The house in Tsarskoye Selo: a unique project by Kirill Istomin

Decorating a guest house in Tsarskoye Selo, decorator Kirill Istomin brilliantly coped with the task of recreating historical interiors

Walking through the Tsarskoye Selo parks is like a journey through countries and epochs: Elizabethan Baroque and Catherine classicism, romantic Gothic and neo—Russian towers. Turkish, Dutch, Chinese and Italian pavilions are evidence not only of the amusements of the imperial court, but also of political aspirations and great victories.

We will leave politics aside — we are interested in court entertainment. One of the grandiose "ideas" of Catherine's time was the so-called Chinese Village in Alexander Park. But by the will of fate, she was the least lucky.

The central building of the Chinese Village was conceived on the model of a multi-tiered pagoda in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in London and a Porcelain Pagoda in Nanjing. After the death of Catherine II, its construction was interrupted, and it was never completed to the planned 50 m in height.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

One of the grandiose "ideas" of Catherine II was a Chinese village in Alexander Park

A fragment of the living room. The fireplace made of oselkov marble, made according to the sketches of the decorator Kirill Istomin, is decorated with antique Chinese figurines of lions, XIX century. Above it is a collection of antique Chinese porcelain plates, XVIII century. Vintage sconces bought in New York. Chairs with fringe trim according to the sketches of the decorator. Carpet, The Rug Company.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

The project appeared back in the 1770s and is attributed to the authorship of Rinaldi or Neelov. By that time, there were similar pavilions in many European parks, but Catherine may have been fascinated by the buildings in the English Kew Park — one copy of the album about them was sent to the Empress.

Little is known about the fate of the original project, and only ten years later Charles Cameron presents a new estimate for the construction of "Chinese houses, gates and towers of seven floors." The construction lasted until the 1790s, the costs, as was customary, significantly exceeded the estimate, but most importantly, the Empress herself had long lost interest in these buildings. "Chinatown" — the exotic companion of rococo — has gone out of fashion.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

"This is an amazing combination of Sinoism, yellow, red and blue ecstasy with the beauty, brilliance of Ludoviks"

Canteen. Lambrequins and furniture are made according to the sketches of Kirill Istomin, upholstery of chairs, China Seas. Antique Chinese teapots from the Brooke Astor collection were bought at auction in New York. Glass doors lead to the kitchen.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

It was replaced in Europe and Russia by classicism — light and clear, symbolizing the rule of enlightened monarchies of the late XVIII century. Under Paul I, unfinished buildings were simply abandoned, and only by the 1820s, rebuilt, combined in pairs into what would now be called townhouses, guest houses were ready to accommodate visiting courtiers. Karamzin lived here, and much later, after the revolution, Mandelstam.

Watercolor by Giacomo Quarenghi "View of the Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace and Park from the gazebo of the Great Caprice", before 1798, collection of the State Museum of Fine Arts "Tsarskoye Selo".

Surprisingly, the tenants all complained about the ineradicable dampness in the houses, as Cameron wrote about. During the war, all the buildings of the Chinese village were destroyed. The building of the Chinese Theater still gapes with empty windows, but this time fate smiled on the Village. After a long restoration, the original function of guest houses was returned to the buildings, one of which was invited to decorate Kirill Istomin.

The Cross Bridge in Alexander Park.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

I think you will forgive me for such an extensive introduction — without it it is impossible to imagine how difficult the task was for the decorator Kirill Istomin. Firstly, a small area with fairly high ceilings — do not forget, because this is just a townhouse, albeit in the imperial park. Secondly, all the decorations in the house should be temporary, so that, if necessary, they can be removed and transported to a new location. And, finally, the most difficult thing is that there are almost no hints about how the interiors of these rooms looked or at least what they were conceived of.

Next to the modern chest of drawers is a pair of antique Chinese ceramic garden stools. Antique mirror, XVIII century, bought in London. On the sides are a pair of vintage lanterns and Chinese antique porcelain plates.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

The reconstruction of the 1820s, carried out by Stasov, greatly simplified Cameron's original plan - the national features of the ensemble were reduced to curved roofs and bright painting with paintings in pseudo—Chinese style. Kirill began his work almost from scratch, armed with the words of a fine art connoisseur Nikolai Punin, who described the Chinese village and theater in 1911: "This is an amazing combination of Sinoism, naive and strangely deep taste, yellow, red and blue ecstasy and mysticism, rudeness and swagger with luxury, brilliance, unsurpassed greatness of Ludoviks, reflected in the somewhat barbaric, somewhat Tatar and too clever mirror of Catherine's court — our "Chinese village" can admire, admire not for the purity of style... but for the wit, incomparable taste, tact of taste, if I may say so, with which Catherine managed to combine a style too alien to us with the style of the century."

