Recreation center "Belkino" Yaroslavl: description and reviews. The Belkino estate in the suburbs of Obninsk General characteristics of the Belkino recreation center

Belkino is an abandoned estate on the outskirts of the city of Obninsk in the Kaluga region. The locality has a rich past - the owners here were famous families - Malyuta Skuratov, Godunovs, Vorontsovs. One of the representatives of the latter was Pushkin’s godfather. They say that the poet himself was also here. And the name of "Belkin's Tales" could have been given by this estate.
Now, although the main house is in ruins and almost destroyed, there are hopes for the restoration of the interesting estate. Belkino may not repeat the fate of its now useless and collapsing “colleagues” throughout the country.

1. Main house. More precisely, what is left of it. “Sadness,” that’s all you think when you see another destroyed estate that no one wants.
It always surprises me why in all sorts of reference books, guides, brochures they write “poorly preserved or not preserved.” It would be more correct to write “poorly preserved”. But it's a shame to admit mistakes

2. However, with Belkino, unexpectedly, everything is not so bad. Of course, there is nothing good in a ruined house, closed by a fence with a thoughtful sign “do not enter, dangerous to life,” but there is one hope. Below it will become clear why)

Near the house there were unexpectedly stands with history and information. In Europe this is a common occurrence, but in our country, unfortunately, visitors are not yet spoiled with such a service everywhere. And you certainly won’t find this in abandoned places during the day with fire.

3. They write that Belkino is an old place. Known since 1585 as the patrimony of Boris Godunov. “Boriska” got it from his father-in-law, Malyuta Skuratov.
It immediately seems like the head of the guardsmen came here. Here he could rest after official business, feast, tell friends scary stories from work. And everyone around probably trembled at the sight and words of Malyuta

4. The palace, park with ponds and the estate appeared a little later, when Ivan Vorontsov was the owner of Belkino in the 18th century. His son, Artemy, was married to his cousin Maria Hannibal, the poet’s grandmother. The most interesting thing is that he was Pushkin’s godfather.

Pushkin himself could very likely have been here - his parents were friends with the other owners of Belkino, the Buturlins. Nearby is also the Linen Factory... They say that even the name of "Belkin's Tales" could come from here

5. The last owners of the estate were the Obninsky landowners. And after 1917 - a “biography”, standard for many former estates. Nationalization, dormitory, abandonment. In general, everything for a bright future and raising the culture of your country.

The estate would have completely collapsed if not for the Belkino Estate Charitable Foundation created in 2002.

6. There were people, entrepreneurs of the city, who did not care about the monument of the past. Moreover, the house preserves the remains of the lordly wall paintings. You won't find this everywhere

7. The Foundation is financed by voluntary contributions from its participants. The goal is to restore the estate and turn it into an area for recreation and walking for citizens.

The ponds were put in order, the park was restored, a gazebo and summer theater were built, a monument to Pushkin was unveiled

8. They also promised to take on the main house in order to turn it into a historical and cultural center.
Honestly, I don't know if this is possible. The walls were cracked, the house was leaning. And then there’s the crisis and default of last year.
However, let's hope)

9. In the meantime, you can admire the miraculously preserved paintings, hoping that a brick will not fall from above, and ignoring the “danger zone” sign.

Belkino Estate

Past, present and future.

PAST

The Belkino estate is located on the territory of the Borovsky district of the Kaluga region, adjacent to the northern outskirts of Obninsk.

In the 15th century The estate was owned by the Belkin family. Based on this, there is an assumption about the origin of the name of this place. At the end of the 16th century. Belkino belonged to Malyuta Skuratov, an associate of Ivan the Terrible. In 1579, Boris Fedorovich Godunov married the daughter of Grigory Skuratov-Belsky, Maria, being at that time an eighteen-year-old guardsman. As a dowry for his daughter, Malyuta gave these lands to Boris. Belkino was first mentioned as the patrimony of Boris Godunov in 1588. In 1605, after the overthrow of the Godunovs, Belkino was given to Mikhail Nagoy. And in 1611 these lands passed to the princes Dolgoruky. This family managed the estate for more than 100 years until the beginning of the 18th century.

