Address: Russia, Moscow, Yunocti street (metro station Ryazanskiy prospect)
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 of the Russian Federation
Content:
The history of the estate
The first information about the estate is found in the chronicles of the 16th century. The old 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 court and the wooden church, there was nothing else in the estate.
General view of the estate
The period of its heyday falls on the 18th century, when Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev was the owner of the estate. He turned an ordinary courtyard into a luxurious architectural ensemble, consisting of a palace, a park area and ponds. The owner arranged lavish receptions at the estate, which sometimes attracted tens of thousands of guests.
Pavilions and graceful gazebos have appeared for entertainment events in the courtyard. In addition, the buildings of the greenhouse, menagerie, hunting lodge and 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 later merged with the collection of the Museum of Ceramics.
Manor palace
The estate territory is divided into three parts: the dam zone with the Menagerie, the English park "Guy" and the strict French park. The best preserved part of the estate, which is located in its center.
The main place here is devoted to the palace or the Great House, which was erected by order of the owner of the estate in the tradition of early classicism. The construction work was supervised 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 pale pink paint.
Church of the All-Merciful Savior with a bell tower
The facade was decorated with colonnaded porticoes. The one in the center bore the monogram of the Sheremetev family - the letters "PS" were located under the crown of the count. The porticoes were decorated with carvings on the sides. The palace was two-story. The lower floor was occupied by wine cellars and utility rooms, while on the upper floor the owner held receptions. One could get into the palace building via the main staircase.
Pavilion "Grotto"
For meeting guests or small receptions, there was an Italian house. It was built in the middle of the 18th century under the leadership of Yuri Ivanovich Kologrivov.
An elegant Dutch house has survived to this day on the bank of the pond. It appeared earlier than other manor 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 is the Baroque Grotto pavilion, which embodies the elements of water and stone. It was built according to the project 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 to retire, there was the Hermitage pavilion, made in the tradition of early classicism. Here, guests could have a private conversation and even dine, as the dining table was lifted to the Hermitage hall, located on the top floor, by special mechanisms.
Italian house
In the east of the park area is the "Aviary" - a large rounded wooden cage designed for unusual birds. Dances and concerts were held in the central part of the Orangerie pavilion. Glazed passages connected it with other, smaller pavilions. To meet the spiritual needs in the estate of the Sheremetevs, there was a temple of the All-Merciful Savior.
Dutch house
Interior decoration of manor buildings
The original interiors have been preserved in the palace to this day - marble fireplaces, mirrors of unusual shapes, paintings, parquet, stucco, etc. The furniture in the halls is decorated with carvings and gilding, and the walls are upholstered in silk. The interiors were created by Russian serfs and free craftsmen, as well as foreign furniture makers and masters of decorative and applied arts.
Swiss house
A porcelain collection of the Sheremetev family is exhibited in the Dutch House. These are mainly vases and tableware. You can also see beautiful paintings here. The ground floor of the house is decorated with unusual colored marble panels and antique sculptures.
The Grotto pavilion is divided into three parts - the north and south offices, and the central hall. On its walls there are landscapes depicting the sea and decorated with seashells. In the pavilion, you can see porcelain products made in the form of various marine life. The central hall of the "Grotto" is painted "marbled".
Hermitage Pavilion
Manor parks decoration
There are many sculptures installed in the austere French park. This is the only example of a garden that has survived on the territory of Moscow since the 18th century. In the regular park, there are small ponds, along the banks of which the main manor pavilions stand. There were not so many buildings in the picturesque English Park "Guy". Only the House of Solitude was located here, where the count's family lived. On the site of the Zaprudny Park were the premises of the menagerie.
Aviary for birds
Modern life of an old noble residence
Today, the estate houses two large museum collections. This is the Kuskovo estate museum of the 18th century and the only ceramics museum in the whole country. Here are collected the best examples of glass and ceramic products, created by masters of different eras. The doors of the museums are open to visitors from May to September. The old manor is especially attractive in the summer, when all the park sculptures are open for inspection.
