(1887, Tbilisi – 1957, Kiev)
Architect, Historian of Architecture, Member of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR. He graduated from the Petersburg Civil-Engineering Institute (1915). In 1918-1948 he worked in Tbilisi (1935-1948 – Chairman of the Union of Georgian Architects). In 1948 he moved to Kiev. He was one of the founders of Tbilisi Academy of Fine Arts and its Professor (1922-1948). From 1942 he was Head of the Department of Art History of the Institute of Georgian Art History.
N. Severov took an active part in the study and recording of the ancient Georgian architecture. He had publications on a number of most significant Georgian churches (Samtsevrisi, “Bagrati chuch” in Kutaisi, Samtsevrisi), he is the author of the first illustrated book on ancient Georgian architecture.
Great is his contribution to the measuring and recording of monuments (Nekresi, Shiomgvime, church of the Holy Cross in Mtskheta, Tsromi, Kumurdo, Martvili, Alaverdi, Nikortsminda and many others). He also measured monuments of old secular architecture, residential houses in Tbilisi, etc. He was the first to elaborate methodology of analytical graphical recording of monuments, displaying their historical layers.
N. Severov’s activity as an architect was also very intensive. He is the author of many public buildings and residential houses in Tbilisi and other cities of Georgia – reconstruction of S. Janashia State Museum of Georgia in 1929, King Tamara’s bridge, the “Rustaveli” Cinema and many others. He won state awards.
N. Severov’s creative life was tightly linked with Georgia, where he was always highly appreciated.