Moscow art critics, seeing his work, began to scold - ugliness, bad taste. This did not interest the rich merchants and industrialists who made orders for our hero.
We often see examples of geniuses that were not understood by their contemporaries. Alexander Kaminsky was a much more controversial figure. He was adored by the Moscow moneybags, and their tastes among the enlightened were considered the most nasty. It was as fashionable to scold his works as it was to order projects for him if you had money in your pocket. Only 100 years later, the works of this author are recognized as classics.
Childhood
The first years of our hero's life are shrouded in mystery. It is only known that Sasha was born in December 1829. The birthplace of the baby is unknown. In different versions of his biography, the Kiev and Volyn provinces are called. The Kaminsky family belonged to the Polish aristocracy. In 1830 the gentry revolted, so it is highly likely that the baby was the son of underground workers who were hiding from the authorities.
After the defeat of the rebels, the rebels had no question of legal residence in any city of the Russian Empire. Alexander and his older brother Joseph received a good education and had papers confirming their graduation from high school, however, which educational institution issued them was not clear. It was no secret that both children were fond of painting from an early age and decided to devote their lives to art.
Youth
Alexander was more attracted by architecture, he convinced his brother to choose this direction too. In 1848 he came to Moscow and entered the Imperial Academy of Arts. The mentor of our hero was the famous architect Konstantin Ton. A German by nationality, educated in Italy, he invented a special Russian style, reminiscent of the masterpieces of the pre-Petrine era.
The mentor and his students found a common language very easily. Soon they were offered a job that allowed them to make their wildest dreams come true. Joseph Kaminsky was entrusted with the place to supervise the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the author of the project of which was his teacher. Our hero did not play a leading role in the large-scale construction of the monument to the heroes of 1812, but he was able to get acquainted with all the intricacies of the profession and perfectly understand the style that was called Russian-Byzantine.
Good friends
The young man lacked experience and knowledge. Even before the temple was completed, he went on an internship in Europe. One of the cities worth visiting was Paris. In the capital of France in 1860, Alexander Kaminsky met the rich man and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov. This amazing man was a native Muscovite and was delighted to meet so far from home a guy who made his contribution to the decoration of the old Russian city.
Tretyakov was keenly interested in art and gathered interesting people in his house. Alexander Kaminsky was among the welcome guests. The young architect met Pavel's sister Sophia and asked his friend for her hand. The heiress of the industrialists was no match for the architect, but the Tretyakov family was famous for free-thinking - the couple was blessed. In 1862, the lovers became husband and wife. So that the newlyweds did not live in poverty, the newlywed were presented with orders, for which they promised to pay generously.
At the zenith of glory
Personal life opened the door for the master to the society of successful and wealthy people. Kaminsky began to be called the Tretyakov family architect. Thanks to the popularity of this surname, the career of our hero developed rapidly. The tolstosums of the First Throne did not want to yield to well-known patrons of the arts, so they began to order designs of their houses and estates from Alexander. Among his clients were the Morozovs, Konshins and Botkins. In 1867 g.he took the post of chief architect of the Moscow merchant society.
Clients liked the immediacy of Alexander Kaminsky in design decisions. This master was not afraid of eclecticism, he boldly combined the classics from Ton with Gothic and the most fashionable trends. Self-confident merchants and industrialists considered themselves to be people versed in art, therefore they could set absurd requirements for the work of an architect. Kaminsky could not be embarrassed. His creations have always been pompous and demonstrated to the public that the customer has money.
The fall
Many Muscovites did not like the work of the fashionable architect. However, criticism from connoisseurs of elegant urban development was not interesting to those who could afford Kaminsky's services. The trouble happened in 1888 - the unfinished building of the Moscow Merchant Society collapsed. As a result of the accident, workers and onlookers suffered. The investigation found out that the construction was carried out with violations due to the interference of customers. On deviations from the norms of the person who supervised the work on site, their boss was not informed.
Our hero did not hide anything from the investigation and allowed him to get on the trail of those responsible for the tragedy. No one was going to send the richest people of the Russian Empire to the dock, but the architect himself was sent under house arrest, recognizing his guilt as insignificant. After such a scandal, there could be no question of continuing a brilliant career. In 1893 he was struck off the list of architects of the Moscow Merchant Society. He no longer received orders and tried to tell the public about his achievements by publishing his articles in magazines. In 1897, the former favorite of the Russian merchants died.
