CAMERON, Charles

Charles Cameron, . Construction Pavlovsk, . Tsarskoe Selo famous halls, . galleries and Agates rooms, . chief architect of the Admiralty the early 19 th century, . was a man of extraordinary destiny, . which is still open in its true nature at times due to accidents, . but often only after lengthy and painstaking efforts of researchers,
. Much of his biography is still unknown. Secrecy, isolation led to the exceptional nature of the Cameron paucity of information about him. Personal archive of the architect is also not survived.

. Long thought, . that he belonged to a famous Scottish clan Cameron and was the son of Even, Cameron Louhilla, . famous leader of the Scots during the uprising 1745-1746 period, . against the Hanoverian dynasty ruling in favor of the Stuarts.,

. Later I found out that in fact Charles Cameron was born in the mid 1740-ies in a family of average means
. Initially, his fate is well and usually. Apparently, he had inherited his father's construction business. It is no accident last officially enrolled him as his disciple and designed the appropriate documents to the Carpenters' Company. But Charles himself sent his life on a different path. He has surrounded himself with Isaac Vear, a prominent architect and construction activities middle of XVIII century. He was going to publish a book about the Roman Baths and drew the young man to work. In 1766, a teacher who may wish to Cameron married his daughter, died. The young man decided to continue work on this publication and thus be glorified. Cameron went to Italy, because he believed that measurements of the term - is "a work of Palladio"

. Upon his return, Charles Cameron, . inspired hopes, . preparing a publication of the Term of the Romans ", . and in 1772 it goes to light in two languages - English and French / In 1779, Cameron came to Russia architect, . not create any more or less well-known structures,
. His belongings were very modest - a few copies of "Term of the Romans.

Cameron was invited in connection with the intent to construct terms in Tsarskoe Selo - both well-known specialist. He had to build a house, "where one person could meet Caesar, Cicero and Maecenas".

In fact, Cameron was the architect of two ensembles - Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk.

It was loaded to the limit in the first five years of his life in Russia (until 1785). Then were created virtually all of its projects buildings - Agates rooms, galleries, all of Tsarskoe Selo suites, decorated them with the famous Arabesque, Lyons, Chinese rooms, Bedchamber, Green dining. Furthermore, in those same years, he built several pavilions Tsarskoselskogo park: a pyramid, two Chinese Bridge. All these projects were executed before 1787.

. At first he was instructed to make a new interior Tsarskoselskogo several rooms of the palace, replacing troubled decoration Rastrelli more stringent, so what Charles Cameron saw the ruins of ancient Rome.

. Instead of golden shells and scrolls with flowers and thick Cupids he set in niches and on the walls of these ancient pieces of marble statues and bas-reliefs, just extracted from the ground.

. Designing the city of Sofia, located behind the Catherine Park, also was conducted in 1780-1785, respectively, while the realization of Cameron's design not only tedious, but generally took place only a small part
. Over the next twenty years, Charles Cameron building in this ensemble several of pavilions: dairy, food, a cold bath. In Tsarskoe Selo, he produces a variety of addition of. Endless stretches of the Chinese construction of the village, begun long before the arrival of Cameron and never ends.

. In early 1790-ies he develops a complex term: it creates a ramp leading to the Agate Rooms, in 1792, designing the second gallery - "Temple of Memory"
. In 1795, the project architect creates a tiny chapel in the back rooms of Agates, then the construction and. Neelova with significant changes.

In May 1784 Charles Cameron made a proposal to Catherine Bush and married her. In the house of Cameron's much in line with the habits and preferences of the owner. Back in England he became a bibliophile, began to collect prints and paintings.

Seventeen years had Charles Cameron in a converted wing at the royal hothouse, twelve of them - after marriage. In December 1796 the house was taken away from him. Apparently, not in vain warned the architect during the endless wrangling over the finish of the Pavlovsk Palace, where the master adamantly insisted on his opinion that one can not "annoy Paul Petrovich, this could end badly."

. Three years Cameron was in the doghouse
. Only in August 1800 the architect again took the civil service. He settled in the same greenhouse, but in the other half, which previously was part of Bush's apartment.

In 1803 Cameron was appointed architect of Admiralty. At the same time the master was assigned to the drafting of large structures, such as St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, or building a new district Galley harbor on Vasilevsky Island.

. For the post of Cameron relied government apartment, and it singled out for him at the Engineers' Castle
.

Thanks to a major military engineer and architect bibliophiles Suhtelenu entered the circle of friends in St. Petersburg engineers, builders, artists. In the mid 1800's, he regained the society of those who, as far as can be judged from the fragmentary memories, shared his aspirations and appreciated his talent. Moreover, and this time he lived relatively quietly, especially after the resignation, which followed 25 May 1805.

Cameron died in St. Petersburg in late 1811, shortly before the war with Napoleon.