Museum - Livadia Palace

The Great White Livadia Palace was built from April 1910 to September 1911 by architect Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov. His activity fell on the period when at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries in the architecture of the southern coast of the Crimea, as well as everywhere in Russia, two leading artistic trends became widespread: historicism - a style that developed from the 30s of the XIX century, and Art Nouveau, which most fully manifested itself on Russian soil from the mid-1890s to the 1910s. The time frame of the first of them in the Crimea expanded until 1915. The peculiarity of the Livadia Palace lies in the fact that Krasnov was able to organically combine both in the general layout of the palace and in the artistic decoration of its interiors, the characteristic features of these two artistic trends. In the palace there was a merger of two styles of the turn of the XX century - historicism and modernity. Architects who worked in the style of historicism, to create an artistic and architectural image turned to the architectural practice of past eras and used a variety of styles. This was especially evident on the southern coast of Crimea, where the very picturesque nature of the coast - a combination of mountain landscape and sea - seemed to suggest special forms of buildings. Here, as contemporaries wrote, the buildings were built "in the most intricate way": "in Asian taste", "like English cottages", with features of ancient, Byzantine, Renaissance, Gothic. Often architects interpreted the local Tatar architecture. Krasnov, as the most striking representative of this artistic direction, decides manor buildings in the oriental spirit ("Dulber" - the palace for Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich 1895-1897, the Country Palace of the Emir of Bukhara 1905-1908), then in "modern Scottish taste" (the palace for Grand Duke George Mikhailovich in Harax 1904-1908), then uses the motifs of French classicism (the house of Berthier-Delagarde - 1890-ies). For the Yusupov Palace in Koreiz (1907-1912), he chose the forms of the Renaissance. In all the buildings on the southern coast of the Crimea (and there are more than 60 of them), Krasnov proved himself as a great master of architecture, an excellent connoisseur of various architectural styles, who understands their features and the internal laws of their design solutions. For the Livadia Grand Palace at the request of the customer - Nicholas II - the prototype was the Italian Renaissance. To this style, architects usually turned to create an atmosphere of festiveness, and this is perfectly manifested in the external forms of the palace and in the interior decoration. All styles that were used in the architecture of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, underwent significant changes, obeying the new requirements for the architecture of this period. First of all, the approach to building design has changed. The idea of comfort, creating maximum comfort in living quarters became the main one. The architect had by all means to identify the functional purpose of each of the rooms, make them comfortable and comfortable. Therefore, work on the project began with the design of interior rooms. If earlier, in classical architecture, the character of the facade and the main parameters of the building were first determined, where the interiors then fit, now the design of residential buildings took place as if from the inside out (from the interior to the facade). The plan and spatial compositions of buildings were formed based on the feasibility of placing rooms in them. As one of the architects of Art Nouveau Shechtel wrote, "the internal content should be clearly expressed and imprinted in the appearance of the building." The same method of work on the project of the Livadia Palace is typical for Krasnov: he first plans the interior, which resulted in the solution of the facades. In order to brightly emphasize the style of the Italian Renaissance in the palace, Krasnov decides to make the center of the entire plastic composition of the building a large courtyard, almost exactly repeating the characteristic features of the courtyards in the Italian palazzos of the XV-XVI centuries. The image of such a courtyard, born immediately in the imagination of the architect, became the main in the search for a compositional solution to the entire ensemble. It is from the Italian courtyard that Krasnov begins the layout of the building, around it he varies various groups of internal premises. A number of design sketches are devoted to the search for the most convenient location of ceremonial and living rooms. The architect, having determined the center of the building, as it were, increases to it volumes, different in size, which corresponded to the functional purpose of each room. As a result, all the rooms in the palace are individual, they differ primarily in their size. The desire to allocate the reception room of the emperor on the first floor and the boudoir (living room) of the Empress on the second was reflected in the decision of the eastern facade of the palace: large volumes of these rooms (and accordingly the rooms located above the reception room and under the living room), speaking outside the plane of the main wall of the building, formed two main risalite facade. Similarly, the southern facade was solved, where large volumes of the Empress’s office and the emperor’s office formed a risalite and a bay window visually balancing it. Solving the problems of ensuring comfort in the palace led to the appearance of other elements of expressiveness of the facades. In the palace, intended for summer holidays, the most important thing was to ensure the connection of the palace with the surrounding park. Krasnov perfectly solves this problem: he so arranged the rooms, halls and utility rooms that literally from all places of the