Kuskovo

The architectonic-park ensemble Kuskovo - the unique monument of Russian farmstead culture of 18 centuries by safety and art value. The manor received a wide popularity as a "summer country pleasure residence" of one of the richest grandees of Russia - column Peter Borisovich Sheremetev, the son and the successor of the well-known field marshal of the Petrovsky epoch, the first Russian count B.P.Sheremetev. He devoted more than fifty years to creation of a glossy ensemble on the place that the Sheremetevs owned since XVI century. Everything was made here "by approbation and by the decree of the Excellency", by the image of imperial country residences, with using of the best achievements of highly-developed at that times experience of ensemble buildings.

Educated grandee P.B.Sheremetev involved in creation of the pleasure manor not only known architects, painters, experts on art - such as J.Kologrivov, K.Blank, A.Foht, L.Lagren, but also serf masters. The considerable part of structures of the manor was build by the projects of "own" architects - F.Argunov, A.Mironov, G.Dikushin.

The manor consisted of three parts - the pond with the Menagerie, the French regular park with the basic architectural ensemble and the English garden "Guy". With the greatest completeness the architectonic-park complex of the central front part was saved up to now.

The purpose of manor Kuskovo defined its originality. Refined images of farmstead architecture, magnificent French park, an unruffled surface of ponds, numerous pleasure inventions were excellent scenery among which grandiose theatrical holidays were developed. Birthdays of the owners, the important state and church dates were especially celebrated. "Almost all Moscow" aspired here. The manor stretched on 230 hectares in the days of especially solemn receptions gathered to 30 thousand visitors.

The centre of the whole ensemble is the Palace that is dominating in an architectonic suite. In an unconstrained skewness here, on the bank of the Big pond, the church, a belltower, the Kitchen courtyard house are settled down. A smooth surface of the pond served as an original scenic platform on which during walks brightly decked shuttles, jolly boats and a sailing yacht with cannons slid, playing amusing "sea fights".

The northern facade of the palace faces the French regular park - the unique sample of garden art of the middle of the XVIII century which was saved in Moscow. A strict geometry of its "green architecture" is recovered by a sculpture of Russian and Italian masters of the XVIII century. Alternation of green carpets and flower beds of the parterre, a solemn hall in the open air, were finished by the big stone greenhouse.

In western and east parts of park on the coasts of small ponds two small ensembles - Dutch and Italian were settled down.

The Dutch small house - the unique saved of the constructions surrounding a small pond building, and the earliest of the pleasure pavilions of the manor. The ensemble around the Italian pond with an exotic Grotto and a graceful Italian small house was more full saved. In immediate proximity to the Italian small house the green air theatre was constructed. Well-known performances - the Italian and French operas, ballet divertissements in performance of serf actors of the Sheremetevs were the main "entertainment" for visitors.

Walks in regular park were not only pleasant, but also informative. Here it was possible to "visit" different countries and to meet their art culture, to have a rest in hot days in "a subsea kingdom", to retire in the beautiful pavilion the Hermitage, or to listen to songbirds in the open-air cage.

The architectonic-park ensemble and the richest collections collected by owners, glorified Kuskovo as one of the largest centres of Russian culture and education that became a basis for creation of a Memorial estate in 1918.