Office. Vintage bureau bought in New York, next to a Chinese stool, XIX century. On the walls — a collection of Japanese watercolors, XVIII century. The sofa and armchairs are made according to the sketches of Kirill Istomin. The custom-made lampshades are covered with traditional silk bought in China. Painted metal lamps in the form of pagodas are modern. Pillows made of authentic Chinese silk velvet.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

Under the exotic paintings and carvings, objects quite familiar to Europeans were hidden

The master bedroom. The fancy headboard in the shape of a pagoda roof is made according to a sketch by Kirill Istomin and upholstered in fabric, Osborne & Little. A gilded carved mirror of the XVIII century with a pattern in the eglomise technique is surrounded by a collection of Chinese porcelain. Silk pillows of classic Chinese shape are made on the model seen in Hong Kong. The ceiling is papered, the carpet is made to order. A modern chandelier in the Chinoiserie style was bought in Paris.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

First of all, the color scheme was developed: ochre, carmine, azure and turquoise — the palette of facade painting was ideally suited for the interior. Wallpaper with a pattern in the form of bamboo trellises — of course, on the ceiling (Kirill always finds a new use for familiar materials) — brings an oriental flavor. They are echoed by the double-leaf doors connecting the rooms, repeating the historical window covers, and fabrics resembling those for which the European aristocracy went crazy in the XVIII century, discovering the treasures of the Celestial Empire.

The drawings themselves and the color of the fabrics and carpets in all rooms echo the patterns of the painted facades and roofs. There are few real oriental things in the interior, but they are all selected with impeccable taste: collectible Chinese porcelain of the XVIII century in the living room, Japanese and Chinese graphics in the study, Chinese silk wallpaper turned into panels.

Antique mirror panels are decorated with antique Chinese porcelain figurines.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

Kirill Istomin's interiors are always a model of hedonism, regardless of the style in which they are created

A fragment of the master bedroom. Decorative elements of the chest imitate bamboo. On the chest of drawers is a collection of antique Chinese porcelain. On the wall is antique Chinese wallpaper framed in gilded bamboo frames. Pink marble sconce, Jansen, 1950s.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

These items are complemented by European furniture of the XVIII and XIX centuries in the Chinoiserie style, which could well decorate the original interiors of some palace pavilion in the Chinese taste: a lacquer bureau in the study, tables and several magnificent English mirrors and lamps in the hall, living room and bedrooms.

But the exoticism does not end there. The door portal and the baseboards of the living room connected to the dining room are decorated with paintings inspired by the decor of the Chinese cabinets of the Grand Palace of Peterhof, and the lambrequins of the curtains repeat the outlines of the roofs of the Chinese village itself.

Roof paintings of a Chinese village.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

The fireplace in the living room, made on the spot of oselkov marble like Dutch fireplaces with shelves for placing porcelain, is another evidence of the "Chinese mania" on the continent. This perception of Chinese art was key for Kirill, just as it was for architects of the past who created such interiors.

Guest bedroom. The headboard of the bed is made to order. Bedside tables are lined with straw. The fabric carpet is made according to the sketches of Kirill Istomin. A pair of vintage lamps, 1970s. Curtains, Jim Thompson. The ceiling is covered with wallpaper imitating rattan.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

This is not an attempt to recreate the original decoration, but a dream of mysterious China, a kind of "export version" of the Chinese style — the one that was created by Chinese craftsmen for Europe: subtle stylization, seasoned with the tart aroma of incense and tea, delivered by the same ships as porcelain, fabrics and furniture. Under the exotic paintings and carvings, objects quite familiar to Europeans were hidden — sofas, chairs, tables, dressers, bureaus. Even the most staunch adherents of this style did not refuse comfort at that time — hardly any of the aristocrats of the XVIII century would have sat on the hard chairs of the Ming era made of pink or pear wood for more than five minutes.

Kirill Istomin, whose interiors are always a model of hedonism — regardless of the style in which they are created — fully shares this approach. I am sure that Karamzin himself, who wrote about his life here, would be among the guests of this house: "We have been in China for 10 days now — clean and beautiful," today a great historian would be much more generous with praise.

Bathroom. The chandelier in the shape of a palm tree and the banquette are vintage. The basement with mirror inserts is made to order.

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Fritz von Der Schulenburg (Fritx Von Der Shulenburg)

Dorozhkin Alexey
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