Weekends in architectural and park ensembles. Architecture. Architectural and park ensemble Who created the architectural park ensemble

Architectural and park ensemble 02.05.2017

The Belkino estate is a unique monument of architectural and park art of the 18th century, a pearl of Russian provincial architecture. The main work on the creation of the classical architectural and park ensemble of the estate was carried out by Count Ivan Illarionovich Vorontsov in the 70s - the first half of the 80s of the 18th century. The name of the architect has not come down to us, however, according to art historians, the famous Moscow architect Karl Ivanovich Blank, whom Count Vorontsov constantly attracted to the construction of his estates, took part in the design of the temple.

The estate was created in the period of early classicism, and its unique appearance reflects many of the characteristic features of this style, focused on the ancient heritage and the ideas of philosophical rationalism. At that time, ideas about universal reasonable regularity, sublime simplicity and strict harmony, natural but ennobled nature were put at the forefront. The manor park in Belkino, which has mostly survived to this day, is recognized by experts as an outstanding masterpiece of landscape art of the late 18th century.

The layout of a classic park traditionally combines regular and landscape parts. The elevated right slope of the Zaitsevsky ravine, descending to the Bolshoy Pond, was terraced, and on each of the three gently sloping stepped terraces, small artificial ponds were arranged, connecting with each other. Together, four small ponds formed a grandiose cascade - the most important compositional element of the estate architecture of the classicism period. A regular linden park was laid out on cascading terraces. In general, the composition of the architectural and park ensemble is built along a single axis passing through the main house: this axis, which cuts the ensemble from top to bottom, from north to south, is perfectly traced on the plan of the estate.

At the highest point of the upper terrace of the regular park, at the dominant height, stood the main house, surrounded by two pairs of symmetrical outbuildings. Not far from the mansion is the church of St. Boris and Gleb, to the south the transition to the landscape park marks the park pavilion "Riga".

main house

The main house, built by Count I.I. Vorontsov in the 70s - early 80s of the XVIII century, is one of the outstanding monuments of early classicism. Unfortunately, history has not preserved the name of the architect. By now, the main house has fallen into ruins. The three-story mansion made of oversized bricks is distinguished by its monolithic, almost cubic volume, uncomplicated by either columns or pilasters. Since there are very few such buildings in the provincial estates, the house does not at all correspond to our idea of ​​a typical “noble nest”, primarily because of the number of floors and the planar external design.

The strict laconism of the external decoration created the impression of noble simplicity and integrity, majestic monumentality. This integrity was not violated by two modest porches with balconies on the main and park facades. The expressiveness of the design of the facades was achieved through the use of relief rustication. The lower floor, sharply outlined by a protruding cornice, is completely covered with rustication, which enhances the feeling of the massiveness of the building; the centers of the front and rear façades and the rounded corners are also accentuated with rustication from top to bottom. The texture of the walls is enlivened by intermediate panels between the second and third floors. The play of light and shadow on convex-concave, as if inlaid surfaces gave the facades the appearance of palatial luxury. This effect was enhanced by the coloring in the classic white-yellow range, inherent in all the stone buildings of the estate. The building was covered with a gently sloping four-pitched green roof.

The internal layout of the building was reconstructed by art historians. A wide staircase led from the entrance directly to the second floor, the main part of which was the main suite of three rooms, visible through arched openings from end to end.

In general, all the rooms were walk-through, and through them the entire floor could be bypassed around the perimeter. Half of the enfilade was occupied by a high double-height hall, exciting from the level of the third floor to the very roof, with windows in two rows. The double-height hall is a unique feature of the Belkino estate; it can be called the "heart" of the mansion and the entire estate. Such a "palace" layout is an exceptional rarity for the province.

The interiors of the mansion at the beginning of the 19th century were described in his notes by Mikhail Buturlin, who noted that the furnishings had been preserved even from Count Ivan Vorontsov. According to his memoirs, the double-height hall “was painted with al-fresco, musical emblems and various ornaments, and on the ceiling there was a painting in big circle representing some kind of mythological plot. These unusual frescoes with complex ornaments, depicting musical instruments and theatrical masks, have partially survived to this day. The main luxury in the two-height hall was a delightful type-setting parquet: the details of its ornament were typed from plates of precious woods, differing in color and texture. The hall was lit by candles in porcelain candelabra in the form of flower branches, and by the large fireplace one could warm oneself in the cold season (there were no stoves in the house at first, they were arranged under the Obninsks). On wooden choirs with a balustrade, located between the floors, a fortress orchestra played, and to its music languid young ladies bowed in minuets with gallant cavaliers.

Enfilade. Early 20th century	Living room. Early 20th century
Double room. Early 20th century	Cabinet. Early 20th century

From the hall, the guests passed into the living room, where there was a large hard sofa and similar armchairs, upholstered in striped linen. The walls in the living room were covered with dark yellow damask wallpaper, on which varnished engravings with views of Venice were pasted in three rows. Further on, the enfilade continued with an office with white damask wallpaper, also covered with engravings of Italian landscapes. Adjacent to the enfilade was a front bedroom with a magnificent alcove. Guests were not invited to the third floor, since there were no longer front rooms, but living rooms with unpretentious intimate decoration, including children's rooms and a library.

Children's. Early 20th century	At the parterre. Early 20th century

Having gone down to the first floor, we would have found there premises of an auxiliary nature, including those with an unusual vaulted ceiling, as in ancient Russian chambers. In one of them, the largest, the vault rested on a massive central pillar (as the art critic L.B. Sorokina notes, this is typical of the style of V.I. Bazhenov). Below was a large vaulted cellar, also with one-pillar rooms.

At that time, such an environment was considered very modest. However, this estate was originally intended not for ceremonial receptions, but for quiet solitude in the countryside. Indeed, for Count Vorontsov, the mansion in Belkino served primarily as a “hunting lodge”, where he came from time to time during the autumn hunting season.

Two pairs of symmetrical side wings were attached to the main house: two-story and, after them, one-story, curved in the form of the letter "L". They were connected by a patterned iron fence. Now only the eastern pair has survived: two-storey outbuilding , which remained from former times, and restored one-story outbuilding . In general, this architectural ensemble formed a closed front yard with gates, to which an access alley once led. It was here at that time that the only entrance to the estate was located (now this territory is built up). On a round flower bed in the center of the yard, around which carriages drove, stood a sundial on a marble pedestal.

Church of St. Boris and Gleb

The Church of the Holy Princes Boris and Gleb stands not far from the main house, on the same compositional axis along Borisoglebskaya Street. The stone temple was consecrated under Count I.I. Vorontsov on July 13, 1773, and the inscription about this event remained on its wall until the end of the 20th century (now the inscription has been reproduced anew). Previously, this place was a wooden tent temple, erected by the boyar Boris Godunov and consecrated in the name of his patron saints.

The building of the temple has a composition quite typical for early classicism with a longitudinal orientation along the east-west axis. The volumetric construction of the building "octagon on a quadrangle" also corresponds to the classical type. Since the quadrangle almost does not protrude beyond the edges of the octagon, an unusually narrow, compressed lateral silhouette is formed as a whole. A special chapel on the south side of the temple was added only in 1815, under the Buturlins.

Near the southern aisle of the temple, two ancient tombstones have been preserved: burial of I.I. Troyanovsky and burial place of priest Fyodor Tikhomirov. Located right next to the wall burial of the Obninsk, discovered in 2013, when an underground crypt was opened during renovations. As experts have determined, the last owners of the estate are buried here: Narkiz Antonovich Obninsky, Pyotr Narkizovich Obninsky and his wife Lidia Pavlovna. In 2015, a granite tombstone with a cross was installed at the site of this burial.

