The Kuskovo estate is one of the most beautiful noble residences in Russia. Beautiful Kuskovo Kuskovo description

The Kuskovo estate is located in the South-East of Moscow, not far from the Vykhino metro station at Yunosti Street, building 2. The easiest way to get to the estate is by trolleybus from the metro - to the Yunosti Street stop and then - a short walk along Yunosti Street - to the gates of the estate.

If you are planning to go to Kuskovo, arrive early. In summer the museum is open only until 18:00, and in winter only until 16:00. On Monday and Tuesday the estate is not open at all.

In order to get to the estate, you need to take a ticket to one of the estate's pavilions or a ticket to enter the park. The ticket price depends on the pavilion. In 2014, a ticket to enter the park cost 40 rubles.

Kuskovo was built as a summer country residence for the Sheremetevs. Initially, in this area, the Sheremetevs owned only one small plot, a “piece,” as Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev called it. And all the land in the district belonged to the influential Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky.

The daughter of A.M. Cherkassky, Varvara Alekseevna, was a maid of honor at the Imperial Court, and was considered the richest bride in Russia. Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, having married Varvara Alekseevna, received a huge dowry - and land with 70,000 peasant souls. Thanks to this, the Sheremetevs' fortunes increased significantly.

Varvara Alekseevna really did not want to leave the places familiar to her since childhood, and P.B. Sheremetev, on the piece that originally belonged to his family, began large-scale construction, creating a unique estate in the spirit of the imperial parks near St. Petersburg.

At that time theater came into fashion. Many self-respecting nobles of that time created home theaters in which their serfs played - in order to entertain the guests who gathered at their place for the evenings. A similar serf theater is also being created in Kuskovo.

The heyday and decline of the Kuskovsky Theater occurred during the time of Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, known as a patron of the arts.

N.P. Sheremetev organized performing arts courses for serfs. The troupe of his theater almost reached 100 people. Many people visited the Moscow Kuskovo theater with great pleasure, giving it preference over Moscow theaters.

N.P. Sheremetev was in love with one of the actresses of his theater, who had the pseudonym Zhemchugova. Then, instead of their simple surnames, many serf actresses were given names based on the names of precious stones.

Sheremetev gave Zhemchugova an excellent education, but at that time the nobleman’s love for a serf was not approved by society. There were cases that Zhemchugova was subjected to ridicule.

They say that it is precisely because of ridicule of Zhemchugova that Sheremetev moves to his other estate - Ostankino and transports the actress there.

After Sheremetev left Kuskovo, the theater closed.

And after the death of the count, the Naala estate fell into disrepair. The guardians of the count's heir sought to extract as much benefit as possible for themselves. Especially a lot of valuable property was written off during the French invasion in 1812.

Kuskovo was in the possession of the Sheremetevs until 1917. Many luxurious holidays were held at the estate. Even Empress Catherine II attended gorgeous fireworks displays, theatrical performances and rich receptions in Kuskovo.

In 1919, the estate received the status of a state museum.

In 1938 it was merged with the Museum of Ceramics. The ceramics museum operates within the walls of the estate to this day.

Kuskovo has reached our time in fairly good condition - many unique architectural structures have been preserved. The park is kept in excellent condition. There is a very pleasant atmosphere and wonderful views. It’s no wonder that many wedding couples come here to take beautiful wedding photos on the most beautiful day of their lives.

So, having arrived in Kuskovo and entering the estate from Yunost Street, we find ourselves on the main alley that leads along the pond.

The alley leads us past the church directly to the palace - the compositional center of the estate.

The palace (Big House) was built in 1769-1775 under the leadership of architect Carli Blanca.

The palace, like many other pavilions of Kuskov, is available for visiting.

The palace's layout and interiors have been preserved...

The premises of the palace are located on the same axis; from one room you can move to the next - so many rooms of the palace can be walked around in a circle.

From the arrangement of the rooms you can see that the palace was actively used for receptions and celebrations.