In 1761, Belkino came into the possession of Count Vorontsov. From that moment on, a new interesting page opened in the history of the village.

On a frosty November night in 1741, the Vorontsov brothers Mikhail, Roman and Ivan took part in a palace coup, swearing allegiance to Peter's daughter Elizabeth. The coup served as an unprecedented rise for the Vorontsovs. In a few years, Mikhail Vorontsov will become state chancellor, Roman will become chief general, and the younger Ivan Illarionovich Vorontsov () will receive the rank of lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment.

Portrait of the Count. late 1760s State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

As a sign of special favor, the Empress marries her second cousin Maria of Volynskaya () to Ivan. Her father, cabinet minister Artemy Petrovich Volynsky, actively fought against the dominance of foreign rogues at court, challenging the almighty Biron. The forces were unequal, and in 1740 Volynsky laid his head on the block. After the execution, Volynsky's children were exiled to Siberia. But Biron’s triumph was short-lived, regent Anna Leopoldovna returned the children, and later Elizabeth canceled the order to confiscate property. On the wedding day of Ivan and Maria, she returned the Volynsky family estate - Voronovo - to the newlyweds.

Portrait of Countess M. A. Vorontsova (ur. Volynskaya). late 1760s State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

In 1753, showered with royal favors, Ivan Vorontsov received the rank of captain of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and two years later he was awarded the court rank of chamber cadet under Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich. In 1760, at the request of the Empress, he was elevated to the dignity of count of the Holy Roman Empire. Upon ascending the throne, Peter III granted Ivan Illarionovich the rank of lieutenant general.

The reign of Peter III was marked by the adoption of the famous Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility on February 18, 1762. The nobles received the right not to serve anywhere and to freely manage their time. Many representatives of the noble class immediately left their service in order to get busy organizing their estates. Peter's reign was short-lived; his wife, Princess of Anhalt-Zerb, or Ekaterina Alekseevna in Orthodoxy, ascended the throne. Taking advantage of the Manifesto, Ivan Vorontsov, like many others, resigned. Estate construction is gaining unprecedented scope. The era of Catherine II becomes the “golden age” of the Russian estate.

Vorontsov's numerous estates were scattered across different provinces and districts of Russia. He considered Voronovo, near Moscow, his wife’s dowry, to be the most valuable. His main attention was absorbed in the arrangement of this particular estate. At the same time, not being strapped for funds, the count organized the construction of estate complexes on his other estates. Belkino was also included in their number, since Ivan Illarionovich sometimes came here in the autumn to hunt. “According to the then sweeping scale of noble fortunes,” writes his great-grandson Mikhail Buturlin, “the Belkin estate (with its five hundred serfs) was spoken of as a mere trinket: a small corner of the land - and nothing more.” Previously, there were only dilapidated wooden buildings here - mansions built under the Dolgorukys and a church that preserved the memory of Boris Godunov. Obsessed with a passion for construction, Vorontsov begins the construction of a new estate in Belkino. The author of the estate project is not documented. But there is an assumption that this is Karl Blank (1728-1793). Karl Ivanovich worked for Vorontsov for many years, and all his estates have similar features.

Like any good owner, the first thing the count did was to build a church. Temple in honor of St. Boris and Gleb was consecrated on July 13, 1773.

The temple had a fairly typical layout for that era with a longitudinal orientation. From the east there is a two-height rectangular altar apse, in the center there is an “octagon on a quadrangle” dome, from the west there is a refectory and a three-tiered bell tower directed upward, crowned with a high spire. The façade of the church was painted in two shades of white and light ocher. With its modest but elegant appearance, the temple resembled a park pavilion, which was fully consistent with the traditions of estate architecture of Catherine’s era.

