Andrei Voronikhin

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Andrei Voronikhin was born in 1759 to Count Stroganov's serfs in the Ural region, where he grew up surrounded by nobility. Educated within the household of Count Alexander Stroganov, Voronikhin embarked on numerous journeys throughout Russia alongside Pavel Stroganov, the Count's son. Before setting out for Europe in 1786, Count Alexander Stroganov freed him from his serfdom. For twenty years, he worked as an architect for the Stroganov family. His first major project was designing the interior of the Stroganov Palace, including the State Dining Room, Mineral Study, Picture Gallery and Entrance Hall. He also rebuilt the interiors of the Stroganov Dacha during this period. In 1797, the Council of the Imperial Academy of Arts recognized him as an academician in perspective painting for his picture "View onto the Stroganov Dacha by the Chernaya River in St Petersburg." Two years later, he was appointed architect for the project at Peterhof's colonnade. From 1802 onwards, Voronikhin served as a professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts. His most notable work was the Kazan Cathedral, which was built to honor the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. The cornerstone of the cathedral was laid on March 27, 1801, and it took ten years to complete. Upon consecrating the cathedral, Voronikhin received the Order of St Anna, second class, and a pension as a token of appreciation. Between 1803 and 1814, he worked in Pavlovsk at the invitation of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, where he designed the Little Lantern Study and the Rose Pavilion.