GORNOSTAEV Alexey Maximovich (1808-1862, St. Petersburg), architect, teacher, representative of the Neo-Russian style, member of the academy (1838), professor of the Academy of Fine Arts (from 1849), college Advisor (1859). From 1825, he lived in St. Petersburg working under the supervision of V.P. Stasov in Tsarskoye Selo. In 1829-31, he was the architectural student of the palace administration in Tsarskoye Selo. In 1831-34, he was an assistant of A. P. Bryullov in the construction of Mikhailovsky Theatre. Having received the title of free artist in 1834, Gornostaev spent four years in Italy. In 1838-40, he was a junior architect on the reconstruction of the Winter Palace. At that time he started carrying out his own architectural projects: the estate of the Count Orlov-Denisov in Kolomyagi (1839-41), reconstruction of the house of A. F. Shishmarev (1840-41, 3 Nevsky Prospect.) From 1843, he was an architect of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as of 1845, of the Chapter of Orders. He was the author of a number of churches and chapels in Neo-Russian style at Valaam Monastery, the monasteries of Old and New Ladoga; he designed church interiors (churches in the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1856, in Mikhailovksy Palace, 1859, in the house of Countess Protasova, 1860, the St. Andrew Cathedral, 1858). His main works in St. Petersburg are: Metochion of St. Sergius’ Trinity Monastery (1856-57, 44 Fontanka River Embankment), the Chapel of Guslitsky Monastery on Nevsky Prospect (1860-61, has not survived), the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh shaped as a Byzantine basilica, the holy gates and two chapels in St. Sergius Trinity Monastery in Strelna were not implemented. The projects of the Holy Assumption Church on Sennaya Square and the Church on Smolenskoe Cemetery were not implemented. He was buried at Holy Trinity & St. Sergius Hermitage.
References: Стасов В. В. А. М. Горностаев // Вестн. изящ. искусств. 1888. Т. 6, вып. 6. С. 439-480; Тыжненко Т. Е. Алексей Горностаев // Зодчие Санкт-Петербурга, XIX - начало XX века. СПб., 1998. С. 325-340.
В. В. Антонов.
