Forty kilometers from Voronezh, in the village of Ramon, there is a masterpiece of architecture of world significance. This is the castle of the Princess of Oldenburg. The building was built in the Old English Gothic style and looks a bit unusual in the picturesque expanses of Voronezh land.
Since the 70s, the castle has been under restoration, which has not yet been completed. Many rooms are considered emergency, but still this place attracts tourists. Many specially for this go to Voronezh. The castle of the Princess of Oldenburg is unusual not only in architecture. There are many legends and myths about him, it is believed that ghosts live there.
This place was donated by Emperor Alexander II to his niece Evgenia Romanova. She was the granddaughter of Nicholas I by mother, and by her father - the great-granddaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte's wife. The estate was a wedding present to Eugenia and her husband Alexander Oldenburgsky. The couple liked the scenic spots very much, and they began to actively equip them.
Princess Oldenburg Castle was built in just three years by the architect Christopher Neisler. But the owners took an active part in the design and even decoration of the premises. For example, the princess herself calculated the width of the opening of the stairs and burned the drawings on the oak tiles for the ceiling. She was a very active woman, and therefore she arranged the estate on a grand scale.
Princess Oldenburg Castle is a few red brick buildings on a hill. The observation tower offers scenic views of
the Voronezh River and the surrounding fields. The entrance gate is decorated with beautiful turrets, one of which is decorated with a Swiss watch. The meter-wide walls, lancet windows and beautiful twisted fences of balconies amaze.
The interior decoration was also exquisite, but now little has been preserved. Beautiful twisted oak railings of stairs, elegant tiled stoves, a ceiling lined with hexagonal wooden tiles ... It is also unusual that the castle was heated by one stove located in the basement, and there was also a shower room in it. For this, the princess ordered the construction of a water tower.
Near the castle was a beautiful park with fountains. Especially beautiful is the grotto in the backyard. There is still a small fountain in the form of a fish, from the mouth of which water should flow, as well as a long staircase leading to the river.
The spouses of Oldenburg began active work in Ramoni: they planted orchards, laid a railway, opened a candy factory, whose products were widely known in Russia and abroad. Eugene was fond of hunting, so wild animals were kept in the cellars of the castle. The menagerie was also across the river, it laid the foundation for the Voronezh reserve.
After the revolution, the estate was looted, it had a school, a hospital, and a library. During the war, the Germans did not bomb the castle of the Princess of Oldenburg, so it has survived to this day. Its restoration is going very slowly, possibly due to a lack of funding. But it is believed that the black sorcerer in love with the princess cast a curse on the estate. They say that birds and cats cannot be in the castle, and at night unusual sounds are heard.
Despite this, in summer you can visit the castle of the Princess of Oldenburg. Opening hours in the warm season are daily from 10 to 17 hours (except Monday). The ground floor and basement are now open to the public. The park is actively being restored in front of the castle, because it is planned to make a tourist complex in the estate according to the project of Olivier Dame.