Beautiful lump

The Kuskovo estate is truly beautiful - the luxurious summer residence of the Sheremetyevs has a well-preserved palace and pavilions, the only regular French park in Moscow with flower beds and many sculptures, and a large pond.

The main buildings in the estate were erected in the 18th century by Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetyev. He often called the land that he inherited from his father a “piece” - hence the name of the estate. Kuskovo has another name - Versailles near Moscow.

Already from the entrance there are wonderful views of manicured lawns, neatly trimmed trees and beautiful architectural structures.

The current manor church of the All-Merciful Savior. The spire of the nearby bell tower is very reminiscent of the architectural designs of the St. Petersburg Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Angel on the roof of the church.

The palace in the Kuskovo estate museum, built in the style of early classicism with Baroque elements, is wooden.

Two ramps for the entry of carriages, ending with figures of sphinxes, lead to the entrance.

An intricate monogram is one of the decorations of the palace.

Both famous architects of the time and serf craftsmen were involved in the construction of the palace and pavilions.

Pyramid on the shore of a pond. I didn't really understand its purpose. Maybe a sundial?

The Dutch house was built in honor of Peter the Great. The interior decoration was brought from Holland and is completely preserved.

On a sunny day, photos in Kuskovo turn out simply beautiful.

Not far from the Dutch House, I saw a photo shoot near the Hermitage pavilion:

Classical music in a beautiful setting:

A wedding in Kuskovo is very beautiful and romantic.

The central part of the French regular park.

The statues mostly depict lions, Roman heroes and gods. There are more than 60 of them in total.

The park is decorated not only with sculptures, but also with flowers.

Stone greenhouse, built by serf architect F.S. Argunov. Balls were held in the central part, and in the glass wings of the winter gardens they walked among tropical plants.

Another park pavilion, the Italian House, looks like a small palace.

The elegant Grotto is reflected in the waters of the Italian Pond. Its interior decoration with mother-of-pearl shells is amazing.

This beautiful pavilion was the place where Empress Catherine II dined during her visit to the Sheremetyev estate in 1774.

In the summer, the hospitable Sheremetyevs often held balls that attracted the entire flower of the Moscow nobility: up to 30 thousand guests were present at especially luxurious evenings. There was a lot of entertainment: boating on the large estate pond, theatrical opera and ballet performances, parades, orchestra performances, fireworks. The Count Sheremetyev Theater was considered the best in Moscow.

In the last decade of the 18th century, the serf actress Praskovya Zhemchugova, to whom N.P. was partial, shone on the Kuskovo stage. Sheremetyev. In 1800, the count and the actress moved to Ostankino, and Kuskovo was forgotten. Only decades later did his son revive the former luxury.

After the revolution, the Sheremetyevo estate escaped the fate of most noble estates - it was declared a museum-reserve and subsequently a porcelain museum was located here. Nowadays, classical music concerts and exhibitions are regularly held here.