Office of Construction
Office of Construction
a state institution in St. Petersburg that exercised control over construction in the city and the training of builders.
The Office of Construction existed from 1706 to 1797. Founded as the Office of Urban Affairs, it was known as the Office of Construction from 1723 to 1765, the Office of Construction of Her Imperial Majesty’s Homes and Gardens from 1765 to 1769, and the Bureau of Construction of Her Imperial Majesty’s Homes and Gardens from 1769 to 1797. On Mar. 7, 1797, the bureau was consolidated with the Bureau of Court Supply Services. The Office of Construction comprised a “painting team” (1720–97), training in gilding, joinery, and plastering (from 1755), and the Russian School (1766–68; after 1768, the Academy), where artists received a systematic education.
The work of the Office of Construction was at various periods supervised by prominent architects, such as D. A. Trezini, Al. V. Kvasov, I. E. Starov, and Iu. M. Fel’ten. Instructors of the painting team included L. Karavak, A. M. Matveev, I. Ia. Vishniakov, and A. P. Antropov.