Fyodor Nikolayevich Balk belonged to the Livonian nobility. He spent almost his entire life in military campaigns, and was one of Peter the Great's favourite regimental commanders. He was appointed deputy governor of Riga.
Balk arrived in Moscow from Riga on 11 September 1734. Following the resignation of Chernyshev and then Baryatinsky, Balk was the chief executive in the gubernia from June 1736 to November 1738.
Balk had to undertake the repair of roads and bridges along the route from St Petersburg to Moscow and along the Tula and Kaluga highways, in order to facilitate troop movements and the transport of construction workers to the Azov fortress. He also had to deal with the damage caused by fires, particularly in 1737, when the flames reached the Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod, Byely Gorod and Zemlyanoi Gorod. Balk himself suffered considerable losses as a result of this fire, and orders were given to pay him not with "Siberian goods", as other administrative officials were paid, but in money due to his shortage of cash.
The city planning which had begun in accord with a decree issued on 14 March 1731, continued during Balk's governorship. The architect I. Michurin was placed in charge of this work from 1734 to its completion in 1739. At the same time there was also a partial replanning of the city. For example, following the fire in 1736, which had spread from the Arbat to Plyushchikha and the Novinsky Monastery, streets and lanes in this area were straightened and widened. The residents of Moscow were obliged to adhere to a standardised building plan: wooden houses were to have one storey with a mezzanine, while stone houses were to have two storeys, though the second storey could be constructed of wood. Later these requirements were extended to other districts of Moscow.
|