Church of St. Boris and Gleb Belkino. Color etching. 1993

The interior decoration of the temple matched the exterior. On Bazhenov’s recommendation, Vorontsov invited his student, architect Ivan Nekrasov, to paint the temple. The temple and refectory were painted with frescoes depicting Corinthian pilasters with porticoes and triangular pediments

The temple was erected, but construction of the estate was suspended. A war began in the Urals under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev. Frightened by the rebellion, Catherine II recalled the undeservedly forgotten Lieutenant General Ivan Vorontsov and appointed him head of the secret expedition. After the rebellion was pacified, the Empress, as a sign of gratitude, visited Count Vorontsov at his Voronovo estate.

It is difficult to say when construction of the Belkin estate resumed.

Not far from the church, on an elevated place, Vorontsov begins to build a three-story stone house. It was not a palace that was being built, it was a hunting residence, but with the scale of life of that time.

Plan of the Belkino estate. Color etching. 1993

The magnificent three-story stone house erected by Vorontsov had a monolithic, almost cubic volume, uncomplicated by porticos and stucco. The strict laconicism of the external decoration created the impression of noble simplicity and monumentality. The expressiveness of the design of the facades was achieved through the use of relief cladding. The lower floor, separated by a protruding cornice, was completely covered with rustication, which enhanced the feeling of the massiveness of the building. This effect was further enhanced by the classic white and gold color scheme. The entrance to the house, both from the front yard and from the park, was designed in the form of a porch with four columns, on which a long second-floor balcony rested. The building was covered with a hipped roof. The Belkinsky mansion was one of the characteristic monuments of early classicism.

Mansion of the Belkino estate. Color etching. 1993

Pairs of stone two-story and one-story outbuildings located symmetrically on both sides of the house were connected by an entrance gate with a cast-iron patterned fence. In the center of the front yard there was a round flower bed, lined with yellow acacia. Vorontsov placed yard services in the wings.

Gate of the Belkino estate. Color etching. 1993

As expected, the main house had utility, front and living rooms.

On the ground floor, Vorontsov made an unusual vaulted ceiling, typical of ancient Russian chambers, resting on a massive central pillar. There were residential and utility rooms with a vaulted basement underneath. A wide oak staircase led to the second main floor. The main part of the second floor was a ceremonial suite of three rooms. All rooms were walk-through, through which the entire floor could be walked around the perimeter. This created a through perspective, and windows overlooking the park enhanced the impression of being filled with light and connected to nature. Half of the enfilade was occupied by a huge double-height hall, occupying the third floor level. With choirs for the serf orchestra, hidden from the eyes of guests behind the balustrade. The walls of the hall were decorated with alfresco, musical emblems and ornaments, and on the ceiling of the domed ceiling there was a mythological plot.

Office of the mansion of the Belkino estate. Color etching. 1993

The main luxury in the rooms of the front suite was the delightful inlaid parquet floors. The details of their ornament were made from plates of valuable types of wood, differing in color and texture. Since the mansion was intended only for living in the warm season, there were no stoves in it; only a decorative fireplace was installed in the two-story hall.

The layout of the park harmoniously combined regular and landscape parts. The right slope of the ravine, descending to the Big Pond, was terraced, and small artificial ponds were built on each of the three gentle terrace steps. They formed a grandiose picturesque cascade - the most important compositional element of estate architecture of that period. Vorontsov laid out a regular linden park on the terraces.

The layout of the park is based on the classic intersection of two compositional axes. A wide central linden alley descended from the main house along terraces to a large pond, creating a deep perspective with views of the village and fields on the opposite bank. All the trees in the alleys of the regular park were carefully trimmed, giving them a spherical shape.

Park plan. Color etching. 1993

The cascade of ponds was stretched in a chain from north to south, parallel to the main compositional axis.

Not far from the church, on the slope of a ravine, he built a picturesque brick barn, which consisted of two one-story buildings connected by a semi-circular passage that served as a gateway to the landscape park. The building of the barn was decorated with panels and platbands, and its end facades were decorated with a high gable roof.

