The Kuskovo estate is one of the most beautiful noble residences in Russia. The Kuskovo Estate is one of the most beautiful noble residences in Russia. What is now in the Gorenki Estate
One of the many attractions of Moscow is the “Ruins” grotto, located in the Alexander Garden. Its original meaning was a reminder of the revival of the city after the devastation of Napoleon's troops in 1812. An interesting fact is that the walls of the grotto contain fragments of buildings that were destroyed during that difficult period for Russia. The author and restorer of the structure is Osip Ivanovich Bove. The structure was built in 1841 and was not only a monument, but also a decoration, since artificial grottoes in those years were a newfangled element in landscape architecture.
The “Ruins” grotto is a small recess located at the foot of the Middle Arsenal Tower of the Kremlin. This is a beautiful semicircular arch, which is made of black granite and red brick, framing a marble gate with four low columns. During the royal walks through the garden, as well as on the days of special events, the royal orchestra was located in the grotto, since live music was an integral part of the parks Tsarist Russia. Currently, the grotto is a favorite place for newlyweds.
Pavilion Grotto in the Kuskovo estate
One of the most interesting buildings in Kuskovo is the Grotto, built in 1755-1761 under the leadership of F. Argunov. The Baroque stone pavilion on a three-stage plinth is lavishly decorated with sculpture in the niches, decorations on the pediments, and lion masks above the windows. The walls of the Grotto are decorated with colored glass and limestone tuff. According to the architect's plan, the Grotto was supposed to personify the elements of stone and water.
Gorenki is an estate near Moscow that belonged to the family of Counts Razumovsky in the second half of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The manor house was designed very interestingly: it was built in the depths of a semicircular front yard, the diameter of which reaches 700 meters. The palace in the center is decorated with a six-column portico. Its side parts have symmetrical semicircular projections - exedra, the upper floor of which served as covered balconies. Galleries with colonnades lead to side wings that protrude far into the courtyard.
An English garden was built behind the house. Count Alexei Razumovsky was fond of botany, so trees and shrubs were brought to the estate from many near and distant places, especially from Little Russia. Rare tropical crops were also brought here. In the greenhouses grew Jamaican cedar and American oil tree, spiral palm and tulip tree, Siberian cedars and American spruces. More than three thousand plants, excluding local flora, were in Gorenki at the beginning of the 19th century.
After the death of Razumovsky, the heirs in 1827 sold the estate to the chamberlain, Prince Nikolai Yusupov, and he, in turn, resold it to the district leader of the nobility, Colonel of the Guard Nikolai Volkov. Volkov, together with the merchant Vasily Tretyakov, set up a paper spinning and paper weaving factory in the palace, and a small foundry for the manufacture of machine tools in the park. Weaving looms worked right in the former princely chambers. The right side of the palace was hit the hardest. Inside, ceilings were broken to accommodate the installation of machines, which were subsequently sealed with plaster. Then the estate changed owners more than once and by 1910, when it was bought by manufacturer Vladimir Sevryugov, it had fallen into complete disrepair. Sevryugov, with the help of architect Sergei Chernyshev, began the restoration of the palace and park. By the way, here interesting example irony of fate: the sign at the entrance to the estate reports that the restoration of the central building of the estate was completed in 1916. Eh, if only Sevryugov knew that in a year he wouldn’t need this estate...
After the revolution, the volost executive committee was located in Gorenki. Part of the palace and other buildings of the Gorenki estate were occupied by an orphanage named after. Stepan Razin. In 1925, the Red Rose sanatorium was located in the former Razumovsky estate. During the Great Patriotic War there was a hospital in the estate. Now there is a sanatorium for patients with extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis. Apparently, some of the sanatorium employees live here. At least they had a small garden behind the building and a swing for the children. All the buildings of the estate that are used in some way are, in general, in good condition. Those that are not in use (for example, the western gallery or grotto) are abandoned and are slowly being destroyed. Actually, this gave me a reason to indicate “abandoned places” in the tags.
UPD: Thank you robinzon25
for your valuable addition to my post. It turns out that the tuberculosis sanatorium does not occupy the entire building, but only one wing of it.
The sanatorium itself is now located only in a small wing of the building, and the people who live there are mostly strange people and Uzbeks who work in the Flos garden nursery. Part of the building was rented out to some offices.
So it goes.
At the entrance to the estate, to the left and right of the road there are houses, apparently residential. 
