Among the many beautiful noble estates destroyed by the revolution, the estate of the Vasilchikov princes in Trubetchino stands out especially... Nowadays it is not very well known, and yet, just over a hundred years ago, it was famous throughout Russia as an example of a rare exemplary economy in noble estate
There are no special beauties here, but these places are very remarkable and rich in history: among the thickets, trees and modern buildings, buildings of a bygone era suddenly appear unexpectedly

School in Trubetchino, one of the rare well-preserved buildings
And the thick double oak must still remember the Vasilchikov princes

The estate in Trubetchino belonged to a rare type of “business” estate, in which the most advanced agricultural production technologies of that time were used. By the beginning of the 20th century, the number of stone and wooden buildings The Trubetchinsky estate exceeded a hundred. Only about ten have survived to this day.

The ancient village of Trubetchino, "Spasskoe identity", Lebedyansky district of the Tambov province (now Dobrovsky district of the Lipetsk region) arose in the second half of the 18th century on the patrimonial lands of Prince Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy, comrade-in-arms of Peter I and the last boyar in Russian history. The owner's surname is fixed in the name of the village. He was called Spassky after the wooden temple in the name of the Savior Miraculous Image, first mentioned in documents of 1710

Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands
Built at the expense of Prince I.V. Vasilchikov in 1831~1838
Recently restored

IN Soviet years the temple was severely destroyed: the bell tower was demolished down to the first tier, the refectory was dismantled
(photo by A. Naydenov)

In the book by A.E. Andrievsky “Historical and statistical description of the Tambov diocese” (1911) we read:

Trubetchino. The church is stone, warm, built in 1838 at the expense of Prince Vasilchikov. There is only one throne - the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands (August 16).
Dvorov 230, d. m. p. 945, zh. item 995, Great Russians, farmers, have land of 13 sazhs. per capita in the field.
In the parish is the village of Novoselye, 64 doors, d. m. p. 290, w. item 275, from the church in 5 ver. Countess Tolstoy's big savings. Pond and forest.
Schools: in the village zemstvo, and in the village parochial, for a teacher in the zemstvo school 60 rubles. per year. There is a savings and loan office at the post office. There is an inventory of church property and metric books from 1781.
Staff: priest, deacon and psalm-reader. The clergy of land has 35 dessiatinas. field and 2 des. estate, field land in one place from the church 4 ver. The total profitability of the postal land is 300 rubles. per year. Bratsk annual income is 600 rubles. Postal capital 226 rub. The clergy houses are church houses.
Coming from the station. "Lebedyan" in the 35th century, a post office, a hospital, a market and a parish in the village itself, a dean in the 25th century. and the city of Tambov in 120 ver. Address for correspondence: Trubetchino, Tamb. lips Zemsky chief of the 3rd section, bailiff of the 2nd camp of Lebedyansk district.

On the map of Mende Tambov province (1862)

Plan of the Trubetchino estate (1891) from the collection "Estates of the Lipetsk Region"

After I.Yu. Trubetskoy's estate came into the possession of his son-in-law, Prince Vasily Lukich Dolgorukov I. In the middle of the 18th century, Spassky was owned by the Gagarin princes, in the second half of the century - by Countess Anna Alekseevna Matyushkina, née Princess Gagarin. In 1804, Trubetchino was inherited by her grandchildren, the children of Sophia's daughter - the young Counts of Vielgorsky. In 1816, the estate was owned by Chief Jägermeister Vasily Aleksandrovich Pashkov. Vasilchikov passed the estate after the marriage in 1817 of Illarion Vasilyevich Vasilchikov to the daughter of the former owner Tatyana Vasilyevna Pashkova, who until 1861 was its official owner, giving her husband the right to independently engage in economic activities on the estate

It was Illarion Vasilievich Vasilchikov who laid the foundation for the transformation of a typical provincial estate, which brought income to its owners only through the peasant labor of serfs, into a highly profitable estate based on the use of modern technologies and management methods

In 1861, Trubetchino, according to a separate act with his brothers, passed to Prince Viktor Illarionovich Vasilchikov, who had lived in Trubetchino since 1861, devoting the rest of his life to farming with his brother Prince Alexander Ivanovich Vasilchikov on their beloved estate

Since 1881, the estate was inherited by the daughter of Prince A.I. Olga Alexandrovna Vasilchikova with her husband Count Mikhail Pavlovich Tolstoy... Living for a long time in Trubetchino, the Tolstoy couple were able not only to preserve, but also to improve the exemplary estate farm established by the previous owners. This is how Trubetchino describes the “Handbook and Travel Book for Russian People,” edited by V.P. Semyonova: “The Trubetchinskoye estate (in the amount of 6,000 dessiatines) ... has a beet sugar factory that produces up to 60 thousand pounds of granulated sugar, and a mechanical workshop that prepares agricultural implements. In addition to intensive farming organized on the most rational principles, Simmental cattle have been bred in Trubetchino and artificial forestry has been introduced.”

