Mahaev Mikhail Ivanovich. Excerpt characterizing Makhaev, Mikhail Ivanovich

From a priest's family

Drawing and engraving

Mikhail Ivanovich Makhaev(-) - Russian artist, master of drawing and engraving, especially architectural landscape. Born in St. Petersburg, in the family of a priest of low rank.

Education

Main works

• 1745-1753 - “Plan of the capital city of St. Petersburg with images of the most noble avenues.”
• 1750s - a series of engravings “Environments of St. Petersburg” - Makhaev drew from project materials.
• 1763 - a series of views of Moscow for the coronation album of Catherine II.
• 1760s - album of views of the Kuskovo estate (published in Paris).

Engraving-Petersburg-1753-Makhaev

Literature

• Gershtein Yu. Mikhail Ivanovich Mahaev, 1718-1770. - M.: Art, 1952. - 30 p. - (Mass Library).
• Malinovsky K.V. M. I. Mahaev, 1718-1770. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1978. - 64 p. - (Mass library of art). - 30,000 copies.
• Alekseev M. A. Mikhailo Mahaev: Master of landscape drawing of the 18th century. - St. Petersburg: Neva Magazine, 2003.
• Malinovsky K.V. Petersburg in the image of M.I. Makhaev. - 2003.
• Malinovsky K.V. Mikhail Ivanovich Makhaev. - 2008.

Links

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See what “Makhaev, Mikhail Ivanovich” is in other dictionaries:

- (1718 1770), Russian draftsman and engraver. He studied and worked mainly in the workshops of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (since 1731). He drew views of cities (St. Petersburg, Moscow and their environs), intended for reproduction in engraving... ... Art encyclopedia

Russian draftsman and engraver. He studied and worked mainly in the workshops of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (since 1731). He drew views of cities (mainly St. Petersburg, Moscow and their environs), intended for reproduction in... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (1718 70) Russian draftsman and engraver. The drawings (views of St. Petersburg, Moscow) are distinguished by their documentary quality, skill in constructing perspective and conveying the light-air environment... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Draughtsman and engraver (1716 1770). He studied (from 1729) at an academic school in landscape painting and perspective with the painter Valeriani; in 1754 he was an apprentice in mane art with Yves. Sokolov and Kachalov. From his engravings we know: two portraits... ... Biographical Dictionary

- (1718 1770), draftsman and engraver. He studied at the “Admiralty School” (1729–31), in the art workshop at the Academy of Sciences (1731–35), and worked in the Landcard Word-Cutting Chamber of the Academy of Sciences under the direction of G. Valeriani (from 1735). Created an album of drawings from 12... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

Makhaev Mikhail Ivanovich (c. 1717, the village of Smolenskoye, Vereisky district, Moscow province - February 25, 1770, St. Petersburg) - perspective artist, draftsman, engraver, the largest master of urban landscapes of the mid-18th century in Russia. Author of architectural works in the Yaroslavl region.

Son of a priest. At the age of eleven he was assigned to the Admiralty Academy, where he studied mathematics and navigation. On August 31, 1731 he was transferred to the Academy of Sciences, first to the instrumental workshop, then to the landcard and word-cutting chamber to the master G. I. Unfertsakht. He studied drawing with O. Elliger and B. Tarsia. From the mid-1740s, he studied promising science independently, “out of his own desire,” from books. Since 1742 he has been an apprentice in the landcart business, and since 1743 he has been in charge of the activities of the landkart-dictionary chamber. Since 1756, master of landscape art. Since 1760, Makhaev for the first time calls himself a master not only of “gridding of letters and land maps,” but also of “promising science.”

The best type designer of the Academy of Sciences, he engraved a large number of maps and drawings; his hand made inscriptions and signatures on dozens of engravings made in the Engraving Chamber of the Academy of Sciences in the 1730s–60s. In 1752 he carved inscriptions on the silver shrine of Alexander Nevsky, he made inscriptions on the chandelier of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, on the mace and staff of Hetman K. G. Razumovsky. By order of the court, he performed numerous handwritten texts to present to the Empress, and signed diplomas for academicians, in particular Voltaire and Lomonosov.