Riga. Color etching. 1993

The landscape park recreated the illusion of pristine, virgin nature. But this “naturalness” was achieved as a result of painstaking work. All landings were carefully planned. Whimsically curved paths, as if by chance, led to magnificent views. The main idea was a change of carefully designed landscape paintings.

Big pond of the Belkino estate. Color etching. 1993

To the east of the main house, on the same compositional axis, a utility complex with a stable and carriage house was built - a stone structure that forms a closed rectangle in plan. In the birch alleys planted along the roads leading to the estate, for more convenient passage through the hollows, Vorontsov built two stone bridges.

At the end of the 1780s, construction of the estate was completed.

In 1789, the newly rebuilt estate was inherited by Ivan's eldest son Vorontsov ().

Portrait of the Count. 1780s State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

At the age of twenty-six, Count Artemy Vorontsov entered the service at court with the rank of chamber cadet. By the end of his life, he became an actual privy councilor, chamberlain and senator, and holder of various orders. He was not at all worried about his promotion; ranks were based on length of service. Far from the bustle of the court, the count was seriously engaged in literary translations from French and Latin, and was friends with prominent poets. His real passion was the grandiose construction in Voronovo, which quickly absorbed the entire huge fortune he inherited. He rarely came to the estate. At the age of twenty-five, the count married Praskovya Fedorovna Kvashnina-Samarina () - the cousin of Maria Alekseevna Hannibal, the grandmother of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The Vorontsov and Pushkin families had close friendly relations.

Portrait (ur. Kvashnina-Samarina). 1780-90 State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Artemy Ivanovich had four daughters. In August 1793, his second daughter, the black-eyed beauty Anyuta, who was barely sixteen, married her second cousin Count Dmitry Buturlin.

Buturlina (ur. Vorontsova). 1798 Tambov Regional Art Gallery

The Belkin estate was given to her as a dowry. Here, in the Church of St. Boris and Gleb, the young people got married.

Buturlina. 1798 Tambov Regional Art Gallery

Buturlin () came from a very noble family. The grandson of Field Marshal Alexander Buturlin and the godson of Catherine II, left an orphan at an early age, he was raised by the brothers of his mother Maria Romanovna Vorontsova - Alexander and Semyon. After graduating from the Land Noble Corps, in 1785, Dmitry was appointed adjutant to the almighty Grigory Alekseevich Potemkin. This opened up a brilliant prospect for young Buturlin. But military service did not suit his taste due to his penchant for solitude and academic pursuits. Thanks to his uncle Alexander Romanovich, from a young age the count was fascinated by the progressive views of the Enlightenment and was a passionate admirer of Voltaire and Rousseau. He asked the empress to let him go to Paris, where the revolution began. Having been refused, he resigned in protest at the age of twenty-two. Leaving his service at court, Buturlin moved to Moscow. Subsequently, he never served again - however, for some time he was the director of the Imperial Hermitage. The position of director lasted only three years, and then he was in charge of the Hermitage on a purely personal assignment from the emperor. He tried not to linger in St. Petersburg. He was a typical Moscow liberal, an independent nobleman, spoke several languages, and was a passionate bibliophile. Dmitry Petrovich devoted all his time to his favorite pastime - compiling a library. He created one of the best libraries in Europe, more than 40 thousand volumes.

After the wedding, the young couple settled in the city estate of Dmitry Petrovich in the German settlement, where a vast garden descended directly to the Yauza. They lived in an open house, maintained a huge household and numerous servants, tutors, musicians, artists, teachers and librarians.

Belkino was the only estate of the Buturlin family near Moscow, which is why they began to spend every summer here. Dmitry Petrovich fell in love with this place. A passionate gardener, he continued the work started by Ivan Vorontsov. Behind the linden park, on purchased church lands, Buturlin created a landscape English park for twenty years.