Consider the architectural decoration of the temple, which bizarrely combines the features of baroque and classicism. The stylistic features of the building are characteristic of the work of the architect Carl Blank, who, according to art historians, was involved in its design. Baroque elements show up in such details as the small oval second-light windows. In general, the planar external design, built on countless repetitions of identical pilasters in the piers between narrow windows, is very typical of early classicism. With its modest but elegant appearance in white and yellow colors, the temple resembled a park pavilion, which was in full accordance with the traditions of the estate architecture of the Catherine era. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, after repair work, the walls were painted snow-white. The graceful slender silhouette of the temple still gives the impression of airy lightness.

The interior of the temple was originally quite consistent with its appearance. A small room of the church was covered with grisaille painting: porticos with pilasters and pediments and elegant moldings with floral ornaments were depicted on the walls. It is known that in June 1772 the assistant of the architect V.I. Bazhenov, a young painter-decorator Ivan Dmitrievich Nekrasov. This is the only name known to us in connection with the construction of the estate. The remains of those murals were lost during modern repairs of the building.

In 1930, at the height of collectivization, the temple was closed, the last priest, Father John Zhukov, was sent to camps, and a collective farm warehouse was set up in the building. In 1988, the temple was transferred to the Kaluga diocese and, after repairs, reopened for parishioners. Now the interior of the temple is decorated with wonderful frescoes made by the famous Obninsk artist Sergei Galitsyn.

Located near the temple park pavilion "Riga". All the main buildings in the Belkino estate, which form an architectural ensemble, were decorated in a single white and yellow front color scheme. In general, these buildings, located rather compactly, are visually connected with each other, especially since the mansion and the temple were reflected in the largest of the cascading ponds. Initially, the ensemble was supplemented by the building of the horse yard, which stood at some distance in the eastern part of the estate, but by the end of the 20th century, the destroyed building was lost.

regular park

The layout of the regular park of the Belkino estate is distinguished by strict symmetry, in accordance with the canons of classicism. It is based on the intersection of two compositional axes. One of them was the road to the village of Krivskoye (now Borisoglebskaya Street), which limits the estate from the north, and at a right angle to it, the main longitudinal axis passes right through the mansion, which was marked by the main linden alley. Starting from the facade of the mansion, the main alley cuts the entire territory of the regular park, up to the Big Pond, into two symmetrical halves. From the north side of the mansion, from the front gate, the main alley at that time was continued by a direct access alley, which turned into a road towards the village of Kabitsyno, and further to the Old Kaluga Road. Now this “ruler” does not exist, but in the old days people drove up to the estate exactly along it, and from afar the front gates of the mansion could already be seen.

The main linden alley is crossed by perpendicular side alleys that run along the edges of three terraces. All alleys were planted exclusively with linden trees. At that time, linden was the most popular park culture, since its plastic crown is the easiest to process. Under the Vorontsovs and Buturlins, the trees in the regular park were carefully trimmed, giving them a spherical shape. In the park, there are still quite a few two-hundred-year-old linden trees planted by Count Vorontsov, on the branches of which one can notice obvious traces of the previous haircut. Geometrically regular sections formed by the intersection of the alleys are occupied by lawns, which were previously framed by bosquets of clipped shrubs. The main large lawn, the so-called parterre, adjoins the southern facade of the mansion (it also served as a "croquet ground"). Nearby, a platform was specially equipped on the spot where the "Godunov elm" . “All that was missing was a fountain and statues to give this part of the garden a palace grandiosity,” wrote Mikhail Buturlin.

Cascade of Ponds and Big Pond

The magnificent classic cascade of ponds, created by Count Ivan Vorontsov, is the main decoration of the Belkino estate. A cascade of four small ponds, descending along the terraces to the Big Pond parallel to the main alley, limits the regular part of the park from the west. The ponds were separated by earthen dams with bypass devices, through which graceful bridges were thrown in narrow places. All parts of the cascade communicated with each other, and the lower cascade pond was located in the channel of the Big Pond.

A large pond was built by Boris Godunov in the 70s of the 16th century for household needs, for which the stream flowing in the Zaitsevsky ravine was blocked by dams. Under Count I.I. Vorontsovo Big Pond, which became the basis of the landscape ensemble, was significantly expanded. The second pond, adjacent to the Bolshoy from the east side behind the dam (the so-called "upper"), was built after the foundation of the city; now these reservoirs are united under the name Belkinsky ponds.

By the end of the 20th century, the Big Pond and the cascading ponds had dried up and overgrown. The pond system was completely restored by the Belkino Estate Foundation in 2003-2005. Now in the Belkinsky Ponds fish is found in abundance, muskrats live here, and in summer flocks of white gulls circle over the water. Behind a chain of cascading ponds, like a sparkling necklace - the main jewel of the Belkino estate - the regular part of the park smoothly flows into the landscape, which in the old days organically merged with the surrounding landscape. On the eastern side, the border of the park is marked by a park fence with main gate , which is modeled after the previous one.

landscape park

The creators of landscape parks have always sought to restore the illusion of virgin nature. But this "naturalness" was achieved as a result of painstaking work, and all plantings, down to the last tree, were carefully marked on the plan and on the ground. If in the regular part of the park straight linear paths strewn with gravel were laid, then in the landscape they were replaced by whimsically curved paths, which, as if by chance, led to magnificent views. The main idea was to change carefully thought-out landscape paintings, each of which was "tuned" to a particular time of day.

At first, under Count I.I. Vorontsov, the landscape park occupied approximately the same area as the regular one: it started from a cascade of ponds, and from the west it was limited by a natural barrier - a side branch of the Big Pond (originally it was a stream in the Popov ravine, which flows into in the Zaitsevsky ravine). Then Count D.P. Buturlin significantly expanded the landscape park, equipping a new part of it beyond the Popov ravine. Count Buturlin built the composition of the new part of the park on the skillful disclosure of landscape views in order to create the impression of a natural pristine landscape. The composition was based on a system of glades passing one into another, which were divided among themselves by “freely” growing groups of trees and shrubs of different species. The steep slopes of the Popov ravine were planted with ornamental shrubs, and in these dense thickets a small cozy grotto was hidden. Now here you can see a stone bridge , but before that, light log bridges were thrown over the stream, one of which is captured in a photograph of the beginning of the 20th century.

The spacious southern glade, elongated from north to south and gently descending to the Big Pond, was named Glade "Pokat" . On the edge of the clearing, Count Buturlin set up two large greenhouses with lemon and orange (orange) trees. In good weather, they were taken out to a special open area, the so-called "exhibition", where a long alley of two hundred trees in tubs arose - quite tall, with a regular spherical crown. Every day at eight o'clock in the evening the whole society gathered here for tea drinking. Nearby, on Pokat, a “botanical garden” was laid out with flower beds, surrounded by a fence, where Count Dmitry Petrovich and Countess Anna Artemyevna grew rare varieties of flowers. This glade has been preserved, although nothing remains of the greenhouses, grotto, arbors and other light buildings.

At the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, when the cult of sentimentalism and melancholy dominated art, a special relationship to nature developed. Landscape views were built with the expectation of a certain impact on the human soul: solitude and silence inclined to plunge into oneself, to renounce the bustle of the surrounding world, to think about the futility of everything earthly. Dmitry Petrovich was well versed in these subtle nuances, and therefore, according to his plan, each section in the new part of the park was oriented to lighting at a certain time of the day. For example, Pokat, "tuned" to the west, to the sunset, was considered an "evening" glade. The park smoothly flowed into the surrounding landscapes, and its borders were marked by ditches and low ramparts, the remains of which can still be seen today.