Makhaev’s main services to Russian art are related to the development of the landscape genre. In 1753, the album “Plan of the capital city of St. Petersburg with images of its avenues, published by the works of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and Arts in St. Petersburg” was published. All 12 sheets with views are engraved from drawings by Makhaev, who, along with I. A. Sokolov, was actually the leader of this great work, which was the most significant work of the Engraving Chamber of the Academy of Sciences, the culmination of its development. The publication of the album was an event of great historical and cultural significance, a milestone for the development of Russian landscape. The collection of RIAKHMZ contains the right part of perhaps the most spectacular sheet of this series, “Prospect up the Neva River from the Admiralty and the Academy of Sciences to the East.” The collection contains another engraving by E. G. Vinogradov, made from a drawing by Makhaev: “The Hunting Pavilion in the Menagerie in Tsarskoe Selo” from a series of avenues in the outskirts of St. Petersburg, on which Makhaev worked in 1755−57.

The name and work of Makhaev is also associated with the Yaroslavl region. Strong business and family (?) relations connected him with the Rybinsk landowner Nikolai Ivanovich Tishinin. Letters from Mikhail Ivanovich to Tishinin have been preserved. From the letters it becomes clear that Makhaev worked on Tishinin’s Tikhvino-Nikolskoye estate (near Rybinsk) as an architect, decorator and artist, and generally supervised the design work. He drew all the architectural structures of the estate and prepared them for engraving. In 1767, Catherine II took a trip along the Volga, during which she made a stop in Rybinsk and visited Tishinin at his estate Tikhvino-Nikolskoye. To commemorate this event, Tishinin ordered two drawings (“illuminations”) from Makhaev depicting the visit of Catherine II, which he subsequently intended to publish in engraving (location unknown).

In 1753, the first anniversary of St. Petersburg was celebrated - the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the new Russian capital. The young city on the banks of the Neva surprised visiting foreigners with the beauty of its buildings and the scale of construction. Its splendor personified the power of the Russian Empire. Not only visiting foreigners, but also the courts of the largest Western European states should have seen and felt this. In honor of the memorable date, an album was released depicting the “most illustrious prospects” of the city. The views of St. Petersburg reproduced in it were created by the Russian draftsman and engraver Makhaev.

Mikhail Ivanovich Makhaev was born in 1718. At the age of eleven he was assigned to the “Admiralty Academy”, which trained officers for the Russian fleet. At that time, it was located in the former house of Kikin, which stood on the site of the southwestern part of the current Winter Palace. There, for two years, Makhaev studied mathematics and navigation. By decree of the government Senate on August 31, 1731, he, along with other five students, was transferred to a workshop at the Academy of Sciences “for instrumental craftsmanship, for making theodolites and related instruments.” In those years, a new instrument for surveying terrain appeared in Russia - the theodolite, and its production was mastered in the instrumental workshop at the Academy of Sciences to support the Academy's expeditions. The order of the librarian of the Academy of Sciences I. D. Schumacher said: “These students should be accepted into the Academy of Sciences and sent to the master Ivan Kolmyk for the science of the said instrumental art.” I. I. Kalmykov was the founder of scientific instrument making at the Academy. Since 1727, in the workshop he equipped, he produced various drawing, physical and geodetic instruments, which, according to the testimony of the Academy’s office, were in no way inferior to English and French ones. New apprentices were told that they must report to work at the specified hours, not leave work without the master’s knowledge, and “be very abstinent” from drunkenness. And so that in the future they would not excuse themselves by ignorance, a subscription was taken from them. In addition to purely professional classes, new students “every day for two hours, from the seventh to the ninth” were taught the German language. They settled Makhaev and his comrades in an academic apartment on Vasilyevsky Island in one of those numerous wooden houses with which, until 1739, the swampy area behind the building of the Kunstkamera, which belonged to the Academy of Sciences, was built up. An apartment, firewood and candles were given to them free of charge, but the decision on the issue of setting a salary was delayed, since due to the meager budget of its budget, the Academy could not “satisfy these students with the indicated salary for food.”

On November 8, new students write a “humble report” to the Academy: “On the 5th day of October last, we, the lowest ones, were taken from the Academy of Students of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences to the aforementioned Academy for instrumental work as students, in which work we are found. And we have a great need for food, since on the Admiralty side we had food for ourselves from creditors, with whom, having received a salary, we paid off from now on, so that after payment there was almost no money left. But on this side (i.e. on Vasilyevsky Island - K.M.), not knowing us, they don’t believe in debt. For this reason, we humbly ask that the Academy of Sciences deign to give us credit for food, even if it’s a small amount, so that we, while engaged in the above-mentioned matter, do not die an untimely death of starvation.”

