William Heste

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William (Vasily Ivanovich) Heste (or Hastie; Russian: Василий Иванович Гесте; 1763 - June 4, 1832) was a Russian architect of Scotish descent.

William Heste was born either at 1753 or at 1763. (the service list from year 1822 lists Heste as 69, hence 1753, but Peterburg Necropolis lists his as born in 1763). He came with the group of British stonemasons to work on construction sites in Tsarskoe Selo. He never returned back to Scotland, and instead in 1792 he entered the service of the Russian Imperial Chancellery. After serving in Yekaterinoslav Governorate, he returned to Saint Petersburg in 1805. There Heste built Blue, Green, Red and Potseluev bridges. They were the first bridges in Saint Petersburg to be built from iron cast. From 1808 to 1832 Heste was the head architect of Tsarskoe Selo. He created general plan of construction in the town. From 1810 Heste was involved in most urban constructions in Russia. William Heste died on June 4, 1832.