After the departure of the Buturlins from Russia, botanical experiments at the estate ceased. Trimming trees fell out of fashion in the 19th century, and the new owners did not have the means to maintain the park in its former exquisite form. Under the Obninsks, the neglected park quickly overgrown, as in most other landlord estates. However, traces of the original layout are still well traced. As before, the architectural and landscape ensemble of the estate is distinguished by a harmonious internal unity, skillfully expressed relationship with the surrounding area. Here you can still feel the spirit of a bygone era, the captivating charm of a special secluded world of the "noble nest".

The architectural and park ensemble of Kuskovo is one of the most remarkable monuments of Russian art. Created in the 18th century, it fully absorbed the achievements of the manor construction of the era. Peculiar architectural ensembles near Moscow became widespread at the end of the first third of the 18th century, when the noble nobility returned to the ancient patrimonial estates. Of the surviving estates near Moscow, Kuskovo is the earliest, giving an idea of ​​the type of Elizabethan estates. It was located 7 miles from Moscow, between the Vladimir and Ryazan roads.

The first mention of the patrimony near Moscow of the Sheremetev boyars dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. A small fiefdom with land that was inconvenient for cultivation was not of economic interest, but swampy forests often served as “hunting fun”. In a later period, this place was called Spassky because of the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which was located on the site of the present greenhouse. At the beginning of the XVIII century. here, aside from the highways, a modest estate already existed, to which a country road led.

Since 1715, these lands belonged to an associate of Peter I - a prominent military leader, the hero of the Battle of Poltava, Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev. The count was one of the most educated and advanced people of his time. At the end of his life, he conceived the construction of a country palace, but did not manage to carry out his plan. The organizer of the estate is considered to be his son P.B. Sheremetev (1713-1788), who, paying tribute to new forms of life - solemn receptions, magnificent assemblies, crowded holidays, turns Kuskovo into a "summer country pleasure house". The park in Kuskovo was formed in the direction of Veshnyakov and occupied a central place in the estate. Of the early buildings in the estate, the church built in 1737 and the “Dutch House” built in 1749 in memory of the Petrovsky era and to house a collection of Dutch monuments have been preserved [Shamurin, 1912].

The Kuskovo Ensemble was created over several decades. In 1755, a large pond was dug here, which made it possible to drain the low-lying and marshy place. In total, 17 ponds appeared, but there were 3 large ones, and they were called mirrors. In addition to ponds, channels and cascades were created, a picturesque river appeared, which, meandering and dividing into channels, formed islands [Lyubedkiy, 1880].

It seems that the estate was created in one step - it is so complete in terms of artistic design. However, Kuskovo was built by more than one architect. Until 1754, Yu.I. Kologrivov, who lived in Italy for a long time and knew Italian architecture well. After his death, the construction was in charge of the serf F.S. Argunov. From 1765 to 1780, the famous Moscow architect Karl Ivanovich Blank "had a look" in Kuskovo. Other architects are also mentioned, gardeners - “his own excellencies” and free ones.

The master's house (1770) and the church were located on the bank of the pond, as if separating the most well-groomed, saturated with paths, trimmed and decorated part of the park from the water. This most capital structure of the estate was built of wood - a traditional material of Russian craftsmen, but in compliance with the proportions of stone architecture and even decorated to look like stone forms. At the same time, some park pavilions were made of brick and stone.

The house is devoid of a large front entrance yard, but its decoration, an elegant church, a kitchen wing decorated with figured architraves on the windows, a bell tower with a gilded spire, a ramp symmetrically located on the sides of the central doors create an atmosphere of splendor and solemnity. The palace is somewhat elevated above the adjacent territory due to the stone "basement" floor with extensive wine cellars.

The manor's house corresponded to the tastes of the era, it was richly decorated from the inside. Elegant interiors and luxurious furnishings have been preserved in it to this day. Each room has a special finish and is decorated with tapestries, bronze, porcelain, marble. It contains not only art objects, old paintings, fake paintings, rare books, unique weapons, but also historical relics.

The palace, its decoration and the park are a single complementary ensemble. The vestibule or front vestibule of the palace gives the impression of solemnity. In the lower tier there are niches with monumental vases in the form of Greek amphoras, in the upper tier there are picturesque panels on antique themes imitating sculptural relief portraits. The walls and pilasters are painted in marble.

The vestibule opens up a suite of ceremonial rooms, which were an obligatory accessory of the manor houses of the 18th century. Each of them has its own purpose, size, illumination, emotional structure. Moreover, we will later find a kind of repetition in park compositions, this is, as it were, a development of the theme that the rooms of the palace set. Gradually, the viewer gets the impression of a theatrical action, where one scenery is replaced by another, each time new and unexpected. The principle of scenery is also applied in the park.

Color plays an important role in creating a figurative structure. The decision of the color scheme of the palace is directly dependent on the shades of the surrounding park, ponds, sunlight. The most elegant room is the Raspberry Room, named after the color of the silk that upholstered the walls and furniture. The combination of white and crimson flowers gives it a special picturesqueness. Gradually, from living room to living room, the sound of solemnity also grows. This is also served by parquet in ornaments, crystal rain of high floor lamps, furniture on thin, gracefully curved legs, mirrors in carved gilded frames, ceremonial portraits, painted plafonds, creating the impression of the boundless blueness of the sky. And here, as it were, the highest chord before meeting with nature itself, which surrounds the palace, looks through its huge windows - a dance hall. Its magnificent magnificence amazes the visitor. Mirrors, due to the repeated reflection of trees, ponds, distant prospects, pushed the space of the hall to infinity, connected it with picturesque nature. The park seemed to fit into the room. One wall of the hall overlooks the garden with all windows, the other is completely in mirrors. Thanks to this, it seems that the hall is open to the park from two sides. The pattern of colored parquet, made up of circles flowing one into another, seems to enhance this movement. Lighting also contributes a lot to this. Two huge chandeliers, almost weightless in appearance in this "endless" hall, concentrate attention on themselves. They seem to multiply in the crystal wall sconces, majestic candelabra in the form of female figures draped in antique clothes with gilded branches of lamps in their hands. It is not difficult to imagine how spectacular the hall was with lit candles, when the light played in the crystal with all the colors of the rainbow, and the mirrors multiplied the endlessly sparkling lights that scattered in the perspective of the park.

The compositional axis of the ensemble passes through the center of the palace, moving away from the facade through the pond along the canal towards the village of Veshnyaki, and on the other side along the main alley of the regular garden to the greenhouse and further north past the labyrinth. The strict symmetry of all elements of the garden is only apparent: its parts, located on both sides of the parterre, are unequal in size and shape. The western one is smaller, but it has much more diagonal alleys. This gives the impression of a depth of space here, and it was easier for walkers to flock to the side “alley of games”. The opposite part of the garden was intended for a quiet rest, there was a green theater, an aviary with songbirds and a menagerie.

Behind the pond, a canal led into the distance, marked by two columns carrying lamps-lighthouses on the capitals, a sliding bridge was created between them. The canal ended with a magnificently decorated white stone wall with "cascade" fountains.

The large pond enhanced the expressiveness of the landscape, reflecting in its mirror the main building of the estate - the palace. During the days of the festivities, a picture of theatrical performances taking place on the pond opened from its windows. A pleasure flotilla glided across the water: a gilded six-gun yacht, boats, the “Chinese ship”, a barge, gondolas, skiffs, shuttles, boats decorated with multi-colored lanterns, with rowers dressed in national clothes.

