Khrenov Alexander Sergeevich

Architect, draftsman, watercolor artist, decorator, stained glass artist of the Art Nouveau period. He studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, from which he graduated in 1884 with the title of class artist of the 1st degree with two gold and three silver medals. From 1888 he was the chief architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral, replacing M. E. Messmacher. He taught at the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Member of the board of the Society of Russian Watercolor Painters. He was the founder of the Society named after. A. I. Kuindzhi (1909). Built or rebuilt over 30 buildings in St. Petersburg. He was well acquainted with Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (the younger), and built a palace on his order - the last one built for a representative of the Romanov family. Commissioned by Nicholas II, he completed a series of watercolors called “The Tsar’s Hunt.” Active State Councilor since 1914. He was awarded the Orders of St. Stanislav and St. Vladimir, 3rd degree. He held a personal exhibition of watercolors in Vladivostok in June 1919. At the end of 1919 he moved to Harbin, and from there to Shanghai, where he designed several buildings. Later he worked briefly in Chicago; in November 1924, his watercolors were shown at the Anderson Gallery in New York. From 1925 he lived in Paris, in the suburbs of which he died in 1926.