The Ostankino estate is the former estate of the Sheremetev counts. The Ostankino estate is the country residence of the “Russian Croesus” The estate museum has opened
Excursions to the Ostankino Estate Museum
The museum is closed for restoration (2019).
Ostankino estate address
Moscow, 129515, st. Ostankino 1st, 5
How to get to the Ostankino estate
Get to the VDNH metro station. Then transfer to tram No. 11 or 17 and go to the final stop Ostankino (stops 5 and 6). Or take trolleybus No. 9 and 37, bus No. 85 to the Koroleva Street stop (4 stops). From Alekseevskaya metro station you can also take trolleybus No. 9 and 37 or bus No. 85 to the Koroleva Street stop (8 stops).
You can also try an original way of transportation - the monorail. When exiting the VDNH metro station, you will almost immediately see it, since it passes at a considerable height above the ground, on a kind of overpass. Or ask any passerby how to get to the monorail. Go 2 stops - from the "Exhibition Center" station to the "Telecenter". Be careful, the monorail is equipped with evil guards prohibiting photography!
, official site
Membership in organizations:
Union of Museums of Russia - R14
Russian National Committee of the International Council of Museums - ICOM Russia - R158
Association of Music Museums and Collections (AMMiK) - R1928
Sponsors, patrons and grant givers:
V. Potanin Charitable Foundation
Storage units:
21905, of which 17254 are fixed assets items
Major exhibition projects:
"Palace within a Palace". Moscow, State Museum "Tsaritsyno", 2014
"Unsurpassed Wedgwood." Moscow, All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art, 2014.
"One hundred years of holidays in an estate near Moscow. Kuskovo. Ostankino. Arkhangelskoye. Lyublino." Moscow, Moscow State United Art Historical-Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, 2014-15.
"Palladio in Russia. From Baroque to Modernism." Italy, Venice, Correr Museum, 2014, Moscow, State Museum "Tsaritsyno", 2015
Traveling and exchange exhibitions:
"Passion for Beads" (first quarter of the 18th - early 20th centuries). The whole range of beadwork from the era of its heyday - from thimble cases to furniture. From 200 to 300 exhibits. Showcases required
French engraving from the 17th - 19th centuries. From the collection of the Moscow Ostankino Estate Museum. Genre and reproduction engravings by leading French masters. 60 sheets are provided for the exhibition, representing in all its splendor the exquisite art of French printmaking
English color engraving of the 17th - 19th centuries. from the collection of the Moscow Ostankino Estate Museum. Magnificent color sheets by leading English masters of exquisite technique, the highest quality of workmanship and an original form of art. 40 exhibits
"Giambattista, Francesco and Laura Piranesi. Masterpieces of world graphics from the collection of the Moscow Ostankino Estate Museum." 40 rare sheets from the creative heritage of the famous artistic family - the great Italian etcher Giambattista Piranesi, his son Francesco and daughter Laura
Architectural landscape in Italian engravings of the late 17th - early 19th centuries. from the collection of the Ostankino Estate Museum. Masterpieces of graphic art in the genre of architectural veduta, popular both among professional artists and architects, and art lovers. 50 sheets
Russian watercolor portrait of the 19th century. from the collection of the Ostankino estate museum. The exhibition includes such famous names as P.F. Sokolov, V.I. Gau, A.P. Rokstuhl and others. 60 portraits, supplemented with art objects - fans, boxes, etc.
Russian graphic portrait of the first half of the 19th century. from the collection of the Ostankino estate museum. Chamber portraits drawn with graphic and colored pencils, charcoal, pastels, watercolors and gouache. 50 portraits, supplemented with art objects - fans, boxes, etc.
Russian miniature portrait of the 18th - 19th centuries. from the collection of the Ostankino estate museum. Works by the most famous masters of Russian miniatures. The number of exhibits can vary from 100 to 200 exhibits. Requires vertical display cases with lighting
Western European miniature portrait of the 18th - 19th centuries. from the collection of the Ostankino estate museum. Works by famous masters of portrait miniatures XVIII-XIX. The number of exhibits can vary from 100 to 200 exhibits. Requires vertical display cases with lighting
The Ostankino Estate Museum in Moscow is a unique architectural monument of the 18th century in the northern part of the capital. Located close to the center, it attracts with its strict forms of classicist architecture, the beauty of the palace interiors and the silence of the ancient park. The Ostankino Estate Museum in Moscow belongs to a protected natural area of the capital.
