A host of Polish engineers and architects went down in the history of the Russian railways from the 19th century to the early 20th century, having designed and built imposing railway stations along with their technical infrastructure. Suffice it to say that in the capital of the empire, Rudolf Żelaziewicz was one of the architects behind the Moscow (Nikolaevsky) Railway Station, having supervised all construction work on the St Petersburg–Moscow line. Alongside him, Antoni Klewszczyński and Ksawery Skarżyński (also known as Skórzyński) held managerial positions; the latter was the designer of the railway stations in St Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo and Gatchina, as well as the chief architect of the St Petersburg–Warsaw Railway. The chief engineer for the construction of this line was Stanisław Kierbedź. On the construction site of Nikolayevsky Station, under the supervision of Antoni Klewszczyński, Stanisław Brzozowski – a graduate of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg and the future chief architect of Vitebsk Station – gained experience.

History of Vitebsk Station
Between 1901 and 1904, a complex of buildings was constructed, comprising: the Tsar’s Pavilion (a separate station building reserved exclusively for the Emperor and his family), an imposing two-storey station building, and railway infrastructure buildings.

Vitebsk Station was the third of its kind. The oldest station in Russia – Tsarskoye Selo – was built almost on the same site 65 years earlier, in 1837. In the mid-19th century, the original wooden building was replaced by a stone structure designed by Konstantin Thon. With the construction of Vitebsk Station, the former suburban route from St Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk was transformed into the initial section of the route to Vitebsk and on as far as Odessa. Thus, the new station became the starting point of the route from the capital to the south, from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

The building’s construction was unusual. Once all the plans and cross-sections had been drawn up by Stanisław Brzozowski, a competition for the façades was announced in early 1901. Twenty-four entries were submitted, but – according to the St Petersburg Architects’ Association – none of the designers rose to the challenge. As a result, the design work was entrusted entirely to Brzozowski, who decided to incorporate a number of innovative functional, structural and decorative solutions.

The Architecture of Vitebsk Station
In the specialist literature, Vitebsk Station is described as an ‘encyclopaedia of early Art Nouveau’. This was because it was one of the first public buildings in St Petersburg to be constructed in the ‘modern’ style – that is, Art Nouveau – drawing on Viennese models. The new architectural style of the Vitebsk Railway Station is expressed in the free, asymmetrical composition of the building’s massing and floor plan, and the irregular arrangement of windows, doors and decorative details. The decoration, featuring fancifully curved shapes in geometric and plant motifs, is accompanied by a range of architectural and sculptural elements that are distinctly historicist, albeit reinterpreted in the spirit of Art Nouveau. At the same time, the originality of the form harmonises with a modern understanding of the building’s function.

The main entrance is situated in the right-hand projection of the northern façade and leads to a spacious vestibule, measuring 335 square metres and over 20 metres high, crowned by a four-sided metal dome. On the left-hand side, on the axis of the small vestibule, a clock tower has been erected. Inside, the arrival and departure areas, as well as the passenger waiting areas, have been separated. On the left-hand side, the ground floor houses the ticket offices, whilst the first floor is occupied by the waiting room for third-class passengers. On the right-hand side, the first floor accommodates a restaurant and the first- and second-class waiting rooms. Thanks to the large glazed areas, natural light floods into the rooms. The main vestibule is illuminated by an arcade featuring a stained-glass window – one of the largest in St Petersburg. The interior is adorned with bas-relief ornamentation featuring motifs of women’s heads and the Roman god Mercury.

A marble staircase leads to the first floor, with a landing featuring a bust of Nicholas I. In the former first- and second-class waiting room, there are painted panels depicting the history of the Tsarskoye Selo Railway. The adjoining restaurant attracted the bohemian crowd of the Silver Age; Anna Akhmatova, Nikolai Gumilyov and Alexander Blok used to linger by the huge oak sideboard.

An engineering masterpiece
At the time, it was the most modern railway station in Russia, built using innovative technical solutions; it was fully electrified, with central steam heating and electric lifts for passengers and goods. New materials – steel and reinforced concrete – were used on such a scale for the first time. The platforms, situated on the first-floor level, were covered by a steel-and-glass structure.

Vitebsky Station aroused genuine admiration amongst its contemporaries. Over time, however, the monument suffered extensive deterioration. It was not until it turned 100, between 2001 and 2003, that it underwent a thorough reconstruction, thanks to the grand celebrations planned to mark the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg. At that time, the historic décor, the dome and the marble staircase were restored; the façades were returned to their original colour scheme. Today, it continues to serve the city’s residents and visitors as a major transport hub. Its setting has become a favourite with Russian filmmakers, with nearly 150 music videos and feature films having been shot here.