The Moscow Region is a vast territory on which a fairly large number of historical and cultural monuments of noble estate were preserved to our time. Among the most interesting estates and the museum-estate Shchapovo.
Shchapovskoe estate and its name
The history of local lands is connected not only with the Shchapovo estate, but also with a small village, which is mentioned in the scribe books of the early 17th century. as the possession of the boyar V.P. Morozov. Then it was called Alexandrovsky. Later found under the name "Alexandrovo". The exact origin of the name is unknown, but it can be assumed that it was given by the name of a noble person who founded the village. By the name of Morozov’s daughter, who was given as a wedding present, she cannot be called, since she was called Mary.
The history of the Schapovo estate begins with the Morozovs. The next owners of the estate were Maria Vasilyevna Morozova and her husband A.V. Golitsyn. And after the death of the latter, the estate again returned to the Morozovs, and at the end of the 17th century. - into royal possession due to the absence of Morozov’s heirs.
The modern layout of the estate dates back to the time of its ownership by the Grushetsky brothers - at the end of the 18th century. It was Vasily Vladimirovich Grushetsky who made big changes to the appearance of the estate: he replaced the old wooden wooden church of the Assumption with stone, built a system of ponds in the garden, planted a lime park.
After the Grushetski estate, the Schapov brothers owned the estate, from where the second name of the estate came from. Now it is known as Aleksandrovo-Shchapovo. I.V.Shchapov built in it a stone two-story house and a stone kitchen, equipping it with a cellar, the master's stable, a spacious glacier, a horse carriage, a blacksmith's shop, a decorative case of a milkhouse, greenhouses and a farmyard. Shchapov's farm produced its dairy and sour-milk products, raised cattle, and grew vegetables and fruits. A lace-up school, an agricultural and parish school were opened.
In the course of the post-revolutionary changes, the estate went a rather happy path: all buildings and schools were preserved in it, and a kindergarten was located in the manor house. Over time, an agricultural college was opened here, and later - an educational farm of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.
Alexandrovo was renamed Shchapovo in order to preserve the memory of a man whose life was aimed at improving the life of peasants. Shchapov was also called the modern village that arose here in Soviet times.
Homeowners
Boyarin Vasily Petrovich Morozov was a representative of an old Moscow family. His service under the royal throne was quite successful. Initially, he performed military service under Tsar Fedor Ioannovich and participated in the Rugodiv campaign in the rank of Yesaul. Then he served alternately as governor in Tula and Pskov. And under Boris Godunov, he received the rank of deceit. During the years of Polish intervention, he did not go over to the side of False Dmitry and remained faithful to the Fatherland and the Tsar. The boyars received during the short reign of Vasily Shuisky for participating in the suppression of the Bolotnikov uprising. He was appointed governor of Kazan. During the Polish-Lithuanian intervention, he fought as part of the First and Second Militias. He was part of the government and the composition of the Zemsky Cathedral under Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, and also briefly headed the court order.
Andrei Vasilievich Golitsyn was also a representative of an old Moscow noble family. He also fought in the rank of Yesaul under Boris Godunov. Especially distinguished in a campaign against the khan of Kazy Girey Bora. He participated in the suppression of the Bolotnikov uprising and in the hostilities during the Polish-Lithuanian intervention. But he betrayed the Fatherland, having joined the government, which supported the enthronement of the son of the Polish king, and was executed.
Ivan Vasilyevich Morozov, Maria’s brother, was a very famous person at the court of the Romanovs, "ruled" among the boyars. His name is mentioned in connection with the request for Russian citizenship B. Khmelnitsky.
Boris Ivanovich Morozov served at the royal court as the educator of Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov himself. Perhaps he also performed the functions of a regent with a young king.
Vasily Vladimirovich Grushetsky was a representative of the Lithuanian noble family. In Russia, he served as a senator and had the rank of full state adviser. Part of his life was connected with his military career: a gentleman of orders, a lieutenant general, he participated in the Russian-Turkish war and the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
Ilya Vasilievich Schapov is one of the largest Moscow industrialists, who organized his production and life of workers at the advanced European level. Having received the estate, he retired, leaving his brother with them, and he retired to Shchapovo, where until the end of his days he introduced the latest ideas for improving personal and peasant life.
