The Kuskovo estate in Moscow is considered one of the most famous architectural masterpieces of the 18th century. The residence was not inferior in scope to the royal palaces and parks. The estate was built over several years and combines different architectural trends. Kuskovo belonged to the Sheremetyev family, famous for their wealth, love of luxury and art. For several centuries of its existence, the history of the estate has acquired interesting facts.
Love story
A romantic love story took place in Kuskovo, which became part of the memoirs of the owners of the estate. The heir to Peter Sheremetyev, named Nikolai, came from abroad and began to actively rebuild the theater buildings of the estate. During one of the theatrical performances, the young count saw the serf girl Praskovya Kovaleva and fell in love.
Despite her origins, Praskovya received a good education thanks to the fact that she studied with foreign teachers. In addition, the girl early showed her acting talent, and she began performing at the Sheremetyev Theater. Nikolai fell in love with the girl so much that he found a way to forge documents so that she would receive freedom. The count obtained permission for the wedding, but soon after the wedding, Praskovya suddenly died during childbirth. Nikolai plunged into his grief and outlived his wife by only 6 years. The count's heir, Dmitry, was bequeathed to a huge fortune and many of his father's charitable projects.
The Legend of the Creek
An unusual stream flows in the forest-park zone of Kuskovo, about which the locals have been making legends since ancient times. The mystery of the stream is that it appears and disappears regularly. For many years, experts have not figured out the cause of the strange phenomenon.
The first mention of the reservoir dates back to the chronicles, which described the festive rites of local residents associated with jumping over the stream. This custom was especially common for weddings. It was believed that the newlyweds who jumped over the stream would live happily and have healthy children.
Over the years, the stream has become crushed, but its sacred meaning has not changed. During one of his walks through the Kuskovo forest, Count Sheremetyev discovered a place resembling the sanctuary of the deity Baal. Presumably, the knowledge of this cult was spread by Sophia Palaeologus, who came from Greece with her retinue. Among the retinue of the Greek princess were fans of this cult.
Terrain change
Count Sheremetyev demanded that foreign craftsmen create a unique project for their residence and equip the space around it. For the construction of the estate, a swampy plot of land was chosen, which was dehydrated using the created systems of canals and ponds. Such work at that time was worth a lot of effort. Serfs worked around the clock to please their master. As a result, a magnificent pond appeared in the center of the park zone of the estate, where various species of fish were bred.
Enormous efforts were also made to create the park area. The grove near the palace was cleaned and cleaned for several weeks. Different types of trees were planted here, the bushes were trimmed by the order of the count so that they differed from each other in different forms and created a single garden and park ensemble. The park, as conceived by the architects, was to be made in the classic French style, so the park was decorated with carved flower beds decorated with colored sand, rose gardens, and curly symmetrical lawns.
Air theater
The Sheremetyevs were notable for their love of the arts, so the theater became an important part of the park near the central palace. To create it, European architects who knew a lot about this art form were invited. In the 17th century, only very rich people, to whom the count belonged, could afford a personal theater. The theater was built in the form of a classical building with a variety of architectural elements that visually create the effect of "airiness". In this regard, the theater began to be called "air".
The theater gave ballet and opera performances, as well as staged performances. Among the serfs of the count there were many talented people who became actors, dancers and singers.
Many dignitaries and representatives of high society of that time sought to get into the theater to Sheremetyev. There is a known case when the count invited the Moscow nobility to his theater for a new production, in connection with which no one showed up at the reception of the governor-general of the capital. There was an embarrassment …
Grotto
The history of the grotto, which appeared in the residence in the middle of the 18th century, is interesting. The architectural landmark was created by the eminent master Fyodor Argunov. The grotto differs from other buildings of the estate in that it is made in an unusual Rococo style for that time. According to the architect's idea, the grotto was to become the embodiment of two natural elements: stone and water. For this, Argunov chose stones of different breeds as the main material, and decorated the interior with such elements as:
- shells of various sizes brought from the seaside;
- colored glass mosaic;
- exotic masks.
Today the grotto is a unique architectural structure, since you will not find grottoes with such interior decoration on the territory of Russia anymore. Argunov skillfully combined different European architectural trends and styles of that time with his own imagination, which made the grotto a true decoration of the Kuskovo estate.