Photo – D. Kozakov The boyar estate with a pond (XVI century), the Church of the Holy Trinity (XVII century), a manor house and an oak grove became at the end of the 18th century a palace-pack ensemble, the ceremonial summer residence of Count N.P. Sheremetev 
On the site of the modern Ostankino estate (originally Ostashkovo), 400 years ago there were dense forests in which a few villages were scattered. In these places, the royal rangers often hunted bears and moose, for which the nearby lands received the names “Losiny Ostrov”, “Los”, “Medvedkovo”.
The first written mention of the village and its owner dates back to 1558. Ivan the Terrible gave these lands into the possession of the serviceman Alexei Satin, who was executed by him during the oprichnina years. The famous diplomat, clerk of the embassy department Vasily Shchelkalov was appointed the new owner of the estate. Under him, Ostankino became a real estate (late 16th - early 17th centuries). Shchelkanov builds a boyar's house with business people settling in it, and a wooden Trinity Church. At the same time, a large pond was dug, a vegetable garden was planted, and an oak grove was planted.
After the Time of Troubles, the devastated estate was restored by new owners - the Cherkasy princes, in addition, they built a beautiful stone church in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity, which has survived to this day, on the site of a burnt wooden one with a five-domed temple, with two chapels, three hipped porches and a bell tower with a high spire (now topped with a tent).
Ostankino has been associated with the Sheremetev family since 1743, when Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev married Princess Varvara Alekseevna Cherkasskaya, the only daughter of the Cherkasskys. As a dowry, she received 24 estates, which included Ostankino, and the young owner himself, who owned the Kuskovo estate, created an orchard in Ostankino, laid out a park, and built new mansions.
After the death of Sheremetev Sr. (1788), his son Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev took over as heir, to whom not only the Ostankino estate passed, but also his father’s estates in 17 provinces with 200 thousand peasants, with prosperous villages in which peasants were engaged in artistic crafts.
The young Count Sheremetev was one of the richest and most enlightened aristocrats of his time: he knew several foreign languages, studied abroad, traveled to many European countries, getting acquainted with literature and art, and collected a large library.
Upon his arrival in Russia, he planned to create a Palace of Arts in Ostankino with a theater, art galleries, and richly decorated state rooms and halls open to both domestic and foreign guests. He saw in this a service not only to personal needs, but also to the glory of all Russia.
The palace was built from 1791 to 1798. Architects Giacomo Quarenghi, Francesco Camporesi, as well as Russian architects E. Nazarov and serf architect P. Argunov took part in its design. The construction was carried out by serf craftsmen, who were supervised by the responsible architects A. Mironov, G. Dikushin, P. Bizyaev. The interiors were also designed by serf artists: decorator G. Mukhin, artist N. Argunov, carvers F. Pryakhin and I. Mochalin, parquet artists F. Pryadchenko, E. Chetverikov. P. Argunov completed the finishing of the building.
Ostankino Palace was built in the style of classicism. Monumental and majestic, it seemed to be built of stone, although the material for it was wood.
The general composition of the palace is based on a diagram in the form of the letter “P” with a front courtyard. The building is designed in classical symmetry. A large dome crowns the central part of the building, decorated with three classic porticoes: a central one and two side ones. Pavilions on both sides (Italian and Egyptian) are connected to the main building by one-story galleries.
The main room in the center of the palace is the theater hall. It should be noted that the count created an unusual theater, where serfs received good acting education from famous Russian and foreign artists. The musical part was headed by composer, bandmaster and singing teacher Ivan Degtyarev, and the complex mechanisms of the stage were managed by Fyodor Pryakhin.
All this was created by golden hands by masters - serf craftsmen of the count, who recruited the most capable peasants from different villages, sent them to study at the Academy of Arts and even to Italy.