According to the expenditure statement of the Academy of Sciences dated November 6, 1734, Makhaev, like other students “in instrumental work,” was given a salary of twenty-four rubles a year. Soon Makhaev was transferred to the master G.I. Unfertsakht’s workshop of landcard and word-cutting, since in the nominal staff of the Academy of Sciences dated March 7, 1735, he was already listed “in the letter business” with the same annual salary retained. With some interruptions, Makhaev worked in the Landkargno-Dictionary Chamber of the Academy of Sciences for thirty-five years.

The newly opened Academy had strict rules. At the head of each chamber was a master, who was charged with overseeing the timely arrival at work of the apprentices and apprentices subordinate to him and their constant diligent work at the appointed hours.

But despite the efforts and hard work from dawn to dusk, need haunted Makhaev all his life. The meager salary he received at the Academy was not enough to live on, and he repeatedly wrote petitions asking for an increase in salary. In 1742, Makhaev received sixty rubles a year, but it was very difficult to live on five rubles a month and he submitted a petition addressed to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, in which he writes that he has served impeccably in the Academy of Sciences for eleven years, and his salary is up to still receives only five rubles a month. This money is not enough to live on, so he cannot get out of debt and asks for an increase in salary.

Attached to the petition was a certification from master Unferzacht, which stated: “I hereby certify that after 8 years of study he can be declared an apprentice.”

On Makhaev’s petition, the conference secretary of the Academy of Sciences, Schumacher, imposed a resolution according to which Makhaev, for his diligent and blameless service at the Academy of Sciences, was appointed as an apprentice in landmap and word-cutting, and three rubles per month were added to his previous salary.

However, as Makhaev wrote in a petition in 1745, “my annual salary was determined to be much less than other apprentices.” For example, the apprentices of the engraving chamber I. A. Sokolov and G. A. Kachalov at that time already received two hundred rubles a year.

Makhaev lived from 1740 in the former house of Count Golovkin (on the site of the current building of the Academy of Arts), hired for the Academy of Sciences in December 1740, on the third floor, in a room where four other people huddled besides him. In the same house lived the “painting master” Elias Grimmel, who taught in the engraving and drawing chambers of the Academy of Sciences, as well as apprentices Kachalov and Sokolov, later famous Russian engravers. In 1743-1745, Makhaev, along with them, attended “out of his own desire” Grimmel’s drawing lessons three times a week in the afternoon and painted “from life or from a living model.”

Already in the early 1740s, Makhaev was considered the best “literary” specialist of the Academy of Sciences, since in the absence of master Unfertsacht he successfully performed in his place the duties of the master of the Landkart-dictionary chamber and diligently trained the students entrusted to him and, in addition, took part in the publication of the Atlas of the Russian empires. It was Makhaev who wrote diplomas on parchment to honorary members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, including Voltaire in 1746, and in June 1748 - diplomas to new professors of the Academy - M.V. Lomonosov and V.K. Trediakovsky. By order of the court, Mahaev executed handwritten texts of the new charter and staff of the Academy of Sciences of 1747 to present to the empress. In 1748, he completed signatures in Russian and French on a new plan of St. Petersburg, which was being prepared for engraving. He also engraved “Russian alphabet for writing.” The works performed by Makhaev played an important role in the formation of Russian typeface in the second half of the 18th century.

In the middle of the 18th century, the silver tomb of Alexander Nevsky was made at the Mint in St. Petersburg. The order of the chancellery of the Academy of Sciences dated July 18, 1750 stated that the inscriptions on the shrine should be cut out by the apprentice Makhaev. At first, Makhaev wrote fourteen versions of the inscription on paper in different fonts. The version tested by Empress Elizabeth was carved by him on shrine shields in 1752. In addition, for more than thirty years, Makhaev engraved signatures and numbers on various physical and mathematical instruments manufactured in the Academy’s workshops.

However, Makhaev was not satisfied with the very monotonous work of engraving inscriptions in the Landcard and Word-Cutting Chamber. His penchant for creative activity was looking for an application, and such an opportunity presented itself to him. The Academy of Sciences was interested in having a “promising master”, and by decree of the Academy’s office in 1745, it was announced to Makhaev that, in addition to his main work, he would “study pre-skills.” On August 26, 1746, he was given an “Open sheet for the right to photograph prospectuses in St. Petersburg,” which stated that the engraving apprentice Mikhail Makhaev, for the needs of the Academy of Sciences, was allowed to photograph prospectuses wherever he wished, in St. Petersburg and outside it. Obviously, Makhaev quickly acquired sufficient skill in a new area for him, because soon the Academy began to entrust him with sketching views of the city. Thus, in July 1747, there was an order from the office of the Academy of Sciences to send Mahaev to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to sketch a perspective view of the monastery, necessary in the engraving being prepared for publication. This first Makhaev Avenue known to us was used for the view cartouche in the lower part of G. Kachalov’s engraving “Thesis of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery,” executed in 1748.

