Karl Rossi: The Architect Who Left His Mark on Russia

I recently visited the exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the great architect Karl Rossi, and I'm reminded once again - a talented person is talented in everything. We all know that it was Rossi's designs and projects that created so many beautiful and unique architectural masterpieces in Russia, a country that became his second home after Italy.

But if you visit the exhibition, you'll also discover his talent as a painter and a brilliant engineer. Let's go through it all.

In the Engineer's House on the territory of Petrovsky Fortress, from November 27, 2025 to March 1, 2026 (you can find this information on the website and at the entrance to the building), there's a jubilee exhibition dedicated to Rossi. It features over a hundred of his works.

Among them are architectural projects of what was built in St. Petersburg and its surroundings, decorative and applied art items, and furniture designs.

Karl Rossi arrived in Russia at the end of the 18th century with his family. His path in architecture began under the guidance of Vincenzo Brenna, where he participated in designing Pavlovsk and building the Mikhailovsky Castle. Among the early exhibits on the exhibition, you can see the drawings created for the Mikhailovsky Castle around 1800.

You can see Rossi's drawings, candlestick designs, furniture designs, vases, and more on the exhibition. They've placed the sketches and works side by side. For example, a pair of candlesticks are standing in front of a sketch in a frame.

There are also chairs and vases.

Karl Rossi designed and created unique glass artworks. Karl Rossi collaborated with the Imperial Glass Factory. Some of his works are also on display at the exhibition.

I'm a huge fan of the Alexanderinsky Theatre, so I was super excited to check out the designs and sketches for the future theatre, done by the architect himself. It's mind-blowing how, back in the day when there wasn't even decent lighting, let alone computers, the designs were so precise and accurate. And on the sketches, you can see the tiniest details. Now, looking at the architect's ideas brought to life in the theatre, I'm just amazed.

There's a small street near the Alexanderinsky Theatre that's known for its perfectly measured parameters - that's Rossi Street, named after the architect. According to the architect's plan, this whole area should be a complete ensemble. Some of it was implemented, some of it remained in the project. Check out the precision and symmetry in these values:

Street length - 220 meters, width - 22 meters, height - 22 meters.

From 1816, Rossi becomes the imperial architect and realizes projects that changed the face of St. Petersburg's center. Among them are the ensembles of the Elagin and Mikhailovsky palaces, the interiors of the Winter and Anichkov palaces, the buildings of the Main Staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Senate and the Synod, the Alexandrinsky Theatre, the Imperial Public Library, as well as the buildings of the Ministry of Education and Internal Affairs.

Rossi designed and built rural estates in Glazkovo. How did he, an Italian, manage to get a feel for the Russian spirit?

What really blew me away was seeing the sketches of the Russian coat of arms done by Karl Rossi with notes from the emperor.

You can see some of Rossi's work in "The Lamentable Commission of 1825", where he was tasked with designing the funeral arrangements for St. Petersburg's Petropavlovskiy Sobor and creating a catafalque for Alexander I.

I have to say, the last few years of Rossi's life were pretty tough. He was dealing with illness and financial struggles. You can learn more about that at the end of the exhibit:

In 1832, due to his declining health, Rossi effectively retired from his profession. The last years of his life were spent in poverty and solitude, and he passed away in 1849 from cholera.

I love that the exhibit brings together materials from various museums - it's a rare chance to see the inner sanctum of Karl Rossi's work, including his manuscripts, sketches, and graphics. And the best part? The buildings he designed are still standing, and we can enjoy them for centuries to come!

I tip my hat to you, Karl Ivanovich Rossi!