The Rastorguev-Kharitonovs estate is not only an interesting architectural memorial, but also a building with its own unique history, which includes many myths, legends and interesting facts. This house is considered to be almost the most valuable heritage of the city of Yekaterinburg. Moreover, at one time it had federal significance. This beautiful estate is located in the heart of the city in the Kirovsky district on the street that bears the name of Karl Liebknecht. Ascension hill can rightfully be proud of this attraction.
Estate of the late 18th century
Looking beyond the screen of history, you can see that all the truly spectacular structures were built before the twentieth century. And the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate (Yekaterinburg) is no exception. Its construction began in the eighteenth century, namely in one thousand seven hundred and ninety-fifth. It is noteworthy that, simultaneously with the estate, the Ascension Church began to be built.
The construction of buildings was finally and solemnly completed at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Architect Malakhov literally put his whole soul into the construction of this beautiful house, which is known as the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate in Yekaterinburg. Some facts indicate that it was with his light hand in the middle of the nineteenth century that a magnificent garden was broken at the estate. The provincial secretary Isakov is considered to be the original owner of the house, however, unfortunately, he died, not seeing with his own eyes even the completion of construction work.
The new owners of the estate
His widowed wife was so heartbroken that she could not find the strength to continue the construction of a fashionable house. Without thinking twice, she sold the unfinished residential complex to the famous merchant in that locality - Lev Ivanovich Rastorguev. Apparently, the scale of the estate seemed too modest to him, since he immediately ordered the expansion. In addition, two houses were erected, including a two-story outbuilding and a greenhouse.
At the end of construction, Rastorguev decided to strengthen family ties, and the estate became the property of his son-in-law Kharitonov. That is how the estate of the Rastorguev-Kharitonovs got its official name.
Territory expansion
Rastorguev-Kharitonov Manor in Yekaterinburg was famous for its gardens. The son-in-law of the famous merchant decided not to be modest and continued to buy the adjacent land. It was decided to expand the garden, which now began to occupy more than nine hectares and was called "English". Bizarre trees brought from afar and other park structures made it unique and inimitable, especially by the standards of the nineteenth century.
A few years later, the wasteland located nearby was also included in the family property. Some buildings, including the outbuildings, were interconnected by one-story transitions, which made it possible to travel from house to house without going outside. It was very convenient, especially in cold rainy weather or in winter.
Mysterious basements
Of particular interest to historians, and just curious tourists are the cellars of the magnificent building. For a long time they were covered with a veil of fear and mystery. Legends say that rebels were hidden in them for a long time. Some people confidently claim that under the estate there is a whole network of dungeons, which extends in all directions far beyond the estate. However, the likelihood of finding out is negligible.
Again without a master
The thousand eight hundred and thirty-seventh year became a turning point for Kharitonov in his life. The emperor issued a decree evicting the owner of the estate in Kexholm. The reason for this was the accusation of Kharitonov in the brutal treatment of his workers. Since then, everything has changed a lot. Since he had no successors, the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate was empty, and eventually some of its parts began to be used as rented premises. There, many began to rent apartments and work offices.
The imprint of communism on the estate
Then the time came for revolution, and for some time the Red Guard detachments were stationed there, and then the university also worked. The building was multifunctional and suitable for almost everything, and after it also became the property of the state, meetings and congresses of the Socialist Union began to take place there. In honor of such events, the square, which later was called Komsomolskaya, was renamed.
Legends of an old building
One thousand nine hundred and twenty-fourth years opened the curtain of mystery that the Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate had inspired. In the park near the main entrance to the palace, a collapse occurred, as a result, a tunnel in the dungeon opened. After a couple of decades, workers cleaned the pond and discovered a hole with a passage that extended twenty meters deep. These exciting findings were confirmed at that time by rumors about the famous dungeons that were built under the estate. Such failures occurred as a result of obsolescence of both the building itself and the structures around it. Against the background of these events in the nineteenth century, it was decided to carry out a major restoration of the estate with a view to its further use.
Some work has indeed been done, however, unfortunately, at present the complex is far from in the most satisfactory condition. The facade was really renovated, but the plaster and paint are no longer there. According to some reports, this was caused by gross operational violations. The Ministry of Culture paid special attention to the current state of the Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate. Measures were taken and the illegal construction of brick structures on the territory of the architectural and historical memorial was stopped.
Rastorguev-Kharitonov Manor: architectural monument
The appearance of the estate was quite typical for the first half of the nineteenth century, and the style of construction can be safely called classic. Rastorguev-Kharitonov Manor (Yekaterinburg) is located at the intersection of two streets, that is, it has an angular arrangement. This gives it a majestic look and opens a review a couple of blocks ahead. The special pride of the entire estate can be safely called a park. Its gardens and alleys form a beautiful sight and are perfectly combined with an artificial lake and rotunda. Some trees in the park are over two hundred years old, and they are the oldest in the whole city. This place can rightfully be proud of Yekaterinburg. The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov, the description of which is given above, is a real diamond of cultural value.
But the antiquity in the estate blows not only from the trees. Old legends about the Rastorguev family are of considerable interest to lovers of history and culture. There is a myth that the count so badly wanted to build fabulous dungeons in his palace that he turned for help to an architect who was serving his sentence in hard labor at that time. He immediately involved him in the implementation of his plan, and as a reward he promised early release. As it turned out, after the completion of grandiose but secret work, the count never gave the architect the promised freedom. He was returned to hard labor in Tobolsk, where he hanged himself from despair. It is difficult not to call this act vile, even in relation to the convict. The circumstances of his death deeply excited the public, and even after a long time there were rumors that because of this, misfortunes began to pour in the estate one after another. One of them is the alleged death of one of the count's daughters. Unrequited love and a broken heart prompted her to go and drown in a park pond. The tragic end ... However, let's not forget that this is nothing more than an assumption, because today there are facts that indicate that the daughters of Rastorguev lived a fairly long life and remained in the city even after their husbands were exiled to Kexburg.
These are just a few stories from a long list of myths and legends that the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate (Yekaterinburg) is famous for. Excursions that are regularly organized on the estate can tell a lot about the culture and life of people, in particular, nobles during the period of incipient feudalism.