Another old building, similar to a school, only plastered
Previously there was a central regional hospital here, now a clinic
All the main attractions are located mainly in the center of the village, along Pochtovaya Street

Most of the buildings of the Trubetchinskaya estate date back to 1855 - 1883 - the period of formation of the estate complex and active economic activity its owners during this period were princes Victor and Alexander Illarionovich Vasilchikov. At this time, they built a complex of residential and utility buildings at the central entrance to the main manor house, a stable, horse and cattle yards, barns, etc. Under M.P. and O.A. Tolsty's estate complex received its final completion. A hospital and a school, new sugar factory buildings, a calf barn, a mill and many other smaller buildings were built. By the beginning of the 20th century, the number of stone and wooden buildings of the Trubetchinskaya estate exceeded a hundred

Horse yard gate

The gate is located directly opposite the clinic, across the road. The area of ​​the horse yard was located inside the walls of the stable, closed along a square perimeter. Walls made of sand-lime brick obviously built on later, during the Soviet years...
According to documents from 1839, a stud farm of Prince I.V. operated in Trubetchino. Vasilchikov, founded back in 1814

Now everything inside is overgrown with trees and bushes... Judging by the huge number of empty bottles, this is a refuge for local drunks. And this is on the main street

Cast iron “horse head” on the pediment of a “three-piece” stable
(photo by A. Klokov, 1988)
They say that now the “head” is kept in the Lipetsk Museum of Local Lore... But I never found this gate itself

Only the cockerel and the hens feel at ease here: they wander among the ruins

In Trubetchinsky Park:

The rooks have arrived

Savrasov motives

The Soviet stage in the old manor park is also now in ruins
The park is abandoned and heavily littered

In addition to numerous residential and outbuildings, the Trubetchino estate complex included a garden occupying several hectares to the southwest of the estate itself, and a park with an area of ​​15 hectares, which today contains up to 25 tree and shrub species. In addition to old-growth trees of white poplar, linden, ash, elm and maple, there are trees of European and Siberian larch and Schwedler maple, exotic for this area. The park had two small pond, now dry

Among the thickets one can discern an ancient outbuilding
Everything around him is cluttered and littered with some kind of rubbish, fenced with ridiculous fences

Behind the gardens you can see two more ancient buildings with round dormer windows on the gables
And in the distance on the right there rises a pipe

Oh, this is the famous trumpet! She's not modern. This is a chimney from an old sugar factory. The main high-rise dominant of the village is visible from everywhere... An unusual ornament is laid out in the upper part

In 1839 they(Prince I.V. Vasilchikov) A fire-fired sugar factory was set up in Trubetchino, which significantly increased the profitability of the estate. In 1858, the plant was converted into a steam plant in accordance with the latest advances in this field. Thus, at first a small industrial enterprise for processing agricultural products became over time the main economic sector of the Trubetchinsky estate, forever determining the specialization and specificity of the estate of the Vasilchikov princes
Sugar beet production was the central branch of economy. Providing two-thirds of the plant's beet needs from its own plantations, the estate purchased up to 34% of the raw materials from suppliers, mainly peasants from neighboring villages. Constantly increasing the pace of sugar production, Vasilchikov turned the plant into a large industrial enterprise, which had spacious premises in brick one- and three-story buildings and modern equipment. In 1876 there were 4 hydraulic press, producing 33,000 poods of sugar per year worth 132,000 rubles. The factory equipment was serviced by a mechanic, who is also the director of the plant, 31 artisans and up to 350 civilian laborers. All sugar was sold in Moscow. Beet sugar production brought estate owners net profit up to 50-70 thousand rubles. per year

The pipe is not made of ordinary red brick, but of heat-resistant yellowish brick
It has been standing safe and sound for almost 180 years! And only at the top did it crack. We knew how to build well before

The brick is not simple: it is much larger than usual and has cavities inside

Left wing of the manor house

What was the manor house itself like?

The main manor house in Trubetchino (or rather, the palace) was built according to the design of the famous “nugget” architect Pyotr Samoilovich Boytsov, the author of many famous buildings, including the main manor house of the Vyazemsky princes in Lotarevo, whose traces I looked for last December

On January 12-14, 1918, the estate was destroyed by residents of the surrounding villages. The main manor house was looted and burned, live and dead equipment from numerous outbuildings was stolen, farmsteads were destroyed, grain was stolen

Only in the spring of 1918 did the new government come to its senses and transfer the Trubetchinskoe estate to the jurisdiction of Glavsakhar, which established the protection of the estate property and restored production at the sugar factory. The staff of the Lipetsk Museum also tried to save at least something from the estate for future generations. It is unknown how these attempts ended, but the white marble statues stored today in the collections of the Lipetsk Regional Museum of Local Lore are most likely from Trubetchino

