Quarters (general article)

Categories / Army. Navy/Quarters, Arsenals, Riding-halls, Guardhouses, etc.
Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Public Buildings and Edifices
QUARTERS, buildings for housing and accommodation of large numbers of people (military personnel, workers belonging to specific enterprises, etc.) spacious (accommodating 50-500 men) common sleeping quarters. Workers' quarters were built in St. Petersburg from the foundation of the city; sometimes these were solid buildings with facilities (for example, the Quarters of the bronze factory at the construction St. Isaac's cathedral, 1777-79, Bolshaya Neva River Embankment, between the Nineteenth and Twentieth Lines of Vasilievsky Island). These have been called ‘the barracks’ as of the early 20th century. The construction of military quarters began during the reign of Emperor Pavel I (prior to this time, troops were accommodated in regimental settlements or billeted); the construction of quarters continued throughout the 19th and the early 20th centuries. Normally, quarters were designed to a standard plan for each regiment. The complex of military quarters included residential buildings (usually two or three-storied buildings per battalion, every building had one common room for each military company, separate rooms for non-commissioned officers and servicemen), an officers' house, a manege, hospital, headquarters' building (as of mid-19th century it was usually combined with the officers' assembly), stables, bath-house, bakery, storehouses etc. Next to the quarters a regimental church (see Military churches) and drill square were situated. Eminent architects, such as L. Ruska, F.I. Demertsov, G.D. Grimm (see Grimm dynasty), V.P. Stasov took part in the building of quarters. Complexes for military quarters have shaped the character of several city districts. After October 1917, quarters were no longer built within the city limits. Today, the old quarters are used for accommodating military personnel, various institutions and colleges.

References: Антонов Б. И. Императорская гвардия в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 2001.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Demertsov Fedor Ivanovich
Grimm German Davidovich
Paul (Pavel) I, Emperor
Rusca Luigi (Aloisy Ivanovich)
Stasov Vasily Petrovich
19th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city
20th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city
Leitenanta Schmidta Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Антонов Б. И. Императорская гвардия в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 2001