In 1815, he became a teacher at the Academy, a position he held until his death. Later, in 1820, he would make a trip to Palestine as part of a diplomatic mission, on behalf of then Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, to draw and make architectural plans of the major Christian sites, for eventual use on projects near Moscow. Most of this work had to be done in secret to avoid interference by the local Ottoman authorities.
In 1815, he assumed a role as instructor at the Academy, a position he maintained until his demise. Subsequently, in 1820, he embarked on a journey to Palestine as part of an official diplomatic expedition, sponsored by Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, with the objective of creating detailed architectural designs for prominent Christian sites, which would later be utilized in projects surrounding Moscow. The majority of this endeavor required covert operation to prevent interference from local Ottoman authorities.