The palace room contains busts and portraits of several generations of the estate's owners.

As well as gift portraits of Russian emperors

Sometimes it’s worth looking up at the ceiling. The paintings on the ceilings of the palace are worthy of attention.

It is difficult to understand how suitable this palace is for living... In today's opinion, the bed is not the most comfortable)

This room was intended for the countess to get ready for the ball before the ball.

There are not many places in the palace where you could relax and lie down - the bed in one of the previous photos, this sofa

and this bed...

But there are quite a lot of paintings on display here.

The art gallery room is located near the dance hall.

Currently, the hall displays Egyptian tableware - it is not for nothing that Kuskovo is a ceramics museum.

However, you can imagine what gorgeous “dances” were organized here.

The dance hall was illuminated by two huge chandeliers and candles along the walls of the room.

Apparently this girl also brought light in the dark

Next to the dance hall there is another room with paintings.

One can only guess about the splendor of the banquets that were held here.

In short, everything in the palace served to entertain the guests.

And you might think that life for the owners of the estate was a continuous holiday)

They took no less care of the decoration of the palace from the outside than from the inside.

The sculptures at the entrance to the palace are open even in winter. The rest of the sculptures in the park are covered in special wooden shelters for the winter so that they do not deteriorate.

Opposite the palace is a small obelisk.

And next to it is a church with a bell tower

The church was built in 1737-1739

And the bell tower - in 1792

The bell tower, by the way, is operational.

The church fits perfectly into the architectural ensemble of the estate

And the bell tower spire is very reminiscent of miniature architecture. The same Peter and Paul Fortress and the Admiralty.

An angel holding a cross rises on the roof of the church.

The silhouette of an angel looks very alarming against the background of clouds illuminated by the evening sun;)

A kitchen outbuilding is visible between the church and the bell tower.

The kitchen outbuilding was built in 1756-1757

Near the kitchen outbuilding there is a carriage house built in the second half of the 19th century - perhaps the most unprepossessing building in Kuskov

The Grotto pavilion looks original (built 1755-1775).

This pavilion is crowned with a stone fountain. And the inside walls of the pavilion are lined with shells.

Behind the grotto there is a small pond. And on the opposite bank of the pond from the grotto there are menagerei.

Menagerie is a modern reconstruction. Now, apparently, there are service premises in them - since there are houses behind a fence and at the doors of each of the houses there are brooms and buckets.

Italian house built in 1755

But I was unable to determine whose profiles are depicted above the windows.

An alley leads from the Italian house deep into the estate

She's cute even in winter)

An aviary for birds looks like a large gazebo. This building, like the menagerie, is a modern reconstruction of what existed before)

At the end of the park farthest from the entrance there is a large greenhouse building.

The greenhouse has now been converted into a large exhibition hall.

The large stone greenhouse, like some other pavilions of Kuskov, was built according to the design of the serf architect F.S. Argunov in 1761-1763.

An ordinary village house hidden on the territory of the estate looks quite contrasting against the background of other buildings.

Between the greenhouse and the palace there is a French park with sculptures (which are closed in wooden boxes for the winter) and two stelae

It is believed that this sculpture depicts Catherine II in the image of the goddess Minerva.

The second obelisk is also associated with the name of the Empress. Since the stone on him “Catherine II granted the unforgettable favor to Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev in 1785 during his tenure as provincial leader of the Moscow nobility.”

The decoration of the park was 2 huge larches... But several years ago one of them died... Only one remained.

The Hermitage Pavilion, built in 1765-1767, was interesting because in it the owner of the estate could spend time in solitude or in negotiations with guests. Its feature was a table rising from the first to the second floor - which made it possible to avoid the presence of servants on the second floor during confidential conversations, but at the same time ensure the serving of dishes.

The path from the Hermitage leads to the Dutch House (1749).

And not far from the Dutch one there is a Swiss house (built in 1860). Now it houses the administration of the estate.

You can wander around Kuskovo for a long time, even in winter. I will present a few more photographs of the estate, brought from the walk.

