived...
. .(1738-1812) Russian architect
Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov never left Russia and did not study with any of the foreign masters. Nevertheless, his buildings are distinguished by their perfection and evoke admiration even now, many decades after the death of the architect. He remains in cultural history as a great Russian self-taught architect.
Matvey Kazakov was born in Moscow, where his father served as a copyist, and in modern terms, as a clerk in the Admiralty office. This circumstance played a role in the fate of Matvey, since civil servants were freed from serfdom.
In the history of architecture there is very little information left about where the future architect walked initial training. It is only known that Matvey grew up as a smart boy and from an early age was distinguished by his right eye and good handwriting. When he was twelve years old, his father unexpectedly died, and his mother got her son a job as a student in an architectural school, which was opened in Moscow by the architect D. Ukhtomsky. There, Matvey Kazakov soon became one of the best students, and Ukhtomsky appointed him as his assistant.
Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov led a group of students who were engaged in measuring Kremlin buildings intended for demolition or reconstruction. Ukhtomsky's idea was to educate people knowledgeable not only in architecture, but also in construction practice. He also studied the history of architecture with them.
Together with his comrades, Kazakov combined theoretical studies with practical work. All this helped develop not only architectural taste, but also construction skills. Under the leadership of Ukhtomsky, Matvey Kazakov also did a lot of drawing. These skills subsequently manifested themselves in Kazakov’s wonderful drawings, in which he captured each of the buildings he built.
His first independent work was the restoration of Tver, which burned down in May 1763. He was sent there together with another student of Ukhtomsky P. Nikitin. Matvey Kazakov was engaged in the development of the central part of the city in accordance with the plan drawn up by Nikitin. For the first time in Russian urban planning practice, he created the city center in the form of an octagonal square. Kazakov lived in Tver for four years, and his activities were considered so successful that upon returning to Moscow he was appointed to the expedition of the Kremlin building and became his closest assistant famous architect Vasily Bazhenov.
Together with Kazakov, Bazhenov developed a project for the reconstruction of the Grand Kremlin Palace. However, this plan was not destined to come true, since the General Plan for the Construction of Moscow was soon approved, and Matvey Kazakov had to start designing the Senate building. It was built in full accordance with the project and became the decoration of the Kremlin. Today it houses the administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
After the Kremlin, Kazakov was entrusted with the restructuring of Moscow University. The architect created an ensemble of several buildings, which determined the architecture of the entire area. Subsequently, the Manege building was built in the style developed by Matvey Kazakov.
Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov was a typical representative of the Moscow architectural school, which developed within the framework of classicism. All of its buildings were designed around a clearly defined center. Kazakov’s favorite form was a small round hall - a rotunda. The rotunda is visible in each of his buildings. Therefore, Kazakov’s temples were different from traditional ones. They had a spacious interior, above which there was a bell tower. Therefore, the vertical axis dominated the silhouette, which is why the building seemed to rush upward.
The simplicity of the external forms of Matvey Kazakov is always compensated by the sophistication of the interior decoration. The architect worked out in detail the decorative details of each of his buildings, and even furniture was often made according to his drawings. That is why his contemporaries nicknamed him the “Russian Mansart”, comparing him with the famous French architect.
Simultaneously with the construction of university buildings, Matvey Kazakov developed a design for a building for the Assembly of the Nobility, now the House of Unions, where ceremonial meetings and concerts are held. In due time he will be described by Pushkin in the scene of Tatiana's ball.
This Kazakov project became an example of a new type public building, the center of which becomes a richly decorated festive hall. Large columns decorated with artificial marble, combined with mirrors and beautiful crystal chandeliers, also made according to Kazakov’s sketches, made the Hall of Columns a true pearl of Moscow. Later, the motifs of this building were repeated many times in various cities of Russia and in another capital Russian state- St. Petersburg.
