We report the carbothermal synthesis of sturdy, highly porous (>85%) SiC and Si3N4 monolithic aerogels from compressed polyurea-cross-linked silica xerogel powders. The high porosity in those articles was created via reaction of core silica nanoparticles with their carbonized polymer coating toward the new ceramic framework and CO that escaped. Sol–gel silica powder was obtained by disrupting gelation of a silica sol with vigorous agitation. The grains of the powder were about 50 μm in size and irregular in shape and consisted of 3D assemblies of silica nanoparticles as in any typical silica gel. The individual elementary silica nanoparticles within the grains of the powder were coated conformally with a nanothin layer of carbonizable polyurea derived from the reaction of an aromatic triisocyanate (TIPM: triisocyanatophenyl methane) with the innate −OH, deliberately added −NH2 groups, and adsorbed water on the surface of silica nanoparticles. The wet-gel powder was dried at ambient temperature under vacuu...