Description of the attraction
The regional center Chudovo is associated with the work of the poet N. A. Nekrasov. Nikolai Alekseevich acquired an estate with the beautiful name Chudovskaya Luka. The estate is located on the banks of the Kerest River, which flows into the Volkhov. In the center of the estate, surrounded by an old garden, there is a two-storey wooden house. In this house, the great Russian poet in the seventies of the nineteenth century repeatedly lived in the summer. Nekrasov did not come to Chudovo himself, but with his beloved wife Zinaida Nikolaevna, whom he affectionately called Zinochka. Nikolai Alekseevich liked life on the estate, it allowed him to escape from his work in the magazine and, at least for a short time, forget about the cruel censorship.
In the summer of 1874, he lived in Chudovskiye Luki for two months. It was at that time that a cycle of eleven poetic works was born, later called the "Chudovsky cycle". During his life on the estate, the poet constantly traveled to Chudovo and the surrounding villages. These trips allowed Nekrasov to get acquainted with the life and living conditions of ordinary peasants. Subsequently, the obtained material was used by him to write such works as "Conflagration", "Railroad" and, of course, the immortal "Elegy".
In the "Railroad" the life of the common people, full of hardships and hardships, was so accurately conveyed that the tsarist censorship twice warned the editors of the "Sovremennik" magazine, which published this work. The magazine was subsequently closed. This event happened in 1866.
On trips, Nekrasov's wife was always there, even on a hunt, in which Zinaida took part on an equal basis with men. Chudovskaya hunting was reflected by Nekrasov in the work "Despondency".
The local peasants loved Nikolai Alekseevich, because he behaved with them simply, on an equal footing. "He's not a master," said the peasants. Nekrasov and his wife also adored the peasant children, whom the Nekrasov couple had repeatedly invited to their estate for the holidays.
The wonderful atmosphere that prevailed in Chudovskiye Luki caused a creative enthusiasm for the poet, and during the two summer months of 1874 he wrote about a thousand lines. In Chudovo he wrote poems "Traveler", "Terrible Year", "Departing", "Prophet" and others.
But sometimes dramas happened in Chudovskiye Luki. So, while hunting, Nekrasov's dog Kado accidentally died. Nekrasov loved his dog very much, for him her death was a real blow. Kado was buried in the estate near the house. A slab of granite was laid on the grave. Nikolai Alekseevich stood beside her for a long time.
At the end of 1877, Nikolai Alekseevich, having been ill for a short time, died. By inheritance, the estate passed to Nekrasov's brother - Konstantin and his sister Anna. In 1892, an agricultural school was opened on the estate, which lasted until 1906. During epidemics, a hospital was opened in the building. During the war, during the occupation, the German barracks were located here, and the garden was cut down.
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary, a museum was opened in the estate, and in 2004 the appearance of the estate was restored to its original form. Also, museum workers removed modern items from the rooms and returned furniture, which was used directly by N. A. Nekrasov. Near the house, presumably on the site of Kado's grave, a bronze sculpture “N. A. Nekrasov with a dog.
On the territory of the estate, next to the house - the museum, there is a scientific, cultural center, where documents and photographs related to the period of Nekrasov's stay in Chudovo are collected.
Every year a poetic holiday is held in Chudovo, which attracts participants and guests from neighboring countries and Russia.
