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Follow the link to learn moreThe seminar "St. Petersburg and Russia’s Far North" will be held on Oct. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington D.C.
St. Petersburg and Russia’s Far North appear to be cultural opposites. That cosmopolitan city is the epitome of Western influence, while the area around the White Sea is the ultimate refuge for folk traditions.
Yet the two are closely connected, both in history and a fusion of artistic currents remarkably visible in a number of the Baroque churches of the North. Juxtaposing St. Petersburg with the architecture and art of the Far North reveals the grand synthesis that is Russian culture. It also illustrates the ingenuity with which culture transcends stereotypes. William Brumfield, professor of Slavic Studies at Tulane University, highlights the regions’ architectural diversity and their connections.
9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Peter the Great and the Russian Far North
The founding of St. Petersburg and its relation to the North; Peter and Paul Cathedral; Solovetsky Monastery; traditional Northern wooden architecture.
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. St. Petersburg in the 19th and 20th Centuries
The Winter Palace, Smolny Cathedral, and St. Nicholas Cathedral; Baroque cathedrals of the North.
12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:15 to 2:30 p.m. The Stroganovs: From Solvychegodsk to St. Petersburg
Links between 16th and 17th century churches in Solvychegodsk and the Stroganov palace in St. Petersburg.
2:45 to 4 p.m. Late Imperial Period
Reflections of Russia’s ancient traditions; Church of the Savior on the Blood; Kronshtadt St. Nicholas Cathedral.
