DANINI Silvio Amvrosievich (1867-1942, Leningrad), architect. Descendent of an Italian family. He lived in St. Petersburg from 1886, graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1892. From 1896, he was the architect of the palace administration of Tsarskoe Selo. From 1911, he was architect of the imperial court. His buildings in Tsarskoye Selo are typical for Neo-Romantic trend of the modernist style with stylized motives of medieval architecture, such as the Palace electric power station (9, 11 Malaya Street, 1896), mansions of A.V. Kokorev (53, 55 Moskovskaya Street, 1901-04) and of V.V. Gudovich (18 Parkovaya Street, 1905), the emperor's stables (4 Akademichesky Avenue, 1906-07), Drozhzhina Orphanage (14 Pavlovskoe Highway, 1907-11) etc. In 1900s, Danini decorated a number of interiors of Alexandrovsky Palace, he built and reconstructed park structures, expanded a complex of the Court Hospital (7 Gospitalnaya Street, 1908-14). His main works in St. Petersburg were: the apartment building of A. Y. Tami and S.M. Deutschman (currently, 20 Pravdy Street, 1903-04), the early Art Nouveau; the real school and gymnasium of G.K. Stemberg (10 Zvenigorodskaya Street, 1912-13), an example of Neoclassicism. He is buried at Volkovskoe Lutheran Cemetery.

References: Бертаццони В. Судьба мантуанского рода Данини в России. СПб., 1996.

Б. М. Кириков.

The idea of creating an alms-house for disabled soldiers who got injures during the Russo-Japanese War belonged to Empress Alexandra Fiodorovna. A nice plot of the Babolovsky Park on the meadow at the Crimea Column was allotted for construction of the Alms-House for disabled soldiers in 1905. The building was quick constructed to the design of the the architect S.A. Danini and in 1906 the alms-house has already been consecrated and opened. In a year the decoration of the interior of the domestic church was completed, it was consecrated in the name of the Tsarina Alexandra the Great Martyr. The Empress herself took part in the development of the project of the building for 150 people. According to the Empress’s idea, the workshops were equipped for disabled soldiers. They were taught timbering by masters of the famous factory of F.F. Melzer, sewing by Follenveider, one of the best tailor of Saint Petersburg. Appartments for masters were placed in the alms-house, but their salaries were paid by the owners of factories. Masters for teaching knitting, basketry, shoemaking, bookbinding, laundering were engaging by the alms-house administration. The sewing and knitting trainees got Zinger sewing-machines. Near the main building there was a small house for two families of the disabled as well as a woman sewing workshop, a day nursery and small school which was directed by a priest of the alms-house (there were about a hundred children of the disabled and employees of the alms-house).
In 1914-1915 in connection with World War I the alms-house was enlarged according to S.A. Danini’s project and in addition a hospital for wounded men was equipped for money and under the the patronage of Alexandra Fiodorovna. 170 beds for wounded men, operating-rooms, dressing rooms and the X-ray room were placed here. Small one-storied houses with double-pitch roofs according to the military engineer K. Griboyedov’s project were built in the heart of the park behind the Babolovsky cutting. The English company “Esteltors” took part in building, the company used the newest building technology, they used concrete blocks for building. The houses were intended for living families of the disable who worked as the park wardens. By the early 1917 ten houses were constructed, one of them for living masters of Melzer and “Henry”. Only three such houses in the Babolovsky Park were survived. The aslm-house for disabled soldiers was closed in 1920, however, the establishment which was placed here is also medico-humanitarian: the clinic if the first-rate research children orthopaedic institute named after G.I. Turner. Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress
Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Follenveider
Griboyedov, Konstantin Dmitriyevich
Meltser, F.F.