After the sugar factory was closed and the equipment was transferred to the Borinsky sugar factory, the estate lost its last owner, who had the need and opportunity to somehow maintain order in it. Now only time and local residents (both the first and the second are absolutely inexorable) have become the absolute masters of the Trubetchinsky estate

Nowadays, only a few surviving residential and outbuildings with a factory chimney towering over the entire neighborhood remind us of a large estate complex and a thriving economy

Rural picture

Sun through the clouds

Dormitory for workers and employees of the estate (now a residential building)
Behind it on the left you can see a pond

On the eve of the brewing peasant reform and even before the division of property, Alexander and Viktor Illarionovich began to prepare their estates, including Trubetchino, for management on the basis of civilian labor. In the late 1850s - early 1860s, buildings were built in Trubetchino residential buildings for hired workers, an extensive working yard with stables for work horses, workshops and storerooms. First of all, V.I. Vasilchikov drew attention to the beet sugar factory, which remained the main source of income for the economy. It was necessary to improve the beet culture grown on the estate. Viktor Illarionovich began cultivating beets, formulating the slogan of the “revived” Trubetchinsky farm as “improved tillage and fertilization of fields”

Another old house

With the help of a craftsman brought from Germany, and taking into account the characteristics of the local soil, Viktor Illarionovich designed his own plow and subsoiler. This design of the plow, which went down in history under the name “Vasilchikovsky” and was shown for the first time at the St. Petersburg manufacturing exhibition in 1870, fully satisfied the needs of not only its creator, but also many farmers of the surrounding provinces for decades. In addition to plows, the Trubetchinsky farm used various types of harrows, cultivators, steam threshers, sorters, rollers, seeders (most of which were ordinary), reapers, haymowers, etc.

And this is a Soviet building, as indicated by the date on the pediment
These were probably repair shops with garages on the sides

The "good quality" of Soviet construction is no longer the same
It’s obvious that they sculpted a “bummer”

Ancient building near the chimney

And a few more pictures from the “modern realities” series
Contrasts:

Burnt house

And directly opposite, across the road, is a modern “palace”, of simple standard architecture, clearly of some kind of bureaucrat or deputy. What is missing from it?.. That’s right, a solid three-meter fence, with which it will soon be surrounded

On the shore of the pond

Medvedka on the water

The Barsky Pond is large, beautiful, created back in those days, on the Martynchik River
But the amount of garbage is off the charts. Apparently, such a national Russian trait as swinishness is ineradicable

View from the stop

(1820-1878)

Russian general, participant Crimean War(1853-1856). On July 16, 1867, he submitted a request to refuse service and decided to devote himself to agriculture on his Trubetchino estate, Lebedyansky district, Tambov province. Achieved great success in agriculture and acquired a reputation as an expert in this matter, to whom both private individuals and government officials turned for advice. In retirement, he was engaged in a lot of literary activities, publishing articles and brochures on agricultural issues, among them it is worth especially noting: “A few words about civilian labor” (Moscow, 1869); "Wouldn't you like it?" (Moscow, 1870)

Alexander Illarionovich Vasilchikov (1818-1881)

Russian writer and public figure, founder of the cooperative movement in Russia, active state councilor. At the beginning of 1840, he accepted an invitation to go to the Caucasus to see Baron Gan, who was supposed to introduce a new administrative system there. Member of the people's militia during the Crimean War (1853-1856). I witnessed a quarrel between Lermontov and Martynov in the Verzilins’ house... Second at the last duel M.Yu. Lermontov

Children of A.I. Vasilchikova and E.I. Senyavina: Boris, Olga and Evgenia

If you believe the signature, then in the center is Princess Olga Alexandrovna Vasilchikova (married Tolstaya), the future last owner of the Trubetchino estate

Mikhail Pavlovich Tolstoy (1845-1913)

Count, Major General, Hero Russian-Turkish war(1877-1878), revered in Bulgaria as a hero-liberator, commanded the Forward position during the defense of Shipka, wounded. In 1910-1912, by order of M.P. Tolstoy, a huge apartment building was built in St. Petersburg, which later became famous, receiving the unofficial but widely known name Tolstoy House (architect F.I. Lidval)

*The following sources were used in this post (quotations from them are in italics):
1) Andrey Naydenov from the book "Lipetsk Land" (2003)
2) Fast Vadim Razumov on LiveJournal
3) Materials from Wikipedia (Free Encyclopedia)

Program

The secret life of the famous inhabitants of Prechistensky, and now Gogolevsky Boulevard, and a visit to the luxurious mansion of the Vasilchikovs, whose family descends from the legendary Indris, a native of the Holy Roman Empire. The Tolstoys, Golitsyns, and Razumovskys were related to this Moscow family.

