In the Moscow region, more precisely, in Balashikha, there is one of the largest and oldest Russian estates. Over the years, it has been the property of the most famous families: the Dolgorukovs and Razumovskys, the Tretyakovs and the Yusupovs.
Gorenka's estate was built on the left bank of the river, south of the Vladimirsky tract, which today is called the Nizhny Novgorod highway. A regular park was laid out around the magnificent manor house, supplemented by cascades of seven ponds that blocked islands and bridges. Only three of them have survived to this day. Part of the land was sold to private owners at auction. Fortunately, the main buildings, as well as the palace and park ensemble, have been preserved, although they are not in the best condition.
A bit of history
The history of the Gorenka estate in Balashikha is rooted in the distant past. For the first time the village of Gorenki is mentioned in chronicles dating back to the 16th century. The first owner of these lands was N. R. Zakharyin-Yuriev, brother of the wife of Ivan the Terrible and grandfather of Tsar Mikhail Romanov. The Time of Troubles, as well as the ascension to the throne, did not allow the Romanovs to begin the arrangement of the estate.
Prince Yuri Khilkov only in 1693built the first master's house here and gave it along with the land as a dowry for his daughter Praskovya.
Dolgorukovs
In 1707, Praskovya Khilkova was married to Alexei Dolgorukov. In 1724, the new owner attached the right-bank Gorenki and Chizhevo to the estate and began to build a palace. His son, Ivan Alekseevich, made a successful career at court, becoming the favorite of the young Emperor Peter II, who often visited Gorenki.
A. G. Dolgorukov dreamed that Peter II would marry his seventeen-year-old daughter Catherine. In November 1729, the engagement took place, and Catherine was declared the bride of the sovereign. But unexpectedly for everyone, the fourteen-year-old emperor fell ill and died suddenly. The Dolgorukovs made a fictitious will, according to which the sovereign made his bride the successor to the throne. But these documents were not believed and the Dolgorukovs were sent into exile for a long time, and all their property was transferred to the treasury.
Manor in the 18th century
The Gorenka estate (you can see the photo below) during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna passed into the possession of Count Razumovsky. He was a church choir singer, and later became a favorite of the Empress. Razumovsky in 1747 decided to rebuild the house. At the same time, he begins the construction of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior.
Historians say that it was under Alexei Razumovsky that the estate flourished. Under him, the palace was landscaped, to which was added the main entrance in the classical style with white tall columns. A magnificent park with artificial cascades was laid out around the palace.ponds and grottoes. And in 1809, the Botanical Society, the first in Russia, was created in the Gorenki estate. The largest library of publications in the natural sciences at that time was also organized here.
It should be said that the owner of the estate was a passionate lover of rare plants, which he cultivated from a young age. Thanks to his efforts, a large botanical garden with greenhouses appeared in the Gorenka estate in Balashikha, in which about seven thousand amazing plants grew, brought from all over the world. Tropical plants also appeared here, which were rather difficult to take root in the local climate. Bamboo and Chinese cedars, southern cypresses and palm trees were grown in the garden. Travelers from different countries often came here to admire the creation of Razumovsky.
F. B. Fisher, a well-known botanist who later headed the Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg, oversaw this large farm. The count had no legitimate children, therefore, after his death, all property, including the Gorenka estate, passed to the children of his younger brother. When the inheritance was divided, the estate went to Alexei Kirillovich, who by that time was already a well-known botanist, who was often called the “Russian Linnaeus.”
Under him, large-scale construction began on the estate. Aleksey Kirillovich spared no funds for the improvement of the estate. He did not lack them thanks to his successful marriage to V. P. Sheremetyeva.
End of 18th century
During this period, the Gorenki estate in Moscowchanged markedly: a three-story manor house was built according to the project of the Scottish architect Adam Adamovich Menelas. Its facade was decorated with a portico with six huge white columns. Modern historians and art historians believe that the design of the famous palace in Perov by the great architect Rastrelli was used when creating its architectural concept.
Gorenka's estate was designed in the style of classicism. In front of the three-story building was a menagerie, and on the opposite side was a parterre decorated with marble statues. A wide staircase led from it to the pond.
Park
Ponds and grottoes, bridges thrown over to the islets, rotunda gazebos and, of course, green spaces were the epitome of a classic English park. The architect Meneles worked for a long time for the Razumovsky and Stroganov families, and then decided to stay in Russia forever. He became the author of unique projects that are recognized as pearls of architectural art - Alexandria Park and the Cottage Palace in Peterhof, the Spare Palace (Tsarskoye Selo), Arsenal (Alexandrovsky Park).