The last major building of Matvey Kazakov erected in Moscow was the Golitsyn Hospital (now the First City Clinical Hospital). Money and land for its construction were donated to the city by Prince D.M. Golitsyn. Construction of the hospital was completed in 1801. In addition to designing a complex of buildings, Kazakov was involved in the construction of a vast park that stretched to the very bank of the Moscow River. In the exterior and interior decoration of hospital buildings, the architect applied his favorite style - Russian classicism. He combined the geometric rigor of lines with the sophistication of decoration. Proudly standing tall white columns gave the building lightness and solemnity. It did not oppress with its heaviness, but seemed to invite us to come inside. And now the hospital immediately attracts the attention of everyone who drives along Leninsky Prospekt.
In addition to the construction of official buildings, the main direction of Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov’s work was the construction of small estate palaces. Apparently, the reason for this turn in his work was Catherine II’s enthusiastic review of the Peter the Great’s Travel Palace that he built. After examining the construction, the Empress called Kazakov the best architect in Russia. And her entourage began vying with each other to order him various buildings.
Matvey Kazakov experienced the greatest pressure from the all-powerful Grigory Potemkin, who strongly persuaded the master to go to Yekaterinoslav and build there the “third capital” conceived by Catherine’s favorite.
However, Kazakov was in no hurry to accept this offer. First, he went to the site of future buildings and became convinced of the utopian nature of this plan. The architect returned to Moscow, where he lived until the end of his life.
Besides the actual creative work For the first time in the history of Russian architecture, Matvey Kazakov began preserving the contemporary appearance of the capital. Together with his students, he worked for many years on a grandiose enterprise for those times - the compilation of the “General Atlas of Moscow”, for which he created a kind of picturesque portrait of Moscow. In his drawings and drawings, he captured not only the plan, but also the facade of each house. Currently, these albums by Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov are an invaluable source for restorers.
The significance of Matvey Kazakov's work was understood immediately after 1812, when the restoration of Moscow began after the fire. But the architect himself no longer saw this. Shortly before Russian troops left Moscow, he and his family moved to Ryazan, where he died of heart disease, unable to withstand the shock of the news of the fire of Moscow and the destruction of many of its buildings.
Today, November 7, is the birthday of architect Matvey Kazakov (not to be confused with Rodion Kazakov). As for me, then... “I’M GUILTY, I CAN’T IMAGINE MOSCOW WITHOUT A KING LIKE HIM” - HE, this is MATVEY KAZAKOV, and not Lenka, like Bulat Okudzhava, forgive me for paraphrasing, but MATVEY KAZAKOV is the real KING of Moscow pre-fire architecture, and post-fire architecture too.
And since I started with my beloved self and my impressions of Kazakov’s works, and his creations accompanied me all my life, I want to show you one of his buildings, not the best, not the most famous, but very dear and close to me:
Matvey Kazakov Muravyov-Apostol estate on Staro-Basmannaya Street.
This building has a very interesting history. And it’s not just that in the niches of the ground floor, then still peeling, among dust and debris, my classmates and I sat and leafed through our notes, trying, contrary to the well-known proverb (*saying???) “to breathe before”... exam, or simply whiled away the time between lectures. This was at the very beginning of the 70s. And then no one knew that the estate was designed by Kazakov. The house was inhabited by people who were unlucky with a separate apartment, but lucky with living in the center. They lived in outbuildings and outbuildings. The house was about to be resettled; our institute was fighting for the right to own the vacated building - we were sorely short of territory. But when the builders began to free the façade from alterations, it turned out that this was the same building, the drawings of which, signed by Kazakov, were preserved in the archive, but the construction according to them was considered unrealized. So this building “rose from the ashes” or oblivion, was cleaned, acquired its original appearance and became the “Museum of the DECEMBRISTS”. True, in the early 2000s it turned out that this building was built according to the design not of Kazakov, but of his student I.D. Zhukov, it’s just that students often inherit the teacher’s handwriting...
And very close, across the park, on the former Gorokhovskaya, and now in Gorokhovsky Lane, there was the famous and famous palace of Nikolai Nikitich Demidov - the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography - my friend’s husband taught drawing there. So some of the “distant” turns out to be quite close.
Demidov's house in Gorokhovsky Lane. Architect M. Kazakov, 1781-1791.