And the selection ends traditionally - with animals and birds encountered in the estate.

Photo - Nikon D70S. Sigma DC 18-200mm, Sigma DC 10-20mm. Post-processing - Photoshop CS 3.

The history of the now famous Kuskovo Estate begins at the end of the 16th century, when the Sheremetevs owned one small plot of this land, a “piece,” as Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev called it. All other lands in the district belonged to Count Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky. Everything changed after the union of the son of Boris Sheremetyev and the only daughter of Alexei Cherkassky. Since then, the Sheremetevs have become the full owners of all this land. But the name remained - Kuskovo. To receive guests, by order of the count, a palace and an estate complex with an adjacent architectural composition were rebuilt, which can still be admired by any visitor to the Kuskovo estate museum. The estate belonged to the Sheremetev family for more than three hundred years, until 1917. In 1918, Kuskovo received the status of a museum-estate.

You can only enter the estate through the ticket office. In 2015, for a walk in the park you need to pay a symbolic amount of 40 rubles. The price for entering each building ranges from 50 to 150 rubles. For the first visit, we decided to limit ourselves to a general ticket for 350 rubles, which included the park, the Palace, the American Greenhouse and the Grotto, and paid 100 rubles separately. for photography. Also, entrance tickets can be purchased in each of the buildings without returning to the ticket office at the entrance.

Park in Kuskovo Estate

We enter a French park with many alleys, ponds and paths. Neatly trimmed trees and shrubs of regular geometric shapes lure you into their green labyrinths. It’s still unclear which way to go, but the guard at the entrance assured us that there are signs all around, so it’s impossible to get lost.

Alley of trees in front of the Italian House.

And here is the Italian house itself.

There are beautiful white statues everywhere.

Another alley, but this one leading to the Grotto.

A series of tunnels made of intertwined branches next to the Palace.

Obviously, Kuskovo is one of the favorite places for wedding ceremonies and photo sessions, where every bride feels like a real princess. During our short walk we managed to see several weddings and just photo sessions.

Ponds are an integral part of the entire park composition. The largest one is located right in front of the Palace. If the weather permits, you can sit on the lawn, read a book or chat with friends.

From the same place there is a wonderful view of the Grotto, the Italian House and the ice cream stand. 🙂

There is also a pond on the back side of the Grotto. Despite its small size, colorful fish swim in the pond, and the banks allow you to go straight down to the water. There is also a third pond on the territory of the estate, opposite the Dutch House, but, unfortunately, we did not have time to visit there.

While walking through the park, we unexpectedly came across a bird aviary in which a family of peacocks lived with their chicks.

The walk among the tall bushes turned out to be somewhat chaotic, every turn was terribly intriguing, my eyes ran wild, I wanted to visit everywhere at the same time, but time was running out, and I had to go to the Palace.

Palace in the Kuskov Estate

The Big House - that’s what the Palace used to be called - was where Count Sheremetev received guests. The carriages drove past a large pond and up gentle ramps straight up to the front door.

White and red marble walls in the lobby of the Palace.

To our surprise, one of the rooms turned out to be a billiard room. It turns out that in the second half of the 18th century. billiards was very popular. The room is decorated with a carved fireplace above which is a slightly gloomy panel “Landscape with ruins by the water.” On every wall hang paintings by unknown Russian artists of the 18th century.

The ceiling has five symmetrically arranged panels depicting “Spring”, “Summer”, “Autumn” and “Winter”.

The dining room is spacious and bright. Silk fabrics were not used in its decoration, as they absorb odors.

On the left side of the dining room there is a semicircular niche with a marble bust of Alexander the Great. Adjacent to the dining room is a pantry, which was used for storing dishes.

Typically, all rich houses of that era were heated with tiled stoves, but here there are also marble fireplaces that came to Russia from Western Europe. Probably, with double heating it became twice as warm. 🙂

There is a stove in one corner of the room and a fireplace in the other.

