Ostankino

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.

The classical wooden palace is preserved in perfect condition. Both its architecture and inner décor are astounding. The palace interior walls are covered with decorative murals, carvings and mouldings. Its sumptuous halls are adorned by beautiful chandeliers, girandoles and incense burners with finest gilded wood carvings. The ornamented parquets and inner doors are veritable pieces of art, masterfully made of rare and precious kinds of woods, such as rosewood, palm-tree, ebony, walnut, mahogany and others. Interiors of the palace are decorated by precious art pieces.

The central part of the palace is the theatre hall, which was constructed to host theatre plays for the guests of the princely family. The theatre hall has a very complex structure and could be transformed: its floor could be moved up or descend; its inner decorative pillars were made of cardboard and could also be easily moved. The engine-room was very well equipped and made it possible to change of scenery quickly. It even had a special mechanism to produce special acoustic effects.

The palace theatre troupe was one of the best theatres in Russia at the 18th century. Its glory days are associated primarily with the brilliant actress Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova, who later married Count Sheremetev.

What is worth seeing at the estate now?
Today, Ostankino hosts "The Palace-Museum of Serfs' Creation Work". The perfectly preserved palace itself is very worth your attention as well its permanent and visiting exhibitions.

A very interesting church on the estate grounds is a fine example of the Moscow architectural style of the late 18th century. Its construction is attributed to a gifted serf architect Pavel Potekhin.
A wide English landscape park surrounding the palace also survives almost intact since the 18th century. A stroll in the park will bring you to the ponds constructed in early 17th century.