Small The Vasilchikov mansion was erected in “post-fire” Moscow, at the very beginning of the 19th century. The owners' son Nikolai Aleksandrovich Vasilchikov was a member secret society and here his Decembrist friends gathered. Then the grandson of Generalissimo Suvorov lived here, and the great-granddaughter of Suvorov lived with her husband, Prince S.A. Obolensky rebuilt Vasilchikov’s modest mansion into a very representative mansion. Then the mansion passed to the richest merchant A.V. Alekseev, uncle of the great founder of the Moscow Art Theater Stanislavsky. After them, the family of Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck lived here. The mansion has been associated with the name of the famous composer P.I. since the time of the Alekseev merchants. Tchaikovsky. Since 1889, his beloved niece lived here. And at the beginning of the 20th century, Lyubov Ivanovna Zimina lived in the mansion.

Since 1956, the mansion with a rich biography has become the Central Chess Club of the USSR (now the Central House of Chess Player named after M.M. Botvinnik)

Many romantic and amazing stories are hidden in the magnificent halls of the amazing palace, which today has found new life, and which you will visit today.

The Vasilchikov-Obolensky estate - von Meck became winner of the Moscow Restoration 2016 competition, and you will be able to admire the fruits of the colossal work. As a result of meticulous restoration, the pre-revolutionary interior of the palace was restored in all its wealth, luxury and splendor, which you can admire for hours!

You will climb the luxurious grand staircase with graceful figures of caryatids, visit the antechamber with a large wall panels in the form of a peacock and a magnificent chandelier with cascading crystal cascades, you will go into the luxurious double-height Great Main Hall, where magnificent balls were held, to which the entire city of Moscow gathered. You will visit the incredible, fabulous Moorish room, this is one of the first rooms in Moscow, designed in a fashionable way from the mid-19th century oriental style, several living rooms and a dining room.

The main decoration of the royal mansion is the magnificent, mesmerizing ceilings, with completely recreated stucco molding in the original color scheme! The richness and grace of the ceiling stucco molding amazes and fascinates with its motifs and incredibly skillful artistic execution.

Our acquaintance with the royal mansion of the Vasilchikovs will precede a walk along the former Prechistensky, and now Gogolevsky Boulevard - the most comfortable boulevard in the capital! It is from Gogolevsky Boulevard that the famous Boulevard Ring of Moscow begins; the most famous personalities of Russian history, science, art and literature lived and visited here. And it was on Gogolevsky Boulevard that episodes of their favorite films were filmed - “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears” and “Pokrovsky Gates”.

You will enjoy the subtle beauty ancient temple Resurrection of Slovushchey and see the house of the main characters of the film “Pokrovsky Gate”, see the luxurious Sekretarev House, decorated with intricate stone ligature, admire the unique “white stone chambers” of the Zamyatin-Tretyakov mansion and the House of the Appanage Department, look at the mosaics of the magnificent modern masterpiece of the “Luzhkov” period – “Pompeii” at home" and get acquainted with the unique monuments of Gogolevsky Boulevard.

And during this fascinating walk you will learn:

Why was Gogolevsky Boulevard formerly called Prechistensky

Where does the Chertory flow?

On which monument is its creator depicted?

Where did the route of the famous “Annushka” take place?

Where is the Jerusalem Compound located?

Where is part of the ensemble of the non-existent Palace of Soviets located?

Why did Muscovites call one of the monuments on Gogolevsky Boulevard a “meat processing plant”?

What does a “show house” look like for workers?

From which mansion did architect Ton watch the construction of the main “object” of his life?

In which house did rumors put Vasily Stalin in and where did he actually live?

Place and time of collection

Collection at 14:45, departure at 15:00. Meeting point at the Kropotkinskaya metro station in the center of the hall.

Attention! As of November 18, 2018, collection is at 14:15, departure at 14:30.

Attention! Chess tournaments are often held at the Vasilchikov mansion; therefore, tour dates may be postponed. Please be understanding.

When booking, you must indicate the full name of each tourist.

