The Sheremetyevs' castle is a very beautiful medieval palace and park residence located on the picturesque banks of Mother Volga in the village of Yurino (Mari El). The building is a famous architectural monument and the main attraction of the republic. It is decorated with fabulous battlements, a glass dome and stained glass windows. Around the patrimonial nest there are white birches, forever green pines, flowers have been planted throughout the territory.
A bit of history
The estate began to be built by the richest landowner Vasily Sheremetev in 1874. The construction was carried out for forty-one years, finally the castle of Count Sheremetyev was completed a year before the death of his son Vasily Peter.
Initially, the project of an unusually beautiful castle in the Neo-Gothic style was developed by the famous architect from Germany - R. Muller, in 1890 Rodionov was involved in the project, and the end of the construction was led by Malinovsky. Masters combined elements of different styles in the architecture of the house based on facade bricks, balcony balusters and white stone cornices.
The owners of the castle were Vasily and Olga Sheremetyevs. After the castle was inherited by their son, and when he passed away in 1916, his heirs left Yurino.
After the revolution, the estate was a sanatorium and a rest house. There was a hospital here during the war years, and during the war, evacuated relatives of senior workers from the capital were brought to the castle.
Present
Today, the interior of the Sheremetyevs' castle has preserved mosaic stained glass windows, marble columns, ceramic lattices on some windows and many more unique elements of the past design. The dome of the winter garden is the main attraction of the estate, and in those days it was considered an architectural pride. Until now, the luxury of the interior decoration of the rooms and the scope of the landscape of the estate impresses all its visitors.
Description of the estate
The Sheremetyevs Castle has almost 100 rooms, among which there is an “Art Gallery”, “Oak Room”, “Skobelevsky Hall”, “Chinese Dining Room”. The total area of the entire estate is more than 45 hectares. The cultural monument consists of separate buildings, which are interconnected by passages and together form a single ensemble. On the observation tower, which is adjacent to the main facade of the castle, there used to be a cannon. Her shot informed people of the arrival of distinguished guests.
If you look closely at the structure, you can see diverse windows, various turrets of round and rectangular shapes, a glass dome. The walls are made of red brick, complemented by long stripes and black brick inserts. Numerous rectangular and arched windows. The castle was built by several masters, hence the mixture of styles. Gothic is clearly expressed, there are Roman and oriental styles. The family estate was built by three generations, each heir here built and remade something.
In addition to the palace, office buildings, a stone fence, parks with ponds and other attractions made in the landscape style of a truly Russian manor have survived to this day.
On the estate there is the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Church, the money for the construction of which was collected by the whole world. To the left of the temple is the crypt of Peter Sheremetyev. A swimming pool with a fountain flaunts on a walking alley, flowerbeds with flowers are everywhere broken, the lawn turns green.
The main entrance to the building is not opposite the Volga, but on the reverse side. It was from here that the rich crews drove into the castle, following through a beautiful park.
The interior of the castle
The excursion to the Sheremetev castle begins with a beautiful hall, in which there is a winter garden with a huge glass dome and a beautiful staircase. The room is airy and light, into which a lot of diffused sunlight penetrates. It is known that in the days of the Sheremetyevs a royal palm tree of enormous size grew, outlandish plants brought from all over the world.
On the walls of a large hall located on the second floor, there are many reproductions of paintings by famous artists. The family had a huge collection of paintings that they collected throughout their lives. Originals of paintings are currently kept in various museums.
All rooms in the castle have high arches, equipped with beautiful fireplaces. Some rooms of the castle have not been restored, and their past splendor can only be judged by fragmentary fragments.
On the third floor of the estate is a room that used to be considered a family library. From here there is access to a spacious balcony where you can endlessly enjoy stunning views of the Volga and the estate museum. The library is currently a hotel.
Hotel in the castle of Sheremetev
Inside the castle there is a place reserved for a hotel, which is very popular, especially in the summer. In this regard, if you have a desire to stay in it, you should take care of this in advance.
The rooms are located in the library, maid’s rooms and former smoking rooms. Tourists are offered rooms of different price categories, from "economy" to "luxury". Guests can stay in the palace chambers with a historic interior around the clock and enjoy the spirit of the nineteenth century as much as you like.
If you decide to visit the Sheremetev castle , a hotel, the price of which rooms will please you, is at your service. Here, depending on the category of apartments, you will have to pay from 450 to 2000 rubles (per person) for one night.
Yurinsky Museum
In the western part of the castle building is a historical and art museum, which began its work in 1972. Here you can see the paintings of the great Russian artists (Ovsyannikov, Zarubin), personal items (books, notes) of the composer Makarova, a collection of things (statues, furniture) from the Sheremetev family.
basic information
The estate takes tourists on vacation and excursions all year round. Open from 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Monday off. Since the end of May, the operating mode is seven days a week.
You cannot roam the castle freely, only as part of groups. And excursion service is carried out by prior arrangement.
If you plan to visit the Sheremetyevs, the prices and schedule of excursions can be viewed on the website. The box office offers several programs. Ticket prices range from 300 (tour of the castle) to 500 rubles (castle-estate).
The legend of the estate
It just so happened that every decent palace or castle has its own ghost, and the Sheremetyevs' estate is no exception.
The story told by local guides is connected with the dissolute life of the count and his cruelty. At one time, he liked a serf girl named Palasha, who did not reciprocate the count and hit him with a candlestick on the head. For such an act, the girl was walled up in the walls of the cellar of the estate, and now her ghost wanders through the rooms at night.
During excursions around the estate, groups descend into this basement, where wine and various supplies were previously stored. The room is very large. According to the guides, during the excavation there were indeed discovered human bones.
The Sheremetev castle is very popular not only among travelers, but also among newlyweds. Newlyweds love to arrange photo sessions here and hold wedding ceremonies in the Skobelevsky Hall. The walls of this masterpiece of architecture are perfect for celebrations.
By the way, on weekends, evening events are often arranged here (author's evenings, concerts), which means that sightseeing can be combined with cultural leisure.