LAUSR

Abstract From the 1830s onward, Russian architects frequently used decorations of the Nasrid Alhambra palaces as models for neo-Moorish designs. Especially in the former capital Saint Petersburg, there used to be, and still are, a large number of neo-Moorish interiors. The objective of this article is to trace back the beginnings of the so-called Moorish Revival within Russia’s architecture. So far, only little attention has been paid to the fact that particularly one architect was crucial for establishing the new style in Russia—Aleksandr Briullov, upon whose pioneering role the article will shed light by discussing two of his early works.