The house on Novinsky Boulevard is associated with the life and work of the outstanding Russian singer, the famous bass Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin. This is Chaliapin’s first own Moscow house, it is filled with a special “homely” Chaliapin atmosphere. The museum is rich authentic things Chaliapin family. Among them are pieces of furniture, a Bechstein piano, grandfather clock, wedding candles of Fyodor and Iola, theatrical costumes, performance programs, posters... There are many paintings in the house given to Chaliapin by artists: V. Serov, K. Korovin, V. Polenov, M. Nesterov, M. Vrubel. Large collection own works The singer's son Boris Chaliapin donated it to the Museum. Currently, the Memorial Estate is open to visitors. Exhibitions, thematic and sightseeing tours, concerts of famous and young performers, meetings of subscription series, and children's parties await them. The gallery of the F.I. Chaliapin Memorial Estate forms a single complex with the House-Museum. Its premises host exhibitions dedicated to both the history and current issues of Russian vocal art; they introduce visitors to materials from specialized museums and private collections. The Gallery space hosts evenings and concert subscriptions on various topics - “Musical Capitals of the World”, “Artistic Families”, “Meetings on Novinsky”, “Piano Evenings in the Chaliapin House”, “Choral Assemblies”, “Debut in the Chaliapin House”, etc. Famous domestic and foreign singers conduct master classes in the house of the great Russian performer. Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin bought a house on Novinsky Boulevard in 1910, at the age of 37. He lived here for twelve years, this was the heyday of his talent, the time of mature mastery, deeply conscious creativity, and worldwide fame. After purchasing the building, Chaliapin’s wife, the Italian ballerina Iola Tornaghi, took care of its renovation. The former house of the merchant K. Bazhenova, built at the end of the 18th century, was rebuilt in a new European way: it added gas, running water, bathrooms, and a telephone. Not only the house was landscaped, but also a vast garden, where a gazebo overlooking the Moscow River and cozy benches were installed, a linden alley, jasmine and lilac bushes were planted, and flower beds were laid out. For the Chaliapins, this was a real family home, where both adults and children lived comfortably - and Fyodor Ivanovich had five of them. Many famous figures of Russian culture often visited the hospitable estate: S. Rachmaninov and L. Sobinov, M. Gorky and I. Bunin, K. Korovin and K. Stanislavsky. In 1918, the house was nationalized and became a communal apartment for 60 years. In 1978, the building was transferred to the State Central Metallurgical Plant named after. M. I. Glinka for the creation of the F. I. Chaliapin Museum. It took eight years of complex repair and restoration work to restore the house the way Chaliapin knew it. Interiors the houses were recreated from photographs and stories of the singer’s children. The White Hall, the Green Living Room, the Dining Room, the Study, the Billiard Room... Life in these rooms went on as usual, and was not disturbed by the artist’s busy touring schedule. In the White Hall, Chaliapin rehearsed with many of his guests, celebrated benefit performances in the dining room, and Fyodor Ivanovich loved to read in his office. Chaliapin loved billiards, a game table made by V. K. Schultz” was given to him by his wife. Now, as in the time of Chaliapin, the light fawn facade of the house faces Novinsky Boulevard, green roof there are figured chimneys, and decorative vases on the pillars of carved cast-iron gates.

The turbulent 90s of the last century gave birth to a new archetype of the humanities. He was interested not only in previously banned authors, but also wanted to uncover more and more layers of the heritage of thinkers of all times and peoples. Names were born and, without even having time to catch fire on the literary horizon, they disappeared into oblivion. They wrote about everything and anything that was necessary and what was not possible. This was the way it was accepted.

Small bookstores with a humanitarian orientation appeared all over Moscow like mushrooms after rain. Part of their repertoire could easily be bought at book stalls in the passages. Other books, narrower ones, were hidden in the basements. Shops sometimes occupied the most unexpected places: a nook under the stairs, a plank shed attached to the wall of ancient buildings in the Kitay-Gorod area, the halls of libraries and conference rooms. This is how the Sytinskaya Book Shop, “William Shakespeare”, “Graphomaniac” and “Summer Garden” arose. In the 90s of the 20th century, the latter was located in a mansion at Bolshaya Nikitskaya, building 46/17, where it occupied part of the left wing.

Moscow. Bolshaya Nikitskaya 46. Bibikov estate. Eastern wing of the estate. Photo: Architectural Monuments of Moscow volume 3, Zemlyanoy Gorod, M. Art 1989

Several rooms reserved for the store were connected by a corridor. In an old building with collapsing floors, in which the holes were covered with wooden panels and just layers of cardboard, there were tables and chairs littered with books and magazines. In some places it was scary to step on the floor without fear of falling into the underground. But the thirst for knowledge prevailed. Second-hand books - not second-hand books, books or sheet music - cannot be made out. What was there: half-wrapped paper without covers, but with endpapers dotted with dedicatory inscriptions, brochures of various directions, as if they had hastily left the archival shelves, a lot of music, mainly on vinyl, from the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach to recordings rare in Soviet times Vladimir Vysotsky and Yuri Vizbor, and, of course, fresh small-circulation publications of modern, sometimes underground, humanitarian publishing houses. All this lay with varying degrees of order and systematization.

I was lured to the Summer Garden by a classmate who was simply passionate about Faulkner and all possible ways collected a collection of his works. We rummaged through the deposits like bookworms. The assortment was extremely varied and regularly updated, which is why we visited there quite often,” recalls one of the bookstore’s regular visitors.

