Andrei Stackenschneider

His eclectic approach and competence in period styles are manifest in ten palaces built to his design in St. Petersburg.

Born into a prosperous family, Stakenschneider trained at the Imperial Academy of Arts, helping Auguste de Montferrand supervise the construction of Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

He was a revivalist, finding his inspiration in Greek, Renaissance, Baroque, and Gothic styles.

His first independent work was a Neo-Gothic castle at Keila-Joa, a residence of Count Alexander von Benckendorff near Tallinn.

In the late 1830s, Stakenschneider emerged as the chief court architect of Nicholas I of Russia.