Among the wide water surface, the island stood out like a green oasis. Picnics were held here, intricate fireworks that reflected in the water. Ruins, fishermen's huts, stylized pavilions were picturesquely scattered along the shore.

In accordance with the fashion of the late XVIII century. an “English garden” appears in the estate, in which natural effects are created: streams, ponds and waterfalls, piles of stones, dark thickets, picturesque mountains and ravines.

A large amount of archival material has been preserved: documents, plans, engravings, allowing you to get an idea of ​​the Kuskovo estate in its heyday. The most interesting are the drawings of A. Mironov, serf P.B. Sheremetev, who completed a whole series of works, in particular the drawing of 1782 "Plan for the Pleasure House and the Garden of the Village of Kuskovo", which shows the main central part of the estate. Return us to the past of the estate and a series of engravings by P. Laurent, made according to the drawings of M. Makhaev (a native of Kuskovo), and archival papers revealing the activities of Yu.I. Kologrivova, F.S. Argunov, the authors of many buildings in the estate, which were erected in the 1750-1770s.

It was this period, until about the 80s of the XVIII century. should be considered the phase of the highest heyday of the estate, when the main monuments of architecture and gardening art appeared. Behind the house we see a parterre divided into separate bosquets, decorated with marble sculpture and a flower carpet - bulengrin. It was the most solemn part of the park. Enclosed, as if by walls, with even lines of tapestries, the facades of the palace and the greenhouse, even today it gives the impression of a huge open-air hall.

In the distance was the prospect of trimmed trees forming endless labyrinths of green walls, the expanse of lawn and numerous white statues along the web of paths on the green carpet. But according to legend, some of the ancient marble statues placed among the greenery were donated by Catherine II. Others - copies - were made by Moscow masters. Park statues had theatrical poses and became, as it were, participants in pantomime performances. The viewer experienced a sense of movement created by the sculptures due to their expressive silhouette, dynamic outlines, location against the background of naturally fluctuating foliage, from the play of light and shadow with lit candles. The estate also had memorial structures. On the solemn parterre of Kuskov, a column has been preserved, crowned with a statue of Minerva - Catherine in memory of the Empress's visit to Kuskov.

And yet, Kuskovo was created primarily as a pleasure estate, with inventions and curiosities, pretentious and exotic buildings. The park housed dozens of original "amusing" choirs, gazebos, pavilions, labyrinths, bridges, carousels, trellises, ruins, made, as a rule, by the hands of serfs. More labor and money were spent on undertakings than on “serious” structures. Dead-end alleys ended with mirrors or painted perspectives - decoys that hide the real space. On the alleys there were painted wooden figures of smartly dressed people. Many buildings, in accordance with their "playing" purpose, were given fantastic shapes, their appearance imitated Chinese, Indian, Turkish buildings, which at that time seemed the height of exoticism. Unfortunately, numerous "undertakings", almost all of them, have not been preserved, only stone buildings have survived to this day.

On holidays, a smart crowd in powdered wigs, rustling with silks, filled the park. They were struck by unprecedented animals, flowers of outlandish plants taken out of greenhouses. Rare birds sang, the air was fragrant. Music thundered in one grove of the park, in others a ballet was staged, a choir sang, horn music played. Laughter and fun rushed from the decorated boats gliding along the pond, from the alleys of games. Everyone became a participant in this theatrical extravaganza, getting into a special fantasy world. And in the evening - garlands of colored lights and lanterns, flickering light from the flames of bonfires, candles, illuminated canals, ponds, obelisks, columns, sculpture, illuminated greenery and the final fantastic fireworks, which was a favorite sight of the guests. And there were many of them, because it was not in vain that a pillar stood on the road from Moscow, inviting everyone to fun in Kuskovo. It is known from documents that up to 50,000 people gathered in the garden and its surroundings on holidays. There were up to 2000 invited guests alone, and the chain of trips stretched all the way to Moscow [Pertsov, 1925].

In 1783 P.B. Sheremetev is elected leader by the Moscow nobles and spares no expense and effort to set up his country estate. Soon a marble obelisk appears in front of the house with the inscription: “Catherine II granted Count P.B. Sheremetev in 1783. In addition to the Empress, many noble persons, not only Russians, but also foreigners, visited Kuskovo, including the Roman Emperor Joseph II [Lyubetsky, 1880].

Kuskovo attracts with its unique combination of ceremonial luxury and intimate simplicity. This is achieved largely by the fact that all buildings are harmoniously included in the layout, park architecture complements the picturesque surroundings. Each landscape in the park is perceived as complete not only due to the fact that it is closed among trees and sculptures, but also because it is distinguished by its unique design. There is also a pointed Chinese pagoda, pavilions, obelisks, multi-colored pavement of alleys and grounds (marble chips, sand), and the calm expanse of ponds. The floral patterns of the stalls repeat the pattern of the parquet in the palace. The unity of architecture and nature consisted in the fact that each pavilion or building was the compositional center of its own micro-ensemble, which, in turn, was an integral part of a more complex ensemble. Despite the fact that the parts of the estate are diverse in style, they all obey the general architectural and planning solution of the park.

Simultaneously with the main house, a stone structure was built next to it, imitating a natural grotto. Its architecture (the project belongs to F. Argunov) is picturesque, dynamic and resembles the Tsarskoye Selo grotto built by V.V. Rastrelli. Complemented with white stone details, cornices, columns and pilasters, pediments with stucco molding, and balustrades, it acquires the features of a “very expressive Baroque” [Zgura, 1925b].

In addition to richly decorated facades, white stone statues were installed in the niches of the grotto. The round lines of the stylobate seem to wash the building, and it echoes its reflection in the mirror of the pond. Designed for relaxation on hot days, the grotto created the fabulous "Neptune Kingdom". The walls of his offices are lined with patterns of shells of various shapes and sizes. Interspersed with glass, small pieces of minerals and small shells on colored plaster create fantastic patterns with underwater plants and animals.

Not far from the grotto, behind the pond, there was an Italian house resembling a small palace (built under the direction of Yu.I. Kologrivov, the decoration was carried out by F. Argunov).

The Italian house was surrounded by a small stylized garden in the "Italian taste" with a variety of undertakings. On the bank of the pond, on a hillock, a statue of the Siren towered above the fountain, and marble vases and sculptures were placed around the house.

From the Italian house, the bridge led to the menagerie - five graceful bird houses with gates, bars and columns. Cranes, American geese, pheasants, pelicans were kept here, swans swam nearby along the bypass channel.

Five small houses on the eastern shore of the pond, standing in a semicircle, were divided among themselves by the radii of the fence into five sectors. Graceful stone fences, houses with pilasters, surrounded by a gilded fence, represent one of the most elegant miniature compositions of the estate.

Two small ponds, Italian and Dutch, which got their names from the houses on their banks, become the compositional centers of the southeastern and southwestern parts of the garden. The house under a high tiled roof is a kind of decoration for a corner of old Holland. This is one of the earliest buildings of the estate, as evidenced by the date on the pediment -1749. Its interior walls were tiled and decorated with paintings from the Flemish school. This house was surrounded by flower beds of carnations and tulips. From the "Dutch garden" stairs led to the water. On the banks of the pond there were two gazebos: Pagodenburg, built in the "Chinese" style, and Stolbovaya, which is an open colonnade.