A few years later, in one of the petitions, Makhaev will write: “I, the lowest, studied promising science from my hunt for books in my free time from academic affairs and received such success in it that, by the goodwill of the office of A.N., in addition to the above-mentioned position, I was employed to the removal of avenues in the local city of St. Petersburg; I produced them with tireless diligence and spending my money, and finally these prospectuses were brought to such perfection that, after approbation of the collection of the Academy of Arts, the office of A.N. was pleased to engrave everything and publish it last year 1753.” The books mentioned by Makhaev, from which he independently studied the theory of perspective, were “A Brief and Simple Exposition of the Most Useful Rules of the Art of Perspective Drawing” by I. Schübler, “Two Rules of Practical Perspective” by V. Vignola and “Practical Perspective” by I. Rembold.

In 1748, one of the largest foreign painters among those who worked in Russia in the mid-18th century, the Italian Giuseppe Valeriani, was invited to the drawing class of the Academy of Sciences as a teacher. The contract concluded with him defined his responsibilities: he had to teach the rules of perspective to the students entrusted to him, correct errors in their practical work, and give suggestions and advice on perspective issues at the Academy whenever necessary.

In a memorial to the President of the Academy of Sciences, Count K. G. Razumovsky, Valeriani wrote that he was entering the service of the Academy of Sciences to teach the rules of perspective and optics and correct all prospectuses that would be drawn by those students whom he recognized as capable of this. He knows that several students of the Academy are engaged in drawing prospectuses of St. Petersburg, one of which he saw and discovered great talent in the one who executed it. The avenue mentioned by Valeriani is “View of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra”, which Makhaev performed “at the end of 1747” and in the process of work “for correction he took to Valeriani”, who, as the largest specialist in the field of perspective painting in Russia, was attracted by the Academy of Sciences for individual works already since 1745.

Valeriani began teaching how to draw prospectuses using special instruments and devices, as was customary in Western Europe. In May 1748, Makhaev wrote a report to the Academy of Sciences, in which he demanded the production of “a tool with copper nuts on it, according to this model from the master Valeriani”, necessary for taking off brochures, as well as two square boards with two carbon rulers for drawing and a tripod - a tripod so that these boards can be used instead of tables.

In 1748, the Russian government decided to publish a plan for the new capital, still so little known in Western Europe, for the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. On June 21, 1748, this was reported to the Conference on Artistic Affairs at the Academy of Sciences and indicated to “the members (J. Shtelin, D. Valeriani, I. Schumacher and E. Grimmel - K.M.) in their meeting to have advice among themselves, how to start something and how to bring it to completion with benefit and praise.” Judging by the minutes of the meetings of the Conference on Artistic Affairs that have reached us, at first it was planned to publish only a new detailed plan of St. Petersburg, then it was decided “in the local plan to add representations of the most noble and public buildings of the city in the likeness of the great Parisian plan,” i.e. avenues should have framed the plan. Later, this idea was developed further, and the avenues were executed as an annex to the city plan.

In a decree of the Academy of Sciences dated July 14, 1748, the executors of the planned work were determined: “The St. Petersburg plan is to be cut out on copper again at the Academy, for which purpose the architect Schumacher, adjunct Truscott and apprentice Makhaev must be in order to remove the prerequisites, and on this date Makhaev reports that for the promising business, master Valeriani requires two linden boards with complex wooden steps, and for closing a small booth made of wax, on complex posts, so that it was ordered to be made according to the instructions of Valeriani. ...On top of this, they need it to carry tools and to drive away ordinary people - soldiers. For this reason, it has been determined: The appointed architect Schumacher and his comrades will be given a written ticket from the office to remove these pre-requisites, so that the police will not prohibit them from doing so; ...and give a soldier from the office to carry the instrument.” The architect I. Ya. Schumacher, apparently, chose what to shoot and determined the points from which Makhaev filmed the avenues, and the task of the adjunct of the geographical department of the Academy I. F. Truscott was to draw up a new plan of St. Petersburg, since the city was quickly grew and the old plan, taken in 1737, could no longer be used in the album.

