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TO THE QUESTION OF THE GERMANS IN SAINT-PETERSBURG

Авторы:
Город:
Санкт-Петербург
ВУЗ:
Дата:
23 февраля 2018г.

Russia became a new motherland for many Germans having a decisive impact on economic and cultural development of Russian. History of relationships between Russia and Germany is interesting and complicated at the same time. The first Germans got in Russia through the Ganza Union, and they were mainly merchants from north German city of Lubeck bringing various goods and laws of European trade to Novgorod, which also was a member of Ganza [11, p.15].

History of German community in Saint-Petersburg is a good example of interaction between two cultures. During several centuries when Germans moved to the banks of the Neva, lived and worked in Petersburg and around it, they have largely affected the image of the city and, possibly, the way the whole country developed.

It is widely known that St. Petersburg is a museum out of doors. However, walking down its streets, you can feel something more than just being a museum visitor. Our city's architecture is the living history, and walking around its streets can be easily called a journey to the past. Let's take a walk in "German" Petersburg.

In XIX century in Russia's largest cities German diaspora kept growing. The capitals were in the lead: Petersburg and Moscow. In Petersburg there were more than 50 thousands of Germans in the end of 1860's, and in the Northern Capital there were the most officials of all classes and military people. We would like to tell you about the places related to everyday lives of Petersburg's Germans: churches, factories and houses.

We'll start with house 50, The English embankment (s a street along the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg. It has been historically one of the most fashionable streets here). For three years it was a Petersburg address of one of the most famous Germans in history - the Iron Chancellor. Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismark-Schenhauzen worked as a Prussian ambassador to  Russia since1859 till 1862. He lived in  the Stenbock-Fermor mansion which was built in XVIII century. In the Russian capital, he was welcomed with open arms from both the Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov, and the Tsar Alexander II. During the stay Bismarck learned to speak Russian. His favourite Russian word was “Nothing”. With a good knowledge of different languages, and with his charm and wit, Bismarck became popular in diplomatic circles and the court.

Future Iron Chancellor lived very poshly here. At first he lived in Demut's hotel near the Moyka, but he did not like filth and inconvenience. Judging on the letters to his wife, he liked the house of Stenbock-Fremors a lot. Fully-furnished, it cost 7000 roubles a year to rent - really expensive. But Bismarck wasn't afraid of the price. His wife sent him old French furniture cut of walnut wood, which was fashionable in St. Petersburg during that time. Bismarck had many servants here. He often went to Germany because of working affairs [13, p. 93].

He lived for several months a year in Petersburg, and soon left the Northern Capital for good: big business awaited him at home. Now we can see here a memorial plaque with the following text in Russian and German: ‘Otto von Bismarck, Prussian ambassador, future first German chancellor, lived and worked here from 1859 – 1862’.

Next stop. The English embankment, 68. In 1830 the land already belonged to Dukes Schtiglitz, coming from German Valdeck principality. The mansion was built in 1859-1862 by A. I. Krakau for Alexander Schtiglitz (1814-1884), Russia's biggest financier and founder of the Central School of Technical Drawing. Krakau partly used walls of two old houses which were built in the XVIII century.

Schtiglitz sponsored many education projects of Russian cultural workers. The establishment of the Central School of Technical Drawing at Solyanoy lane is considered to be his biggest contribution. Not long before his death duke Schtiglitz left a huge sum of 9 billion silver roubles to the School. That gave it an opportunity to buy new valuable showpieces for its museum, but also to create a new building for it. In years 1885-1895 the building was constructed by the project of M. E. Mesmaher.

This School now is The Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, named again in 2006 in post-Soviet Russia after its founder.

Alexander Schtiglitz is also famous for keeping his savings only in Russian Banks. When some financiers told him it wasn't reliable enough, he answered: “If Russia was insolvent, I would be ready to lose my capital with it”.

Another historic building located at the English embankment is the mansion of E. M. Meyer, General Consul of Bavaria. The building looks strict and proportional, and has a decorated balcony, stucco under its roof, and deep rustication. It was built in 1730. The house was completely rebuilt in years 1870-1871 by Karl Rahau. Since then it looks the way it does. In the space between windows there are female heads in helmets and two bent male heads with long bifurcating beards. People of XIX century said that "it represents a gratifying phenomenon of architecture"[10, p.88]. "Whole Petersburg" in 1892 mentions a banking house "E. M. Meyer and Co", which means Edward Meyer was also chief of a banking house [6, p.27].

Now let's move to the Petrograd side. A heavenly blue building can be seen. Of course it’s the mansion of Witte. It was a lot of things: in 1920's it used to be the children’s healthcare station №4, in 1927 children’s and youth healthcare research institute moved here. Since 1935 it was given to musical school №2.

