In the suburbs, more precisely, in Balashikha is one of the largest and oldest Russian estates. In different years, it was the property of the most famous families: Dolgorukov and Razumovsky, Tretyakov and Yusupov.
Gorenka Manor was built on the left bank of the river, south of the Vladimirsky tract, which today is called the Nizhny Novgorod highway. Around the magnificent manor house was a regular park, supplemented by cascades of seven ponds that blocked the islands and bridges. Only three of them have survived to this day. Part of the land was auctioned to private owners. Fortunately, the main buildings, as well as the palace and park ensemble, have been preserved, although they are not in the best condition.
A bit of history
The history of the Gorenka estate in Balashikha is rooted in the distant past. For the first time, the village of Gorenki is mentioned in chronicles dating back to the 16th century. The first owner of these lands was N.R. Zakharyin-Yuriev - the brother of the wife of Ivan the Terrible and the grandfather of Tsar Mikhail Romanov. The Time of Troubles, as well as the accession to the throne, did not allow the Romanovs to begin the arrangement of the estate.
Prince Yuri Khilkov only in 1693 built the first manor house here and gave it along with the land as a dowry for his daughter Praskovya.
Dolgorukovs
In 1707, Praskovya Khilkov was married to Alexei Dolgorukov. In 1724, the new owner added the right-bank Gorenki and Chizhevo to the estate and began to build the palace. His son, Ivan Alekseevich, made a successful career at court, becoming a favorite of the young emperor Peter II, who often visited Gorenki.
A. G. Dolgorukov dreamed that Peter II would marry his seventeen-year-old daughter Catherine. In November 1729, an engagement took place, and Catherine was declared the bride of the sovereign. But unexpectedly for all, the fourteen-year-old emperor fell ill and died suddenly. The Dolgorukovs made a fictitious testament, according to which the sovereign made his bride the successor to the throne. But they did not believe these documents and sent Dolgorukovs into exile for a long time, and all their property went to the treasury.
Manor in the 18th century
The Gorenka estate (photo you can see below) during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna passed into the possession of Count Razumovsky. He was a choir of the church choir, and later became a favorite of the empress. Razumovsky in 1747 decided to rebuild the house. At the same time, he begins the erection of the Church of the All-Merciful Savior.
Historians claim that it was under Alexei Razumovsky that the estate began to flourish. Under him, the palace was landscaped, to which the front door in the classical style with white high columns was attached. Around the palace there was a magnificent park with artificial cascading ponds and grottoes. And in 1809, the Botanical Society, the first in Russia, was created at the Gorenka estate. Here was organized the largest at that time library of publications in the natural sciences.
It should be said that the owner of the estate was a passionate lover of rare plants, the cultivation of which he was engaged in from a young age. Thanks to his efforts, a large botanical garden with greenhouses appeared in the Gorenka estate in Balashikha, in which about seven thousand amazing plants brought from around the world grew. Tropical plants appeared here, which are quite difficult to take root in the local climate. Bamboo and Chinese cedars, southern cypresses and palm trees were grown in the garden. Travelers from different countries often came here to admire the work of Razumovsky.
This large farm was watched by F. B. Fischer, a well-known botanist who later headed the Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg. The count did not have legal children, therefore, after his death, all property, including the Gorenka estate, passed to the children of his younger brother. During the division of the inheritance, the estate went to Alexei Kirillovich, who by that time was already a famous botanist, who was often called the “Russian Linnaeus”.
Under him, large-scale construction began on the estate. Means for the improvement of the estate Alexei Kirillovich did not spare. He did not lack them thanks to a successful marriage to V.P. Sheremetyeva.
End of the 18th century
During this period, the Gorenka estate in Moscow changed markedly: a three-story manor house was built according to the project of the Scottish architect Adam Adamovich Menelas. Its facade was decorated with a portico with six huge white columns. Modern historians and art historians believe that the design of the famous palace in Perov by the great architect Rastrelli was used to create his architectural concept.
Gorenka Manor was designed in the style of classicism. In front of the three-story building there was a menagerie, and on the opposite side was arranged a stall decorated with marble statues. A wide staircase went from him to the pond.
A park
Ponds and grottoes, bridges thrown to the islets, rotunda pavilions and, of course, green spaces were the embodiment of a classic English park. The architect Meneles worked for a long time for the Razumovsky, Stroganov family, and then decided to stay in Russia forever. He became the author of unique projects that are recognized as the pearls of architectural art - Alexandria Park and the Palace Cottage in Peterhof, Reserve Palace (Tsarskoye Selo), Arsenal (Alexander Park).
Manor decline period
During the Patriotic War (1812), the estate was very damaged. After the death of Alexei Kirillovich (1822), the estate was acquired by Prince Yusupov. Historians argue that Razumovsky did not think too much about who would get the Gorenka estate. Contemporaries in their memoirs claimed that the count loved and cared for his plants more than children.