Well, since I lived on Leninsky Prospekt at that time, I saw the Goditsin hospital through the window of the trolleybus that took me to the center.
M. F. Kazakov. Golitsinskaya (now 1st city) hospital in Moscow. 1796 - 1801. Central part.
Having reached the final stop and looking to the right (if you are facing the Manege (architect Beauvais), you will see the University building, slightly modified after the fire of 1812 by the architect Gilardi.
Moscow University (old building on Mokhovaya).
And if you look to the left, you see the Kutafya Tower of the Kremlin and you immediately want to walk across the Trinity Bridge and enter there, into the holy of holies of Moscow. On the left, between the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers, there is the Senate building built according to Kazakov’s design. Its green dome is also visible on Red Square.
Senate building in the Kremlin
View of the Senate building from Red Square
Not far away is a memory from childhood: a New Year tree in the columned hall, also designed by Kazakov.
Hall of Columns
To these memories we can add earlier ones - a house on Myasnitskaya, former Kirovskaya Street (at one time I worked nearby, and even in childhood my parents took them to Kirovskaya to visit relatives), and later ones - the unfinished Grand Palace in Tsaritsyno, where I took children on excursions, and the Traveling Palace, which she ran past, hurrying to visit relatives, and the already built palace of the Yeltsin period, located “within walking distance from my current home.
M. Kazakov. Baryshnikov's House.
Tsaritsyno. The Great Palace before restoration.
Petrovsky Travel Palace.
The Grand Palace today.
But these are only my memories of buildings based on the designs of the Moscow Kazakov, and there are also buildings in very interesting city Golutvin (Kolomna), there, according to Kazakov’s design, the towers of the Old Golutvinsky Monastery and some buildings in the city center were built...
I offer you an article about the work of Matvey Kazakov, written by specialists, and not by a nostalgic element like me:
Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov (1738-1812) 
Upon entering Moscow, I was overcome with surprise, mixed with admiration, because I expected to see a wooden city, as many had said, but, on the contrary, almost all the houses turned out to be brick and of the most elegant and modern architecture. The houses of private individuals were like palaces, they were so rich and beautiful,” one of the officers of Napoleon’s army wrote from Moscow in September 1812. The great fire had not yet incinerated the ancient capital. The city, abandoned by its inhabitants, amazed even the Frenchman, spoiled by the magnificent buildings of Paris. One of the creators of Moscow architecture, its famous public buildings, palaces and houses was the architect Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov. He was born in Moscow, lived, studied and became a recognized master. Hometown He devoted his entire working life, his knowledge and talent to an outstanding architect. Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov was born in the fall of 1738. His father served in the Moscow commissariat, rose to the rank of “sub-office clerk” and was in good standing. In view of his impeccable service, after his death, M. F. Kazakov in 1751 was enrolled in the recently opened architectural school of the architect Ukhtomsky. It was formed from his workshop and, according to the custom of that time, was called the “architect team”.
Along with studying theory, students also studied practical work here. They were sent to various construction sites, which were led by the head of the school, Ukhtomsky. They not only helped the workers and foremen, but also monitored the quality of construction, drawing up reports on everything they noticed. This training produced excellent results, helping students become independent architects. By the end of M.F. Kazakov’s stay at school, she received books on architecture from abroad. Among them were the works of modern French architects and the famous architectural treatises of Vitruvius, Palladio and other masters of the past. Their study not only expanded the knowledge of the young architect, but also determined his love and unquestionable faith in the ideals of classical art for the rest of his life. In 1761, M. F. Kazakov graduated from school with the rank of “architectural ensign” and was appointed to the workshop of the main “city architect” of Moscow, P. R. Nikitin. In May 1763, Tver burned to the ground. The Tver fire shocked the country. Within a few days, the government gave the order to rebuild the burned city. A group of architects headed by Nikitin left for Tver. M.F. Kazakov was also on his new “team”. In Tver it was necessary to restore government buildings and houses of the population. But this was not a simple restoration of the old. It was necessary to create a new city that would meet the then urban planning rules.