The road to the main manor building was apparently surrounded by a wall. This is what's left of her. 
This photo clearly shows how Messrs. Volkov & Tretyakov turned the estate into a factory. 
Manor, rear view. You can climb this old and rusty staircase to get a better look at the western gallery. 
The colonnade leads to the river and the ruins of some structure. 
Remains of the staircase that led from the estate to the river. 
Electric generator. At least, I suspect that this structure is an electric generator that supplies the sanatorium and its inhabitants with electricity. 
A grotto was also built at the estate, although its purpose is unknown. It could serve as a kind of “refrigerator”, or it could be built simply for beauty.
Address: Russia, Moscow, Yunosti street (Ryazansky Prospekt metro station)
Main attractions: Palace, Italian house, Dutch house, Grotto Pavilion, Hermitage Pavilion, Large stone greenhouse, Church of the All-Merciful Savior
Coordinates: 55°44"10.7"N 37°48"30.9"E
Cultural heritage site Russian Federation
History of the estate
The first information about the estate is found in chronicles of the 16th century. The ancient estate, occupying more than 30 hectares of land, was located in the east of Moscow and belonged to one of the richest noble families in Russia - the Sheremetevs. At the beginning of the 17th century, apart from the boyar's courtyard and a wooden church, there was nothing else on the estate.
General view of the estate
Its heyday dates back to the 18th century, when the owner of the estate was Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev. He turned an ordinary courtyard into a luxurious architectural ensemble consisting of a palace, a park area and ponds. The owner organized lavish receptions at the estate, which sometimes attracted tens of thousands of guests.
Pavilions and elegant gazebos appeared for entertainment events held in the courtyard. In addition, the buildings of a greenhouse, a menagerie, a hunting lodge and a cabinet of curiosities were built. After the revolutionary events of 1917, the estate was nationalized, and two years later it became the State Museum, which was subsequently combined with the collection of the Museum of Ceramics.
Manor Palace
The estate territory is divided into three parts: the dammed area with the Menagerie, the English park “Guy” and the strict French park. The best preserved part of the estate is that located in its center.
The main place here is given to the palace or Great House, which was erected by order of the owner of the estate in the traditions of early classicism. Construction work was led by the architect Karl Blank, and they were carried out from 1769 to 1775. The palace building was built of wood, which was later plastered and painted with soft pink paint.
Church of the All-Merciful Savior with bell tower
The decoration of the façade was a portico with a colonnade. The one in the center bore the monogram of the Sheremetev family - the letters “PS” were located under the count’s crown. The porticos were decorated with carvings on the sides. The palace had two floors. The lower floor was occupied by wine cellars and utility rooms, and on the top floor the owner held receptions. You could get into the palace building via the main staircase.
Pavilion "Grotto"
There was an Italian House for meeting guests or small receptions. It was built in the middle of the 18th century under the leadership of Yuri Ivanovich Kologrivov.
On the shore of the pond, an elegant Dutch house has survived to this day. It appeared earlier than other estate buildings. The unusual name was chosen by the owner of Kuskovo - Sheremetev, as a memory of the love of Tsar Peter I for Holland. The house was surrounded by a garden with tulips, and it looked very festive and attractive.
Pavilion "Greenhouse"
Another unusual building– Baroque pavilion “Grotto”, personifying the elements of water and stone. It was built according to the design of Ivan Petrovich Argunov for 6 years, starting in 1755. The walls of the pavilion are decorated with limestone tuff and multi-colored glass.
For those who wanted privacy, there was the Hermitage pavilion, made in the traditions of early classicism. Here guests could have a private conversation and even have lunch, since special mechanisms raised the dining table into the Hermitage hall, located on the top floor.
Italian house
In the east of the park area there is an “Aviary” - a large round wooden cage designed for unusual birds. Dances and concerts were held in the central part of the Orangerie pavilion. It was connected by glass passages to other, smaller pavilions. To satisfy spiritual needs, the Church of the All-Merciful Savior stood on the Sheremetev estate.
Dutch house
Interior decoration of manor buildings
To this day, the palace has preserved original interiors- fireplaces made of marble, mirrors of unusual shapes, paintings, parquet, stucco, etc. The furniture in the halls is decorated with carvings and gilding, and the walls are covered with silk upholstery. The creation of interiors was carried out by Russian serfs and free craftsmen, as well as foreign furniture makers and masters of decorative and applied arts.