The regiment church was built to the design of the architect V.N. Kuritsin at the corner of Kadetsky Boulevard and Kirasirskaya (Cuirassier) Street in 1896-1899. The decoration was made by the architect S.A. Danini. The construction was carried out using the money of the commerce councilor I.K. Savinkov in the style of Old Russian churches in the memory of the wedding of Their Emperor Majesties Nicholas II and Alexandra Fiodorovna.
The consecration of the upper temple of St Julian of Tarsus took place on 19 December 1899. The temple was sanctified by the arch-presbyter of the military clergy Fr. A. Zhelobovsky jointly with the arch-presbyter Fr. John (Sergiev) of Kronstadt and representatives of the Tsarskoye Selo clergy and in the presence of Their Emperor Majesties. In the upper side-chapel there was an interesting stained-glass iconostasis made of multicoloured solder glass with mosaic icons surrounded by ornamental pattern. Icons was created in Munich on the base of cardboards of the professor N. Koshelev, who also painted two huge picture “The Wedding in Kanna of Galilee” and “The Miracle of St. Julian of Tarsus” on walls of the middle part of the temple. In the lower temple there was a stylish marble iconostasis and marble gravestones of Savinkov and his wife. Icons and fresco were painted by the artist Volkov. Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress
Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Kuritsyn Vladimir Nikolaevich
Nicholas II, Emperor
Sergiyev (Kronshtadsky) Ioann Ilyich, the Saint
Kadetsky Boulevard/Pushkin, town, house 7

Firstly on this plot of the Separate Park there was a country house of F. Deviyen, first lieutenant of the Life Guard Rifle Tsarskoye Selo Battalion. In 1859-1861 a dwelling house with outbuildings, garden and retaining wall from the side of Pavlovsk Road was built for him to the design of the architect A.X. Kolba. Soon the rich Tsarskoye Selo merchant D.A. Drozhzhin, a hereditary freeman, became the owner of Deviyen’s country house. Later his widow M.A. Drozhzhina donated the inherited country house to charitable purposes. The maternity hospital named after M.A. Drozhzhina (14 Pavlovsk Road) for twenty five beds for free medical service of needy women-residents of Tsarskoye Selo was opened here in 1907. On the second floor of the hospital there was the domestic church consecrated in the honour of St. and Glorius Demetrius of Thessalonica, the Great Martyr and Venerable Mary of Egypt. A beautiful two-storied building with an attic entresol and small tower, located in the heart of the park, was built by the architect S.A. Danini on the place of the demolished wooden country house. In 1910-1911 a big wing was added to the main building also according to S.A. Danini’s design, the wing was connected with the hospital with two-storied gallery with wide windows. The laconic facades of the wing were smoothly plastered, and the wing was completed with a tower with the high cone-shaped spire which was appeared as the architectural dominant from the park. Later the Empress Alexandra Fiodorovna became a trustee of this hospital and transformed it into the Centre of Maternity and Infancy, the tutorial committee of which was leaded by Countess S.A. Gendrikova. Professor N.V. Yastrebov, a famous court life- physician, worked as the chief doctor here. Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress
Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Kolb Alexander Christoforovich
Yastrebov, N.V.
Pavlovskoe Freeway/Pushkin, town, house 14

The Palace Power Electric Station complex including the main building, service wing, fence and the historic support of electricity supply network was constructed in 1896-1898 to the design of the architect S.A. Danini which was approved by the Emperor. The Power Station was used for lighting the Alexander Palace, Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace and Vladimir Palace, all palace constructions, barracks of the Life Guard Combined Infantry Regiment and His Emperor Majesty Own Escort in Tsarskoye Selo. Construction work was led by S.A. Danini, the engineer-mechanic L.R. Shvede led the assembling of the wiring equipment , later he worked as the Head of the power station. The power station consecration and grand opening took place on 8 November 1898. The main building was intended for placing an office, engine and fire room, workshops and flats for workers. The wing was intended for placing a storehouse and service rooms. In 1946-1947 the equipment was dismantled, buildings were reconstructed for the industrial corporation “Leninets”. Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Shvede, L.R.