From the barn built by Vorontsov, a steep winding path with a romantic bridge over the stream was laid along the slope of the ravine. Having made a semicircle, the path led to a spacious sunny clearing, gently sloping down to the pond, called Pokat. At the edge of the clearing, the count placed his greenhouses with lemon and orange trees. A cozy little grotto was built on the slope of the ravine. Nearby there was a botanical garden surrounded by a fence, where the count conducted his scientific experiments, approaching gardening art like a naturalist and botanist.

According to the recollections of his son Mikhail Buturlin, behind the fence of the botanical garden with flower beds and greenhouses, a long and rather deep picturesque valley began, bordered on both sides by a birch forest. Her name was Maryina Roshcheya. The groves were used both for walking and for economic purposes, they collected mushrooms, berries, and took firewood. Lilacs were planted in Maryina Roshcha, turf sofas were arranged for relaxation under branchy oak trees. Two pavilions were built nearby. One is like a house of elegant architecture with two rooms for tea drinking. Another one in the forest thicket on the opposite peak was made of uncleaned birch trunks and gnarled branches with bark; the interior furniture was made of the same material, and was called the Hermitage.

Anna Artemyevna (), like her husband, devoted her leisure time to gardening. She looked after rare varieties of dahlias, camellias and tulips that Buturlin ordered from Europe, but even more she loved to paint them in watercolors. She had extraordinary artistic abilities, did a lot of painting, and loved to embroider flowers on canvas directly from life. At one time, the Italian artist Molinari lived in Belkin, who gave the countess lessons in miniature painting on ivory, in which she achieved perfection. Anna Buturlina, although she was much younger than her husband, had a much more decisive and practical character; all economic affairs, including the management of estates, depended on her. Cheerful and energetic, distinguished by her bright, charming beauty and special charm, she always performed brilliantly as the hostess of a high-society salon.

In 1805, Countess Anna decided to update the paintings of the manor church. In addition, she wanted to perpetuate the memory of the brightest and most significant event in her life - her wedding with her husband. On both sides of the arch, two inscriptions were made, one in memory of her wedding, and the other in memory of the founding of the temple.

Like many wealthy nobles, the Buturlins encouraged the development of home-grown talents among their courtiers. For example, a young servant Grigory Nekrasov, who showed an inclination towards architecture, was apprenticed to one of the famous Moscow architects; later, under his leadership, construction work was carried out in Belkin.

Among the Moscow servants of the Buturlins, the young bartender Ivan Beshentsev, a witty and self-taught person, a gifted poet and a bright satirical artist, stood out. He created a whole album of original watercolor caricatures of all members of the Buturlin family and guests.

One more example deserves special attention. At the turn of the century, Ivan Ilyich Inozemtsev was the steward at the Belkino estate; his father was taken from Persia as a child. In February 1802, a son, Fedor, was born into the Inozemtsev family. From an early age, the boy showed a lively mind and a thirst for knowledge, and was especially interested in nature, plants and animals. He began to learn to read and write from Belkin priest Fr. Feodor Bogoslov. Subsequently, with the financial support of Buturlin, Fyodor Ivanovich Inozemtsev (1802 - 1869) received an excellent education and became a famous doctor, a star of the first magnitude in Russian medicine of the 19th century.

(doctor). 1844. Zakharov-Chechen. State Tretyakov Gallery

The hospitable Belkin house was visited by people of different social status. Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, who lived nearby in Troitsky, stayed there, Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov, Naryshkins. The famous historian, Kaluga bishop Fr. Evgeny (Bolkhovitinov). The Buturlins often invited foreigners to Belkino, among whom were emigrants from revolutionary France and Italian artists. Among the guests of the estate, Mikhail Buturlin mentions the Count de Balmain, the Marquis de la Maisonfort.

Connoisseurs of the history of Belkino have long been concerned with the question of whether Pushkin visited Belkino. It is known that Alexander’s parents were well acquainted with the Buturlins, they were connected by close family and friendly relations, their houses in the German settlement were located very close. Even before entering the Lyceum, the young poet often came with his parents to the hospitable Moscow house of Dmitry Petrovich and used his magnificent library. Portrait sketches of Pushkin's parents were preserved in the famous album of the serf artist Ivan Beshentsev.

