Moscow is a city with many faces. Near the busy modern streets, there are places almost untouched by modern civilization. They preserved the spirit of ancient times, as well as ancient architectural monuments that witnessed the different - heroic and sad - pages of the history of the Russian state. One of these places, of course, is Izmailovsky Island, owing its existence to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest.
Creation of the island
He was a ruler wise and zealous, but he did not differ in a special riot of character, therefore, probably, he was not too famous. Izmailovsky lands belonged to the Romanov dynasty, and in the middle of the seventeenth century the tsar decided to build a manor here, which was done.
To begin with, through the construction of several dams, Grape and
Silver Ponds were interconnected
. This, in fact, led to the emergence of the Izmailovsky island, which is the creation of human hands. After such an ingenious solution to the defense problem, they began to build the estate, which ended only in 1690.
Sovereign's residence
On the enclosed space there was the Sovereign’s yard, a wooden tower-palace, a stone Pokrovsky cathedral, erected on the site of a dilapidated wooden church, and the Bridge Tower. It ended with a hundred-meter bridge, on which all the guests penetrated the territory of the Izmailovsky Island. Not far from the cathedral, the church of Tsarevich Joasaph was erected. To our days, unfortunately, it has not survived, falling victim to revolutionary-minded workers after the well-known events of 1917. They thoroughly damaged the Izmaylovsky Pokrovsky Cathedral - a magnificent building of the late seventeenth century.
Pokrovsky Cathedral
It was erected on the model of the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral and is very richly decorated: small and large tiles on the facades give the building a majestic and elegant look at the same time. Presented here is the so-called peacock eye - a pattern invented by the Russian master Polubes. Domes are not golden, but dark, scaly. They give the cathedral an original, unique look.
The interior of the temple was rather modest. The only exception was the iconostasis created by the best masters from different regions of Russia.
The belfry of the main temple of the island for some time served as the Bridge Tower. To a certain extent, it harmonizes with the cathedral: it is also decorated with tiles and columns.
Trail of Peter the Great
Since the residence was washed by water, a special boat was delivered from England, where, if necessary, various trips along the waves were made.
This ship was discovered by young
Peter I in one of the farmstead courtyards and then amused the local public, rushing on it along the
Silver-Grape Pond, periodically staging “sea battles”.
Much later, the great emperor would call the wooden participant in the amusements of his youth “the grandfather of the Russian fleet”, and Izmailovsky Island itself - his “cradle”.
Now an English boat (or rather, what remains of it) is on display in the Vernissage, located nearby - on the other side of the Silver Grape Pond. Here quite recently (in 2007) the so-called Izmailovsky Kremlin was built, which reproduces ancient Russian wooden architecture. On the colorful buildings, intended mainly for tourists, the island offers a beautiful view. Very close is the chic ultramodern hotel complex Izmailovo: next to the old buildings of the seventeenth century, it looks like an alien from the future.
The experimental king
The sovereign's yard was surrounded by numerous buildings of an economic and innovative nature: Alexei Mikhailovich, apparently, was a great supporter of progress. In the greenhouses on the territory of Izmaylovsky Island, fruits and vegetables, strange for those times, were grown (mainly experimented with capricious southern cultures), and numerous artisans worked in the workshops.
The Russian Tsar himself , spending his summer at his residence, whiled away time hunting in the surrounding forests and decided the fate of the state. Occasionally, meetings of the seventeenth-century parliament, the Boyar Duma, were held in the premises of the Bridge Tower (the not so large tower could easily accommodate participants in the event).
Monuments of ancient architecture
Today this building is one of the few surviving. In addition to the tower, there was the already mentioned Pokrovsky Cathedral (the current church on the Izmailovsky Island), the Sovereign’s Court, and also the East and West Gate (also called the Front and Rear). They have remained fully operational to this day. True, the rear most often remain closed.
The remaining examples of ancient architecture fell under the onslaught of ruthless times and the French army: the estate was thoroughly plundered and destroyed during the Patriotic War of 1812.
Only in the late thirties, Emperor Nicholas I decided that the holy place should not be empty. At his command, military almshouses were built on the site of the desolate residence. At the same time, two buildings were erected close to Pokrovsky Cathedral, which caused the appearance of the building to be significantly damaged: two of the three elegant entrances had to be sacrificed and travelers were deprived of the pleasure of seeing the church from all sides.
However, it is not worth blaming the architects Ton and Bykovsky for a limited aesthetic sense: the only surviving church on Izmaylovsky Island by that time gave a roll and threatened to collapse. Newly built buildings simply pressed it from two sides, serving as a kind of support.
Justice restoration
After the Revolution of 1917 , almshouses turned into communal apartments: there was a working village, called the Bauman Town. Some "lucky" continued to live here at the end of the 20th century. Then they paid tribute to the historical past of Izmailovsky Island, and now it is part of an institution with an irreproducible memory name for a mere mortal (abbreviated as MGOMZ).
There are no entertainment venues on the territory; picnics are prohibited. Perhaps that is why the park located next door enjoys more popularity: there is all this even in abundance.
Quiet location in noisy Moscow
For those who prefer a different vacation, Izmailovsky Island is perfect. How to get to this quiet, peaceful and very beautiful place? The nearest metro station is Partizanskaya. The task is facilitated by the pleasant circumstance that there is only one way out of it, so there is no need to wander in the dungeons.
Walking along the busy Izmailovsky highway (maximum half an hour), travelers find themselves at one of the three bridges connecting the island to the mainland - Podzednoy. It is automobile, but you shouldn’t expect to ride the Sovereign’s courtyard in your own convertible: only official cars are allowed to enter, so citizens arriving by personal transport will have to leave the vehicle in the parking lot.
Even closer to the metro is a curved pedestrian bridge, a path leads to it, onto which you can turn off the road leading to the Izmailovsky Kremlin.
An asphalt path surrounds the island around the perimeter, so you can enjoy the surrounding beauty in any weather. In the capital, you rarely see a place as secluded and sparsely populated as Izmailovsky Island. Moscow, rattling and cramped, seemed to back away from it, leaving a space full of peace. On shores overgrown with shrubs are full of fishermen awaiting biting, romantic couples and Muscovites, who adore the local places, roam along the paths and clearings.
Museums and exhibitions of Izmailovsky Island
Meanwhile, Russia is trying to develop in the tourist plan. Fortunately, Izmailovsky Island was no exception: guided tours, thematic and thematic, are now available for those who want to know more about the history of their native land. Their cost is quite democratic, and a great many interesting facts, legends and stories are offered for attention.
In the courtyard, surrounded by the buildings of the former almshouses, two gates and a cathedral, it is very pleasant to walk. Century-old lindens protect against the scorching sun, and the old walls absorb the noise of the big city almost completely. The yard is green and well-groomed: on the beds - lush bloom, the paths are cleanly swept.
In most of the buildings, office facilities of museum workers and restorers are located: when the church authorities expelled them from the Novodevichy Convent, there was not much choice. Now they are trying to bring the buildings in line with the new purpose. There is a small and rather poor manor museum. Izmailovsky Island (at least for now) boasts a small number of exhibits. The main assets remain architectural monuments of the seventeenth century, in which interesting exhibitions periodically happen. The poster can be found on the convenient and current site of the museum. The island is looking forward to its guests.