Primary Church School
The purpose of opening schools in his new estate by the former industrialist I.V.Shchapov was to eliminate the total illiteracy among his peasants. This school was intended only for boys. In Podolsk, of which Alexandrovo was also subordinate, at that time there was a branch of the brotherhood of the Moscow Cyril and Methodius Monastery. It was it that supplied Schapov’s school with textbooks, teachers, and equipment. In exchange, the owner of the estate had to provide a building for the school, which Ilya Vasilyevich erected. The students were provided with Schapov nutrition, maintenance, and clothing. Teacher houses were erected nearby.
In Soviet times, the school became a four-year primary “first stage”, later it was retrained into a seven-year one and gradually turned into a standard one, where instruction lasts 11 years.
Lace School
It was intended for vocational training of peasant girls. Originally housed in a large peasant hut. At the beginning of the 20th century by decision of Zemstvo, a special building was built for the school. Pupils weaved lace with bobbins. Such a craft provided them in the unemployed autumn-winter season. Girls learned literacy, arithmetic and the law of God.
The school was closed in 1919, since under the new government, lace was considered a relic of the past, bourgeois manners. The building was organized by the Club of Communist Youth. And in 1920, by decision of the government, classes were to be resumed again. However, the school was not restored, and over time, due to the death of lace-makers, this task became completely impossible.
Agricultural school
The agricultural school was created after the patron’s death with the funds left by him, and a building was also built for her - according to the project of K.V. Tersky. It is built of red brick and has two floors. The construction was personally supported by Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.
There were eight classrooms in the school building, some of which were used under bedrooms as necessary. The boys here received two education at once: secondary and vocational.
The architecture of the manor house
The manor house built in the late 18th century is well preserved in the Shchapovo-Aleksandrovo estate. It is made of stone, has an extension of the second floor of wood, decorated with carved decor in the traditions of ancient Russian architecture. The turret of the second floor above the staircase inside has wall and ceiling paintings made on antique plots.
The Shchapovs lived in this house. The house is connected with a glacier and a kitchen. During excavations nearby, the foundations of an old house, apparently, Grushetsky, were also discovered, but the building itself is not currently reconstructable.
The current state of the estate
At present, judging by the reviews, the Shchapovo estate in the Podolsky district is in a completely preserved state. Here you can stroll through the linden park, explore the system of ponds and a stream, the bottom of which is carefully laid out by a white stone by the estate gardener. You can visit the museum of the estate, and in the building of the former school to listen to organ music in the concert hall. You can visit the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, examine the glacier, the building of the former agricultural school, the stable, the kitchen, the manager's house and the manor house.
Unfortunately, at the moment the kitchen is in a mothballed condition since after placing the food store here it began to resemble a box without a roof. And the building of the manor house has been put on the line for restoration in connection with the possible loss of parts of the facade, which began to collapse after leaving the outpatient clinic. But it is surprising: in front of the house there is a section of the pavement laid out under the estate’s owner from white stone.
The road to the village and the estate is located between the Kaluga and Warsaw highway and is in pretty good condition.
Church of the Assumption
The estate church was consecrated even before Schapov in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was later rebuilt in stone. It has a relatively small size and a three-part form of the “ship”: a temple-chapel, a refectory and a bell-bell tower.
The main volume of the temple has a rectangular shape and is more reminiscent of an ordinary residential building without additional extensions. It has two floors. The walls are cut by two tiers of rectangular windows. The entrance to the building is not in the west, as it should be according to the canons, but in the south. Decor not used. On the east side, a small semicircular apse is attached to the main volume. It has a height of one floor.
Only one icon has been preserved in the church since Shchapov’s time - the Holy Trinity. She was forgotten here when they took out other utensils and property, as they put them under the wheels of the car so that they would not slip in the mud. The trace on the icon has been preserved.
Museum collection
The history of the museum-estate Shchapovo, founded in 1998, is associated with the name of one of the descendants of Shchapov - Yaroslav Nikolaevich. He served as a director here for a long time.
The museum collection contains the original things of the owners of the estate, expositions devoted to the war of 1812, the history of the village and the families of the owners, exhibits telling about the peculiarities of the noble life of the 19th century, handicrafts of the peasants of the village and the works of local lace-makers. There are also halls where finds from archaeological excavations conducted on the estate are presented.