The small village of Yurino, located on the Volga coast, in the Republic of Mari El, is famous for its main attraction. This is the castle of Sheremetev. Many tourists come to Yurino every year to see this magnificent building.
The magnificent castle is located on the very banks of the great river. Toothed towers and towers, terraces and balconies, exquisite frames of window openings made of red and black bricks in combination with white columns created a unique decorative design of the facade, and the beautifully executed carving creates volume and relief, reminiscent of an old stucco molding.
A bit of history
During the reign of Peter I, Yurino had a different name. Then it was called the village of Arkhangelsk of the Nizhny Novgorod province. The village belonged to General Golovin. Sheremetyev Castle (in Yurino) has been known since 1812. It was this year that a small village was acquired by the rich Nizhny Novgorod landowner V. S. Sheremetev. He was the great-nephew of Field Marshal Peter I.
The new owner began to build an estate on this land. His work was continued by the son of the landowner Sergei Vasilievich. But the main builders of the castle were V.P.Sheremetev, his wife Olga Dmitrievna and their son Pyotr Vasilyevich. Construction work began in 1874 and was fully completed in 1915. A year later, Peter Vasilievich died.
Part of the castle was erected in 1880 according to the project and under the direction of R. Mueller, an architect from Germany. It was made in the Neo-Gothic (late) style. A. Parland, A. Korsh, A. Stern took part in the development of the general design of the building. At the end of the 19th century, the famous architect S.K. Rodionov joined in the work. Since 1905 P.P. Malinovsky took part in the work.
Castle owners
The legal owners of the castle were V.P. and O.D. Sheremetevs. Olga Dmitrievna was a sister to General M.D. Skobelev. He was a frequent guest in the estate of his relatives. The owners gathered in their castle a huge collection of weapons, some of which belonged to Skobelev.
After the death of the son of the Sheremetevs (1916), who was the owner of the castle, the heirs of the ancient family left Yurino. In 1924, the Yurinsky district and the land adjacent to the castle were transferred to the Mari Autonomous Republic that had formed at that time.
Castle in Soviet times
After the revolution, the Sheremetyevo castle in Yurino was repeatedly rebuilt to the needs of the new authorities. Expensive finishing materials were replaced with cheap ones. Some of the rooms were converted into hotel rooms. The estate was badly damaged at this time. The Cheboksary reservoir also damaged the magnificent structure - cracks began to appear in the rise of groundwater in the floor and walls. Since 1993, the restoration began in the castle, which continues to this day.
Castle construction: interesting facts
Local craftsmen were involved in the construction work: the Tezikovs, Morozovs, Balakins, Belyakovs and others. By order of Peter, the son of Vasily Petrovich, the Siemens-Halske company (Germany) in 1880 began to carry out the electrification of the building. In 1905, the same company was entrusted with the task of arranging communications in the estate. Sewerage, water supply and telephone communications were carried out.
Architecture
The castle of Count Sheremetev (Yurino) was built during the heyday of eclecticism, which involved a mixture of elements of different styles. For this reason, such styles as Gothic (Eastern and Western European), Old Russian and Roman architecture are clearly visible on the forms and decorative decoration of the building .
The palace seems to grow out of a huge stone block: first, guests see the main tower, then - small towers. And only then the magnificent red-black brick structure, decorated with lace of a sloping roof, Gothic battlements and complex turrets, appears in all its splendor.
Sheremetyevo Castle in Yurino is called the Volga pearl. There is no similar structure anywhere else in Russia. The grandeur and monumentality of the structure is noted by all those who come to the village of Yurino. Sheremetyev Castle is surrounded by two magnificent parks. In the south is one of them - open, with several fountains. It ends with a pine forest. On the north side is a landscape park.
Sheremetyevo Castle (in Yurino, this is perhaps the most important attraction) used to be surrounded by a stone fence with gates made of white stone and some office buildings. The southern entrance is connected to the conservatory, which is covered with a glass (and initially crystal) dome mounted on a large ring. Seven columns hold him.
During the construction of the castle, local building materials were partially used, and rare and expensive (granite, marble, rare woods) were transported along the Volga from Western Europe. The castle has windows of various sizes and shapes - arched and rectangular, paired and single. There are also designs with bindings made of wood and stone.
Sheremetev castle in Yurino: interiors
The huge building has more than a hundred rooms and halls. The most beautiful of them are real masterpieces. The interior of the palace to this day has been partially preserved. Mosaic stained-glass windows are combined with the Arabic ornament that adorns the walls and ceiling of the Eastern cabinet, and the windows are protected by delicate ceramic lattices. Lampshades are painted with exquisite patterns.
The main pride of the owners of the castle were fireplaces. Each of them differs in its features. The fireplace in the Large Living Room has a unique lining - for it was used a stove, discovered during excavations in Pompeii.
Against the background of red-black brick, which is lined with the walls of the castle, platbands, cornices, balcony balusters look especially impressive. Interfloor ceilings are made of coniferous wood and stone. In earlier times, the spiral staircase leading to the winter garden was decorated with ancient Greek amphorae, in which rare plants grew.
In the center of the garden was a huge royal palm tree. The Skobelevsky Hall housed a rich collection of weapons. The eastern cabinet, decorated in the Persian-Asian style, was decorated with malachite columns. In the Oak Room, the ceiling and all door frames are made of solid oak.
Currently, the castle is undergoing restoration, so many rooms are closed to visitors.
Legends and ghosts of the castle
As befits an old castle, the Sheremetev estate is covered with numerous legends. One of them says that a ghost of a girl wanders through the halls of the palace. Count V. S. Sheremetev gained a reputation as a libertine and a tyrant who very strictly controlled the life of his serfs.
There are cases when a woman who attracted a gentleman from a wedding was taken to his estate. The girl of the Broadsword opposed the master and refused him proximity. She hit the libertine on the head with a candlestick. For rebellion, the Palashu was immured alive in the basement of the castle. The guides say that during the reconstruction of the basement there were indeed human remains found, but whether they belonged to the Palace is unknown.
They say that often the ghost of Count Sheremetev comes down from the Oak Room. Local residents claim that the owners of the castle hid innumerable treasures in it, but so far they have not been able to find them. Are they not guarded by a restless spirit?
Where to stay?
This question interests everyone who comes to Yurino. "Sheremetev Castle" is a hotel located in the palace itself. It offers accommodation to everyone who wants to see this unique monument of history and architecture. Guests can stay in rooms of different comforts (there are 2- and 4-seater, as well as suites). It offers guests a magnificent winter garden, a summer terrace located on the third floor. In the evening, you can visit the tea shop. Professional hotel guides will be happy to show you Sheremetev’s castle (in Yurino). Ticket prices range from 300 (tour of the castle) to 500 rubles (castle-estate).