It must be said that in the old days the entire Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street was called “the street of aristocrats.” Every building here has history. It's like an open-air museum. House 46 is no exception. In fact, it is a complex of buildings, in different years united by passages and galleries, as well as two utility buildings. In front of the house there is a small garden - kurdener ( fr. cour d'honneur) with an oak tree, planted, as they say, by Derzhavin himself.

Bolshaya Nikitskaya. Photo: TsIG Archive

For some reason, it so happened that the vast majority of times we visited house 46 on Bolshaya Nikitskaya in winter or in the off-season. In those years, snow in Moscow was poorly cleared, and courtyards, especially inside historical buildings, were not cleared at all. We took out " Summer Garden» bags with books and stopped to breathe before dashing towards the metro fresh air. It happened that bags with books were torn and all the “loot” ended up in the snow. For some reason, I remember a pair of old chairs with torn upholstery sticking out of snow piles, and yellow-red stains on uncleaned snowdrifts into which our loot fell out of tattered bags. Dragging our burdens with difficulty, kneading the unclean snow with leaky boots in the direction of Barrikadnaya, we sometimes took with us something not very necessary, but against the backdrop of the humanitarian famine of Soviet times and the meager assortment of street debris, house 46 was simply a paradise, and not there was a force that could keep us from the thirst for book acquisition.

The first owner and founder of the estate was Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Ivanovich Bibikov. The complex of buildings is still called the Bibikov House to this day. In accordance with the rules, Peter Ivanovich submitted a petition to the stone order addressed to Empress Catherine II. Permission to build three-story stone chambers on the site of his old house was received. Interestingly, the petition was accompanied by a plan of the site, where not only himself was depicted main house, but also an outbuilding located at the end of Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. Permission was received, and the house was mortgaged in 1782. Upon completion of construction, the estate included a two-story residential building with a stone first and wooden second floor, located on the western border of the property.

It is interesting, but it would seem that the wings of the same style, forming one whole with the main building, were built at different times. Simultaneously with the construction of the main building, the eastern wing was built in the 1780s, the western wing was built later, but according to historians, no later than 1804.

However, already in 1800, the son of the first owner of the estate, Pyotr Petrovich Bibikov, having inherited it, sold the entire building to Prince B.M. Cherkassky, which he owned until 1859. But not everything was so smooth in the fate of the estate. In 1812 there was a fire, which contributed to wooden second floor, and during the restoration both the second floor and the mezzanine were made of brick. At the same time, the facades of the outbuildings facing the red line of Bolshaya Nikitskaya were treated.

A couple of decades later, in 1834, two-story semicircular galleries with a stone lower floor and a wooden upper floor were built. Their elegant facades completed the ensemble of the courtyard, connecting the main house of the estate with the outbuildings, forming the boundaries of the front courtyard of the property, limiting its area, and putting an end to the appearance of the entire complex. The lower floor of the galleries was decorated with arcades, while the upper one retained its classic appearance with three-section Venetian (also called “Palladian”) windows above the passage to the backyard, which became one of the hallmarks of the house as a whole. Backyard adjoined Malaya Nikitskaya Street (in fact, that’s why the house is numbered through the fraction 46/17). In those years, coach houses and stables were also located there.

Bibikovs' estate. Rear facade of the main house. Photo: TsIG Archive

In 1845–1855 the house was rented by the family of princes Vasilchikov. And just in this decade, the walls of the house saw many famous and even great people. One of the Vasilchikov children was at one time a pupil of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, and members of the noble family were lucky enough to become the first listeners of the classic’s early works. In later years, living nearby in Moscow, Gogol attended literary evenings in the Vasilchikovs’ salon. Westerners often clashed with Slavophiles in disputes, and Nikolai Vasilyevich himself was a participant in these battles. In the same decade, F.I. visited the Vasilchikovs. Tyutchev, M.S. Shchepkin, I.K. Aivazovsky, S.M. Soloviev, T.N. Granovsky, V.A. Sollogub.

Boris, Odga and Evgenia Vasilchikov, children of A. I. Vasilchikov and E. I. Senyavina. Photo: culture.pskov.ru

“The Vasilchikovs have big evenings on Wednesdays,” wrote Alexey Feofilaktovich Pisemsky. Gogol, Shchepkin, Granovsky, Tyutchev, Aivazovsky came to these evenings... Despite often radically different views, visitors to the salon were united by a commonality of interests and a desire for educational and cognitive beginnings. In those days it was important and even prerequisite there was a creative involvement of the salon owner in the art form or forms that were being promoted and developed within its walls.

Known interesting historical fact: despite the enlightenment of the Vasilchikov family, it was one of its representatives, Prince Illarion Vasilyevich, who convinced Nicholas I to shoot at the rebels on December 25, 1825 with grapeshot:

_“- Do you want me to shed the blood of my subjects on the very first day of my reign? - asked the discouraged king.
“Yes, to save your empire,” answered the prince.”