The period of decline of the estate
During the Patriotic War (1812) the estate suffered a lot. After the death of Alexei Kirillovich (1822), the estate was acquired by Prince Yusupov. Historians say that Razumovsky did not think too much about who would get the Gorenka estate. Contemporaries in their memoirs claimed that the count loved and cared more for his plants than for his children.
Many architecturalmasterpieces. However, not everyone knows that most of the magnificent palace and park ensemble in Arkhangelskoye was created using trees, greenhouse plants and sculptures taken from the Gorenka estate.
The ruin of the estate
After the death of A. K. Razumovsky, a black streak began in the history of the Gorenki estate. The valuables he had collected over the years were sold to different people. The library and the herbarium were bought by Alexander I, some things were bought by landowners from the surrounding settlements, and the Yusupov estate itself was sold to the merchants Volkov, who were not at all interested in the preservation of the magnificent estate. Under them, the estate fell into disrepair and fell into disrepair.
Two factories began to operate in the luxurious manor house, and wooden houses for workers were built in the park. Not only the house suffered from such a restructuring, but also the park that surrounded it. Maria Tretyakova, the penultimate owner, rented out part of the house as a poultry house.
Only the last owner of the estate, industrialist Sevryugov, attempted to revive it. Before the revolution, he invested fabulous funds for those times in the restoration of the estate. The interiors of the house were restored, the facades were put in order, the ponds were cleaned. The restoration work was led by the famous architect Chernyshev. His pride was the Golden Hall on the first floor of the house. The gilded stucco on its ceilings has survived to this day.
It is not difficult to imagine the scale of the restoration, given the fact that the builders had to rebuild the floorshouses that were barbarously destroyed during the removal of factory chimneys, get rid of the passages to the outbuildings and erect colonnades in their place, destroy all wooden buildings in the park, restore stucco and murals in the house. Nevertheless, the estate was restored at the end of the summer of 1917.
Gorenka Estate in Soviet times: nationalization
In the twenties the estate was nationalized, and for some time there was an orphanage in it. In 1925, the Krasnaya Roza sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was placed here. It got its name in honor of Rosa Luxembourg. By the way, it continues to work today. The surrounding buildings began to rent to summer residents for the summer. Information has been preserved that the Meyerhold family lived in one of the local dachas for a long time.
Manor today
During the years of Soviet power, ill-conceived economic activities caused irreparable harm to the entire complex. Almost all buildings on its territory have been preserved, but the park was actually abandoned and fell into disrepair. Of the seven ponds, four have been lost, many trees have been cut down, there are no exquisite rotundas, only two bridges have survived, but their condition is deplorable.
The colonnade leading from the main house to the outbuildings is overgrown with bushes, and in terms of the degree of destruction it is more like an ancient temple. From the staircase that led to the park, small fragments remained, and the eagles from the pedestals that once adorned it were gone.
In the park on the shore of the pond there is an interesting landscape gardening facility in the Gorenki estate. Grotto - semi-undergrounda structure built of large cobblestone that sticks out of the walls like the teeth of a huge predator. In the center there is a domed hall and three narrow winding corridors. The ceiling of the grotto has collapsed in places. What this building was used for - for the lordly joy or as a cold cellar, no one can say with accuracy, although, in our opinion, the second version is more realistic.
The grotto also has its own legend, which says that when the estate belonged to the landowner D. N. S altykova (S altychikha), known for her severe temper, the grotto was used by her to torture her serfs. However, there is no evidence for this, and this is just a legend. During the last reconstruction, the grotto was restored, but today it has partially collapsed again.
Will the estate be restored?
Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of Russian history do not lose hope that this will happen in the foreseeable future. And there are all the prerequisites for this: recently the estate has been declared an architectural monument under the protection of the state. Restoration work has recently begun here, but so far they have affected the facades of buildings and a small part of the park. The good condition of the buildings allows us to hope that the estate will eventually acquire its unique original appearance. I would like to see patrons who are not indifferent to Russian culture even in our difficult times.
Gorenki Estate: how to get there?
The estate is located on the southern side of the Nizhny Novgorod highway. The exact address of the Gorenki estate: highway Enthusiasts, 2. You can get here bycar, train and bus.
How to get to the Gorenki estate by car? From the capital, you need to go to the M7 highway and follow it to Balashikha. You will see the estate on the right side of the road.
From the Kursk railway station, an electric train runs daily to the Gorenki station. From there to the estate you need to walk about two kilometers. You can use bus number 336, which departs from the Partizanskaya metro station. The driver should be asked to stop the bus at the estate before reaching the city.
A few words in conclusion
Despite many years of mismanagement, the Gorenki estate has retained the charm of an old Russian noble estate. Undoubtedly, the house and the park have lost their original beauty and cannot yet be compared with such famous estates as Kuskovo or Arkhangelskoye. But even in its current state, a unique atmosphere reigns here, which can only be felt when visiting this wonderful place.
