Architecture - Early

• Other than Versailles, SP was the first city built according to a master plan. This resulted in a very good arrangement of roads and streets.
• Until middle of the 17th century, Russian architects were rare and it was mostly foreign architects who designed the city. These included the likes of Domenico Trezzini (Swiss), Gaetano Chiaveri (Italian) and Mario Fontana (Italian), Jean Baptiste Leblond (France) and Johann Schluter.
• Famous Russian architects during this time included Mikhail Zemtzov, Ivan Korbov, Timofey Usov and Peter Yeropkin who was a member of the Commission which was set up in 1737 to direct the planning of the construction.
• Yeropkin is known to be famous for devising the system of roads radiating from the Admirality building in the center of the city.
• Peter The Great wanted "his" city to be different than Moscow. In 1714 Peter issued a directive that all mason work cease in Russia so that the stone masons would be available to come to SP. Peter also directed every one who arrived in SP to bring several hundred pounds of stones when arriving by cart.
• Three types of houses were were built: for commoners a one story house with four windows in the front; for middle class, also a one story but with more windows and an attic; for the nobility, brick two story mansions were built. These mansions had an ornate entrance with a balcony overhanging it.