The architecture of Rostov-on-Don at the turn of the 20th century is mainly eclectic due to the “layering” of forms of different times. New stylistic trends which are distributed in the southern cities almost simultaneously with the major cultural centers of Russia and Europe co-exist successfully with favorite old “styles” not only within a single district or a street, but also within the same building.
The architecture of Rostov-on-Don of this period is characterized by predominance of stylized forms of academic styles — Classical, Baroque and the Renaissance. This can be explained by a whole complex of reasons. The historical conditions of the towns’ formation of the southern region in the second half of the 18th and early 19th centuries — the period of classicism predominance — determined the main direction of further architectural development. Stylistic preferences of key customers — merchants, businessmen and industrialists who associated “academic styles” with respectable forms of metropolitan palatial architecture — also played an important role.
A new trend that combines features of rational modern and classical architecture appears in the architecture of Rostov-on-Don in early 20th century:
• buildings with functional space-planning, which corresponds to a rational trend, and architectural and artistic appearance, mainly formed by means of classical architecture (District Court, architect P. Y. Lyubimov, 1914);
• buildings with a progressive combined constructive structure revealed in compositions of facades and design in the style of Neoclassicism (The Sarievs’ commercial apartment building, architect A. F. Niedermeyer, 1902);
• buildings in which classical elements are geometrized and as a result transmuted into forms of rational modern style (the building of the St. Petersburg International Commercial Bank).
The interpretation of the forms of academic styles in the architecture of Rostov-on-Don is determined by the function of the building, composition of its external elevations, space-planning, system of proportioning, design and decorative properties of building materials. For example, “brick style” is an unusual interpretation of the classic order. The role of creative priorities and experience of the architect and also stylistic preferences of the customer seem to be the most important factors (Chi­rikovs’ commercial apartment building, 1914, architect L. F. Eberg).

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