Grigoriev was born a
serf, owned by the Kretov family, and acquired freedom at the age of 22. By this time, he was a long-time apprentice to Moscow-based Gilardi family of
Swiss architects.
Giovanni Gilardi was the chief architect of continuously expanding Moscow Orphanage, Widow's House (public
almshouse) and Catherine's Institute; his son,
Domenico Gilardi, inherited the family practice and managed rebuilding of these and other public structures after the devastating
Fire of 1812. Grigoriev, like Domenico, studied architecture and crafts in
Francesco Camporesi workshop in
Moscow Kremlin. In 1808-1847, Grigoriev was formally employed by the Widow's House, first as assistance to the Gilardis, then as the chief architect of this institution. Grigoriev worked for (or with) the Gilardis on all of their Moscow projects, growing from an apprentice to lead architect. He and Domenico Gilardi usually receive equal credit on their joint 1820s buildings, including
Sukhanovo and
Vlakhernskoye-Kuzminki. Grigoriev's own, undisputed, work can be found in
Prechistenka Street, where he built two extant, adjacent upper-class houses. The first, a city estate of Alexander Khrushyov, is noted for a complex plan that integrates two different facades - a stern
Ionic order facing
Prechistenka and an ornate, joyful facade with double Ionic columns and a raised terrace overlooking Khruschyovsky Lane. The building houses
Alexander Pushkin museum since 1957. The second, a symmetrical Lopukhin (later Stanitsky) House, also employing
Ionic order, houses
Leo Tolstoy museum. Both buildings retained all original exterior and some of interior artwork, and are rated as finest examples of Moscow
Empire style. His most important project out of Moscow is the Ershovo estate near Zvenigorod. The Trinity Cathedral (1826–1828), destroyed in
World War II, was rebuilt in 1990s (photo photo). Grigoriev died in Moscow and was buried at extant Kalitniki Cemetery. Church of this cemetery, sometimes credited to Grigoriev by mistake, was actually built by N.I. Kozlovsky ==Buildings==