Six months later, the drawing up of a new plan was completed. It was decorated with drawings made according to the design of J. Shtelin. In the lower left corner, on a high pedestal surrounded by allegorical figures, Elizaveta Petrovna is depicted wearing a crown, with a scepter and an orb in her hands. Glory crowns her with a laurel wreath. Behind the monument on the right you can see the building of the Twelve Colleges; on the square in front of it stands the equestrian monument of Peter I by K. B. Rastrelli, which was supposed to be installed there. On the left in the distance is the Peter and Paul Fortress. The drawings of these buildings, as well as the coat of arms of St. Petersburg and the attributes of sciences, arts, trade and military affairs placed in the upper right corner of the plan were executed by Makhaev.

In the second half of 1748, several sad events occurred in Makhaev’s life. In a report on July 30, 1748, he writes: “I, lowly, am being held for my crime against the command, namely: for my failure to do the work assigned to me and for drunkenness, under guard, in the glands.

For this reason, I most humbly ask the office of the Academy of Sciences to order me to let go of this guilt, and to release me from the glands and from under guard. And from now on I will never commit any bad deeds under any circumstances, to which I promise with the signature of my hand.”

It is possible that the reason for Makhaev’s misconduct was some complications in his relationship with Valeriani or reviews of his prospectuses from the Conference on Artistic Affairs, which, as can be seen from the minutes of the meetings, in the first months of work on the album especially often criticized his drawings and returned them for revision. One thing is clear that Makhaev’s pride was greatly hurt if, after so many years of diligent, impeccable service, doing interesting creative work, he suddenly gave up on everything and stopped appearing at the Academy.

In response to Makhaev’s petition, the office of the Academy of Sciences by decree allowed the shackles to be removed from him, but ordered him to be kept in custody and prohibited from leaving the workshop of the Landkart-Dictionary Chamber. Corporal Antsygin from the Academy's military team was ordered to constantly monitor Makhaev so that he was constantly busy with work and did not drink, and also to ensure that no one brought wine to Makhaev's workshop. Those noticed in this violation were to be put under guard. A signature was taken from Makhaev that he would never commit such offenses in the future. The Chancellery of the Academy of Sciences menacingly warned him that next time he would be given up as a soldier for life and sent to serve in the most distant garrisons.

However, despite such a formidable warning and the subscription given by Makhaev, four months later everything happened again. The Chancellery of the Academy of Sciences determined: “to keep him in the workshop room under guard. And if it is determined that he, Makhaev, while under guard, appears drunk, in this case the soldiers assigned to him will be severely punished on the body, which will be announced to them in the office.” There is no longer any question of recruiting him as a soldier and deporting him forever to a distant garrison; Makhaev became necessary for the Academy, since he alone was entrusted with all the work of making prospectuses for the album being prepared, and he showed such abilities in it that there was no one to replace him .

M. I. Makhaev View of the palace in Oranienbaum. 1755 Paper, ink, pen, brush. State Russian Museum.

To photograph the avenues, Makhaev tried to choose a high point - a church bell tower, a triumphal gate or the tower of a building. In cases where it was not possible to use such points, Makhaev used a special platform - a machine made by “carpentry, two fathoms high” (i.e. more than four meters). A booth was installed on it, covered with wax-impregnated canvas, made by the Academy's carpenter according to Valeriani's instructions. A “drawing board with a frame on legs” was placed in the booth. On top of the roof of the booth there was a mirror mounted at an angle of forty-five degrees that could be rotated. Through a hole in the roof, the image reflected in the mirror was projected using a lens system onto a sheet of paper lying on a drawing board. The artist traced the image with a pencil and received the outlines of the view - the “prospect”. This method greatly speeded up and simplified the work. The above-described device for photographing terrain from nature is known as a camera obscura, which was first described by the great Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci. All Western European video painters, including the famous Antonio Canale, widely used it when drawing city views and panoramas from life. Valeriani's merit is that he introduced Russian masters to the working methods of Western European artists.

When working, Makhaev used “a simple compass for measuring and drawing, and another three-legged compass with feathers, and a drawing board.” In June 1749, he wrote in a report to the Academy of Sciences that “for photographing St. Petersburg avenues and other places, a three-foot long perspective pipe and a small compass and spirit level are very necessary.”