An outstanding state worker and reformer lived here. He was a bright and original identity, who quickly rose to the political summit, and the most important political changes in Russia are related to his name. Sergey Witte served as a Minister of Communication routes, Minister of Finance, and was head of the Government in 1903-1906. He developed and executed a financial reform in 1897, and initiated the construction of Trans-Siberian railroad. His diplomatic talents helped to minimize territory and other losses, caused by losing war with Japan in 1904-1905. He created main enactments of Stolypin's agricultural reform [3, p.67].

German businessman played a significant role in economy of St. Petersburg between XIX and XX centuries. In the middle of XIX century nearly a third (105) of factories and plants in the city belonged to Germans, and in the beginning of XX century there were 212 of them.

In the second half of the XIX and beginning of the XX century manufacturers gained highest positions among factory owners, and one of them was F. Krauskopf, founder of rubber products company, the "Triangle", and Schpis brothers, who created "Laferm", the bigest cigarette factory in Russia. In 1870's "Laferm" partnership bought land on Vasilievskiy island for tobacco factory. On the corner house at Sredniy avenue, 36, in 1890's three storeys were built up by the project of Y.Y. Benois. In the beginning of 1900's the factory received lot № 38. In 1911 and 1913 six-storey factory buildings were constructed by the project of R. I. Krieger. "Laferm" factory was the first tobacco and cigarette factory in the world. In the beginning of the World War I the factory turned into a trust consisting of 14 factories and controlling two thirds of tobacco manufacturing [11, p.124].

It is should be noticed that many Germans who later became Petersburg citizens were improving the life in the Northern Capital, and an example for that is the Alexander hospital for women. It was created by the initiative of private actors - pastor K. Freyfeldt and doctor K. G. Videman. Money was collected by evangelical parishioners. It was festively opened in March 7th, 1899. The establishment had the most advanced equipment for the time and was considered a touchstone. Gothic and brick styles are combined in its architecture. This maternity hospital at 49- 51 Bolshoy Prospekt, the work of Karl Scmidt constructed in 1897. The building attracts pedestrians’ attention by its majesty and gothic style, which makes it like a castle.

The German influence on  the medicine in Saint-Petersburg is also proved by Dr  Poehl and  son’s Pharmacy. In 1858, Wilhelm Poehl decided to organize a Pharmacy on the place of a guesthouse. Vasilyevsky island was actively built up that time and the business promised to be profitable. Poehl one of the first graduates of pharmaceutical department acting in the medical surgery academy that time. Having graduated he did not stay in Russia for long. He departed to Hesse then he returned and started a pharmacy business. It was organized in a grand style: the Pharmacy had its own institute, research laboratories, pharmaceutical factories, libraries, warehouses and sales offices.

Founded in 1760, the Pharmacy of Dr Poehl and Sons is the oldest still-operating pharmacy in St Petersburg, located in the heart of Vasilyevsky Island. In the 19th century it was the most famous pharmacy in Russia because it supplied the imperial court with medicines. A mosaic inscription on the facade – Ora et labora (pray and labour) – is the heraldic bearing of Saint-Petersburg dragster and apothecary Alexander Vasilyevich Poehl (1850 – 1908). The mosaic abacus is made in the workshop of V.A. Phrolov [2, p.58].

As we mentioned Poehl’s father was a pharmacist from Brandenburg who supplied the Imperial Court with medicines. Now you still can see this pharmacy on the premises, with beautifully restored interiors – well worth a visit! Unfortunately, this building in the modern style was built by Niman and Levi in 1907-1910: it was finished after Poehl death [8, p.32].

This place is worth a visit not only because of the pharmacy itself but also to check out the red-brick Griffins’ tower in the yard of the building. The tower is 11m high, has no windows or doors. The most interesting story is connected with the pharmacy’s owner Wilhelm Poehl, who was both a royal pharmacist and an alchemist. According to the legend, in his free time he used the tower to incubate magic griffins .

The architectural view of one of the main squares of our city has a German accent too. 11, Isaac square. The creature of architect Peter Berens was a real monument for the greatness of the German Empire. The former Embassy of Germany in Saint Petersburg is considered the earliest and most influential example of Stripped Classicism. It was built to house the diplomatic mission of the German Empire in Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. The monumental faced of the three-story building is made of dark red granite; the frontispiece is finished with columns, and the wings of the building are decorated with pilasters. The construction manager was architect Mies van der Rohe, and sculptor E. Enke created the Dioskuroi (the sons of Zeus) sculptural group on the tympanum.

The artistic community in Saint Petersburg held negative opinions of the building, with prominent members of the community, Alexandre Benois, Nikolay Wrangel and others, criticizing the Teutonic style of the building as being hostile to the architectural style of the city, and due to it differing greatly from the Russian neoclassical revival style [12, p.234].