palace you can easily get to the park. On the eastern, longest facade facing Yalta, the architect makes three entrances, each of which is peculiarly decorated with architectural details. From the main state halls and the music salon (the Fireplace Hall, located on the second floor) it was possible to enter the park through the tower, which was created by the architect specifically to accommodate a large staircase connecting these rooms. The entrance to the palace to the stairs leading to the rooms of the second floor intended for children, the architect distinguishes by an arched portal, which differs from the entire facade in its shapes and color of the material. In the office of the Empress leads an external staircase, ending with a balcony-belvedere. It is skillfully disguised by a light beautiful arcade. As a result of such planning, a measured, clear rhythm of the architectural elements of the eastern facade is created. When designing the palace Krasnov worried about the solution of two main problems: how to fit a large building into the surrounding landscape and existing buildings and how to fill the palace with light and sun. It was necessary to significantly increase the volume of the new building compared to the old palace, on the site of which a new one was erected. It was not possible to expand the palace to the south because of the terrain with a slope towards the sea beginning here. The western boundaries of the palace were due to the task of preserving the church here, built by Monighetti. Krasnov abandons his original project - square in plan. Such a building would be static and would not correspond to the terrain. The architect stretches the palace from south to north. Making the eastern facade long, it almost brings it close from the north side to the plants of the park, enclosing them with a retaining wall. Thus, a small Kurdoner was formed between the northern facade and this wall. This location of the palace made it possible to keep a fairly large flat space on the east side free, on which the main parade square was decorated. Because of this, the eastern facade is easily perceived. The first impression when it opens to the eye after the greenery of the park is an extraordinary festiveness and solemnity. The flat green parter of the square emphasizes the relief of the forms of the building. The entire space is dominated by a tower at the corner of the eastern and northern facades. Almost monolithic, with small window openings at the top, it protrudes far beyond the line of the entire facade. The plane of the rather long wall of the facade is broken by a large risalite (formed by the volume of the reception room of the emperor), but it is not in the center, as it was in the layouts of classical architectural structures, but is shifted to the north, closer to the tower. Its compact, almost cubic volume gives the impression of massiveness, which is enhanced by the size of its arched window openings. According to how this risalite was solved, it can be assumed that the architect had to make the entrance to the palace from the east side. However, the entrance is located to the south and is almost in the center of the left longitudinal volume. The architect distinguishes it with an arch of Krimbal stone, slightly protruding beyond the colonnade line, decorating the gallery of the first floor. This arch is echoed on the second floor by marble semi-columns, which are framed by one of the windows, and a beam sandwich above it. The left southern risalite is much already central, and therefore not so massive. The architect emphasizes the elongation of medium large windows in the built windows, which further facilitates the volume. This solution of the whole risalite prepares for the perception of a light, elegant arcade that completes the entire facade, hiding the outer staircase leading to the Empress’s office. Despite the different forms of risalites, the architect visually unites them, introducing built windows as the main motive in their solution. This motif varies in different ways not only in the risalites, but also in the tower, in the arcade of the outer staircase. The overall harmony in the complex development of individual architectural details will be the main for the palace. The solution of all components of the facade is subordinated to the strict rhythm of risalites, rectangular and arched window openings, the identification of saturated elements of the order system - columns, semi-columns, pilasters, sandriks. This rhythm corresponds to a clear allocation of the horizontal line of balconies separating the first and second floors. These main principles of building a plastic composition of the palace, as well as the absence of strict symmetry, the free placement of diverse volumes gave the building liveliness and expressiveness of forms, dynamism. All this corresponded to the uneven mountainous terrain. The choice of material for the palace is not accidental. In order to make the building more festive, the architect instead of rusted, usually dark stone in the buildings of the Renaissance, builds a palace of light Inkerman limestone. This manifested characteristic of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. interest in the active use of material properties as one of the main techniques in creating an artistic image of architecture. To preserve the whiteness of the walls of the palace for a long time, Krasnov covers them with a solution of fluate to protect against pollution and the influence of precipitation. The palace is built so that it is clearly visible from the sea. Its white-stone building clearly and solemnly stands out against the backdrop of the evergreen vegetation of the park. The play of light and shadow of the large architectural volumes of the southern facade and its relief details, large windows of different shapes and sizes shining in the sun, the rhythm of the balcony colonnade, dark lanterns and decorative vases of