Although Makhaev used a camera obscura when filming, his avenues are not a mechanical reproduction of views of the city. Based on sketches made from life, Makhaev then created a draft version of the landscape in his studio, returning to life if necessary. To accurately convey the architectural appearance of the buildings depicted, as well as to reproduce at that time unfinished or already destroyed buildings, which should not be on the ceremonial views of St. Petersburg, he uses architectural drawings. So, on the “Prospect down the Neva River between Her Imperial Majesty’s winter house and the Academy of Sciences” we see the building of the Kunstkamera, the tower and external decoration of which were destroyed by fire in December 1747. To restore the appearance of the Kunstkamera, Makhaev used drawings from the album “Chambers of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences, the Library and the Kunstkamera...” (1741). In November 1750, he worked on the view of the third Winter Palace and in a report to the Chancellery of the Academy of Sciences reported that in order to depict the two fountains that were in the meadow in front of the palace in 1745 and 1746, he needed their drawings, which the Chief Architect of the Chancellery of Buildings had Count Rastrelli. Care in the depiction of architecture in a number of avenues is combined with a rather free arrangement of buildings on the sheet in relation to each other. Thus, in the “Prospect of State Collegiums with part of the Gostiny Dvor on the Eastern side” the Gostiny Dvor is strongly turned to the southeast in relation to the building of the State Collegiums, in the “Prospect up the Neva River from the Admiralty and the Academy of Sciences to the east” the Peter and Paul Fortress is very close to Spit of Vasilievsky Island. This was done to improve the composition of the prospectuses and fill the free space of the sheet.

Mikhail Ivanovich Makhaev(-) - Russian artist, master of drawing and engraving, especially architectural landscape.

Biography

Main works

• 1745-1753 - “Plan of the capital city of St. Petersburg with images of the most noble avenues.”
• 1750s - a series of engravings “Environments of St. Petersburg” - Makhaev drew from project materials.
• 1763 - a series of views of Moscow for the coronation album of Catherine II.
• 1760s - album of views of the Kuskovo estate (published in Paris).

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Literature

• Gershtein Yu. Mikhail Ivanovich Mahaev, 1718-1770. - M.: Art, 1952. - 30 p. - (Mass Library).
• Malinovsky K.V. M. I. Mahaev, 1718-1770. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1978. - 64 p. - (Mass library of art). - 30,000 copies.
• Alekseev M. A. Mikhailo Mahaev: Master of landscape drawing of the 18th century. - St. Petersburg: Neva Magazine, 2003.
• Malinovsky K.V. Petersburg in the image of M.I. Makhaev. - 2003.
• Malinovsky K.V. Mikhail Ivanovich Makhaev. - St. Petersburg. : Kriga, 2008. - 224 p. - 500 copies. - ISBN 978-5-901805-37-4.

Links

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Excerpt characterizing Makhaev, Mikhail Ivanovich

