As part of the V National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation "Reconstruction and restoration of architectural heritage" (RRAH-2025), SPbGASU held a set of lectures "On the 140th anniversary of the star class". Its initiators were Associate Professor at the SPbGASU Department of Urban Planning, PhD of Architecture Svetlana Levoshko, PhD of Philosophical Sciences, independent researcher Elena Travina and Director of the SPbGASU History Information Center Elena Klimenko.
The reason to celebrate this date is truly great: 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 were the director of IGI, architect, statesman Vasily Kosyakov (1862-1921), civil engineer Gavriil Baranovsky (1860-1920), architect Nikolay Sokolov (1859-1906). As the researchers emphasized, new details are still being revealed in the biographies and professional activities of these outstanding individuals.
Professor at the SPbGASU Department of Urban Planning Sergey Sementsov called holding such meetings a good idea, since the accumulation and preservation of information is of great value. It was for the reason 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. Thus, civil engineer Mikhail Eisenstein (1867-1921), father of the famous film director Sergey Eisenstein, who did not achieve great academic success during his studies, is the author of 18 multi-story stone houses in Riga, which formed the front of a number of streets. Not least thanks to them, old Riga was recognized as an "art nouveau reserve" and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The best graduates are a good example for today's students," noted Sergey Sementsov.
Moderator of the lectures Svetlana Levoshko clarified that the discussion would be about “star” graduates who have made a great contribution to the development of architecture not only in Saint Petersburg, but also in the whole country.
The Kosyakovs' example: talent and hard work lead to success
DSc in Art Criticism, 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 SPbGASU) in 1983 Yury Savelyev initially wrote three books about Nikolay 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 Yury Savelyev.
He added that Vasily Kosyakov was 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 was a universal specialist in organizing construction. Georgy was 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 Yury Savelyev.
He emphasized that the topic of the Kosyakovs is inexhaustible. In the course of the research, it is possible to discover more and more new materials, since their activity fell 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.
Bronislav-Juli Pravdzik: the whole life in IGI and for the benefit of society
Vadim Zhukov, a PhD of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor who taught at our university for many years, in his research shed light on many facts about the life and work of Bronislav-Juli Kazimirovich Pravdzik, a graduate of the IGI, who later became the ninth director of his native institute (1921–1922) and taught here from 1894 until the end of his life.
"Pravdzik is a first-class graduate of the Institute of Civil Engineers with a Gold Medal named after Professor Bezpalov for the best engineering project. Civil engineer, professor. Friend, peer and co-author of the architect Vasily Antonovich Kosyakov, whom he replaced as director of the IGI. A descendant of an impoverished noble family with Polish-Russian roots, he was born in Odessa. His father was a collegiate secretary (later a state councilor) Kazimir Ivanovich, his mother was Lyubov Alekseyevna, and his brother (technical builder) Iosif (Yuzef) Kazimirovich Pravdzik. Bronislav-Juli Kazimirovich Pravdzik moved to St Petersburg after graduating from the Odessa Real School of St Paul and devoted his entire life to his chosen profession. He was a specialist in building structures, heating and ventilation systems and sanitary equipment for civil buildings (including medical ones) and churches, a member of the St Petersburg Society of Architects, the board of the Society of Civil Engineers, the Technical and Construction Committee under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a participant in many expert commissions. The author of articles, reports, reviews in the "News of the Society of Civil Engineers", - Vadim Yuryevich specified.
He added facts to Pravdzik’s professional biography at the IGI: he taught since 1894, and since 1901 – at the Department of Heating and Ventilation. He taught a course on “Water pipelines” and published “Water Supply Course” (1903). He founded the Department of Water Supply (20 September, 1909; the original name was the Department of Water Pipelines and Project Preparation) and headed it until 1923. In 1912, he created a laboratory that collected samples of water supply and sewerage fittings. From 1901 – ordinary professor, from 1903 – member of the institute council, in 1921–1922 – the ninth director of the institute. In the last year of his life – emeritus professor.
Civil engineer Gavriil Baranovsky
Elena Travina recalled that civil engineer Gavriil Vasilyevich Baranovsky (1860–1920) was 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.
Some of Baranovsky’s famous works are: the house of the Eliseev Brothers trading company on Nevsky Prospect, the building of the Russian Geographical Society in Grivtsov Lane, and the Buddhist temple in the Staraya Derevnya area.
Civil engineer Nikolay Sokolov
DSc in 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 Nikolay Matveevich Sokolov (1859–1906).
"A graduate of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1885, Nikolay Matveevich Sokolov left a noticeable mark on the architectural appearance of Rostov-on-Don. My report focuses on the period of Sokolov's work as a city architect, as well as his activities as a civil architect in Rostov. Researchers note the influence of the architecture of the cities where he received his education (Riga, Vilno, St Petersburg) on the formation of Sokolov's creative method, as well as the principles of rational architecture that were taught at the Institute of Civil Engineers," explained Anna Ivanova-Ilyicheva.
The report used materials from scientific research conducted by Anna Ivanova-Ilyicheva and, under her supervision, graduate students Yulia Petrusenko and Aleksandr Orekhov. Among the illustrations were graphic reconstructions of some of N. M. Sokolov’s now lost works: N. I. Tokarev’s People’s School, the Mashonkin Theatre, and the Novopokrovskaya Church (all in Rostov-on-Don).