M. F. Kazakov spent five years in Tver. He participated in the development of the city's master plan and in drawing up designs for individual buildings. Nikitin entrusted him with the project, and then the construction of the Tver Palace. Initially, this building was intended for the local bishop, so it was called the “bishop’s house” for a long time. The palace stood not far from the ancient city Kremlin, on the middle of the three main streets of the city, which diverged from the semicircular city square like a trident.
M. F. Kazakov conceived a palace without unnecessary decoration and complexity. There was a front yard in front of the simple rectangular building. From the sides it was surrounded by light galleries - passages leading to the corner pavilions. The decoration of the palace was beautiful, simple and clear. The walls were in some places decorated with light stucco garlands and wreaths. Instead of columns with magnificent capitals, M. F. Kazakov used flat pilaster blades. To make them more expressive, he covered them with cannelures - semicircular grooves-notches. This created frequent beautiful shadow stripes, visible not only on sunny, but even on cloudy days. Despite the simplicity of the overall composition and modesty of decoration, the palace in new Tver was undoubtedly the best building. Completed in 1767, it brought its author not only recognition, but also fame. One of the Moscow landowners, Nashchekin, commissions him to design his estate near Moscow, Rai-Semyonovskoye. M. F. Kazakov did an excellent job with this, apparently the first large private order. Still full of impressions from the layout of Tver and romantically experiencing the design of his first building, he created a plan for the estate, in many ways similar to the plan for the main part of Tver. From the house, as from the Tver Kremlin, there was a central alley lined with linden and birch trees. The pond interrupting it looked like a large Tver square. Nearby, on a hill, M. F. Kazakov built a manor church. In its external decoration it resembled the pavilions of the Tver Palace. Already in these early works M. F. Kazakova reveals one of its characteristic features: the architect, having found a successful solution, returns to it more than once, varying and developing its individual forms and details.
The next year, 1768, the young architect began great job at Bazhenov's. Five years spent by M. F. Kazakov on the development of Bazhenov’s Bolshoi project Kremlin Palace, became the years of his second study, were his highest education.
Catherine instructed Bazhenov to draw up a design for a palace in the Kremlin. The court, which often visited Moscow during these years, was in dire need of him. The project was based on the idea of glorifying the Russian people and their military glory in connection with the brilliant victories over the Turks and the liberation of Russian lands in the south. According to Bazhenov’s plan, the palace was to be not only the empress’s residence, but also a grandiose public building. Its vast courtyards housed all the ancient buildings of the Kremlin, and the adjacent new squares were intended for national meetings, celebrations and celebrations. The grandeur, beauty and variety of architectural forms used in the palace project amazed contemporaries. Despite the fact that this grandiose construction was not realized for a number of reasons and remained only as a model, it had a great influence on Russian architecture of those years. M. F. Kazakov’s talent grew and became stronger while working on this project. For many years he served as a source of inspiration for many of M. F. Kazakov’s works.
Working side by side with Bazhenov, M. F. Kazakov comprehended what the famous Russian architect mastered so masterfully.
Work on the project and model of the Kremlin Palace taught M. F. Kazakov to systematicity, purposefulness and logic of architectural construction. He realized in practice that the success of an architectural concept depended on the thoughtfulness, integrity and clarity of the project.
The construction of entertainment buildings on the Khodynka field on the occasion of the celebration of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace was entrusted to Bazhenov, who was appointed chief architect here too. The holiday dedicated to the national victory over the Turks, the exoticism of oriental architecture and greater freedom in the construction of pavilion-type buildings prompted Bazhenov to choose a completely new style. Later it received the name pseudo-Gothic due to the frequent use of pointed arches. Red brick walls with white stone details, many techniques borrowed from ancient Russian architecture XVII in., such as, for example, jug-shaped columns at the entrance, pointed pyramids with balls on top, etc., M. F. Kazakov especially liked. Therefore, the order he received for the construction of the entrance Peter's Palace (now the premises of the Air Fleet Academy), located in the immediate vicinity of the Khodynka entertainment buildings, was executed by him in the same fabulous forms. Turrets, fences of various heights and designs surround the palace building. The latter stands in the middle of a large courtyard. Intricate white stone trim decorates its windows. A porch with a wide staircase with pot-bellied columns greets those entering. The building is crowned with a dome, at the base of which there are lancet windows. M. F. Kazakov perceived the festive character of Russian national architecture with exceptional flair and embodied it in his new work. The success of this construction determined the future path of the young master. 