In 1801, Sheremetev left for St. Petersburg forever, marrying the young but already famous actress of his theater, Praskovya Ivanovna Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, the daughter of a serf blacksmith, not recognized in the world and who died of consumption at the age of 34 after the birth of her son Dmitry. Soon the count himself dies. Their son was raised by the ballerina of the same theater T.V. Shlykova-Granatova.
The interiors of the main halls have retained their original decor and decoration. Lighting fixtures made of crystal, bronze, and gilded carved wood add special elegance to the halls. The decoration of Ostankino interiors is inlaid artistic parquet.
From June to September, the Ostankino Theater hosts the traditional Sheremetev Seasons festival, which continues the musical and theatrical traditions of the estate. The production of operas and ballets of the 18th century, various concert programs performed in the hall of the historical theater, make it possible to experience the theatrical purpose of the Ostankino Palace and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of estate holidays
Sculptures and stucco moldings of the Sheremetyev Palace facade
Church in Ostankino
The Church of the Life-Giving Trinity (1678-1692) was built of red brick. The facades of the building are decorated with multi-colored tiles depicting flowers, fantastic birds and animals, white stone carvings, and figured brickwork. In the central part of the church there is an iconostasis with icons from the 17th-18th centuries
Ostankino remained the Sheremetev family estate until 1917. After the revolution of 1917, the estate was nationalized and functioned as an estate museum, and since 1938 - as a museum of serf art. Since then, extensive scientific work has been constantly carried out to restore and restore the palace, and catalogs of its collections have been created.
As a public museum, the Ostankino estate opened to visitors on May 1, 1919 on the initiative of the Department for Museums and the Protection of Monuments of Art and Antiquities of the People's Commissariat for Education. The museum is currently undergoing a comprehensive scientific restoration. Every year from May 18 to September 30, the part of the palace open for display is included in a sightseeing tour of the estate
The Ostankino Palace was built from Siberian pine with external plaster and internal decorative finishing (1792-1798) in the style of Russian classicism. Architects: Camporesi, Starov, Brenna. The modest decor of the plastered walls consists of plaster bas-reliefs on mythological themes, the wall niches are “enlivened” with sculptural images of heroes of ancient mythology associated with the cult of Dionysus and Apollo
Its plastered walls look like stone. The pale pink color of the palace façade bore the poetic name “the color of a nymph at dawn.” This sophisticated color and white columns created a feeling of purity. The harmony of lines and the beauty of the interiors have fascinated guests for several centuries.
The main facade is decorated with a majestic six-column portico of the Corinthian order, installed on the ledge of the first floor. The facade facing the park is decorated with a ten-columned loggia of the Ionic order. The outer walls of the palace are decorated with bas-reliefs by sculptors F. Gordeev and G. Zamaraev. The most important part of the palace is the theater hall, connected by closed galleries to the Egyptian and Italian pavilions, which were used for ceremonial receptions and theatrical performances
Theater of the Ostankino Estate Museum
At that time, theater was one of the fashionable pastimes. N.P.’s passion for theater Sheremetev's work grew into his life's work. According to the count's plan, the Ostankino Palace was to become the Pantheon of Arts, a palace in which the theater reigns. The theater was opened in 1795 with I. Kozlovsky’s opera based on the words of A. Potemkin “The Capture of Izmail or Zelmira and Smelon”. The theater troupe consisted of about 200 actors, singers and musicians. The repertoire included ballet, operas and comedies.
wind machine
Thunder machine
Not only works by Russian authors were staged, but also by French and Italian composers. Count Sheremetev organized holidays in honor of high-ranking persons, which were usually accompanied by a performance with the participation of talented actors. The serf actress Praskovya Zhemchugova, a talented singer, shone on the theater stage.
The last holiday, in honor of Emperor Alexander I, took place in 1801. Soon the theater was dissolved and the owners left the palace. The theater hall has survived to this day in its “ballroom” form, but even today ancient operas are staged here and chamber orchestras perform. The hall remains the capital's best hall in terms of acoustics. It is built in the shape of a horseshoe, which provides good visibility from all places and excellent acoustics. The hall is decorated in blue and pink colors and can accommodate up to 250 spectators.
