Wood Flooring in Russia from the izba to the Kremlin

he relationship that binds Berti Pavimenti with the Russian market and several nations of the former Soviet Union is now rooted in time and even today represents a very important value. Indeed, we can count on very prestigious references, having made and installed our parquet floors both in Moscow, Russia, and in presidential palaces in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tatarstan and Ukraine, as well as the splendid Music Theatre in Baku , Azerbaijan.

Of all probably the most prestigious work was at the Kremlin, where we made the floors for the President’s Office, the Catherine Hall and all other main halls and offices with laser technology inlaid floors and geometric designs covering an area of about 6,000 square meters.

Let us begin by talking a little about history. Indeed, if we think of Russia and its boundless territories and the extent of its forests, we are not surprised to discover that wood is the protagonist of Russian houses and residences from the dawn of time to the present day. But to what does the link between Russia and interior design refer? The answer would seem to be encapsulated in words like “opulence,” “luxury,” “baroque,” taking us back to the time of the Tsars and Tsarinas…we will surprise you, because the roots of this aesthetic taste are exquisitely homegrown.

Once long ago, around the 8th and 9th centuries, the vast majority of the Russian population lived in isbas – humble, traditional peasant houses – where wooden floors were synonymous with comfort, security and well-being, so much so that few rejoiced in them; it was not until the 15th century that the first “parquet floors,” more or less accurate combinations of wooden planks, or, in less favorable conditions, heavy, rustic logs, appeared.
An exception are the residences of the aristocracy and sacred places, such as Orthodox cathedrals, famous for the splendor and care of their interiors. It was here that from the 18th century onward the first examples of authentic wooden floors appeared: coverings of oak planks, neatly welded to the floor with a mixture of resin and lime. Yet these parquet floors, though placed in sacred and luxurious settings, were not conceived as aesthetic additions, but as practical pieces of furniture. Emblematic is the case of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, which reveals oak planks painted to imitate marble in colors such as green or black, where the typical wood tones and grain are completely obscured.

It was to be Peter the Great, the Tsar who wanted an all-Western-oriented Russia, who introduced the merits of parquet, inviting craftsmen and architects to Russia from European countries, especially-and of course-from Italy. In 1703 the Tsar decided to create a new capital from scratch: St. Petersburg. The city would be a window to the West, an avant-garde artistic, cultural and industrial center that would wink at Europe without envying it. While Peter the Great planned an urbe clad in granite, leaving behind the village of wooden huts that was Moscow for him, he was also fascinated by the elegant and fine parquet floors that had long enhanced European palaces. It goes without saying that the first building in the new capital, Peter the Great’s study, would sport a magnificent wooden floor.