From this time on, his ever-increasing success as an architect began. The biography of M. F. Kazakov is poor in everyday, everyday facts, but it is rich in the great legacy that he left us. The life of M. F. Kazakov is, as it were, contained in his works.
The Petrovsky Palace had not yet been completed when M. F. Kazakov received a new order. He was entrusted with drawing up a project for the Senate building in the Moscow Kremlin. The Senate was supposed to be built opposite the Arsenal. The site was inconvenient, triangular in shape, but M.F. Kazakov managed to use it as the basis for the building he was erecting. The center of the entire composition was occupied by a grandiose domed hall. M. F. Kazakov calculated his building so that the dome of the hall was located just behind the tower located in the center of Red Square, between the Spassky and Nikolsky Gates. Thus, the Senate building was not only a Kremlin building, but also became a citywide building, entering as a link in the general ensemble of buildings in the most important square of the ancient capital. The boldness of the design of the entire building, especially its dome, amazed contemporaries and even raised concerns among Moscow society about the strength of the structure. To refute such fears, M. F. Kazakov stood with his assistants on the dome while circling. “Kazakov was greeted with shouts of “hurray,” contemporaries note. Catherine II, who came to inspect the building, exclaimed: “What art!” The construction of the Senate building put M. F. Kazakov among the best architects working in Russia at that time. It still adorns the Moscow Kremlin. 
The success of M. F. Kazakov grew. Private individuals increasingly turned to him with requests to draw up designs for houses or palaces. Over the years, orders became more and more numerous, M. F. Kazakov began to have students and assistants.
M. F. Kazakov introduces a lot of new things into the architecture of a city house. He reworks the old manor house layout system. The latter, surrounded by services, was usually placed in the depths of the site. M.F. Kazakov, on the contrary, pushes him to the front of the street, puts him on the red line. Thus, his houses are included with all their, often downright palatial, architecture into the general appearance of the city. Several dozen houses and palaces, beautifully created by him, not counting many large public buildings, decorated the streets and alleys of the capital. Especially famous are Demidov’s house on Gorokhovsky Lane (now the Institute of Geodesy), Gagarin’s on Petrovsky Boulevard (Polyclinic building), Menshikov’s on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, Baryshnikov’s on Myasnitskaya (now it houses one of the medical institutions) and many others.
Among the buildings of the 70-80s of the 18th century, made by M. F. Kazakov, the estate in Petrovsky (near the Alabino station of the Kyiv railway) occupies an outstanding place. According to the owner Demidov, the building should not have been an ordinary estate with outbuildings, but a complex ensemble, including a church with a separate bell tower, a park with numerous sculptures and separate buildings for economic purposes. In addition, the house was to be crowned with a statue of Catherine.
M. F. Kazakov laid out the main part of this estate in the form of a regular square. There were small outbuildings at its corners, while the center was occupied by the main house. It was decorated with columned porticos on all four sides. Balconies were made on the cut corners, supported by two small columns. The cut corners made the building appear triangular rather than square. The church, bell tower and services were located along the main road leading to the main house. On the opposite side of the house there was a park with numerous and skillfully planned alleys. The ingenious layout of the house with a round hall in the center made it possible to combine rooms and halls various shapes and size. 
Since the late 70s, M. F. Kazakov actually became the chief architect of Moscow. His exceptional honesty, calmness and friendliness attracted people to him. A school of students who were infinitely devoted to him quickly formed around him. He never curried favor" strongmen of the world this", which was so typical in those days and bore the apt name of "searching". Not a single architect enjoyed such success, such popularity, which accompanied M. F. Kazakov. By his origin, upbringing and work, M. F. Kazakov belonged to to that non-official intelligentsia of Moscow, which brought forward the best cultural figures of the era from its midst. He creates his architectural projects with rare ease. But this ease was only apparent, since behind it lay years of hard work and ever-improving skill in all his works. The unity of his creativity and his style is a feature. For him, the classics were an eternally living ideal. He was completely devoted to its beauty and charm.