Caricatured portraits (level Hannibal) and. I. Beshentsev circa 1815

The Buturlin family, as always, spent the summer season of 1812 on the Belkino estate. The war found them here. Napoleon was eager to reach Moscow. When the distant roar of battle began to be heard, the family moved their Voronezh estate - Buturlinovka.

After the Battle of Maloyaroslavets, the French retreat began. They also visited Belkino. The property was not damaged or looted. But the Buturlins’ house in the German settlement was burned down. The count's unique library was destroyed in a Moscow fire. Only that part of the book collection that was located in Belkino survived, about 4 thousand volumes. Dmitry Petrovich stoically endured the loss of his priceless treasure - the work of his whole life, philosophically saying: “God gave, God took away, His holy will be done.” But this terrible blow undermined his health.

The Buturlins had six children. Mikhail Buturlin described in detail the free life of the count's children in Belkin. They ran through the surrounding groves and forests, picking mushrooms and berries, caught crucian carp in ponds, swung on swings in the park, played burners with the maid girls and their peers from the courtyards. In Riga, where the master's grain was usually stored, performances were held, and the children themselves played with the nearby servants.

In the summer of 1813, the Buturlin family experienced two heavy losses. Having caught a cold, Anna's father, Artemy Ivanovich Vorontsov, dies, and then his seven-year-old daughter Sophia dies. Anna Artemyevna was very sad. Now the younger generation of Buturlins consisted of Maria, Mikhail, Elizabeth and Elena, who had just been born in 1813.

In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon's army and the capture of Paris, the Buturlins' eldest son, Peter, who was awarded the Order of St., came on vacation. Vladimir 4th degree for bravery. At the beginning of the war, he was an officer in the Tsar's retinue, and then an adjutant to Prince Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky.

The Buturlins spent the winter from 1815 to 1816 in Belkino. Since the mansion was not suitable for winter living, the family settled in a large wooden house, built in advance under the supervision of the serf architect Grigory Nekrasov. At the same time they made a heated stone chapel to the Church of Boris and Gleb. In the church itself, a wooden iconostasis was installed in the form of a classical portico with four Corinthian pilasters. During the reconstruction, the wall paintings were destroyed and the plaster fell off, so the temple was partially re-painted with frescoes on architectural themes.

In 1816, Pyotr Dmitrievich Buturlin’s asthma attacks became more frequent, and doctors advised him to change the climate.

Buturlina. Unknown artist from the portrait of I. Ender ca. 1820. Museum of Obninsk History

In 1817, the entire Buturlin family left for Florence. They no longer lived in Russia. The choice of Florence as a place of permanent residence was dictated not only by the beneficial Tuscan climate. Perhaps the Count's oppositional sentiments played a role. In Florence, Buturlin acquired the ancient Renaissance palace Niccolini, which has since been called Palazzo Buturlin. started collecting a new library. The Russian Orthodox Church appeared in their house - the very first in Italy, although part of the family converted to Catholicism. The Buturlins' house in Florence remained just as hospitable and open.

.Buturlina (ur. Vorontsova). Unknown artist c.1829 Museum of Obninsk History

The owners were very fond of the Russian artists who lived here. Orest Kiprensky, Karl and Alexander Bryullov, and Sylvester Shchedrin became regulars at the house. An official from the College of Foreign Affairs was a frequent guest in their house. On his advice, the Buturlins sent their youngest son Mikhail to serve in Russia.

In Russia, the name of Count Mikhail Dmitrievich Buturlin (1807 - 1876) is well known. It was he who described Belkino in sufficient detail in his memoirs, which provided a unique opportunity to restore a picture of life on the estate at the beginning of the 19th century.

In the spring of 1824, 17-year-old Mikhail Buturlin arrived in Odessa, the governor of which was his godfather Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov (1782-1856).