Auditorium
The auditorium was small, but decorated with great elegance. The amphitheater was separated from the stalls by a balustrade, behind which, between the Corinthian columns, there were the mezzanine loggias, and above them, right at the ceiling, the upper gallery. The palace halls were intended for foyers and were used as concert and banquet rooms: the Egyptian Hall, the Italian Hall, the Raspberry Living Room, an art gallery, a concert hall, etc. They can be called ceremonial rooms with crystal chandeliers, parquet floors, paintings, gilded stucco moldings, stylish furniture , upholstering the walls with silk, paintings, engravings, sculptures. Even small corner rooms and transitional galleries were luxuriously decorated 
Theater ceiling 
The two-story theater is located in the center of the palace and is surrounded by a system of state halls. A unique theatrical version of classicism was used in the decoration of the state rooms. The interior decoration uses fabrics, gilding, wood carvings, and paper painting.
Interior decoration
The interior decoration of the palace surprises with its elegance and simplicity. Most of the decor is made of wood imitating marble, bronze and other materials. The main type of decoration of the halls is gilded carving. Most of the carved decoration was made by carver P. Spol. It is especially beautiful in the Italian pavilion. 
Egyptian Hall 
Patterned parquet flooring made of rare wood, walls upholstered in satin and velvet. The state rooms of the palace are famous for their gilded furniture of the 18th and early 19th centuries, made by Russian and European masters. Lamps, wall and other decorations were often made specifically for the Ostankino Palace. All items are in their places and have reached us in their original condition. As an eyewitness wrote: “... everything glitters with gold, marbles, statues, vases.” 
Egyptian Hall
There is also a collection of portraits from the 18th and 19th centuries on display. works by famous masters, as well as rare paintings by unknown artists. Unfortunately, out of thirty original ancient sculptures, only five have survived to this day. Therefore, palace sculpture is represented mainly by copies. Works by Western European sculptors Canova and Lemoine, Boizot and Triscorni have also been preserved. Among the porcelain items, items from the Cherkassky collection have been preserved. These are products of Japanese and Chinese porcelain from the 16th to 18th centuries. You can also see a collection of fans from the collection of the famous collector F.E. Vishnevsky
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Balcony 2nd floor
Ostankino Park 
Together with the construction of the palace N.P. Sheremetev laid out a regular park in the French style, and later he created a landscape park. The regular park was the main part of the so-called Pleasure Garden, which also included a parterre and an embankment hill "Parnassus", "Own Garden" and a cedar grove. The pleasure garden was located next to the palace. The part of the grove closest to the estate (the so-called Surplus Garden) was turned into an English park. An English gardener worked on the creation of a natural landscape garden. 5 artificial ponds were created. In the garden grew oaks and lindens, maples and various shrubs - hazel, honeysuckle and viburnum. Along Botanicheskaya Street there is a Sculpture Park. There are flower beds here, two gazebos with columns, a stage and an open gallery. 
The museum conducts active exhibition work, presenting temporary exhibitions from its funds both in the palace and outside it. The theater, part of the state rooms and the park are open to visitors. Nowadays, the Ostankino museum-estate in Moscow is a unique palace and park ensemble with the only wooden theater building in Russia from the late 18th century 
Photo-Snow Fox
The Ostankino estate is one of the most unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 18th century in terms of its architecture and preservation. The estate is located in the northern part of Moscow.
The ensemble of the Ostankino estate took shape over several centuries. The first traces in history date back to the mid-16th century. At that time, in its place was the Shchelkalovs’ estate with a small boyar courtyard and a wooden church. In 1620, the Ostankino estate was donated by Mikhail Fedorovich, the Tsar, to the boyar I.B. Cherkassky. Since then, the Cherkasskys owned the estate for a little more than a century - until 1743, then it passed to the Sheremetevs.
The heyday of the Ostankino estate began at the end of the 18th century, when ownership of the estate passed into the hands of Count N. Sheremetev, a wealthy philanthropist and art connoisseur. At that time, theater was a new favorite hobby among the nobility, but for Count Sheremetev this light hobby grew into an all-consuming passion. He planned to make the Ostankino estate his summer residence and organize a theater troupe for permanent residence and work. To realize this idea on a full scale, the famous palace theater was erected in Ostankino.