Another marble fireplace with marble busts of the owners of the estate: Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev and his wife Varvara Alekseevna.

The brightest room of the Kuskovo estate is the crimson living room with gilded picture frames and the Falling Leaves chandelier. On the sides of the mirror are marble busts of Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetev and his wife Countess Anna Petrovna.

The paintings show a ceremonial (full-length) portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev.

The front bedroom is also a fashion borrowed from Europe. The interior includes portraits of the owners of the estate.

It is not clear what purposes such a small bed was intended for, decorative, or really for relaxation?

The office-office is much more modest than the formal living rooms. Initially, the walls were enlivened by a variety of paintings symmetrically inserted into oak panels in size and subject matter. In the 80s XVIII century the paintings were removed, but traces of their presence can still be seen on the walls.

Of particular value is a table depicting a panorama of Kuskovsky Park. On the tabletop there is not a drawing, but a mosaic made of various types of wood.

A personal restroom, distant from the ceremonial interiors, was intended for putting dresses, wigs and makeup in order. The room is upholstered in English chintz. The room was heated by the only example in the palace of connecting a stove with a fireplace. The restroom perfectly combines an authentic Chinese cabinet, a Russian office cabinet stylized as “China” with a hinged lid, English chairs and a German flower rack. The dressing table is draped in a heavy burgundy fabric with lace in the style of the 18th century.

A secret door disguised as wallpaper. I'd like to know where it leads.

The sofa is a tribute to the fashion that came to Russia from the East in the second half of the 18th century. A room with a large wall-mounted sofa is intended for relaxation. Hanging on the wall are small female portraits in oval frames, the so-called “female heads”, especially fashionable in Russia at that time.

Behind the Divan you can see the Library, which mostly served for storing various scientific objects in display cases: a globe, a star sphere, a camera obscura, a spyglass, glass, bone, mother-of-pearl, etc. These items were supposed to indicate the enlightenment and refined taste of the owner of the estate. The carved gilded chair was made to order in the famous Moscow workshop of P. Spol especially for the arrival of Catherine II in Kuskovo in 1787.

The daily bedchamber was intended for rest during the day. The blue color scheme of walls and furniture creates an atmosphere of peace and comfort. The fireplace is decorated with French marble inserts with paintings “in the Pompeian style.”

The painting of the Everyday Bedchamber is represented by intimate (up to half the body) portraits of the children of Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev.

The art room is a small home gallery. On the walls of the Picture Room there were works of painting from various Western European schools of the 16th-18th centuries: German, Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch. The paintings almost completely covered the walls and the independent value of the paintings was partly lost, since they were selected according to size and subject matter, maintaining a similar color scheme.

The Dance Hall or Mirror Gallery is the largest and most formal hall of the palace, intended for ceremonial dinners and dances. A large number of mirrors visually expands the room. The walls are decorated with gilded wreaths and medallions with profiles of ancient warriors.

This is where the excursion “trail” around the Palace ends, everyone goes out into the courtyard - into a French park, decorated with symmetrical flower beds and various sculptures.

We immediately saw another photo shoot. 🙂 This photo shows especially clearly that the Palace is made of wood!

We walk towards the Big Stone Greenhouse, look back at the Palace...

Another view of the Palace from the very “heart” of the park.

View from the same place of the Large Stone Greenhouse.

Built in the 1770s. The large stone greenhouse was originally intended to house topiary (figured) plants; now it houses various exhibitions.

American greenhouse in the Kuskovo estate

Our goal was to the right of the Big Stone Greenhouse - this is the American Greenhouse. Previously there were greenhouses for tropical plants, now there is also an exhibition hall. During our visit, there was an exhibition of Russian porcelain from the 18th – early 20th centuries.

