Konstantin Ton is a famous Russian architect with German roots. Many buildings have been built in Russia according to his project. Among them, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior stands apart, in the form of which Tone's foreign experience, his skill and knowledge of Russian folk architecture are concentrated.
Biography: early years
Konstantin Andreevich Ton was born on October 26, 1794 in St. Petersburg. His father was German by birth, fairly Russified. He had a lucrative jewelry store. The family lived in abundance.
Konstantin Ton received a good education at the School at the Lutheran parish of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. Then he continued his studies at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied architecture. The famous architect Andrei Voronikhin was his mentor. Ton proved to be a promising student. After receiving his diploma, he stayed at the Academy, becoming a teacher.
Soon, Ton was awarded the title of artist of the first degree, for which he was also entitled to a trip abroad to gain new knowledge. However, the Academy did not have the money for this. And Ton had to get a job in the Buildings Committee as an ordinary draftsman. In 1822, he nevertheless went to Italy.
Career
Ton lived in Rome for six years. During this time, he studied the architecture of antiquity up and down. In Italy, Ton worked on the restoration of the Temple of Fortune and the Caesars' palace. The architect gained recognition in Europe in a short time. At the age of 26, he became an honorary member of the Academy of Rome.
In 1828 the architect returned to Russia. Nicholas I reigned at the time. He was impressed by Ton's work to rebuild the Caesars' palace. The tsar immediately found him a "bread" place with a solid salary. So Ton became a court architect. It was the benevolence of Nicholas I that allowed the architect to design and implement structures that amaze in their scope even today.
In his first works, Ton acted as a continuer of the traditions of Russian classicism. Later, in his projects one could clearly trace the "Russian old" style, later it would be called "Russian-Byzantine".
In 1839, Nicholas I commissioned Ton to design a temple dedicated to the victory over Napoleonic troops. At the same time, the tsar noted that in his appearance there should be traces of the Russian-Byzantine style, which he really liked. The temple was built for 44 years. At the time of consecration, it was the largest in Russia. Despite strong criticism, the temple soon became a symbol of Russian autocracy.
On account of Ton, there are many other projects. So, he is the author of the buildings of two stations: Moskovsky in St. Petersburg and Leningradsky in Moscow. These are two outwardly identical buildings. Also, according to Ton's project, the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Armory, and several small churches were erected.
Personal life
Ton was married to Elena Berg. The couple had a son, Constantine. Also, Ton had four more children, born to his mistress Amalia Barclay.
The architect died in 1881 in St. Petersburg. His grave is located at the Volkovskoye cemetery.