Swiss house
The porcelain collection of the Sheremetev family is exhibited in the Dutch House. These are mainly vases and tableware. Here you can also see beautiful paintings. The first floor of the house is decorated with unusual panels made of colored marble and antique sculptures.
The Grotto pavilion is divided into three parts - northern and southern rooms, and a central hall. On its walls hang landscapes depicting the sea and decorated with shells. In the pavilion you can see porcelain items made in the shape of various sea creatures. The central hall of the “Grotto” is painted like marble.
Hermitage Pavilion
Design of manor parks
There are many sculptures installed in the austere French park. This is the only example of a garden preserved in Moscow from the 18th century. The regular park contains small ponds, along the banks of which the main estate pavilions stand. The picturesque English park "Guy" did not have so many buildings. Here was only the House of Solitude, where the count’s family lived. The premises of the menagerie were located on the site of Zaprudny Park.
The Kuskovo Estate Museum is a unique museum where the palace and park ensemble of the 18th century has been amazingly preserved. For several centuries, this “noble nest” belonged to representatives of the Sheremetev count family. The Kuskovo estate reached its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev took possession of the estate. The sophistication of the architecture, magnificent parks - landscape and regular, the mirror surface of the ponds - all this served as a backdrop, surrounded by grandiose theatrical celebrations. They were especially magnificent on the occasion of the arrival of royalty - Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Polish King Stanislav Poniatowski and Austrian Emperor Joseph II were there. Catherine the Great visited the estate six times! To entertain the guests, the owner of Kuskov, Count P.B. Sheremetev built pavilions in the regular park dedicated to various European countries: the Italian and Dutch houses and the French Hermitage pavilion, which still delight museum visitors today. A real "pearl" palace and park ensemble The estate is a wooden Palace, built in the mid-18th century and has preserved its interiors to this day. Among the unique and one-of-a-kind buildings is the Grotto park pavilion, which symbolizes the cave of the underwater kingdom. The Kuskovsky Grotto is the only one that has preserved its “grottoic” decoration, in the creation of which numerous sea and river shells were used. Among Moscow estate parks, the Kuskovo estate park also occupies a special place. This is the only park of its kind in Moscow that has preserved its layout and is decorated with 18th-century sculpture. In 1919, the estate became a museum. In 1932, the Museum of Ceramics was transferred to Kuskovo, created on the basis of the art collection of A.V., nationalized after the revolution. Morozova. In 1937, the two museums were legally united. Today the museum is the owner of one of the world's largest collections of ceramics and glass from various countries from antiquity to modern times. Every year, the museum organizes exhibitions, holds classical music concerts, and revives ancient traditions of estate celebrations, receptions and festivities. Directions: metro station “Ryazansky Prospekt”, then bus. 133 and 208 to the stop. "Museum of Kuskovo"; metro station "Vykhino", then bus. 620, route. taxi 9M to the stop. "Museum of Kuskovo"; metro station "Novogireevo", then trol. 64, auto. 615, 247 to the stop. "Street of Youth".
Good afternoon friends! Moscow has many places for lovers of history, culture, and simply for those who like to walk through the park with a camera, or walk with children around the old city estate. Unfortunately, abandoned architectural monuments are not uncommon in Russia. The Gorenki estate is one of these places. It was once called the miracle of Moscow.
Unique botanical experiments took place here. Foreign guests came to marvel and learn what could be grown in gardens and parks.
First of all, I enjoyed the walk. We went with quite a large group and no one regretted the time spent in the old estate one bit. But, frankly, it’s sad to see such disregard for culture and one’s history.
Today we want to tell you about one of the largest estates near Moscow from the 18th century - early XIX century. It belonged to the old family of Counts Razumovsky. These are not its only famous owners.
A little history
The very first mention of a settlement on the Gorenka River occurs in the middle of the 16th century in the scribe book of the Moscow district for 1576 - 1578.
At that time, there was the Zolotilova Heath and the village of Korobkino, which consisted of several peasant and bobyl households. With good land for arable land, forest and lake.
The first wooden palace was built here by Prince Yuri Khilkov, the room steward of Peter I. The master's courtyard, then the place was already called Grenki, he gave to Prince Alexei Dolgorukov as a dowry for his daughter Praskovya.
Life on the estate changes dramatically. Alexey Dolgorukov expands his holdings and builds the first stone palace here.