The Tsarskoye Selo Women College of the Saint Petersburg eparchy department was founded according to the Emperor order by Grande Duchess Olga Nikolayevna, later the Queen of Württemberg. The college opening took place on 22 October 1843 in the presence of all tsar’s family firstly in renting stone house of the Full State Councilor Obolensky (it was built in the 1820s according to the design of V.P. Stasov and V.P. Geste). The college was conceived as the exemplary one and was under the patronage of Empress Alexandra Fiodorovna and under the trusteeship of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolayevna. Later tens women religious colleges were founded per its sample in different places of the Russian Empire.
In 1846 the college was granted by the Emperor a plot of 4 desyatinas (11 acres) of the palace land - the garden of the School Gardening establishment at the Kuzmisky Gate. Until 1917 it was used for kitchen garden and meadow as well as for pupils walking and named “pepiniere” (now it is the garden near the Monument to A.S. Pushkin).
The former house of Obolensky, bought in the college ownership, was enlarged and rebuilt for educational aims in 1847-1851 according to the design of the architect D.Ye. Yefimov. A domestic chapel, consecrated in the honour of the Intercession of the Mother of God by Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg and Novgorod Nicanor in 1849, was constructed in the building. At the corner from the side of the Alexander Park a garden was laid out, it was surrounded with the fence on the stone foundation and with massive posts.
In 1881-1883 in the connection of the increase in the number of the college staff the building was overbuilt with the third floor and enlarged to the yard side according to the design and under the direction of A.F. Vidov. The engineering equipment was made at the plant of San-Galli.
All tsar family often spent the time among the college pupils, attended at public services in the domestic chapel, visited the college kitchen garden – “pepiniere”. The Tsesarevna and then Empress Maria Fiodorovna was the last august trustee since 1879, Emperor Alexander III often was here.
In the honour of the Tercentenary of the House of the Romanovs the eparchy department supposed to transform the college into a theological-pedagogical institute. For this aim in 1916 the civil engineer A. Pavlov developed a design of enlarging the building up to Tserkovnaya Street, where at the corner there was a two-storied house bought from A.P. Merder, the principal of the college. In 1916-1917 the college garden – “pepiniere” supposed to allot for constructing the Institute of Experimental Surgery to the design of S.A. Danini. However these projects had been not had time to finish in the connection of the events of 1917. After 1918 the college and chapel was liquidated, the building has been used for a school until the present time. Alexander III, Emperor
Alexandra Fedorovna, Empress
Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Efimov Dmitry Egorovich
Hastie Vasily Ivanovich (William)
Maria Fedorovna, Empress
Stasov Vasily Petrovich
Vidov Alexander Fomich
Dvortsovaya Street/Pushkin, town
Moskovskaya Street/Pushkin, town

The rich house of the Marshal of the Nobility Count V.V. Gudovich was faced the Catherine Park. It was built in the Modernist style in 1905-1906 to the design of S.A. Danini and consolidated some historic houses and grounds. In the middle of the 19th century the large estate of Countess Ye.I. Orlova-Denisova with the garden and two wooden houses was located at this place. Gudovich’s house was designed as an estate mansion and included living and service wings (only two ones were survived) as well as a garden. Facades were designed in the style of English cottages like a country house of Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich. Radomsky sandstone, granite, red and white facing brick, timber- framing, clay tile were used for decoration alongside with plaster. The fence with wavy contour stone figured posts , which are typical for the modernist style, was constructed by R.F. Meltser. Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Orlova-Denisova, Ye.I., countess
Parkovaya Street/Pushkin, town

8 January. A.P. Chekhov, as guest, arrived to D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak in Tsarskoye Selo.

The almshouse, in the memory of the merchants Sinebryukhovs, for girls and aged women began to work in Moskovskaya Street. 14 May. The coronation of Emperor Nicholas I took place in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Palace electric power station was constructed (architect S.A. Danini). The inner electric equipment was installed by the prominent electric-engineer L.R. Shvede who became the first director of the electric power station. The electric power station began to work on 8 November 1898 (its present address is 3 Tserkovnaya Street).

A.R. Bach took up the post of the architect of the Palace Board. His appartment was placed in the house at the corner of Leontyevskaya Street and Srednyaya Street. А.R. Bach was buried in the Kuzminsky Cemetery, his grave was restored in 2007 .

The autumn. I.F. Annensky, poet and teacher, accepted the offer to take the post as the director of the Tsarskoye Selo Nicholas Man Gymnasium. He received the official appartment at the gymnasium.

