Ton, Konstantin Andreevich

Born Oct. 26 (Nov. 6), 1794, in St. Petersburg; died there Jan. 25 (Feb. 6), 1881. Russian architect.

Ton studied under A. N. Voronikhin at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts from 1803 to 1815. He was sent abroad to study in Italy from 1819 to 1828. In 1830 he was made a member of the academy, receiving a professorship there in 1833 and becoming rector of the architecture division in 1854.

Ton originated the eclectic Russian-Byzantine style (seePSEUDO-RUSSIAN STYLE), which was officially accepted by the tsarist regime. Many of his buildings are distinguished by high-quality workmanship and by advanced construction methods, for example, the use of large metal structures. Ton’s works include the Church of Christ the Savior (1837–83, not preserved), the Great Kremlin Palace (1839–49), and the Armory (1844–51) in the Moscow Kremlin. Ton also designed Nikolaevskaia Station (now Leningradskaia Station, 1849) in Moscow and Nikolaevskaia Station (now Moskovskaia Station, 1851) in Leningrad. Both railroad stations were renovated in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but their original facades were preserved.

Ton was the author of the album Plans for Churches (1838).