Montferrand, Avgust

(August Richard de Montferrand). Born Jan. 24, 1786, in Chaillot, France; died June 28 (Aug. 10), 1858, in St. Petersburg. Russian architect, decorator, and draftsman. Of French descent.

Montferrand studied in Paris at the Polytechnic School and with the architects C. Percier and P. F. Fontaine. Beginning in 1816 he worked in St. Petersburg. His work signaled the transition from late classicism to eclecticism.

Montferrand’s works include St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Alexander Column, the house of Lobanov-Rostovskii (1817–20), the decoration of the Field Marshal’s and Peter’s halls of the Winter Palace and the design of its Round Hall (from 1827 to the early 1830’s), and the remodeling of Gagarina’s house (now the House of Composers, 1840’s).