Nevertheless, the estate itself is sometimes called not by the name of the officer Bibikov who built it, but by the family that most glorified it - the owners of the Vasilchikov creative salon.

The next decade saw years of major renovations for the house. In the 1860s–70s it was significantly rebuilt arched window mezzanine and built a massive cast-iron balcony with a pretty lace pattern of fencing, which, with its graceful blackness, is especially expressive on the white and yellow plane of the building’s facade. The balcony actually became the face and another business card estates. At the same time, the strict classical decor of the main facade at the level of the second main floor in the center was decorated with flat fluted pilasters of the Ionic order.

However, as a result of reconstruction interior layout and the architecture remained virtually unchanged: the main entrance hall with a three-flight staircase and the oval hall with choirs protruding in the center of the garden facade were preserved in the form in which they were created in the first quarter of the 19th century.

Over the years of its existence, the estate has changed more than one owner. Since 1881, the complex of buildings became the property of the banker and industrialist L. Polyakov, who found nothing better than to use it as an apartment building.

And since 1903, the main building was occupied by the Kiriena K. Alelekova women's gymnasium, after the revolution it was transformed into school No. 48, which existed here until 1976. It is interesting that in the 1920s the director of the school was a certain Nadezhda Afanasyevna Zemskaya, better known thanks to her brother, the writer Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov. In the summer of 1924, Zemskaya sheltered her brother and his second wife within the walls of the school, who later wrote in her memoirs: “Sister M.A. Nadezhda Afanasyevna Zemskaya accepted us into the bosom of her family, and she was the director of the school and lived on the mezzanine of the building former gymnasium. The result was a “terem-teremok”. Here we also appeared. Fortunately, it was summer, and we were settled in the teachers’ room on an oilcloth sofa, from which I rolled off at night, under a portrait of the stern Ushinsky.”

Notes from Mikhail Bulgakov related to this house have been preserved: “I will baptize. I’ll come at 12” - this is about the baptism of Lenochka’s niece. “We’re going to dance at Nadya’s” - it’s about Nadezhda Afanasyevna and the same times - honeymoons with his wife Lyubov Belozerskaya, who loved noisy companies, dancing, and fun. At Nadya's they not only danced, they played cards and vint.

WITH late XIX century and to this day, the appearance of the building remains virtually unchanged. Even during the years of Soviet power, the complex of buildings at 46 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street underwent virtually no changes. But the blank brick fence that separated the front yard from the street was demolished in the 1950s. It was replaced by a low solid fence with a translucent lattice top.

In 2002, during reconstruction original galleries were demolished, and new copies were recreated in their place.

Bibikovs' estate. Photo: Architectural Monuments of Moscow volume 3, Zemlyanoy Gorod, M. Art 1989

Only many years later, when I learned that the Moscow Union of Musicians lived and still lives in house 46, the origin of the sheet music and vinyl became clear,” my interlocutor recalls. — Obviously, during the difficult years, the MSM sold off archives that had become a burden. I would like to hope that partly our modest financial contribution allowed the Union to survive.

Now the estate building is in terrible condition. If you didn’t know that there were several organizations inhabiting it, one could easily assume that the estate was abandoned. Unless the old oak tree - a witness to history - is quite thriving, hiding under the shadow of its crown the crumbling walls and falling window frames. I don’t even want to think about what will happen to the estate in the future. It is clear that business and prudent management in an urban environment are paramount, but it is sad that such a building with unique architecture and an equally remarkable history is actually abandoned. By the way, the Bibikov (Vasilchikov) house has the status of a cultural heritage site of federal significance.

There are not many summer days left to spend them bored. We invite you to go on a short trip - it won’t take a day - to see what the Soletsky district can surprise a tourist with.

As part of a series of materials, we talk about little-known but noteworthy sights of the Novgorod land. This is not only a current conversation about the development of domestic tourism, it is a story about our past, about those places and objects that we can be proud of and which we must protect. Many of these places need care, protection from vandals and the ravages of time. All of them deserve to become famous tourist attractions.

Estate of the Princes Vasilchikovs

We have already visited one of the abandoned Novgorod region - the estate of Mikhail Tokarsky. This time our attention was drawn to the estate of the Vasilchikov princes in the village of Vybiti, Soletsky district. We headed there in a car provided by the Sadko Hotel.

The Vasilchikovs are a Russian noble family that traces its origins to the legendary ancestor of the Tolstoy family, Indris (through the Tolstoys and Durnovs). The family of Vasilchikov nobles is recorded in the 6th part of the noble genealogical books of the Moscow, Pskov, Kostroma and Smolensk provinces, the Vasilchikov princes in the 5th part of the noble genealogical books of the Moscow and St. Petersburg provinces.

