Rusca L.I. (1762-1822), architect

Categories / Architecture/Personalia
RUSCA Luigi (Aloizy Ivanovich) (1762-1822), architect, representative of late Neoclassicism. Court architect (1802), honorary associate of the Academy of Arts (1815). Of Swiss origin, he studied in Italy. In 1783, he came to St. Petersburg, working as a stone mason under Y.M. Felten, G. Quarenghi, F.I. Volkov, E.T. Sokolov, V.F. Brenna. In 1790, he took on individual work, employing typical Neoclassical techniques: V.I. Kusov's house (58 First Line of Vasilievsky Island), I.G. Freigants' house (10 Moika River Embankment, rebuilt), N.G. Karadygin's house (30 Kazanskaya Street), P.V. Myatlev's house (60 Galernaya Street, rebuilt). The peak of Rusca's creativity was reached in the 1800s, when he turned to urban planning for a number of Russian cities. In St. Petersburg, he built quarters for the Grenadier (1803-07), Cavalry Life Guards (1803-06) and Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiments (1809-12), with the porticos being chief architectural element. He was involved in the interior decoration of the Anichkov Palace (twice), Palace in Strelna, Tauride Palace, with extensive application of artificial marble and murals. He designed Admiralteiskaya, Nevskaya, Vasileostrovskaya alleys, devised the layout of the Peterburgskaya Side. The projects for the building of a Pedagogical Institute on the Moika River Embankment, a Mosque on Fontanka River Embankment, and a theatre at Nevsky Prospect have not been carried out. Erected by Rusca is the mansion of Count Litta on Milionnaya Street, the Ministry building on the Field of Mars, Count Golovin’s house on Nevsky Prospect and the building of the Cartography Office(1805-06) were completely rebuilt. In 1810 Rusca published the collection of his projects. His main remaining works include: the portico of the Perinnaya Line, State Revenue Department (12 Sadovaya Street ), decorated with Ionic porticos, the House of the Society of Jesus, Obeling House, Ilyin House (41 Fontanka River Embankment), where Rusca even designed the furniture. He had also participated in construction in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo (the Grand Terrace), in Strelna (Post Office), decorated a number of interiors of palaces in Ropsha, Peterhof, Gatchina. Rusca's students completed his later works: the Charlemagne brothers, Our Lady’s Church of Joy for All Who Sorrow on Shpalernaya Street, the building of the Theological Academy, Exerzierhaus of the 2nd Cadet Corps; V.I. Beretti, the Guardhouse on Sennaya Square; I.V. Neelov, the conservatory in Tsarskoe Selo. From 1800 until his departure from St. Petersburg in 1818, Rusca lived at 26 Nevsky Prospect.

Reference: Александрова Л. Б. Луиджи Руска. Л., 1990; Ее же. Луиджи Руска // Зодчие Санкт-Петербурга, XIX - начало XX века. СПб., 1998. С. 90-112; Малиновский К. В. Семья Руска в Санкт-Петербурге и окрестностях. Гатчина, 2003.

V. V. Antonov. Beretti Vikenty Ivanovich
Brenna Vikenty Franzevich (Vicenzo)
Felten Yury (Georg Friedrich) Matveevich
Freigant Johann Gottlieb von
Karadygin N.G.
Kusov Ivan Vasilievich
Myatlev Peter Vasilievich
Neelov Ilya Vasilievich
Quarenghi Giacomo
Rusca Luigi (Aloisy Ivanovich)
Sokolov Egor Timofeevich
the Charlemagnes
Volkov Fedor Ivanovich
1st Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 58
Fontanka River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 41
Fontanka River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Galernaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 60
Kazanskaya Street/Saint Petersburg, city, house 30
Millionnaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Moika River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Moika River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 10
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 26
Sadovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 12
The Field of Mars/Saint Petersburg, city
Александрова Л. Б. Луиджи Руска. Л., 1990
Александрова Л. Б. Луиджи Руска // Зодчие Санкт-Петербурга, XIX - начало XX века. СПб., 1998
Малиновский К. В. Семья Руска в Санкт-Петербурге и окрестностях. Гатчина, 2003 Academy of Arts
Academy of Arts
Anichkov Palace
Tauride Palace
1972