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[RUSSIAN WOODEN CLASSICISM] Kaluzhsky derevyannyi ampir [i.e. Wooden Empire Style of Kaluga]

Bezsonov, S.V.

Kaluga: kollektiv nauchnykh rabotnikov pri G.O. Rabprosa, 1928. Item #462

30 pp., [2] pp.: ill., [10] pl. 22x18 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Very good, small tears of the spine.

First and only edition. One of 600 copies. An extremely rare provincial edition.

This is the first book on wooden classicist architecture of Kaluga and the first book on wooden Empire style architecture, part of the unique Russian architectural phenomenon. At the end of the 18th - the beginning of the 19th century classicism became widespread not only in the capital, but also in provincial towns and manors. The
situation in Russia after the Napoleonic invasion gave impetus to the construction of wooden houses of various purposes. Among them, one story mansions are particularly beautiful and even adorable in their simple wooden decoration. Skill serf architects manifested in the construction of wooden buildings with elements inherent to stone buildings: classical porticos, elegant moldings and carved details, columns. In the central Russia there was enough wood for building, therefore wooden buildings in the style of classicism began to appear, whole ensembles of wooden buildings were created. It was a new style, which entered the history of architecture as Russian wooden classicism, similar to which there is no in Europe.

This book was written by a known Kaluga local historian Sergei Bessonov. Here he gathered information on roots of wooden Empire style in Russia, history and photographs or illustrations of Kaluga buildings.

Worldcat locates copies at the Getty Research Institute and Columbia University Libraries.

Price: $950.00