At different times, four representatives of this family were the owners of the estate. Vasily Alekseevich (1754-1830) in 1789-1795 was the Novgorod provincial leader of the nobility. His son, cavalry general Count Illarion Vasilyevich (1777−1847), hero of Borodin, participated in the suppression of the Decembrist uprising in 1825, was chairman of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers, receiving from Emperor Nicholas I “for useful government activities» princely title in 1839.

Alexander Illarionovich (1818−1881) in 1860-1870 was a prominent liberal public figure and publicist. He took an active part in carrying out the peasant reform of 1861 and devoted a lot of time to organizing the economy on his estate. Alexander Illarionovich is also known for being one of the seconds in the fatal duel for the poet M.Yu. Lermontov with N.S. Martynov.

The last owner of the estate, Boris Aleksandrovich Vasilchikov, served as the governor of Pskov and was also the Minister of Agriculture. He widely used mineral fertilizers on his estate and acquired an extensive fleet of agricultural machinery.

In 1918, Boris Alexandrovich was arrested and imprisoned in the Trubetskoy bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The prince turned to V.I. Lenin with a letter of pardon, reminding how at one time, being the governor of Pskov, he gave him permission to travel abroad. He was soon released, having received permission with his wife to leave the country and went to Finland. The first chairman of the All-Russian National Club spent the rest of his days in France. B.A. died Vasilchikov May 13, 1931 in the Russian House in the city of Menton and was buried in the cemetery of Sainte-Genieve-des-Bois near Paris. It is known that the descendants of the princes still live in this country.

One of the wives of Ivan the Terrible and one of the favorites of Catherine II belonged to the same family. And it is no coincidence that next to the portraits of the princes hangs “The Unknown” by Ivan Kramskoy - according to one version, the painting depicts a representative of the Vasilchikov family, whose name is shrouded in mystery.

The Vasilchikovs launched powerful production in Vybiti. In addition to the brick factory, there was a bakery, dairy production, and sawmill. A hospital and school for the local population were also built. The princes put a special sign on every thousandth brick.

Since 2010, the local cultural center has operated a museum, in which, with the help of residents, they managed to collect some items from the Vasilchikovs’ estate. At the museum we were told that tourists visit the park quite often - once a week someone comes. Guests come to the House of Culture to ask for directions.

The main building of the estate - the palace - consisted of three three-story buildings connected by passages.

By left hand From the House of Culture there are buildings of a family church, a bakery and a manager's house. Having been seriously damaged during the war, they were not restored and are in a deplorable state.

Some industrial buildings have been preserved in good condition - local residents now live in them, and a store is located in one of the buildings. It is captivating that even outbuildings at that time were erected with great taste.

The war years did not pass without a trace for the guest house, where specialists assigned to production from other countries and cities settled. By the way, one of these visitors, a German, who worked almost his entire life as a park ranger on the estate, bequeathed to be buried under the crowns of the trees he looked after.

During the Soviet years, the main building of the guest house housed a library; the rest were inhabited by people.

The park adjacent to the estate deserves special attention. Each of its paths had its own name: Alley of Dates, Alley of Love... Individual sites also had names. For example, in the “Stone Room” there are still unusual chairs and sofas. The soft moss gives them a very cozy look.

This is where the grave of the park ranger is located. As for the family tomb of the princes themselves, it is located in the Shimsky district. Every year, as part of the “Muse of the Princely Park” holiday, a prayer service is held there.

Local residents often visit the park to collect water from the spring. The stonework surrounding it resembles a heart or a petal in its outline. And the Kaloshka River flows below.

In the center of the park there is a hill with circular paths. Previously, there was a gazebo on it, from which one could view the alleys of the park.

There is a story connected with the dilapidated laundry in the park, which is told by the granddaughter of a peasant woman who worked there under the princes. One day she was stirring laundry in the vats, when a prince unexpectedly came in - which one exactly, history conceals. The woman was taken aback by surprise and dropped the stirring stick into the hot water. “Careful,” said the prince, “don’t get burned!” The peasant woman remembered this incident as a manifestation of concern for a simple worker.

The tallest attraction in the park is the spreading oak tree. He is about three hundred years old. In the last century, the tree was struck by lightning, but, despite the scorched trunk, the oak crown is still green.

There are also hills in the park about eight meters high. Historians believe that these are traces of settlements around the 8th century.

Route

The village of Vybiti is located on the Koloshka River (the right tributary of the Shelon) 10 kilometers southeast of the city of Soltsy. A high-quality Internet connection from the MegaFon company will help you trace your path, and especially the not so noticeable turn in Soltsy. Driving through Soltsy, turn left from Sovetsky Prospekt onto Volodarsky Street. After the bridge over Shelon, turn left onto Zarechnaya Street and then follow the main road to the village of Vybiti. The main objects of the estate are located next to the House of Culture on Parkovaya Street, 7.

We thank the MegaFon company for high-quality communications and the Sadko hotel for their support.

Photo by Svetlana Smirnova