For the first time in the history of the museum, the most complete collection of Russian porcelain in the country is presented. The exhibition is structured according to a chronological principle, starting from the mid-18th century. and ending with the beginning of the 20th century. Products from the best porcelain factories in Russia are demonstrated: the Imperial Porcelain Factory, private enterprises of Gardner, Popov, Batenin, Yusupov, Safronov and other factories of Gzhel, Sipyagin, Kudinov, Kornilov, Kuznetsov. We were strictly forbidden to photograph the exhibition.

Pavilion "Grotto" in the Kuskovo Estate

The Grotto Pavilion is the most unusual structure of the entire Estate and another tribute to European fashion! It is the Kuskovsky Grotto that is the only one in Russia that has preserved its original interior decoration to this day.

The first grottoes began to be built in the 16th century. in Italy (translated from Italian as “cave”), inside which either baths or a fountain were installed. At the Kuskovo Estate, the Grotto also played the role of a saving place on a hot summer day. The dome of the pavilion is crowned with a gushing fountain.

“Grottos are made in secluded areas of the garden, or in forests. Their appearance from the outside should represent wildness; but the interior requires decoration with various shells, mirrors, crystallizations and other shiny stones. The entrance to them, to increase the cold, is located on the north side. However, frequent repairs of grottoes entail difficulties.”. (Levshin V.A. “Necessary and complete housekeeping”, 1795)

The grotto consists of three halls: central, northern and southern. The central hall is painted in green and pink marble.

Several paintings made entirely of shells are also exhibited here.

We were told that in the Grotto there is a table that grants wishes. You need to find your zodiac sign on it and make a wish, and it will certainly come true! 🙂

We go to the northern hall, made in cold colors.

There are entire paintings of shells on the ceiling and walls! And every visitor to the pavilion must find dragons on the ceiling. There is also a baby dragon sitting in the photo below! It's brick-colored with a curled tail and a toothy, gaping mouth - on the right in the photo!

And here in the center of the photo a yellow dragon is fighting a green snake.

We move to the southern hall; its color scheme is warm, in contrast to the northern hall. It’s a pity that the photo doesn’t show how the walls sparkle and shimmer when sunlight hits them!

And there's a dragon living on the ceiling too! In the photo below he is at the very top, eating grapes. The photo is not the best, the dragon’s tail has been cut off, but you can see the wings lowered down and the mouth open.

At the other end of the hall (between the windows) sits a beautiful bird of paradise. It’s not very clear what she’s doing, maybe drinking water from the fountain?

The interior design took about 10 years. (1761 – 1775) This work was carried out by the German master Johann Vocht. The decoration used tuff (a porous rock used as a finishing material), glass, pieces of mirrors, gypsum stucco and thousands of shells of 24 types. The dolls installed in the niches of both halls were purchased by Count P.B. Sheremetev in 1775 especially for the Grotto.

Returning home, we were surprised to discover that we hadn’t even visited half of the entire estate! So the visit will have to be repeated. 🙂

The flourishing of the estate is associated with the name of Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev. In the 1750-1770s in Kuskovo with the participation of Yu.I. Kologrivov, an estate appeared with a palace, “pleasure activities”, a large park and ponds. This is completely the creation of the hands of serfs - thousands of peasants from surrounding villages were driven to these swampy places to build the estate.

In 1774, according to the design of Karl Blanc (there is a version that the architect was Charles de Wailly), a palace was built in Kuskovo next to the temple in the name of the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. Its layout corresponds to the fashionable enfilade arrangement of rooms. A white stone staircase and gentle ramps with sphinxes lead to the main entrance - descents for carriages to enter. On the pediment is the Sheremetev coat of arms with the phrase “God protects everything.” And, indeed, the palace was preserved, despite the fact that in 1812 Marshal Ney’s corps stopped there.

The Kuskovo estate was intended for lavish receptions and entertainment. For this purpose, pavilions and gazebos, a greenhouse and a cabinet of curiosities, a menagerie and a hunting lodge in the Gothic style were built.

The palace in Kuskovo is framed by a French regular park with ponds and marble sculpture. Its straight paths form a regular geometric pattern. At the intersection of the paths there is either a statue or a pavilion. And on the main axis of the park there is an obelisk from 1787 and a column with a statue of the goddess Minerva, patroness of the arts, sciences and crafts.