As a result of palace intrigues, the son of Alexei Dolgorukov ends up in exile, and the Gorenka estate goes to the new owner - Alexei Kirillovich Razumovsky.
In 1747, Razumovsky decides to rebuild the house. He begins the construction of a church in the name of the All-Merciful Savior.
After his death, the estate passes to his brother Kirill, and then to his son Alexei.
Miracle near Moscow
Under Alexei Razumovsky, the real flourishing of the estate began.
- The palace was landscaped.
- A front entrance with tall white columns in a classical style appeared.
- A wonderful park was laid out.
- Artificial cascading ponds and grottoes were made.
- In 1809, the first Botanical Society in Russia was created in Gorenki.
Razumovsky himself was fond of breeding rare plants.
- This is how greenhouses and a large botanical garden appeared, in which about 7,000 of the most diverse and amazing plants from all over the world. There were also tropical plants that were difficult to grow and breed in our climate.
- The botanist F.B. worked at the estate. Fisher. After a while, he became the director of the Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg.
- Until 1830, the Razumovsky Botanical Garden was called one of the wonders of Moscow.
- Jamaican cedars and bamboo, real palm trees, and southern cypress trees were grown here. Travelers came here to admire such wonders.
After the death of Count Razumovsky, the decline and ruin of the estate begins. The heirs sold off all the best that had been created over the years.
Even collectible trees were resold. The estate did not just lose its uniqueness and grandeur. The wonderful park and the beautiful palace were about to disappear, sold brick by brick.
A sad story, but typical not only for Russia and Moscow. All over the world, great cultural monuments have disappeared for various reasons. Fortunately, in every land there were, are and will be caring people who do what they can to save cultural monuments.
Giveaway
Neighboring landowners buy curiosities and unique exhibits on the cheap. In 1827, Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov bought the entire estate. He transports some collections and the library to his other estate in Arkhangelskoye.
The estate is bought by the district leader of the nobility (no, not Kisa Vorobyaninov), but by Guard Colonel Nikolai Volkov. He is not interested in culture and history, he is a representative of a new formation - a man who makes money.
Weaving looms were located in the princely chambers, and soon a cotton-printing and paper-weaving factory began operating right here.
A foundry producing machine tools is located in a beautiful park.
In 1885, production closed. The palace and park are falling into disrepair.
Many of the greatest cultural monuments are destroyed and disappear from the face of the earth for various reasons. Their story is sad and can be found in any culture. Take, for example, cities and temples lost in the jungle: Angkor Wat in Cambodia or India.
Fortunately, there have always been, are and will be caring people who do what they can to save and preserve the cultural monuments of their homeland.
For the Gorenki estate, such a savior was the manufacturer Vladimir Sevryugov. In 1910, he buys what remains of the once great estate. Together with the architect Sergei Chernyshev, he is restoring the palace and park.
But now the estate is facing political and economic changes.
After the end of the revolution, the headquarters of the volost executive committee was moved to Gorenki.
Part of the palace was given to the Stepan Razin orphanage.
In 1925, the Red Rose sanatorium was located here. This beautiful name carries a tuberculosis dispensary.
Already in 1926, one of the dachas on the territory of Gorensky Park was bought by Zinaida Reich and her husband, the famous director Vsevolod Meyerhold.
Zinaida Reich is Yesenin's first wife.
After Meyerhold was arrested, his archive was kept at dacha No. 3 (now Yesenin Street 3).
Our days
Today the estate complex belongs to the administrative district of Balashikha. The district property management held an auction and part of the territory was sold.
On the one hand, it is an architectural monument and a living heritage of Russian culture. On the other hand, there is land that is willingly bought. Thus, part of the lands of the former Gorenki estate was sold for private residential construction.
You can walk around the area, which is still “public”. What can we see here today?
- colonnade of the old palace
- part of the park
- church
The children of Sergei Yesenin once ran along these alleys, and significant figures from Russian history strolled. Now, the park is almost deserted.
Entrance to the estate is free, through the old gate, from the Gorkovskoye Highway (Entuziastov Highway).
The former greenhouse now houses the Flos garden nursery. Can buy good plants, including rare ones, despite the fact that the estate is classified as a historical heritage.
How to get there
- From Kursky station
Go to Gorenki station. From the station to the Estate it is another 2 km. You can get there by any bus departing from the station. - From metro station "Partizanskaya"
To Balashikha, by bus 336.
Address: Balashikha, Entuziastov highway, 2
Gorenki Estate on the map
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