Russian architecture was influenced by the Western culture more than any other spheres. The new capital of Russia - St. Petersburg — was in drastic contrast to Moscow. The city of Peter the Great was based on totally new principles of town planning: the city of ensemble character was designed with strict planning of streets, squares, office buildings and palaces. Until recently St. Petersburg was considered a really modern city, whereas Moscow was often referred to as “a big village”. Some admirers of magnificent Petersburg suggested call it “the 8th world wonder”.
Just recently, due to appearance of postmodernism architecture, which caused reappraisal of values, Moscow surpassed Petersburg in its architectural significance.
Russian Classicism in architecture of the 18th century was represented by I.E. Sgarov, D. Kvarengi, V. I. Bazhenov, and M. F. Kazakov. I.E. Sgarov built Tavrichesky Palace and the Trinity Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Petersburg. D. Kvarengi constructed the Concert Hall pavilion and the Aleksandrovsky Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (nowadays Pushkin), the Hermitage Theater and Assignatsionny Bank in Petersburg. The architects V. I. Bazhenov and M. F. Kazakov worked in Moscow. The former created the magnificent Pashkov's House, and the latter designed the original building of the Moscow University, the Senate in the Moscow Kremlin, and the First City Hospital.
The Russian Baroque in architecture was remarkably embodied by works of D. Trezini and V. V. Rastrelli. D. Trezini constructed the Building of Twelve Boards (nowadays the University), the Summer Palace of Peter the Great and the Peter and Paul Fortress Cathedral in Petersburg. V. V. Rastrelli built the Winter Palace (nowadays the world famous Hermitage) and Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg, the big Peterhof Palace, and the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.