North of the regular park in Kuskovo there was a landscape English park with many attractions. Among them were the Philosophical House, the Temple of Silence, the Indian Hut, the Haystack, the Lion's Cave, the Chaumière (hut in French), and the retreat house where P.B. died. Sheremetev. To create this park, a lot of effort also had to be made: trees selected in color and shape were planted in certain places, and alleys were cut.

The Italian house in Kuskovo served as a palace for “small receptions”. At the same time, the pavilion’s interior reflected the characteristic 18th-century interest in collecting “rarities” and rare works of art. This gave the small palace the character of a museum.

The Dutch house in Kuskovo was built in 1749 in memory of the era of Peter I. This “architectural souvenir” greeted guests. He was the center of the ensemble on the shore of a pond with carps that swam to feed at the ringing of the bell. The Dutch house immediately drew you into a world of fantasy: windows with frequent, “thirty-two glass” sashes, “urban development” with a “Pillar” gazebo, a pond similar to a Dutch canal, a tiny garden with tulips and hyacinths, a vegetable garden with asparagus and cabbage - all this was supposed to evoke associations with Holland.

During the heyday of Kuskovo, the Hermitage Pavilion was intended only for the owner’s friends who wanted privacy during the ball. The second floor could only be reached using a mechanical elevator. The ground floor was intended for servants, and drinks and snacks were served upstairs using a lifting mechanism. Any of the sixteen plates on the table could be lowered and raised separately. Guests wrote the name of the desired dish on the boards under each plate and rang a bell - the plate was lowered to the first floor, the servants passed the order to the cooks, and then sent it back.

In 1755-1761, a Grotto designed by F. Argunov appeared in Kuskovo. The stone pavilion in the Baroque style is lavishly decorated with sculptures and lion masks above the windows. This is the only pavilion in Russia that has preserved its unique “grotto” decoration from the 18th century.

There were other entertainments - the Alley of Games, the Carousel, the “amusing flotilla”, the estate “museums”, the library. The estate also included service and outbuildings: Kennel and Stable yards, Menageries for keeping waterfowl, American greenhouses for growing exotic plants and fruits, which also served as a concert hall, Aviary for birds, and kitchens.

Palace of the luxurious nobleman,
Moscow's favorite helicopter,
Where a day was more precious than life
Among countless joys,
Than a year in another beautiful country!
Do you know the fate of the unfortunate?..
New delights all the time
They changed there like clouds;
Kuskovo was a spare place for everyone, -
Just ask for bird's milk:
Wherever you stretch five fingers,
You will find pleasantries everywhere.

But the son of Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev was more interested in the theatrical Ostankin. And Kuskovo, which he abandoned, began to decay. Although the Sheremetevs did not abandon the estate, and it continued to attract the public, Kuskovo lost its former greatness.

In 1919, the estate received the status of a State Museum, and in 1938 it merged with the only ceramics museum in Russia, the basis of which 30,000-strong collection was the personal collection of porcelain by A.V. Morozova.

The estate is now open for inspection. The aerial theater is also being revived, with a clearing serving as the stage and fir trellises serving as the backstage.

They say that......no money was spared on the Kuskovsky Theater. It was built by the French architect Charles de Wailly. The three tiers of boxes and the proscenium were decorated luxuriously. Sheremetev's performances were performed free of charge on Thursdays and Sundays. All of Moscow flocked to see them. Because of this, the then owner of the Moscow private theater Medox filed a complaint against Sheremetev that he was taking spectators away from him.
...when choosing a location for the Kuskovo estate, proximity to the summer residence of Empress Elizabeth in Perovo played a role.

Kuskovo in photographs from different years:

The Kuskovo estate in Moscow is a magnificent example of architecture and landscape design of the 18th century. The architectural and park ensemble consists of several parts representing different European styles (English, French, Italian, Dutch). The center of the composition is the palace of Counts Sheremetyev. It has preserved antique furnishings - furniture, decorative items, works of art. There are 2 museums on the estate, attracting numerous visitors.