From the Dutch house it was possible to get into the Persian or Chinese tents, which were scattered only in summer, and, finally, into the Hermitage - a monumental two-story pavilion. This building, original in form, with busts in niches and a statue of Flora, and then Ganymede on the roof, was considered one of the main curiosities of Kuskov. He seemed to have absorbed the elegance of classicism and baroque splendor. From the balconies of the pavilion one could see the splendor of the park: clipped labyrinths, distant vistas, dark canals, a gilded yacht on a large pond. Cozy and at the same time unusually decorated luxurious rooms were intended for intimate conversations and meetings. A lift lifted guests to the top floor. A special device made it possible to do without servants. Sofas, a table for 16 people were raised from below. The Hermitage was separated from the garden by a birch grove, and six paths led to it from six different directions.

From the Hermitage along the bypass channel into the depths of the garden led an alley with carousels, with all kinds of gaming devices. In front of the exit from the garden there was a cave of a fire-breathing dragon, wrapped around a tree with two small "reptiles". Not far from the cave, in two huts, there were wax figures striking in their resemblance to living people (especially the “Girl with a Dish of Mushrooms”).

The "air theatre" in the eastern part of the regular garden enjoyed great success with the guests; its outlines are well preserved. Everything here was made of earthen mounds covered with turf and clipped bushes. A small lawn served as a stage in it, living trees served as decorations. The theater was illuminated with garlands of colored lanterns and bowls. Often the performance ends with fireworks.

The park was famous for its green decoration. Among the plantings were rare species of shrubs and trees for the Moscow region. Larch and fir are still alive. The real decoration of the estate was the greenhouse (master - F. Argunov). In it, laurel, lemon, orange and even coffee, tea trees reached the same size as in their homeland (according to legend, in case of damage to trees, a kind of council of the best gardeners from the entire Moscow district gathered in Kuskovo). In 1786, on the occasion of the empress's arrival in Kuskovo, the greenhouse was turned into a "station" where a dance ball was held.

Kuskovo Park largely owes its fame to greenhouses. P. Bessonov called the art of Kuskovo gardeners "an important period for the history of botany and horticulture in Russia." In greenhouses, a huge number of trees and flowers were grown for the park.

The range of tree species was common for gardens in the mid-18th century. They trimmed mainly linden. Birches were planted near the Italian house. Topiary haircut was also the pride of the garden. Buxus and yews, thanks to the skill of gardeners, turned into outlandish animals, birds, people. The image of these green sculptures has been preserved in the engravings of P. Laurent, and archival documents confirm their existence. So, there is a "registry of trees available in the village of Kuskovo" in 1761, representing a curious enumeration of green sculptures.

Of great interest is the territory of the park, located behind the pond. A real decoration of the landscape was a century-old forest with clearings. There were also "ruins", obelisks. In the forest there was a menagerie with a three-kilometer stone fence and 600 animals. In the center of the menagerie there was a round pavilion with columns.

Next to the menagerie were located the Stable, Animal and Kennel yards, built in the form of a vast castle.

At the beginning of the 1780s, a number of new inventions appeared in the Guy Grove located near the estate: the English Garden, the labyrinth, the House of Solitude (built in 1782-1786), the Philosophical House, the Temple of Silence, the Lacasino Pavilion, the exemplary farmyard of Chaumier with wax figures of dolls feasting at the table, a poultry house. In the grove stood the Chinese tower with bells.

At the end of the grove sparkled a small lake, connected to other lakes by artificial channels. Their shores were adorned with high cedars, and semicircular bridges with gilded gratings and carved railings led deep into the grove, to the refuge of philosophers - a cozy house with mirrored walls, floors and a painted ceiling.

On the border of the grove stood the famous Sheremetev Theater.

Son of P.B. Sheremeteva N.P. Sheremetev lived and studied abroad for a long time and was already a representative of a new generation, a different worldview. Under him, the Kuskovsky Theater became the best in Russia. 1792 was the year of the zenith of the estate's glory and the beginning of its decline. N.P. Sheremetev lost interest in Kuskov: “He was no longer tempted by the fame of the organizer of holidays for numerous people with festivities, songs, roast bulls and cannon fire. Two years later, he will begin construction of a palace-theater in Ostankino. The center of arts and entertainment, designed for connoisseurs and connoisseurs of the fine, - that's what now attracted N.P. Sheremetev...” [Kuskovo, Ostankino, Arkhangelskoye, 1976, p. 15].

Having begun to create Ostankino, where the Kuskovsky theater soon migrated, N.P. Sheremetev abandoned Kuskovo.

Since 1799, Kuskovo has been empty and slowly destroyed. Alleys were overgrown, buildings were destroyed and burned. It is interesting that the core of the estate, created in the middle of the century, was preserved much better than the latest innovations of the end of the century. So, the house of Solitude was dismantled, the theater burned down, the landscape park was given over to the construction of summer cottages. The rains washed away the paints, the remnants of gilding, time erased the inventions of the artists, turning into a miserable props - incomprehensible and unnecessary. The estate fell even more desolated after it was plundered during the Patriotic War of 1812 by the French.

For almost two centuries, restoration work was periodically carried out in Kuskovo. It is known that in 1850 they were conducted under the leadership of Bykovsky, and in 1870 - Sultanov.

In 1958-1968. under the leadership of L. Soboleva, a large stone greenhouse was restored. This restoration was of great importance for the entire estate, since the parterre - the central part of the park - was divided between the palace and the greenhouse, and the perspective from the palace was clearly losing, being closed by a dilapidated rebuilt building. A new stage of restoration work began in 1976, when they again turned to the greenhouses, which have come down to our time in a very destroyed form. A. Mironov's drawing "View of greenhouses in the garden of the village of Kuskova", found in the State Museum of Serf Art in Ostankino, helped scientists in many ways. Thanks to him, it became possible to confirm the size and location of the greenhouses, which completely coincided with the dimensions on the plan.

Assistance was provided by other documents, rare books that reveal the secrets of the craft of greenhouse art of the 18th century, in particular Engelman’s book “A New Way of Arranging Greenhouses and Greenhouses, Based on Experiments and Physical Observations in the Plant Kingdom”, published in Moscow in 1821.

Currently, restoration work in the estate was headed by O.S. Gorbachev and N.V. Sibiryakov (since 1985). On the basis of surviving records, drawings, drawings, using the work of modern researchers [Zgura, 1924, 1925; Stanyukovich, 1927; Sarsatskikh, 1931; Luitz, 1940b; Prokhorova, 1940; Rostovtseva, 1958; Glozman, Tydman, 1966; Arianson, 1979; Krichko, 1982; etc.], restorers are recreating the original appearance of this pearl of Russian landscape art.

At one time, the estate, along with the St. Petersburg ensembles, had a great influence on the subsequent development of garden and park art in Russia. And today, being a unique monument, it is one of the outstanding works of Russian architecture of the mid-18th century.

The first documentary mention of the name "Kuskovo" dates back to the 16th century, when Alexander Andreyevich Pushkin exchanged the village for the Bezhetsky estate of the Sheremetevs, then still a boyar family. Kuskovo became a manor only two centuries later, probably after Boris Petrovich Sheremetev received the title of count for suppressing the Astrakhan uprising (1706). However, Kuskovo gained its fame as a summer residence under his son, Pyotr Borisovich, and there are several reasons for this.

The first reason is trivial. The Sheremetevs owned only a “piece” of territory, surrounded by the lands of Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky. His daughter, Varvara Alekseevna Cherkasskaya, was considered the richest bride of that time. After the wedding, as a dowry, Count Sheremetev received 70 thousand souls of peasants and the nearby territory - the village of Veshnyakovo, thus receiving both funds and territory for the implementation of his plans.