On 1–2 August 1914, after Germany declared war on Russia, crowds stormed the building as anti- German sentiment took hold in the city. The building sustained considerable damage, the Dioskouroi sculpture from the roof disappeared during this time, and rumours abounded that it was dumped in the Moika River by the crowd, however, researchers have been unable to find any fragments of the sculpture in the river 1, p.347].

Russia is a country where many different nations live. It is a multi-religious country. The Lutherans in the Russian Empire were one of the largest groups of protestant population of the country. The Lutheran Church got official recognition from rulers in Russia in 1715. Further administrative changes occurred in 1734 when all Lutheran parishes were placed under the Imperial College of Justice. In 1810 another change was made when the authority was transferred to the Main Administration for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Foreign Faiths. Because of the large number of German Lutherans arriving in Russia, Tsar Alexander I established the Imperial General Consistory on July 20, 1819. A single bishop would now exercise full authority over all Evangelical Lutheran churches and clergy in Russia. The Ordinance of 1832 was the result of 13 years of deliberation after the establishment of the Imperial General Consistory in 1819 [9, p.18].

We’d like to show you three our most favourite churches. The first - German Reformed Church. In 1858 German reformers obtained a piece of land on the bank of the Moika River to build their own church. The project was made by architect Bosse and the church itself was built by Grimm. The building of red brick with white details and high bell tower has the Roman style. In 1872-1874 after the Fire the damaged church was rebuilt by K.Rakhau. According to the contemporaries “it is the decoration of our Capital city, one of the first building with the brick facing” [5, p.46]. Unfortunately, it was rebuilt into a recreation center for wire-free communication workers.

St. Ann's Church (Annenkirche) is a historical church. It was built in 1775-1779 by Felten for the German Lutheran community in a neoclassical style with Ionic columns. This church was one of the most visited in the city. This kirche gave the name to the Street – Kirochnaya [4, p.275]. However, many people of our city know this place as a cinema, called Spartak. The church was closed in 1935 and transformed into it. Every thrilling foreign film you couldn’t watch anywhere else was showed here. Visiting this place, you feel the history, feel sadness – the shadow of the past greatness.

The most famous Lutheran church is situated on Nevski prospect. Today it is one of the oldest and largest Lutheran churches in Russia. It is one of the oldest and largest Protestant churches in Russia. It was and still is called the German church as its members were mostly German-speaking. This is the German Evangelical church for Saint Peter.

After the foundation of St. Petersburg by Peter the Great, many Germans and Dutch moved to the city, living together in a district soon to be called the German quarter, where a Lutheran parish quickly formed. In 1727 Peter II donated a site on Nevsky Prospect to the community where they could build their church. The new church, dedicated to St. Peter, was built by the famous architect Trezzini and consecrated on June 14, 1730. The Lutheran community was held in great esteem by the imperial family: Anna Ioannovna, Catherine the Great, Paul I, and Nicholas II made frequent donations to the church. It served as a place of worship for about a century until 1832, when it was closed for restoration [7, p.201].

The Cathedral was constructed in 1833—1838 by Alexander Brullov. His brother Karl Brullov made the paintings for the building. Its architecture contains both the Roman style and late classicism. The interior of the church was substantially rebuilt, but its appearance has remained virtually unchanged. In front of the church there are the statues of the Apostles Peter and Paul on high pedestals. Today it is one of the oldest and largest Lutheran churches in Russia. In 1938, after the nationalization, the church building was used as a warehouse for theatrical scenery, and as a swimming pool. After its closure the most valuable decorations were moved to the Hermitage, and much was stolen, by any means possible, including its organ, the largest in the city, which also disappeared. After the fall of communism, the church was rehabilitated, opening again on September 16th, 1997.

It is currently the Lutheran Cathedral of St. Petersburg –the house for the Evangelical Lutheran community of Saint Anna and Saint Peter. This is more than a church. One can learn German here and there is museum dedicated to Petersburg’s famous Germans. Most Russian Lutherans are ethnic Germans. Although services are now conducted in Russian, the "Our Father” is still prayed in the language of Luther. The Evangelical- Lutheran Church of Russia has some 40,000 members.

This research demonstrates that Germans, their culture and activity played a huge part in the origin and development of St. Petersburg, leaving its mark in the city's history, architecture, and its very name. Politicians, scientists, artists, peasants and craftsmen were coming here in search for work to do and sometimes a better place to live, and became a natural part of the city's life.

But still, it is undeniable that St. Petersburg became what it is partly because of Germans being here. It is impossible to imagine what it would be if not for their influence and impact on the Northern Capital.

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