The ancient Yusupov family is associated with many architectural masterpieces. However, not everyone knows that most of the magnificent palace and park ensemble in Arkhangelsk was created using trees, greenhouse plants and sculptures taken from the Gorenka estate.
The ruin of the estate
After the death of A.K. Razumovsky, a black streak came in the history of the Gorenka estate. The values he collected over the years were sold to different people. The library and herbarium were bought by Alexander I, the landlords from the neighboring settlements bought some things, and the estate of Yusupov was sold to the merchants Volkov, who were not at all interested in the safety of the magnificent estate. With them, the estate was dilapidated and desolate.
Two factories began to work in the magnificent manor house, and wooden houses for workers were built in the park. Such a restructuring affected not only the house, but also the park that surrounded it. Maria Tretyakova, the penultimate owner, generally leased part of the house for rent under the house.
Only the last owner of the estate, the industrialist Sevryugov, attempted to revive it. Before the revolution, he invested fabulously funds for those times in the restoration of the estate. The interiors of the house were restored, the facades were put in order, and the ponds were cleaned. The restoration work was led by the famous architect Chernyshev. His pride was the Golden Hall on the ground floor of the house. The gilded stucco molding on its ceilings is still preserved.
It is not difficult to imagine the extent of the restoration, given the fact that the builders had to rebuild the ceilings of the house, which were barbarously destroyed during the removal of factory pipes, get rid of the passages to the outbuildings and erect colonnades in their place, destroy all buildings made of wood in the park, restore stucco molding and painting in the house. Nevertheless, the estate was restored in the late summer of 1917.
Gorenka Manor in Soviet times: nationalization
In the twenties, the estate was nationalized, and for some time there was an orphanage in it. In 1925, the Krasnaya Roza sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was placed here. It got its name in honor of Rosa Luxemburg. By the way, he continues to work today. Nearby buildings began to be rented to summer residents for the summer. There is information that in one of the local dachas for a long time the Meyerhold family lived.
Manor today
During the years of Soviet power, ill-conceived economic activity caused irreparable harm to the entire complex. Almost all buildings on its territory have been preserved, but the park was actually abandoned and fell into decay. Of the seven ponds, four were lost, many trees were cut down, there are no exquisite rotunda pavilions, only two bridges have survived, but their condition is deplorable.
The colonnade, leading from the main house to the outbuildings, was overgrown with shrubs, and in terms of degree of destruction it is more like an ancient temple. Small fragments remained from the staircase that led to the park, and eagles from the pedestals that once adorned it also disappeared.
In the park on the bank of the pond there is an interesting landscape gardening in the Gorenka estate. The grotto is a semi-underground structure built of large cobblestone that sticks out of the walls, like the teeth of a huge predator. In the center are a domed hall and three narrow winding corridors. The grotto ceiling fell in places. For what purpose this building was used - for the master's joy or as a cold cellar, no one can say with accuracy, although, in our opinion, the second version is more realistic.
The grotto also has its own legend, which says that when the estate belonged to the landowner D. N. Saltykova (Saltychikha), known for her severe temper, she used the grotto to torture her serfs. However, there is no evidence of this, and this is just a legend. During the last reconstruction, the grotto was restored, but today it partially collapsed again.
Will the estate be restored?
Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of Russian history do not lose hope that this will happen in the foreseeable future. And there are all the prerequisites for this: recently, the estate was declared a monument of architecture, which is under the protection of the state. Recently, restoration work has begun here, but so far they have affected the facades of buildings and a small part of the park. The good condition of the buildings allows us to hope that the estate will eventually find its unique pristine appearance. I would like to see patrons who are not indifferent to Russian culture even in our difficult times.
Gorenka Manor: how to get there?
The estate is located on the south side of the Nizhny Novgorod highway. The exact address of the Gorenka estate: Enthusiasts Highway 2. It can be reached by car, train and bus.
How to get to the Gorenka estate by car? From the capital, you need to go onto the M7 highway and follow it to Balashikha. You will see the estate on the right side of the road.
A daily electric train runs from the Kursk station to the Gorenka station. From it to the estate you need to walk about two kilometers. You can take bus number 336, which leaves from the Partizanskaya metro station. The driver must be asked to stop the bus at the estate, before reaching the city.
A few words in conclusion
Despite many years of mismanagement, the Gorenka estate has retained the charm of an old Russian noble estate. Undoubtedly, the house and the park have lost their pristine beauty and so far can not be compared with such famous estates as Kuskovo or Arkhangelsk. But in the current state, a unique atmosphere reigns here, which can be felt only when visiting this wonderful place.