St. Petersburg: Architecture of the Tsars
St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful and architecturally imposing cities in the world. Photographer Orloff, whose work has appeared in major magazines, and Shvidkovsky, a member of the Russian Federation's Academy of Fine Arts, have produced a handsome study of the buildings constructed during the reigns of the Russian tsars since Peter the Great. The text is informative, and the photos maintain a good balance between exterior and interior views. Like Washington, D.C., St. Petersburg is a planned city, decreed and dictated, with marvelous results in the case of the former Russian capital. A commission established by Catherine the Great to plan the development of the city ordered that "Three rules must be honored in the construction of the [city's] houses: solidity, utility, and beauty." Readers will see that the rules were followed indeed. Recommended for both architecture and travel collections.?Edward B. Cone, New York Cit.-- houses: solidity, utility, and beauty." Readers will see that the rules were followed indeed. Recommended for both architecture and travel collections.?Edward B. Cone, New York CityCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.