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Since ancient times, the Sheremetyev family owned the territory on which Kuskovo is located. In chronicle documents the name of the residence is mentioned back in the 16th century. According to records dating back to the 20s of the 17th century. in Kuskovo there was a boyar estate surrounded by the dwellings of serfs. Among the buildings there was also a wooden church. The name of the settlement comes from the word “piece”, since the plot owned by the Sheremetyevs was surrounded on all sides by the lands of the Cherkasys. The daughter of A.M. Cherkassky married Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetyev. As a dowry, she received the lands around Kuskovo. Thus, the manor became the center of a vast estate.

In the mid-18th century (1750-70), P. Sheremetyev decided to rebuild his residence and give it features of a style called “Elizabethan Baroque”. For this purpose, it was planned to modify the appearance of the palace, lay out a park, create artificial reservoirs, and decorate the territory with various architectural forms and works of art. To create a reconstruction project for Kuskovo, serf master architects Alexey Mironov and Fyodor Argunov were brought in. Under their leadership, the palace building was built (1774). A feature of its layout was the single-axis arrangement of the premises. All the rooms stretched one after another, along a single line.

According to the owner's plan, Kuskovo was supposed to serve as a country complex intended for receiving and entertaining guests. For this purpose, recreational places (gazebos, pavilions, grottoes) and all kinds of attractions were created:

• Menagerie
• Greenhouse
• Kunstkamera
• Pond flotilla

At the same time, the residence could accommodate over 30 thousand people.

The last owner of Kuskovo was S.D. Sheremetyev. Immediately after the 1917 revolution, the estate was nationalized by the Soviet government and in 1919 acquired the status of a museum. At the end of the 30s. a collection of ceramics is located on its territory. Since then, both museums have coexisted together. In the early 60s. The area of ​​the village of Veshnyaki, to which the Kuskovo estate geographically belongs, turned out to be within the boundaries of Moscow.

Architectural ensemble

Compositionally, the space of the estate was divided into 3 parts:

1. Palace surrounded by a French park
2. Menagerie with artificial ponds
3. English park

The building of the palace, otherwise known as the Great House, was built according to the design of the architect K. Blank, a recognized master of the Baroque style. In its original form, the house was built of wood, which was covered with a layer of pale pink plaster on top. The façade was decorated with columns. On top of them was the family emblem of the Sheremetyev counts. The porticos on the sides were decorated with carvings in the form of all kinds of military paraphernalia. The army decor was supposed to be reminiscent of the field marshal rank of Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev.

The house had 2 floors, performing their own functions:

• In the basement there were utility rooms, wine cellars, and storage rooms;
• On the top floor there were guest rooms, halls for receptions and balls.

The palace is separated from the rest of the estate by the Big Pond. Various small structures were erected on the Zaprudnaya territory. They were intended to entertain visitors. The buildings included:

• Greenhouses – Big Stone and American
• Bird aviary
• Menagerie
• Air theater

To serve the needs of the owners and guests, there was a kitchen in the outbuilding, a barn for carriages, and a drying room. In addition, a separate building was occupied by the manager. The estate had its own church, equipped with a bell tower. A special group is formed by buildings located in the park area. Each of them represented a specific direction in architecture. The premises were used to receive guests.

Big house

The Summer Palace was built according to the basic requirements of the classical style. It is characterized by ceremonial decor of premises, the use of numerous works of art (paintings, sculptures) as decorations. Comfortable conditions (plank floors, fireplaces, lighting fixtures) are combined with decorative elements (stucco molding, carvings, painting).

Craftsmen of various specialties - sculptors, artists, carvers - worked on the creation of the Big House. They were led by the talented architect Karl Ivanovich Blank, a representative of the Moscow architectural school. Thanks to the efforts of museum workers, the interiors of the Sheremetyev Palace in Kuskovo were preserved in their original form. In the late 70s and early 80s, their large-scale restoration was carried out. Visitors have a unique opportunity to touch the creations of 18th century masters.