Famous Russian architects F. Camporesi, V. Brenna and I. Starov worked on the project of this unusual palace. It was embodied by the count's serf architects - A. Mironov and P. Argunov. Construction lasted from 1792 to 1798. The palace was built entirely of wood, but its plastered walls seem to be made of stone. The embodiment of an extraordinary idea was highly appreciated.
When Prince Sheremetev died in 1809, the Ostankino estate was practically forgotten and abandoned by the owners.
Immediately after the October Revolution, the estate, thanks to the nationalization of values that swept the country, was turned into a museum, which in 1938 began to be called the Palace Museum of the Creativity of Serfs. In 1992, the museum was renamed the Moscow Ostankino Estate Museum.
Currently, the Ostankino estate museum displays a rich collection of ancient Russian icons and wooden sculpture from the late 15th to early 20th centuries, a collection of furniture from the late 14th to 19th centuries, and an exhibition of paintings and graphics.
Now let’s walk through the museum halls of the estate:
The first hall displays the museum's various collections.
Collecting was a favorite pastime of the nobility. The Sheremetev counts, representing one of the noble and wealthy families of the Russian nobility, were also fond of collecting.
The museum has a unique collection of fans
Table (Russia 17th century); Chairs (Europe 17th century); Above the table is a portrait of Prince A.M. Cherkassky 1760; Wardrobe (Germany, second half of the 17th century)
Harp
(France. Paris. Master P. Krupp. 1770)
Behind the first hall there is a gallery. On the walls of which hangs an extensive collection of original drawings, measurements, projects of the 18th century related to the design and construction of the palace in Ostankino, as well as a collection of paintings.
The gallery leads to the Italian Pavilion - the most elegant pavilion in the Ostankino estate.
From the pavilion there is a corridor to the office of Count Sheremetyev himself, but the entrance to the office is closed to visitors. I photographed it from afar.
The passage Gallery to the Italian Pavilion, connecting the pavilion with the Engraving Gallery and forming an integral part of the lower theater foyer, was built in 1792 according to the design of the architect Francesco Camporesi.
Print gallery.
The print gallery was created in 1796 by order of N.P. Sherementeva.
A fundamental turn in the fate of Ostankino is associated with the decision of N.P. Sheremetev to build a theater in Ostankino. Unlike most representatives of the enlightened Russian nobility of that time, N.P. Sheremetev’s penchant for the then fashionable entertainment - the theater - turned from a hobby into his life’s work. Having a well-prepared troupe with an extensive repertoire and several theater premises, Sheremetev conceived a project for a summer entertainment residence that was unique for Russia.
When the theater opened in 1795, I. Kozlovsky’s opera based on the words of A. Potemkin “The Capture of Izmail or Zelmira and Smelon” was performed. On the day of the holiday organized by Sheremetev in 1797 in honor of Emperor Paul I, A.-E. Grétry's opera "Samnite Marriages" was staged, repeated a little later for the Polish king Stanislav August Poniatowski. In this opera, the main role was played by the brilliant Praskovya Zhemchugova, a serf actress, the best singer of the troupe, who later became Countess Sheremeteva.
In 1801, the last holiday during the life of N.P. Sheremetev took place in Ostankino in honor of Emperor Alexander I. The heyday of Ostankino was bright, but short. Soon the troupe was disbanded, and the estate was abandoned by the owners for a long time.
“I must tell you about the house of Count Sheremetev, who on the third day gave a holiday to the King of Poland and a select audience of about five hundred people.
Not a single German ruler, hardly any of the electors, has anything like this... On the lower floor everything glitters with gold, marbles, statues, vases.
One might think that this is the limit of the owner's possessions, but you will go up to the mezzanine and be surprised at the sight of a new, no less royal splendor. Big beautiful theater.
The troupe, actors, dancers, chapel - everything belongs to the owner,” an eyewitness wrote.
And the last pavilion that is open to visitors is the Egyptian one.
The Egyptian pavilion does not belong entirely to the palace and is connected to it only by a narrow passage gallery. The huge bright space opens onto the garden.
