excellent copy with wide margins

an interesting architectural record of Imperial Russia's vigorous building programme before the invasion by Napoleon in 1812.
Luigi Rusca (1758-1822) was an architect originally from Italian speaking Switzerland who worked extensively at the Russian Imperial Palace at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He was well known for his neo-classical style and his skill in handling the construction and organisation of large public commissions. Rusca was a great favourite at court and these volumes are dedicated to the Tsar Alexander I. The text in Italian and French supplies interesting technical notes on all aspects of building such as the type of material.

The buildings include among many others: a design for the Admiralty, commissions for Volkonsky, Kotchoubey, and other nobles, quarters for the Cavalry Life Guards, Ismailovskii and Belozerskii regiments, and Strelna Palace, for which Rusca designed the upper stories. The Palace in Strelna, St Petersburg which was once Peter the Great's summer residence underwent extensive restoration after President Putin's decision to convert it into a presidential palace. The National Congress Palace as it is now known was opened in 2003 to coincide with the city's tercentenary and has since hosted international leaders at the 2006 G8 summit.

First edition; 2 parts in one volume; folio (65.6 x 48 cm); title and dedication, text in French and Italian, 180 engraved plates including two frontispieces, wide-margins, some minor foxing to titles but otherwise plates in very good condition; modern quarter black morocco and marbled boards, spine with raised bands and gilt title.