In addition to a large number of private architectural works, M. F. Kazakov carried out many government orders. Either I had to go to Ekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk) to develop the central part of the city, or I had to go to Kaluga for the same thing. Then comes work in Kolomna and its surroundings and many others. 
The Moscow fire of 1812 destroyed interior decoration most of Kazakov's buildings. Of the significant number of works he created, only the so-called “Golden Rooms” of the Demidov House have been preserved and the famous Hall of Columns of the Dolgorukov House has been restored. If the “Golden Rooms” speak of the high skill of the architect in the field of decorating small rooms, then in the Hall of Columns, which is the center of the present House of Unions, M. F. Kazakov achieves an exceptional impression of solemnity, and in a very simple way. Corinthian columns line the walls. Their magnificent capitals, chandeliers located between them and the balustrade of the balconies are the only decorative details of the hall’s decoration. This ceremonial ballroom is one of the best in Russian classicism.
During these same years, M. F. Kazakov built a number of public buildings in Moscow - Moscow University, government offices, a palace in Tsaritsyn and the building of the “New Commissariat” (the Quartermaster building on the former Bolshaya Sadovnicheskaya Street). They all tackle the theme of a public building in different ways. Thus, the building of Moscow University (its façade and hall were redone by the architect D. Gilardi after a fire in 1812) is based in its layout on the scheme of a city estate (a front courtyard between two protruding side wings). The palace in Tsaritsyn, built on the site of a palace built according to Bazhenov’s design and demolished by order of Catherine, consists of two large almost square multi-story buildings connected longitudinally, of considerable height, with an exit in the center. The Tsaritsyn Palace was built in the same “pseudogothic” style as the Petrovsky Access Palace. In the "New Commissariat" M. F. Kazakov used old models of industrial structures of ancient Rus'. They were usually surrounded by walls with towers at the corners. The same idea lies in the grandiose building of M. F. Kazakov, which occupies an entire city block. In its center, on the side of the Moscow River, he erected a large building with a columned portico, which was part of a system of buildings standing around a square courtyard. At its corners stood round towers with low domes.
Remains of the Tsaritsyn Palace
In the 80s of the XVIII century. M. F. Kazakov's talent reaches its peak. The best building he created at this time was the mausoleum for Baryshnikov in Nikolo-Pogorely, Smolensk region (1783). The mausoleum, round in plan, bearing a stepped dome, is surrounded, like a wreath, by sixteen Ionic columns. The main parts of the building are made of fine white stone, and the walls are painted pink. More than thirty sculptural panels decorate this amazing building, standing on a high slope to the Dnieper. They were made by the famous Russian sculptor F. Shubin.
The shape of the mausoleum is so perfect, the merging of architecture with sculpture is so organic, the drawing of details is so complete that you can admire this monument for hours. It seems that the immortal creation of the master lives and breathes in the rays of the sun and the amazing landscape surrounding it. The mausoleum in its architecture can be compared with the beautiful monuments of antiquity.
Drawing up drawings, details, estimates, and supervising construction naturally required not only attentive, but also gifted assistants. Having replaced Bazhenov as head of the Kremlin Expedition, M. F. Kazakov organized an architectural school with it. Characteristic of this is M. F. Kazakov’s concern for the creation of Russian masters of architecture. In the petition for the organization of the school, he indicated that it was needed in order to have perfect “Russian masters, which other provinces will be able to borrow and therefore there will be no need for foreign ones who are ignorant of either the goodness of local materials or the fact that the local climate can produce." It amounts to detailed program training future architects. Among the planned courses were: "drawing, pure mathematics, mechanics..., perspective and landscape and ornamental painting, painting of living figures." A drawing room is being organized. M. F. Kazakov orders to “fill the drawing room with drawings and drawings not only of the best buildings and views in Russia, but also of other famous buildings and views of all four parts of the world. Try to collect as many drawings and views of ancient buildings as possible, especially those in the Kremlin that have already been destroyed , to have drawings of those private buildings that, with the permission of the authorities, will be produced by architects and assistants of the expedition, to store the best drawings of students, to create parts of models.”
