Lev Nikolayevich Kekushev () was a Russian architect, notable for his

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

buildings in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, built in the 1890s and early 1900s in the original, Franco-Belgian variety of this style. Kekushev's buildings are notable for his skillful use of metal ornaments and his signature with a lion (''Lev'') ornament or sculpture. Kekushev_Isakov_House_on_Prechistenka_Street

Kekushev_Isakov_House_on_Prechistenka_Street

Biography

Education

Kekushev was born in the family of a Russian officer in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

(Maria Naschokina, p. 253;

Simbirsk Ulyanovsk,, , known as Simbirsk until 1924, is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Ulyanovsk has been the only Russian UNESCO City of Literature since 2015. The city wa ...

according to other sources). Kekushev graduated high school in Vilnius, and the Institute of Civil Engineers in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

(1883–1889). For one year, he worked as a state-employed construction engineer in Saint Petersburg, but relocated to Moscow in 1890. At first an assistant to architect Semyon Eybushits, he started independent practice in 1893. At the same time, Kekushev became a master in applied art technologies - iron

forging Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compression (physics), compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die (manufacturing), die. Forging is often classif ...

, silver

galvanization Galvanization ( also spelled galvanisation) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are coated by submerging them in a bath of ...

and chemical frosting of glass. Throughout the 1890s, Kekushev and Illarion Ivanov-Shitz were employed by Moscow-based railway companies and designed dozens of extant railway stations.

Art Nouveau

Kekushev was the first practitioner of

in Moscow, starting with his apartment buildings in Varsonofyevskay Lane and Bolshaya Dmitrovka, completed 1893. His style (unlike the next generation of Art Nouveau architects like

William Walcot William Walcot (10 March 1874 – 21 May 1943) was a Russian-Scottish architect, graphic artist and etcher, notable as a practitioner of refined Art Nouveau (Style Moderne) in Moscow, Russia (as Вильям Францевич Валькот ...

and

Fyodor Schechtel Fyodor Osipovich Schechtel (; – July 7, 1926) was a Russian architect, graphic artist and stage designer, the most influential and prolific master of Russian Art Nouveau and late Russian Revival architecture. Baptised as Franz Albert Schech ...

) is very close to the original Belgian style of

Victor Horta Victor Pierre Horta (; Victor, Baron Horta after 1932; 6 January 1861 – 8 September 1947) was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. He was a fervent admirer of the French architectural theoris ...

. The new wave of architecture was endorsed and financed by prominent business figures like the Khludov and Morozov families and Jacob Reck. In 1898–1899, Kekushev won the first prize in the open contest for Hotel Metropol; financier

Savva Morozov Savva Timofeyevich Morozov (, , Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Orekhovo-Zuevo, Bogorodsky Uyezd, Moscow Governorate, Russian Empire – , Cannes, France) was a Russian textile magnate and philanthropist. Established by Savva Vasilyevich Morozov (1770–1862 ...

discarded the decision of a professional jury and awarded architectural design to

. However, the owners retained Kekushev as overall project manager. "None of this (Walcot's earlier) work is on the scale of the Metropole; Kekushev's assistance was probably crucial to the final realization of this complex structure, with its immense dome of glass and iron over an interior court" (Brumfield, chapter 3). Kekushev's talent and recognition peaked in 1900–1903, when Art Nouveau, for a while, became the dominant style in Moscow. His buildings include such diverse luxury residences as the

timber-framed Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...

Nosov House (Electrozavodskaya Street) and stone and steel Mindovsky House (44

Povarskaya Street Povarskaya Street (, known from 1924–1991 as ''Vorovsky Street'' (улица Воровского), is a radial street in the center of Moscow, Russia, connecting Arbat Square on Boulevard Ring with Kudrinskaya Square on the Garden Ring. It ...

, now Embassy of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

- a part of a large affluent community developed by Jacob Reck). Kekushev, skilled in interior finishes, practiced

Gesamtkunstwerk A ''Gesamtkunstwerk'' (, 'total work of art', 'ideal work of art', 'universal artwork', 'synthesis of the arts', 'comprehensive artwork', or 'all-embracing art form') is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. ...

approach, designing interiors down to the smallest details. Unlike other architects, who commissioned artwork finishes to independent artists, all Kekushev buildings have distinct Kekushev metal ornaments.

Withdrawal from practice

After the

Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...

, when public opinion "dismissed Art Nouveau as

ephemera Ephemera are items which were not originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected or retained. The word is etymologically derived from the Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day'. The word is both plural and singular. On ...

of fashion" (Brumfield, chapter 3) in favor of

Neoclassical revival Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of the most promin ...

, Kekushev was unwilling or unable to change, and worked on low-profile, unimportant projects. By 1912 he practically disappeared from professional scene. Maria Naschokina, a historian of Art Nouveau, suggested that Kekushev's withdrawal was actually caused by unspecified (probably, mental) illness; this statement has not been thoroughly proved. Kekushev's last years remain a mystery; even the year of his death is disputed (1916 to 1919).

Nikolay Kekushev

The architect's son, Nikolay Kekushev, was a famous

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

who saw combat in 1924 in Central Asia, later working as aircraft engineer on Arctic flights in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a member of Pavel Golovin's air crew that was the first to reach the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

on May 5, 1937, in preparation for

Ivan Papanin Ivan Dmitriyevich Papanin (; – 30 January 1986) was a Soviet polar explorer, scientist, Counter Admiral, and twice Hero of the Soviet Union, who was awarded nine Orders of Lenin. Life and career Early life and participation in the Russia ...