Italian house

An excellent example of Southern European architecture is the pavilion called the Italian House. It was erected in the 50s of the 18th century. The immediate supervisor of the construction was the renowned diplomat and connoisseur of Western art, Yuri Ivanovich Kologrivov. He spent many years traveling around Europe in search of rare things. Trained as an architect in Rome.

The design of the Italian House developed by Kologrivov included the arrangement of 2 floors:

• The 1st floor was intended to house collection exhibits (antique sculpture, models of temples in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, marble mosaics, bead paintings, etc.)
• The 2nd floor was equipped for mass receptions

Dutch house

In contrast to the pomp of the Italian Pavilion, the Dutch House demonstrates simplicity and modesty. Its decoration repeats the traditional look of Dutch homes of the 17th century. The main decorative element is ceramic tiles, which were used to cover the premises. Over 10 thousand tiles made in Delft and Rotterdam were used to decorate the building.

The interior decoration consists of a rich collection of porcelain products: figurines, dishes, vases, tulip bowls. In addition, the pavilion houses the only collection of fake figurines in Russia. In front of the house, a corner of Holland was recreated with a vegetable garden, garden, and gazebos. The building was built in 1749 and has remained unchanged to this day.

Pavilion "Grotto"

The arrangement of the Grotto on the estate was entrusted to the German master Johann Vocht. The process took more than 10 years (1761 – 1775). The artificial structure had to reproduce as accurately as possible the internal situation of a real grotto. For this purpose, natural materials were used: tuff of different shades (pink, yellow, white), shells.

The atmosphere of the underwater kingdom is simulated with the help of skillfully executed images of fish, shellfish, and marine life. Inside the grotto is divided into 3 parts:

• Northern cabinet
• Southern Cabinet
• Central Hall

The real highlight of the pavilion are the dolls made of clay and wood, decorated with shells. They were acquired by Count Sheremetyev in Europe at the end of the 18th century and represent genuine rarities. To emphasize the connection of the Grotto with the water element, a pond with fish was built near it.

Hermitage Pavilion

The Hermitage Pavilion was created for privacy and reflection. Guests could have one-on-one meetings there. However, the count made his Hermitage accessible only to a limited circle of close people. The small building had 2 floors. The servants were stationed below and food was being prepared. A special device was equipped for lifting food.

Design of manor parks

The Kuskovo park area is divided into several parts. They reflect the main features inherent in the landscape design of France and England. The only French park in Russia that has remained unchanged has existed for more than 200 years. It is decorated with numerous sculptural compositions. There are flower beds everywhere. Rare ornamental plants were collected in greenhouses.

The pavilions scattered throughout the territory organically fit into the landscape - the Dutch and Italian House, the Hermitage, the Grotto. English Guy is in many ways similar to a natural landscape, which is complemented by picturesque bridges and pavilions. Here is the House of Solitude, where the count's family lived. There was also a menagerie with wild animals and an aviary.

The estate today

For almost 100 years, the Kuskova estate has had the status of a museum. This is a wonderful monument to the history and culture of the Russian people. Visitors can explore the interiors of the premises, stroll along the paths of the park area, and also visit the Museum of Ceramics. A greenhouse was used to house the exhibitions. It presents portraits of prominent personalities from the Sheremetyev family. The valuable collection of porcelain and ceramics is of great interest to the public.

The Kuskovo estate has more than once become a film set for popular films and TV series. Filming took place on the estate:

• "Hello I'm your aunt!"
• "Viva, midshipmen!"
• "Shirley-Myrli"
• "Secrets of palace coups"

Opening hours and ticket prices

You can tour the estate from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday. In addition, a sanitary day is held every month on the last Wednesday. The Ceramics Museum is open to the public from May to September. The Grotto Pavilion is currently under restoration.