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Bogoroditsky Palace-Museum and Park
Bogoroditsky Palace-Museum and Park
Palace-park ensemble of the counts Bobrinskie – Bogoroditsk estate became a birthplace, patrimonial nest for many generations of the family of the counts Bobrinskie. They came from the illegitimate son of the Empress Ekaterina II and her favourite Grigory Orlov – Aleksey who received the surname Bobrinsky from the name of the Bobrikova area which was presented to him and included Bogoroditsk. Pavel I having joined the throne officially declared him his brother and gave him and his offsprings the rank of count.
A wonderful palace in the style of early classicism for future count A.G. Bobrinsky was built on the bank of the pond based on the river Uperta. Bogoroditsk was transferred to another bank and projected so that if one appeared in the centre of the main oval hall of the palace (the project of the whole building is based on oval shape) they could see perspectives of five streets-rays crowned with five temples from five windows facing the pond. The huge picturesque park having many constructions and „surprises“: underground grottos, pavillions-firecrackers, artificial waterfalls, marble statues and romantic ruines joined the pond and surrounded the palace. The centre of the park was introduced with two ponds separated with the dam covered with trees – Big pond and Lower pond the water surface of which was decorated with artificial islands. The part of the park confined the palace from the North was called „ehonich valley“.
For almost twenty years the creator of this wonder of landscape-park art A.T. Bolotov (1738-1833) – the first Russian scientist-agronomist, philosopher, educator, writer and painter managed the Bogoroditsky estate. One can make impressions about former prosperity of the park by means of water colours and pictures made by Bolotov himself. In 1770-1783 Kazansky church – important and mostly saved part of the palace-park ensemble was built on the territory of the park by the project of architect I.E. Starov. The construction itself was managed by the architect Y.A. Ananyin. The artist I.T. Nekrasov was invited for decorating for the temple interior. Bolotov also drew icons, finished the decoration of iconostasis and the interior of the whole temple. The count A.G. Bobrinsky became the owner of the estate just after the death of Ekaterina II. He visited Bogoroditsk very seldom.
In the forties the palace burnt. The grandson of the first owner count A.P. Bobrinsky restored and brought the estate to order. The Bobrinskie estate is a specially protected natural territory of regional importance. During the Second World War the palace-park ensemble suffered a lot; just walls were everything that was left. In 70-80 of XX century the main buildings were restored. Art school for children and library of art are situated now on the park territory. Park buildings (summer houses, grottos, bridges, water mains) have not been restored yet. The counts Bobrinskie estate is a specially protected natural territory of regional importance.
Languages: Russian, English. Excursion in other foreign languages are possible by request.