the Kolyvan cutting factory, contrasting with the light walls, all this makes the palace very expressive. Its southern facade is more strict and compact in compositional solution compared to the eastern one. But here, too, the architect remains faithful to his chosen principle of moving away from clear symmetry. The protruding corner parts of the building are balanced in their volumes, but the architect makes the left risalite in the form of a three-sided bay window, introduces other decorative details here, which makes a variety in the solution of the facade. Given the terrain, the architect on the south side makes a high base. This facade is distinguished by a more complex decor: a relief belt consisting of images of the coats of arms of the provinces of Russia, girdles at the level of the second floor protruding risalites; the arched windows of the second floor adorn a rich floral ornament. However, we must pay tribute to the architect: in the solution of the facades of the palace and in its interior design, there is no overload with details and excessively abundant decor, which was characteristic of many buildings of that time. Krasnov as an architect is distinguished in everything by a sense of proportion, great culture, artistic tact. The architect placed the front entrance to the palace on the north side. It would seem that the entrance was supposed to be on the eastern facade, the longest and most visible, but it was literally hidden behind the tower. Inspection of the northern facade is difficult because a high retaining wall approaches very close to the palace. The architect focuses on only one magnificent portico. Of white Carrara marble, three clearly delineated semicircular arches are carved, which rest on paired columns. If in all the facades of the palace, the architect used columns of the Tuscan and Ionic order, then here - the most magnificent - Corinthian order. It corresponds to the abundant ornamentation of archivolts, ending with cartouches with monograms of members of the royal family. In the depths of the portico is a complex ornamented arched portal, crowned with the coat of arms of the Romanovs. Marble figures of lions guarding the entrance, benches carved in marble, large jasper vases installed in niches, complement the design of the portico. Slender proportions of the arcade and finely worked out drawings of ornamental reliefs make the portico one of the best decorations of the palace, corresponding to the canons of the Renaissance. The western facade of the palace is almost completely covered by the church built by Monighetti. Having enlarged the porch, Krasnov included the church in the overall composition of the entire palace ensemble. The arcade, resting on marble columns with tetrahedral capitals of a complex relief pattern in the Byzantine spirit, connects the church with the palace and forms a small semi-enclosed courtyard, called the Moorish. The second arcade of the same character, forming a small gallery, as it were decorates the entrance to the former buffet, built in 1914, as evidenced by the relief figure above the entrance. On the eaves of both arcades there is an ornamental relief belt, exactly the same as on the walls of the church. By this repetition of the geometric ornament, Krasnov achieves the unity of the parts of the ensemble. On the western wall from the entrance to the buffet there is a relief composition, created according to the famous fresco by Raphael in the Vatican "The School of Athens", which depicts a dispute between philosophers of two directions - materialistic and idealistic, headed by Aristotle and Plato. This is another detail talking about the appeal to the Renaissance traditions. During the reconstruction of the church in 1910-1911, the decoration inside it was updated by the artist A. S. Slavtsov, the mosaic above the main entrance of the "Angel of the Lord" was performed by students of the mosaic department of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts based on the drawing of Slawtsov. Two arcades of the western facade visually lead to one of the most remarkable parts of the palace - the Italian courtyard. It opens through the magnificent openwork forged gates of Italian work. On four sides the courtyard surrounds the arcade. The measured rhythm of its slender columns of a strict Tuscan order, the smooth running of the outlines of the arches, the softness of the lines of low relief medallions adorning the top of the walls between the arches, the clarity of the horizontal line of a thin elongated cornice, the lightness of the openwork balustrade completing the arcade, create a sense of harmony. Simplicity and elegance of forms, clarity and ease of proportions distinguish all architectural details of the courtyard. Organically fit into the general ensemble and marble sofas with high backs, covered with relief vegetable ornament, and armrests in the form of griffins. They were ordered in Italy specifically for this courtyard. Once in the center of its ancient well, to which radial paths, mosaically lined with diorite slabs, completed all the decoration (now the well is replaced by a round fountain bowl). On the north side of the Italian courtyard is the main dining room, eight large glazed doors connect this main room with the courtyard. In addition, the exit to the Italian courtyard is from the premises located both on the south and on the east side, only the western wall, behind which there is a buffet, deaf. There is in the palace and another courtyard - the so-called Arab. It was not intended for recreation and walks, but was conceived as a light well. For this purely constructive element, the architect finds an interesting artistic solution, covering the bottom of the walls with majolica slabs with ringing colors of beautiful oriental ornament. Complements this design wall fountain "Maria" of carved marble, which used to be in the old palace and as an interesting artistic detail was