The second reason can be considered the very nature and inclinations of Peter Borisovich. Having received his musical education in Paris, he loved the theater and knew a lot about art. Is it any wonder that his estate was built in the European style, and the fortress theater of Kuskovo was considered one of the most outstanding in Russia?

Manor Kuskovo

The construction of the estate was carried out in several stages. The first and most difficult was the drainage of swamps, but the multi-million dollar fortune of Count Sheremetev allowed him not to skimp on expenses.

The main ensemble was formed already in the 50-70s of the XVIII century. The center of the complex is the Grand Palace, adjacent to it is the House Church with a bell tower (the very first stone building) and a kitchen wing. Together, these buildings form the ensemble of the Court of Honor. From the inside, the Palace is adjoined by a garden and park complex, now the only French regular park preserved in Moscow. Among the alleys are the Dutch House (the first park building), the Grotto, the Grotto, the Hermitage, the Italian House, the American Greenhouse and the Swiss House.

Kuskovo has its own system of ponds and canals, which close on big pond, on the banks of which the ensemble of the Court of Honor is located. The pond played not so much an aesthetic as a practical (entertainment) role - the guests rode boats, fished, and on holidays there were even fights involving sailing yachts.

Court of Honor

House Church of the All-Merciful Savior- the first stone building of the Kuskovo ensemble. Built in 1737 in the Baroque style. Unfortunately, the statues with which it was decorated have not been preserved, however, four figures of the apostles can still be seen on the octagonal drum. The aluminum cross on the dome is held by an angel with open wings. All this gives the church that splendor that is necessary for a building located next to the central entrance of the Grand Palace. In 1792, the fortress architects Grigory Dikushin and Alexei Mironov built a wooden bell tower with eight bells nearby.

Grand Palace of the Sheremetevs built in the style of early Russian classicism in 1769-75. on the banks of the Big Pond. The building was built under the supervision of the Moscow architect Carl Blank, but it is believed that the project itself is French. This completely, with the exception of the stone plinth, the wooden building has two floors: the first was intended for receiving guests in the summer, the second floor, on a high plinth, was for utility rooms. The facade is decorated with three columned porticos: a six-column one precedes the entrance to the palace, and two two-column ones adorn the side ledges of the facade. The central portico is decorated with magnificent carvings and the count's crown, a wide white stone staircase leads to it, and two ramps decorated with figures of sphinxes adjoin from the sides.

The premises of the palace form an enfilade: an entrance hall, a tapestry room, a crimson living room, a front bedroom, an office, a sofa room, a library, a picture and a dance hall. When decorating, expensive materials were used: bronze, silk tapestries, carpets. The floor is made of stacked parquet. However, it is worth noting that a cheaper and faster method was also used for decoration: glued paper, which was applied to the walls, and then painted and gilded.

Most of the paintings and furniture were made by serf craftsmen (Argunov's father and son, etc.). Works by European artists were collected in the picture room. The largest room in the palace is the dance hall overlooking the park. The entire ceiling of the room is decorated with a huge ceiling painting, picturesque panels are located above the doors, white and gilded walls are hung with a large number of mirrors, which allows you to visually expand the free space even more. The hall was illuminated by two crystal chandeliers, wall candelabra - girandoles and marble statues with lamps.

Completes the ensemble Kitchen outbuilding, built in 1755 by the fortress architect Fyodor Argunov.

Regular French Park

The doors of the dance hall opened onto the lawn-parterre, which was closed by the Big Orangery. The park itself occupied an area of ​​approximately 30 hectares and consisted of two parts: regular (parterre) and landscape. The landscape part is located north of the greenhouse, its essence is to preserve the original state of the nature of that area. The regular part - an ensemble of alleys, ponds and canals - is built according to the geometric principle. The alleys running on both sides of the parterre lawn then converged and formed "stars", diverging into many paths, each of which ended in a pavilion or sculpture. In the center of the parterre is a marble column with a statue of Minerva. Swings, merry-go-rounds, aviaries with songbirds and places for games such as skittles were scattered around the park. It should be noted that 200-year-old larch trees are still preserved in the park.

dutch house It is considered the oldest park building. It was built in 1749-51. designed by an unknown architect. The building is located directly at the main entrance to the complex on the bank of a small pond. It is believed that it paid tribute to Peter I and his passion for Holland. It is impossible not to recognize the Dutch house because of the characteristic stepped roof and brick-colored walls. Inside the room is lined with Dutch tiles.

Italian house is located in the eastern part of the park, on the banks of the Italian pond, strictly symmetrical to the Dutch one. Built in 1754-55. fortress architects Fyodor Argunov and Yuri Kologrivov. Next to the building there is a small Italian-style garden with statues and small fountains. In the XVIII century, the Italian House played the role of a room for home receptions.

Grotto located on the western shore of the Italian Pond. The work was started by Fedor Argunov and completed in 55-61. already after his death. The interior of the pavilion is made in the style of an underwater cave: the walls in the main hall imitate marble, and in the side halls are covered with patterns of shells and stones. Small corridors are decorated with panels of sea shells, mother-of-pearl and stones of various sizes. The ribs of the dome imitate a fountain, the waters of which unite and smoothly pass into a single high jet - the spire of the building. This is the only building of this kind in Russia with a completely preserved interior.

Opposite the Grand Palace, closing the lawn-parterre, there is a building Large stone greenhouse- a pavilion in which exotic plants were grown. This in its own way unique building was built in 1761-54 by the same Fyodor Argunov. In the center is an octagonal dance hall, on the second floor of which the musicians were located; glazed greenhouses adjoin it on both sides. Today, the building houses Museum of Ceramics, whose collection is considered one of the best in Russia.

A little to the east was american greenhouse. Unfortunately, the original building has not been preserved and in its place is a modern reconstruction. Today, the main collection of the Museum of Ceramics is located here.

Opposite the Big stone greenhouse was air theater, an open building in which European operas and ballet entertainment programs were performed. There were more than 200 people in the Sheremetev troupe (actors, dancers, singers, decorators, musicians), including Praskovya Zhemchugova (Kovalyova) made her debut here as a maid in the comic opera The Test of Friendship. Also on the territory of the estate there were two more theaters, Small and Big, but none of them survived. This is partly due to the fact that Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, tired of ridicule regarding his wedding with a former serf, moved to Ostankino in 1995, where he built a new theater. His son, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev, was not interested in the theater, which led the buildings in Kuskovo to even more desolation. In conclusion, during the Patriotic War of 1812, the estate was destroyed by the French and only partially restored later, thus depriving us of the opportunity to see all three buildings.

Pavilion Hermitage was built by Karl Blank in the style of early Russian classicism in 1765-67. The centric building encloses eight park alleys. Just like another building of this architect - the Grand Palace, the Hermitage was intended to receive guests, but personal, intimate conversations were held here, without noise, pomp and servants. In order not to violate privacy, a special lifting table was even built, which was covered below and raised to the second, front floor with the help of a mechanism.

swiss house- the latest building of the Kuskovo ensemble. The building dates back to 1860-70, the author is Nikolai Benois. The first floor with windows is built of small bricks, and the second is wooden, with rich carvings, which is typical of the Swiss style.

