Petr Eropkin

Born circa 1698; died June 27 (July 8), 1740, in St. Petersburg. Russian architect.

From 1716 to 1724, Eropkin studied in Italy. In 1737 he became the head architect of the St. Petersburg Committee on Construction and directed the general planning of St. Petersburg. Eropkin drew up the plans for the construction of the city’s central districts, firmly established the three main radial avenues, and outlined plans for the city’s future development. The creation of the first Russian architectural and construction treatise, The Goals of the Architectural Institutions (1737–41), was under his direction. From 1737 to 1740 he translated some chapters from A. Palladio’s treatise Four Books on Architecture into Russian. After joining the group of A. P. Volynskii in their condemnation of Biron in 1740, Eropkin was executed.