's polar expedition. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he flew 59 missions on a

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...

to and from besieged

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, evacuating starving residents; later, he served on anti-

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

Arctic patrols. In 1948 Nikolay Kekushev was arrested, and he spent six years in

Dzhezkazgan Zhezkazgan, or Jezkazgan ( ) is a city and the administrative centre of Ulytau Region, Kazakhstan. Population: Its urban area includes the neighbouring mining town of Satpayev, for a total city population of 148,700. 55% of Jezkazgan's popu ...

labor camps. He survived and wrote a book of memoirs, ''Zveriada''; however, it does not reveal much about his father's last years.

Selected buildings

Assistant to Semyon Eybuschits

* 1890-1893 - Central Public Baths * 1890-1893 - Okhotny Ryad redevelopment

Assistant to Sergey Tikhomirov

* 1890-1893 - Apartment Building of Gregory the Theosof Church, Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street

Own practice

* 1892–1899 I.N.Geyer

Almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

, 15 Verkhaya Krasnoselskaya
photographs
* 1893 — Gagarin Apartment Building, Varsonofievsky Lane (partly destroyed by facadist "reconstruction" in 2000s) * 1894–1895 — Korobkov House, Pyatnitskaya Street (with Sergey Shutzman) * 1894–1896 — Khludov Apartment Building, * 1898–1900 — Grachev Estate, Khovrino, now 77 Festivalnaya Street, Moscow, modelled after casino in

Monte-Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to a larger district, the Mon ...

by Charles Garnier * 1898–1899 — Gustav List House, 8 Glazovsky Lane, with

mosaic

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

. Kekushev started this building for himself, but halfway into construction, List offered him the bounty Kekushev could not resist. * 1898–1899 —

Odintsovo Odintsovo ( rus, Одинцово, , ɐdʲɪnˈtsovə) is a city and the administrative center of Odintsovsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia. Western suburb of Moscow. Population: History The village of Odintsovo was established in the la ...

rail station * 1899 — Nekrasov Building, 4

Gogol Boulevard Gogolevsky Boulevard () is a boulevard near the Arbat District, Moscow, Russia, named after the writer Nikolai Gogol. It was named Prechistensky Boulevard () until 1924, after the nearby street Prechistenka. The boulevard begins next to the Cat ...

* 1899–1900 — Saarbekov House, Povarskaya Street * 1899–1900 — Iberian Trade Rows, Nikolskaya Street * 1900–1903 — Own house, 21 Ostozhenka Street (also known as Kekysheva House, as he had to give it to his ex-wife in settling their divorce) * 1902–1921 —

* 1903 — Nosov House, Electrozavodskaya Street * 1903 — Mindovsky House, 44

( Embassy of New Zealand
interior photographs
* 1903–1904 — Ponizovsky House, 42

( Embassy of Afghanistan) * 1898–1907 — construction manager for

Hotel Metropol (Moscow) The Hotel Metropol Moscow ( rus, Метрополь, , mʲɪtrɐˈpolʲ) is a historic hotel in the center of Moscow, Russia, built between 1899 and 1905 in the Art Nouveau style. It is the largest extant Moscow hotel built before the Russian Re ...

, lead architect:

* 1904–1906 — Isakov Apartment Building, 28 Prechistenka Street * 1906 — Railway stations of

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...

railroad * 1906 — Interiors, Praga Restaurant (

Arbat Square Arbatskaya Square or Arbat Square () is one of the oldest squares of Moscow, located on the junction of Gogolevsky Boulevard, Znamenka Street and Arbat Gates Square (in 1925–1993 – part of Arbatskaya Square). The square is home to the Ar ...

) and Morozov House (Prechistenka Street) * 1910 — expansion of

Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal Moscow Yaroslavsky railway station () is one of the nine main railway stations in Moscow. Situated on Komsomolskaya Square (close to the Kazansky and Leningradsky Stations), Moscow Yaroslavskaya has the highest passenger throughput of all ni ...

* 1911 — Rudnev Hospital, Serebryany Lane * 1912 — Hospital near

Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery (, lit. Transfiguration of Jesus, Transfiguration Cemetery) is a cemetery in the eastern part of Moscow long associated with Old Believers. It was inaugurated by a Fedoseevtsy merchant in 1777 as a Pandemic, plague quaran ...

References

William Craft Brumfield __NOTOC__ William Craft Brumfield (born June 28, 1944) is a contemporary United States of America, American historian of Russian architecture, a preservationist and an Architectural photographers, architectural photographer. Brumfield is current ...

, "The Origins of Modernism in Russian Architecture", University of California Press, 199
contentschapter 3
*Embassy of

in Moscow homepag

*Russian: List of publications by Kekushev
www.snor.ru
*Russian: Nikolay Kekushev's book: Кекушев, Н.Л., "Звериада", М, 199
online text and biography in Russian
*Russian: Нащокина, Мария, "Архитекторы московского модерна", М, "Жираф", 2005, стр.236-253 (''Maria Naschokina'') *Russian: Нащокина, Мария Владимировна. Московский архитектор Лев Кекушев / Рос. Акад. Архитектуры и строит. наук, НИИ теории и истории архитектуры и градостроительства. СПб., Коло, 2012, {{DEFAULTSORT:Kekushev, Lev Architects from the Russian Empire Art Nouveau architects 1862 births 1916 deaths Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering alumni