Naryshkin Style

(also Naryshkin baroque), the conventional name of a style of Russian architecture prevalent in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The name is derived from the Naryshkin family, at whose estates in and near Moscow were built elegant multistory churches, including the Pokrov Church in Fili (1690–93) and the Troitsa Church in Troitskoe-Lykovo (1698–1704) which are now within the city limits of Moscow. The churches are characterized by symmetrical composition, logical interrelationships of masses, and rational distribution of the sumptuous white stone ornament. The many parts of the structure are integrated by means of a free interpretation of elements borrowed from Western European architecture. The development of this rational approach clearly indicated the transition from medieval architecture to a revival of the classical orders.

Because elements of the Naryshkin style were incorporated into many secular and religious buildings of the period, the term “Moscow Baroque,” which more accurately reflects the area in which this style was prominent, was introduced by art scholars.