At 10 o'clock in the evening, Weyrother with his plans moved to Kutuzov's apartment, where a military council was appointed. All the commanders of the columns were demanded to see the commander-in-chief, and, with the exception of Prince Bagration, who refused to come, everyone appeared at the appointed hour.
Weyrother, who was the overall manager of the proposed battle, presented with his liveliness and haste a sharp contrast with the dissatisfied and sleepy Kutuzov, who reluctantly played the role of chairman and leader of the military council. Weyrother obviously felt himself at the head of a movement that had become unstoppable. He was like a harnessed horse running away downhill with its cart. Whether he was driving or being driven, he did not know; but he rushed as fast as possible, no longer having time to discuss what this movement would lead to. Weyrother that evening was twice for personal inspection in the enemy’s chain and twice with the sovereigns, Russian and Austrian, for a report and explanations, and in his office, where he dictated the German disposition. He, exhausted, now came to Kutuzov.
He, apparently, was so busy that he forgot to even be respectful to the commander-in-chief: he interrupted him, spoke quickly, unclearly, without looking into the face of his interlocutor, without answering the questions asked of him, was stained with dirt and looked pitiful, exhausted, confused and at the same time arrogant and proud.
Kutuzov occupied a small noble castle near Ostralitsy. In the large living room, which became the office of the commander-in-chief, gathered: Kutuzov himself, Weyrother and members of the military council. They were drinking tea. They were only waiting for Prince Bagration to begin the military council. At 8 o'clock Bagration's orderly arrived with the news that the prince could not be there. Prince Andrei came to report this to the commander-in-chief and, taking advantage of the permission previously given to him by Kutuzov to be present at the council, remained in the room.
“Since Prince Bagration will not be there, we can begin,” said Weyrother, hastily getting up from his place and approaching the table on which a huge map of the surrounding area of ​​Brünn was laid out.
Kutuzov, in an unbuttoned uniform, from which, as if freed, his fat neck floated out onto the collar, sat in a Voltaire chair, placing his plump old hands symmetrically on the armrests, and was almost asleep. At the sound of Weyrother's voice, he forced his only eye open.
“Yes, yes, please, otherwise it’s too late,” he said and, nodding his head, lowered it and closed his eyes again.
If at first the members of the council thought that Kutuzov was pretending to be asleep, then the sounds that he made with his nose during the subsequent reading proved that at that moment for the commander-in-chief it was about much more important than the desire to show his contempt for the disposition or for anything else. be that as it may: for him it was about the irrepressible satisfaction of a human need - sleep. He was really asleep. Weyrother, with the movement of a man too busy to waste even one minute of time, looked at Kutuzov and, making sure that he was sleeping, took the paper and in a loud, monotonous tone began to read the disposition of the future battle under the title, which he also read:
"Disposition to attack the enemy position behind Kobelnitsa and Sokolnitsa, November 20, 1805."
The disposition was very complex and difficult. The original disposition stated:
Da der Feind mit seinerien linken Fluegel an die mit Wald bedeckten Berge lehnt und sich mit seinerien rechten Fluegel laengs Kobeinitz und Sokolienitz hinter die dort befindIichen Teiche zieht, wir im Gegentheil mit unserem linken Fluegel seinen rechten sehr debordiren, so ist es vortheilhaft let zteren Fluegel des Feindes zu attakiren, besondere wenn wir die Doerfer Sokolienitz und Kobelienitz im Besitze haben, wodurch wir dem Feind zugleich in die Flanke fallen und ihn auf der Flaeche zwischen Schlapanitz und dem Thuerassa Walde verfolgen koennen, indem wir dem Defileen von Schlapanitz und Bellowitz ausweich en, welche die feindliche Front decken. Zu dieserien Endzwecke ist es noethig... Die erste Kolonne Marieschirt... die zweite Kolonne Marieschirt... die dritte Kolonne Marieschirt... [Since the enemy rests his left wing on the forest-covered mountains, and with his right wing he stretches along Kobelnitsa and Sokolnitsa behind the ponds located there, and we On the contrary, if our left wing surpasses his right wing, then it is advantageous for us to attack this last enemy wing, especially if we occupy the villages of Sokolnits and Kobelnits, being given the opportunity to attack the enemy’s flank and pursue him in the plain between Shlapanits and the Tyuras forest, avoiding with those defiles between Shlapanitz and Belowitz, which covered the enemy front. For this purpose it is necessary... The first column marches... the second column marches... the third column marches...], etc., Weyrother read. The generals seemed reluctant to listen to the difficult disposition. The blond, tall General Buxhoeveden stood with his back against the wall, and, fixing his eyes on the burning candle, it seemed that he was not listening and did not even want to be thought that he was listening. Directly opposite Weyrother, fixing his shining open eyes on him, in a militant pose, resting his hands with his elbows outstretched on his knees, sat the ruddy Miloradovich with his mustache and shoulders raised. He remained stubbornly silent, looking into Weyrother’s face, and only took his eyes off him when the Austrian chief of staff fell silent. At this time, Miloradovich looked significantly back at the other generals. But from the meaning of this significant glance it was impossible to understand whether he agreed or disagreed, was pleased or dissatisfied with the disposition. Count Langeron sat closest to Weyrother and, with a subtle smile of a southern French face that did not leave him throughout the reading, looked at his thin fingers, quickly turning the corners of a golden snuffbox with a portrait. In the middle of one of the longest periods, he stopped the rotating movement of the snuffbox, raised his head and, with an unpleasant politeness at the very ends of his thin lips, interrupted Weyrother and wanted to say something; but the Austrian general, without interrupting his reading, frowned angrily and waved his elbows, as if saying: later, then you will tell me your thoughts, now if you please look at the map and listen. Langeron raised his eyes upward with an expression of bewilderment, looked back at Miloradovich, as if looking for an explanation, but, meeting Miloradovich’s significant, meaningless gaze, he sadly lowered his eyes and again began to twirl the snuffbox.

The main life field of the remarkable Russian engraver and draftsman of the mid-18th century. M.I. Makhaev’s identity was not immediately determined. At the age of eleven he was sent to study at the Admiralty Academy. In 1731, he was sent, along with several other students, to the workshop of the Academy of Sciences in instrumental craftsmanship (the production of theodolites and other instruments necessary for taking plans and drawing up geographical maps). Three years later, the young man was transferred to the landcart and word-cutting workshop of the master engraver G.I. Unfetsakht. Here Makhaev stayed for a long time.