Nikolai Nikolayevich Punin, the future art historian, literary critic, teacher, had entered the Nicholas Gymnasium. Valentin Krivich, son of Annensky, graduated from the gymnasium. Annensky Innokenty Fedorovich
Annensky, Valentin Innokentyevich (pseudonym: Valentin Krivich)
Bach Alexander Romanovich
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich
Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Mamin-Sibiryak (real name Mamin) Dmitry Narkisovich
Nicholas II, Emperor
Punin Nikolay Nikolaevich
Shvede, L.R.

19 January. In the Alexander Palace Nicholas II received the workers deputation after the incident "Bloody Sunday" on 9 January in Petersburg. 50 000 roubles were assigned for the families of suffered men, this was told during the meeting. .

30 January. The Petersburg Governer received the information about the "unruly conduct of soldiers" in Tsarskoye Selo. They went to a street from the barracks and threatened officers and policemen, speaking the "impertinent words against the Emperor". Social Democratic groups were organized by the lower officials of the 1st Railway Battalion and among the wounded men at the Palace hospital.

1 March. The new Orlov water supply system, that used pipes laid from the Orlov springs to the Orlov water tower and then it used the water supply system of Tsarskoye Selo, began to work.

7-11 March. The pupils unrests took place in the Nicholas Gymnasiun after the current events, many pupils were participants of the street demonstrations. Gymnasium pupils, gathered for the rally, pronounced the resolution "…we, as the children of nation, declare the political strike, and our slogan is - Down with death penalty! Down with military coutrs! Down with martial law!". Pupils unrests took place also in the Trade College and the Mariinskaya Gymnasium.

14 April. In the Alexander Palace the Imperial family met with Princess V.I. Gedroitz, a surgeon, she returned from the front of the Russo-Japanese War in Manchuria.
Architect S. Danini constructed the house for the prominent pediatrician К.А. Rauhfus at his country estate near the "To my dear comarades Gates" ( the present address of the house is 2 Parkovaya Street).

In Nizhny Boulevard, the Empress Maria Children Orphanage in the memory of Nikolai, Yelizaveta and Olga Adamovich (philanthropists) with the Orphan Department of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was opened in the building, which was special constructed, according to the design of the technician A.V. Druker.

Architect S. Danini constructed the mansion in the Modern style for Count V.V. Gudovich, equerry of the court (its present address is 18 Parkovaya Street )

The city newspaper "Tsarskoye Selo Newspaper" began to published under the editor D.N. Loman, it was published until 29 January 1907 .
28 May. The Nanny School of Empress Alexandra Fiodorovna was opened. The ideas of Doctor K.A. Rauchfus, organizer of the Nanny School, were realized by the architect S.A. Danini during the constructing of school. Emperor Nicholas II was present at the opening of the Nanny School . The Nanny School building was used as the children sanatorium until 1941 ( its present address is 7 Krasnoselskoye Road, school no. 409)

October. The first collection of poems "Way of Conquistadors" by N.S. Gumilyov, a pupil of the Nicholas Gymnasium, was published.

23 November. The great reception, the Emperor awarded 55 servicemen wounded in the Russo-Japanese War, took place on the military ground of the Catherine Palace. 64 officers, 800 servicemen of lower ranks, 45 holders of Order of St. George were present during this ceremony.

Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova (nee Taneyeva), a maid of honour of Empress Aleksandra Fiodorovna, settled in the former house of Tepper de Fergusson. Members of the Imperial family and Grigory Rasputin often visited her here. А. Vyrubova lived in this house until 1917 .

1 December. The new city sewerage system and the purification biology station, having the incinerators with electric generators using the hot gas of incinerators, began to operate. Danini Silvio Amvrosievich
Druker Alexander Vasilievich
Gedroits, Vera Ignatyevna, princess
Gumilev Nikolay Stepanovich
Loman D.N.
Nicholas II, Emperor
Rasputin Grigory Efimovich
Rauchfus Karl Andreevich
Vyrubova Anna Alexandrovna
Krasnoselskoe Freeway/Pushkin, town
Parkovaya Street/Pushkin, town
Parkovaya Street/Pushkin, town