History of the Museum

After the October Revolution, all possessions belonging to the Sheremetevs, including Kuskovo, were nationalized. By decision of the Council of People's Commissars in 1919, the State Museum- Manor "Kuskovo". In 1932, by order of the People's Commissariat of Education, the museum fund was replenished with the collection of the State Museum of Ceramics, based on the collection of patron Alexei Vikulovich Morozov. Since 1938, both museums have been merged and have received a common name State Museum of Ceramics and Kuskovo Estate of the 18th century.

Here I would like to separately note that if it weren’t for this “voluntary” nationalization, all the territories of the Sheremetevs: Kuskovo, Ostankino, Ostafyevo, the Hospice House (now the Sklifosovsky Research Institute), Voronovo and the Fountain Palace (St. would be private possessions, access to which would have only a very, very limited contingent. Under the USSR, the museum was actively replenished with new exhibits, and thanks to this, today Kuskovo is one of the largest museums of ceramics in Russia. So for the opportunity to stroll through the vast park and see the buildings of the 18th century with our own eyes, we must thank the RSDLP.

The first documentary mention of Kuskovo dates back to the 16th century. Since V.A. Sheremetev at the beginning of the 16th century. bartered it from A.A. Pushkin, the estate never left the possessions of the Sheremetev family. Kuskovo, according to spiritual wills, passed from V.A. Sheremetev to his son I.V. Smaller, from him to Fyodor Ivanovich, who in 1648 handed it over to his nephew Vasily Petrovich. After his death, in 1665, it passed to P.V. Bolshoi, and from him, in 1690, to his younger son Vladimir Petrovich. A well-known associate of Peter I, commander and diplomat, Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetev in 1715 bought Kuskovo from his brother. Under his son, Count Peter Borisovich, who inherited the estate in 1719, Kuskovo gained European fame. Since that time, for almost 200 years - Kuskovo has been a brilliant example of a "summer country entertainment residence."

Front and greenhouse greenhouses were an indispensable element in Russian garden and park ensembles of the 2nd half of the 18th century. They kept and grew exotic heat-loving plants, decorative and fragrant flowers, laurels and citrus fruits (including orange), coffee and peach trees, palm trees, pineapples, cacti and orchids. In summer, plants were exhibited in tubs in the open air, decorating the parterre and alleys of the park. Their crowns were cut in the form of geometric shapes, ships, figures of people and fantastic animals, which harmoniously combined with the architectural and sculptural decoration of the park. Such decoration of “green architecture” with works of topiary art (curly haircut) was characteristic of the aesthetics of the pleasure estates of Russia in the 18th century, and, like many other things in Kuskovo, was intended to “serve to the surprise” of guests.

From Renaissance to Baroque

Italian villa during the renaissance

The origins of palace and park ensembles and the emergence of gardening skills as an independent branch of art date back to the Italian Renaissance. The Italian nobility of that period lived mainly in cities, in contrast to the aristocracy of neighboring states, which eschewed cities and preferred secluded castles in estates. The relative political stabilization in the Italian principalities and city-states and the economic rise of the Italian cities led to the consolidation of great wealth in the hands of the Italian aristocracy. The spread of idealized ideas about the era of antiquity, interest in the ancient way of life, ancient art among aristocrats contributed, among other things, to the fact that many noble families began to acquire villas on the outskirts of the city, which were equipped according to the example of ancient Roman villas. However, many Italian villas of the Renaissance had a significant difference from the ancient prototypes: they had extensive gardens, compositionally related to the palace and arranged architecturally, created for festivities and pleasant pastime, and most of which did not perform utilitarian household tasks.

The earliest example of a new type of villa is Villa Medici in Poggio a Caiano, created for Lorenzo the Magnificent, head of the Florentine Republic, by the architect Giuliano da Sangallo (built in -1492; the gardens were redevelopment at the end of the 16th century).

One of the most significant Renaissance architectural works, although unfinished, was the construction Villa Madama(it: Villa Madama). Giulio Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, chose a picturesque hillside for the villa overlooking Rome, part of Campania and the Sabine Mountains. The initial project was prepared by Rafael Santi, inscribing a harmonious composition of a terraced garden, a casino (that is, a secluded house) and a two-wing palace (palace structures imitate ancient Roman terms) into a complex landscape. Construction began in 1510 under the guidance of Raphael's pupil Giulio Romano, but was interrupted in 1521. The villa was partially destroyed during the uprisings against the Medici family, and only when Giulio Medici became pope, construction resumed under the leadership of Antonio Sangallo, but was carried out with difficulty. After the death of Clement VII in 1534, the construction stopped again, only one of the two parts of the palace was completely built. The work was finally completed on the initiative of Margarita of Parma (the name of the villa comes from her name) in the 1550s, but Raphael's project remained unrealized. Villa Madama is recognized as the first project of a Renaissance villa with an architecturally planned garden.

In Florence, which has become one of the main ideological centers of the Renaissance, the most interesting Boboli Gardens, equipped with Palazzo Pitti. The construction of the palace for the Pitti family began in the 1460s on the outskirts of Florence and lasted for a long time. The palace was rebuilt several times; It underwent the most significant restructuring after it became the property of the Medici family (1549). In the middle of the 16th century, Bartolomeo Ammanati worked on the arrangement of the Boboli Gardens (he also led the alteration of the palace) and Giorgio Vasari. The peculiarities of the gardens were the architectural layout, which inextricably linked the palace and the garden, side symmetrical terraces, towering above the central stalls, the presence of fountains, an abundance of park sculpture of first-class work. Inner courtyard of the palazzo Ammanati courtyard) is separated from the gardens by a picturesque grotto crowned with a fountain. From the upper terraces of the garden, a solemn vista opened up to the palazzo and the city behind it.

Another masterpiece of the Renaissance period is recognized Villa Farnese (Caprarola Castle), built on the spurs of the Chiminskiy mountains near Rome. Construction began for Pier Luigi Farnese (it: Pier Luigi Farnese), son of Pope Paul III, in 1535, but was completed by the grandson of Paul III, Cardinal Alessandro. In the 1560s-1570s, Giacomo da Vignola, a recognized master of the late Renaissance, who created the foundations of the composition of the ensemble, worked on the villa. The dominant structure was a giant pentagonal palace, located on a mountainside. Stairs, complex in design, lead from it to the terraced gardens. In 1587, an upper section was added to the gardens; its arrangement was carried out by the architects G. Rainaldi (it: Girolamo Rainaldi) and F. Peperelli. A light pavilion with a loggia appeared in the upper part of the garden ( Casino Caprarola), fountains and cascades, bosquets, stalls with a low trim. A small upper garden near the casino was surrounded by free-standing caryatids with flower vases. Picturesque gardens were given accuracy in the calculation of proportions, harmonious coordination of elements and advantageous use of the natural terrain.

Vignola is credited with participating in the creation villas lante in Bagnaia (begun in, completed in 1588; located near Villa Farnese). Here, there are clearly signs typical for the works of the architect: the unity of the architectural processing of a large area, which manifested itself not only in a clear layout, but also in the decoration of stairs, terraces, grottoes, landings; a composition that takes into account the play of distant and near plans of the terraced garden, including the harmonious correlation of details located at different levels.

One of the most famous Italian Renaissance villas - Villa d'Este, located on the slope of a steep hill near Tivoli. In 1550, the unfinished villa, begun 10 years earlier, became the property of Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (it: Ippolito II d "Este). Its restructuring was entrusted to the architect Pirro Ligorio (it: Pirro Ligorio), and the hydraulic device - O. Olivieri.The Villa is famous for the abundance of cascades and fountains arranged unusually picturesque.To feed them (fountains operate without mechanical water injection), a unique system of underground water supply networks was developed.The Villa is also distinguished by spectacularly arranged terraces with complex staircases and grottoes; natural resources are successfully used in the layout of the garden. terrain slopes.