In the early 1740s. he was already considered the best literary specialist and, in the absence of Unfetsakht, actually performed his duties. Makhaev’s role in the development of various types of Russian fonts was very great. He personally wrote the texts on diplomas awarded to newly elected honorary members of the Academy of Sciences, including M. V. Lomonosov and V. K. Trediakovsky. Later, in 1752, it was Makhaev who was tasked with executing the inscriptions compiled by Lomonosov on the shields of the silver tomb of Alexander Nevsky.

In the 1740s. Makhaev, of his own free will, began to attend the drawing class of the Academy of Sciences, which was led by the famous decorative artist G. Valeriani. In 1745, Makhaev was officially ordered to study “perspekts,” that is, the correct perspective depiction of architectural views. And here his leader was Valeriani, who knew promising science very well. In fact, Makhaev became the first master in this field in Russia. And as it turned out - on time.

The new Russian capital was still little known in Europe. To correct this situation and to commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of St. Petersburg, it was decided to publish a plan for the capital. Then - supplement it with “representations” of “the most notable public buildings of the city” and publish them as a separate album.

The shooting of the views was entrusted to Makhaev. In his work, the artist used a camera obscura - an optical device that, using a system of lenses and mirrors, made it possible to obtain a photographically accurate image of the observed object on a sheet of paper. From the end of the 16th century to the middle of the 19th century, the camera obscura was used by many painters. Over the course of two years, the artist performed 20 types. Of these, the Conference on Artistic Affairs, headed by J. Stelin and G. Valeriani, selected 19 for engraving.

Work on the “prospects” went like this. Makhaev corrected the initial drawing in accordance with Valeriani’s comments, clarified details (if necessary) on the architectural designs of the buildings depicted, supplemented (with the help of students) with staffage - figures of people, carriages, etc. Then the drawing was done with a pen and completed with an ink wash. Makhaev achieved great subtlety in depicting architectural details and at the same time did not lose his sense of the whole. He also managed to convey the light-air environment. The artist’s compositional search was not limited to the choice of “frame” and placement of staff. Thus, in “Prospect of State Collegiums with part of Gostiny Dvor to the east” Gostiny Dvor is strongly turned to the southeast, and in “Prospect up the Neva from the Admiralty and the Academy of Sciences to the east” the Peter and Paul Fortress is very close to the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Makhaev’s drawings can no longer be considered just architectural views, but architectural landscapes, the first in Russia. When translated into engraving, they lost a lot; they became rougher and simpler. Makhaev himself limited himself here to drawing the initial lines on the board and cutting out explanatory inscriptions.

The album of "perspekts" was published in 1753 and was sent to European capitals.

And in the future, Makhaev worked actively: he made 7 drawings of Kamenny Island in St. Petersburg (1753-57); since 1754 he has been photographing “perspectives” of the capital’s environs (among them “View of the Great Palace in Peterhof”, “View of the Palace in Oranienbaum”, both 1755, etc.). In total, 1748-56. he completed more than 30 “perspekts”, but many of these works have not survived.

By order of Count P.B. Sheremetev, Makhaev performs an album of views of his famous Kuskovo estate. Continues to create views of St. Petersburg and its immediate suburbs ("View from the Kryukov Canal up the Moika River with the image of P.I. Shuvalov's Palace", 1757-59; "View of St. Petersburg down the Neva River", 1759-60; "Strelina manor on the Gulf of Finland", 1761-63, etc.). True, one of the last major works of the artist is connected with Moscow - “View of the Kremlin from Zamoskvorechye between the Kamenny and Zhivoy bridges at noon” (1766).

Makhaev had students whose future he cared about in every possible way, especially when the main artistic works were transferred from the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences to the jurisdiction of the Academy of Arts. Makhaev bore the honorary title of “Landcard engraver and, in the future, master” of the Academy of Sciences. However, neither talent nor hard work brought him material wealth. In this respect, the artist’s fate turned out to be typical for Russia.

Third Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. 1750-53. Ink, pen, brush


Menagerie, or Hunting Pavilion in Tsarskoe Selo. 1754-55. Ink, pen, brush


Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna and the front courtyard in front of it. View from the south. B. g. Ink, pen, brush


View of Bolshaya Nemetskaya (or Millionnaya) Street from the Main Pharmacy to the Winter Palace. 1751. Ink, pen, brush