Country palaces and estates

Arkhangelskoye

The grand architectural ensemble of the Arkhangelskoye estate including the palace, the surrounding park and the theatre is one of the most harmonious and complex monuments of the Russian manorial architecture of the 18th and 19th century.
,br> Its history begins in 1810, when Prince Nikolai Yusupov, the rich grandee and patron of arts, became the owner of the estate. Prince Yusupov was one of the richest Russian men of his time. He owned lands in 23 districts of Russia, several manufactures, many houses, factories, fisheries and salt mills as well as dozens of thousands of serfs. Yusupov occupied several top state positions, one of which was the post of the director of all Imperial Russian theatres and the St. Petersburg Hermitage.

He was personally acquainted with many famous European philosophers, artists and architects, since he regularly bought paintings, sculpture and books in Europe - both in the line of duty and for his own collections.

More...

Kuskovo

Kuskovo is an extensive estate of the Counts Sheremetev. The Sheremetevs were one of the richest Russian families of that time and owned lands in 62 districts of Russia.

The sumptuous architectural ensemble of the estate had been formed by the middle of the 18th century under Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev. Kuskovo ensemble was created by serf architects Argunov, Mironov and Dikushin.

More...

Оstankinо

In the 17th century, the old Ostankino Estate was owned by of the Tcherkassky princely family. Mid-18th century it passed into the hands of the Sheremetyev family. The main point of interest in this estate is an 18th century palace built at the time, when Count Nikolai Sheremetev, the wealthy patron of art, theatre and music, became its owner.

More...

Ostafyevo

The Ostafyevo near Moscow is associated with many famous Russian writers and artists of the 19th century.
At the beginning of the 18th century the Ostafievo estate was a property of A.I. Vyazemsky, the father of a well known Russian poet Pyotr Vyazemsky. In his time the estate received its classical main house, which is part of the museum nowadays. After his death the estate was owned by his son, a famous Russian poet P.A. Vyazemsky. His guardian, the great Russian historian and author Nikolai Karamzin spent twelve years at Ostafyevo working on his famous "History of the Russian State".

More...

Аbramsevо

Abramtsevo is an estate associated with many famous Russian writers and artists. The estate history can be divided in two periods. In the first two thirds of the 19th century it was owned by a well-known Russian author Sergei Aksakov. Under Aksakov, many other writers and artists, among them Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Tyutchev and Nikolai Gogol, came there as his guests.
After Aksakov's death, Abramtsevo was purchased by Savva Mamontov, a wealthy industrialist and patron of the arts. There, he set up an arts centre. In the 19th century, the estate hosted a colony of the best Russian artists – such as Repin, Levitan, Serov, Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Polenov, Surikov, Vrubel and many others.

More...


Page 1...