preserved by Krasnov. Colored majolica tiles were made by the art and ceramic production of Vaulina Geldwein (St. Kikerino, St. Petersburg). Introduction to the spatial construction of the palace of courtyards Krasnov originally solved the problem of lighting. In the Livadia Palace, all the characteristic features of the architecture of the southern coast of the Crimea of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries were clearly manifested: 1. First of all, it is the openness of buildings to the sun, light, nature, air. This showed the desire of architects by means of architecture to emphasize the healing of the Crimean air. Krasnov to the terraces, balconies, bay windows, open galleries that surrounded the building, adds still courtyards and solarium on the roof. 2). The location of the southern coast of Crimea in the form of an amphitheater and the need to build buildings in complex terrain caused the need for comprehensive visibility of buildings only from the facades, but also from remote points, even from above. As a result - "all-facade", attention to the silhouette, to the picturesque solution of the roof. This led to the introduction of various towers and decorative details into the architectural image. Krasnov perfectly solved the problem of creating a variety of facades while observing the general architectural style. 3). The desire to harmoniously fit the buildings into the surrounding landscape of the turbulent foothills led to new spatial compositional solutions: the lack of symmetry, free layout of the interior, a picturesque composition of diverse volumes. Krasnov, building mainly the composition of the building on large volumes, without an abundance of details, achieves a certain harmony and solemnity of the entire architectural ensemble. To this it is necessary to add the proportionality of the individual parts, giving harmony to the building, the art of working out details, the successful use of local building material - all these features characteristic of the Livadia Palace, allow you to attribute it to the best architectural monuments of the early XX century. In the external architectural forms of the palace Krasnov strictly adhered to his chosen Renaissance style. In order to bring the Crimean Palace closer to its prototypes, it brings from Italy antique marbles, decorates the Italian courtyard with a fountain and openwork cast iron gates made in Italy, the beautiful design of the White Hall completes with columns carved from snow-white Carrara marble. In the interiors of the first floor are introduced household items characteristic of this country (cut in the tree cassone chest, ordered chandelier Venetian glass). Krasnov, as a great master of architecture, could not, of course, but reflect the changes that took place in architecture on the boundary of centuries. Historicism by this time was developing towards greater decorativeness and multi-style. New tasks - creating an atmosphere of comfort and comfort in residential interiors - required strict compliance of the decorative design of the room with its functional purpose and the ability of architects to apply elements of different styles of different eras in new, modern conditions, subordinating them to new tasks. Already in the design of the interiors of the first floor of the Livadia Palace, the architect departs from strict adherence to the Renaissance style: the classical style is chosen for the reception room; for the billiard room - elements of English architecture of the XVI century. Of particular value are the interiors of the second floor, which were created and decorated in full accordance with all the requirements of the new architecture of modernity. This was manifested in their layout, and especially in the decoration, which is partially preserved to this day. In order to give a more intimate character to the living rooms of the second floor, the usual classical order system, which was always used in the Renaissance as the main expressive means, receives a talented interpretation in the spirit of its time. For example, in the Empress’s boudoir, the scale of the classical order, its proportions, the ratio of details change. The architect is unusually free and boldly assembles them - and the result is a completely new artistic image characteristic of modernity. One of the features of the architecture of the turn of the XX century was the introduction of new materials and new decor techniques into the architectural image. In the finishing of the first floor Krasnov introduces local chestnut, yew, pink tree, and for greater sophistication and sophistication of the decor of the second floor (which corresponded to the tastes of modernity) uses tree species with light texture - maple, ash. Here on the second floor, some rooms were decorated with white enamel panels and the same stylish furniture. Krasnov introduces new techniques in furnishing rooms: built-in furniture, designing panels together with sofas, benches, cabinets. Mirrors, colored majolica tiles are introduced into the decorative design of interiors, which in Art Nouveau art have become one of the main elements of the artistic image. Fireplaces are lined with ceramic tiles. Stained glass decorated many doors. In the solution of decoration of rooms and their details - fireplaces, stained glass - there are drawings typical of Art Nouveau - with their smoothness, elegance of lines. And of course, the possibilities of building the royal palace allowed the architect to make it comfortable, comfortable, hygienic, which corresponded to all the advanced modern requirements for architecture (electric lighting, central heating with ventilation, hot and cold water in all rooms, sea water for baths, elevator, telephone, inter-storey floors with hollow chambers of the Gennebik system - to reduce sound conductivity, in the ceilings of the upper floors - an insulating layer of cork mass - lapidite for protection during the summer).