Mausoleum in Nikolo-Pogorely, Smolensk region
This instruction of his testifies not only to the master’s broad outlook and deep knowledge, but also to his great love for Russian national architecture.
M. F. Kazakov created a genuine school of masters. From here came: Egotov, Tamansky, Bove, namesake Rodion Kazakov and the sons of the founder of the school, Matvey, Vasily and Pavel. After the fire of 1812, O. I. Bove became the chief architect of Moscow and recreated the burned capital.
In the 90s, M. F. Kazakov created a number of new original buildings. Among them, Razumovsky's house occupies one of the first places. The house is built in the shape of the letter U, covering the front yard. In the center under the pediment there is a large semicircular niche. On its sides there are light columned porticos, protruding forward. Between them are stairs leading to the main entrance. The slender columns of the porticoes and the niche itself give this part of the building an extraordinary lightness and airiness. The modesty and severity of the treatment of the side wings of the house emphasize the richness of the solution of its center.
In 1796, M. F. Kazakov began, by order of Golitsyn, to build a hospital on Kaluzhskaya Street. This was the master’s swan song, since soon after the completion of this outstanding building, illness confined him to bed. Golitsyn Hospital (now the Second City Hospital) is one of the best works in the work of M. F. Kazakov. The old manor house layout with outbuildings seems to come to life again in this building. But this is only the first impression, since M. F. Kazakov uses here new techniques that significantly change the old familiar forms. He places side buildings along the street, while maintaining positive features old layout, that is, it places the central part with a columned portico and a dome above it in the depths of the site. This original technique not only highlighted the main part of the building, but connected the hospital with the street, introducing it as a certain link in the body of the city. Behind the portico rises a large dome with characteristic semicircular lucarne windows. It is located above the round church room. Its walls inside are decorated with two orders of columns, which Kazakov, contrary to all the canons, rearranged: between the large Ionic columns there were smaller Corinthian, load-bearing arches (usually the Ionic order was subordinate to the Corinthian one). This unexpected technique speaks of the unflagging tenacity of the elderly master, looking for ever new solutions in the circle of classical forms and details.
Golitsyn Hospital
In the year the construction of the hospital was completed, M. F. Kazakov resigned. His last work was a collection of drawings of his own buildings. The head of the “Kremlin Expedition” Valuev, supporting the elderly master’s request for resignation, wrote about him: “Only the famous and most skillful architect, State Councilor Kazakov, renowned throughout Russia for his excellent knowledge of this art and practical production..., filled not only Moscow, but also many regions of Russia are good architects..., having left behind quite a lot of his great arts..., he wants to devote the rest of his days to the architectural school...".
Having retired, M. F. Kazakov never ceases to be interested in the artistic life of his beloved city. According to his son, in these last years of his life he “was curious to learn something new for him and tried to get acquainted with people in whom he noticed some kind of knowledge.”
When the French approached Moscow in 1812, the family took M.F. Kazakov to Ryazan. Here he learned about a terrible fire. “This news,” his son wrote, “inflicted a mortal defeat on him. Having devoted his entire life to architecture, decorating the throne city with magnificent buildings, he could not imagine without a shudder that his many years of work turned into ashes and disappeared with fire smoke.”
The emotional shock of the news he received intensified his illness. On November 7, 1812, the famous architect, builder of Moscow, died.
The importance of Kazakov’s work for the architecture of Moscow and Russian art is difficult to overestimate. Without exaggeration, we can say that Kazakov created a new classical Moscow of the 18th century. All his work is distinguished by the integrity of artistic ideals, being an expression of genuine national artistic mastery.
About M. F. Kazakov: Bondarenko I. E., Architect Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov (1738-1812), M., 1912 (new revised edition, M., 1938); "Architecture of the USSR", 1938, No. 1 (articles dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of M. F. Kazakov); Ilyin M., Matvey Fedorovich Kazakov, M., 1944.