Characteristic features of the Renaissance villas are the location on the slopes of the hills (hence the terraced layout), the relatively small size of the gardens, correlated with the size of the palace; simplicity and clarity of plan. The garden is connected into one whole and is perceived as a single scenery; the main decoration of the garden is the palace, while the garden is conceived as a courtyard, taken out of the palace wings. The main alley, as a rule, is planned parallel to the facade of the palace, and the garden itself is often elongated transversely. Symmetry in the planning of gardens is observed in most cases only in the central part; the side parts of the garden and the end of the alleys are not symmetrical. Palaces inherit the features of urban Renaissance palazzos, gravitate towards a cubic form and in some cases are perceived as too strict and concise in decor. Sculpture plays an important role in the design of gardens (genuine antique samples are often used), fountains and cascades, bosquets, grottoes. Fountains are characterized by the location on the main axis of the garden; they are not located in open areas; often there is an arrangement inside the bosquets or in the center of four symmetrically converging bosquets; large and complex fountains are usually located at the edges of the garden, while small cascades are located along the axis of symmetry of the palace. An important role in the design of the garden is played by balustrades and stone parapets, which somewhat complicate the visual perception of distant plans of the garden, but at the same time, emphasizing the closed contours, create an atmosphere of comfort. The planting haircut is widely used, but at the same time it is restrained and imitates natural forms. Plantings were initially quite rare in themselves, they did not form groves and dense shade; the form of flower beds and bosquets is simple.

Renaissance country palaces in other countries

The embodiment of the architectural ideas of the Italian Renaissance in other countries of Western Europe happened with a delay of about 100 years. In Spain, France, England and Germany at the end of the 16th century, strong traditions of castle building were still preserved. Moreover, in France, for example, in the 16th century, there was a peak in the arrangement of castles - most of the famous castles of the Loire were built or significantly rebuilt during the Renaissance. The Italian type of suburban aristocratic dwelling - the villa - was not widespread at that time.

Nevertheless, the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture was undeniable and could not but be reflected in the construction of suburban residences of monarchs and aristocracy. One of the earliest examples of Italian-influenced residences in France is Palace of Fontainebleau(rebuilt by Francis I in the 1540s). Fontainebleau gardens were equipped by Italian masters led by Francesco Primaticcio. At the royal residence, a circle of artists and craftsmen formed, known as the School of Fontainebleau, which had a decisive influence on Renaissance art in France.

The most striking example of Italian influence in France is Luxembourg Palace and Luxembourg Gardens. The palace was built for the queen regent of France, Marie de Medici in -1631. Her childhood was spent in the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens; at the request of the customer, they were chosen as a prototype of the palace and park ensemble. Salomon de Bros, who was engaged in the construction of the palace and the layout of the garden, in an attempt to transfer the Italian methods of garden and palace architecture, had to deviate from the Italian model. The almost flat terrain and national architectural traditions led to different proportions of the palace and garden.

In England, Italian architects and gardeners have been working since the time of Henry VIII ( Nonsecha Gardens in Surrey). The residence of Henry VIII, Hampton Court, also experienced Italian influence, although the traditions of Gothic architecture still remained strong here. Traces of the Italian Renaissance are found in some aristocratic residences (for example, in chatsworth house and wilton house), but they were later subjected to significant alteration.

From Baroque to Classicism. regular park

Baroque villas in Italy

The artistic ideas of the Italian Renaissance were most widespread in the countries of Western Europe at a time when the baroque became the leading trend in art in Italy itself. In the architecture of country villas in Italy at the end of the 16th-17th centuries, traces of medieval architecture completely disappear. If Renaissance villas still sometimes resembled medieval castles and fortresses in detail, then the features of a palace develop in Baroque villas. First of all, this is reflected in the internal layout: the main hall of the building stands out, which is always located in the center of the main floor; the layout and decoration of all secondary premises is attached to it. The garden becomes an indispensable element, architecturally equal to the palace; the relationship between the garden and the palace is provided by the gallery.

An early example of a Baroque villa is Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati. One of the most characteristic Baroque villas near Rome was Villa Borghese. Its gardens were designed by G. Rainaldi and decorated with fountains by G. Fontana. The villa has not retained its original appearance: at the end of the 18th century, the palace was rebuilt in a neoclassical style, and the gardens took on the appearance of landscape parks. Quirinal Palace(architect Domenico Fontana) can also be attributed to the most typical Italian Baroque palace and park ensembles. Geometric gardens, monotonous in layout, were arranged in 1600 by Carlo Maderna; during the arrangement of the gardens, the terrain was completely leveled, and the gardens were a uniform alternation of square bosquets with fountains. One of the most interesting villas of that time - Villa Doria Pamphili, built in 1644 by A. Algardi for Pope Innocent X. The central layout of the garden was a wide parterre with rather complex flower beds. A wide and shallow terrace was traditionally arranged in front of the palace; open spaces and the location of the villa's casino on a hill emphasized its harmony.

Country palaces in France in the 17th century

In the development of palace and park ensembles, two French country residences - Chantilly and Vaux-le-Vicomte - played a historical role. In the ancient castle of Chantilly in 1661, the Prince of Conde held a grand celebration in honor of Louis XIV. The celebrations made such a strong impression on the king that he was ready to purchase Chantilly, but Conde rejected this offer. In August of the same 1661, the influential finance minister of France and the richest man in the country, Nicolas Fouquet, also held magnificent festivities in honor of the king in his estate of Vaux-le-Vicomte. The attitude of the king towards the minister was negative, and the holiday was arranged in order to return the favor of Louis, but the effect was the opposite. Struck by the unheard of luxury of the palace and the elegance of the park with a variety of garden ideas, Louis only strengthened his desire to get rid of the minister as soon as possible (less than a month later, Fouquet was arrested).

The failure to purchase Chantilly and the luxury of Vaux-le-Vicomte spurred Louis to build Versailles: the king was not satisfied with either the court in Saint-Germain or life in Paris; he was determined to create a new country residence worthy of the king of France. From the confiscated estate of Fouquet, many park sculptures, paintings and pieces of furniture moved to Versailles. But most importantly, Louis XIV invited the same people who worked in Vaux-le-Vicomte to equip Versailles: architect Louis Leveau, garden architect Andre Le Nôtre and interior designer Charles Lebrun.

Louis XIV loved to build; king for his favorites in the vicinity of Paris erected Clanyi and marley(both residences were not preserved, they were destroyed during the French Revolution). Marley was an outstanding ensemble; some of the architectural ideas of Versailles were repeated in it: the disclosure of an extended main perspective, the arrangement of large central pools as the main decoration of the garden and radial alleys as a connecting element of the garden.

Before finally getting carried away with the idea of ​​Versailles, Louis XIV in the 1660s was engaged in the reorganization Tuileries Palace and Gardens. The Tuileries Palace (architect F. Delorme) was destroyed during the Paris Commune, but the gardens as a whole retained the layout of the middle of the 17th century with a wide parterre garden and spectacular vistas.

All of the listed palace and park ensembles are associated with the name of Andre Le Nôtre, the greatest garden architect of the 17th century; the work of Le Nôtre and his school make up a whole era in landscape gardening art. He perfected the principles of organizing regular parks and became the first to solve the problem of laying out extensive parks on flat terrain.

Influence of Versailles

More information: Park of Versailles

Classicism and Landscape Park

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