Pronounced: Benua. Benois family is a treasury of talents: architects, artists, sculptors etc. This category is about works of Benois-architects in St. Petersburg & Leningrad region. The dynasty descended from grandfather Louis Jules Cezar (=Leontiy Nikolaevich, 1770-1822), who moved from France to Russia in 1794. Together with his wife of German origin, Anna-Katherina, he brought up 11 children.
A) Among Benois-fathers is very famous architect Nikolay Leontievich (1813-1898), graduate of Imperial Academy of Arts, he had spent 6 years exploring architecture in Italy, England and France. In 1850 he became chief architect in Peterhof. He worked in various architectural styles from Baroque to Neogothic.
B) Benois-sons: Albert Nikolaevich (1852-1936), also a famous artist. Leontiy Nikolaevich (1856-1928), also a professor. Yuliy Yulyevich (1852-1929). Their buildings are of eclecticism, art noveau and different revival styles. Sometimes brothers worked together.
C) It was Mikhail Konstantinovich (1912-1955) among grandchildren, who erected some neoclassical buildings in St.Petersburg. His wife, Irina Nikolaevna (1912-2005), added even more glory to the surname of Benois – as a talanted architect-restorer, she resurrected a lot of unique buildings after the 2d World War. Irina Nikolaevna was capable to work in any architectural style.
The walk in Znamenka won’t be long – previously it used to be a huge park that bordered Alexandria, but later it was divided in several parts. Here you will see baroque palace, a church opened for visitors, ruins and picturesque remains of landscape design of 19th century.
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