Buturlin circa 1825. Unknown artist from the portrait of K. Bryulov

Before the war, the Buturlin and Pushkin families, as mentioned earlier, were friends. Mikhail Dmitrievich, being the brother of the poet, would have been glad to meet Pushkin, if not for his father’s parting words. Unfortunately, Dmitry Petrovich began to treat Alexander Sergeevich very restrainedly. Sending his son to Odessa, old Buturlin asked him to beware of the disgraced poet. Meeting Pushkin in society, Mikhail wanted to get closer to him, but since he was not out of the control of his parents, he could not fully satisfy this desire.

In the 60s and 70s of the 19th century, Mikhail Dmitrievich studied Russian history a lot. Thanks to the memoirs of Count Mikhail Buturlin, published in the Russian Archive, readers received vivid sketches of the life of pre-reform Russia - a description of the life of the court nobility and provincial nobility.

After the death of Dmitry Petrovich, members of the Buturlin family divided among themselves the real estate that remained in Russia. The owners decided to have one manager for all three inherited shares. The choice fell on Ivan Antonovich Kavetsky. The retired lieutenant worked as a manager in Buturlinovka since 1815. By that time, Ivan Antonovich was already a widower, and the countess took his only daughter Varvara into her care. Being the same age as Mikhail, Varenka became a companion of his childhood games. On the eve of her departure, she placed her at her own expense in the St. Petersburg Catherine Institute.

In 1833, the Belkinskoye estate, as not generating income, was leased to the manager Kavetsky.

The Buturlins' eldest son Peter, owner of the Buturlinovka estate, became friends with the Voronezh landowner Narkiz Antonovich Obninsky. They were the same age, both participants in the War of 1812. It was probably on the estate of Pyotr Dmitrievich that Narkiz Antonovich met his betrothed, Varvara Kavetskaya.

Colonel Narkiz Antonovich Obninsky (1791-1863), like Kavetsky, was of Polish origin. He received his baptism of fire at the battle of Danzig. Over the long century of his military career, he took part in many famous battles of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the foreign campaign, managing to show true heroism.

In 1840, Obninsky bought the Belkin estate from Countess Buturlina in installments. Although Narkiz Antonovich acted as the official buyer, Mikhail Buturlin names Obninsky’s father-in-law, Ivan Kavetsky, as the buyer. It follows from this that the estate was partially acquired at the expense of the tenant; it probably constituted Varvara Kavetskaya’s dowry.

Soon after his marriage, Obninsky retired with the rank of colonel. The active nature of the military man did not allow him to withdraw into the family circle and household concerns. If before he lived in the interests of his regiment, now he was actively involved in local public life. He acquired not only Belkino, but also the nearest villages of Borovsky district, Shemyakino, Samsonovo and Krivskoye.

Narkiz Obninsky. Rice. circa 1850 Obninsk History Museum

The new owners of the estate treated their property differently. Obninsky is rebuilding the house. In the front rooms he hangs doors instead of a fireplace and installs tiled stoves. Now the estate takes on the typical appearance of a Russian estate of the mid-19th century, when comfort and rationalism were valued rather than external splendor. Careful maintenance of the park ceases. In order to partially compensate for the purchase of the estate, Kavetsky cuts down vast areas of forest for sale. As Mikhail Buturlin bitterly notes, he does not even spare Vorontsov’s birch alleys, which stretched several miles in different directions from the master’s estate.

After the defeat in the Crimean War, a deep crisis was brewing in Russia. In public circles, there was more and more talk about the liberation of the peasants. On February 19, 1861, Alexander II signed a manifesto on the abolition of serfdom. Tens of millions of peasants, the bulk of the country's population, were freed from serfdom. From now on they could not be sold, bought, or forcibly married; they received civil rights. During this period, Belkin peasants first acquired surnames. Various crafts began to spread among the peasants. They were especially developed in Borovsky district, where farming on infertile, depleted soils did not pay for itself, and peasants had to look for other sources of income. The liberated peasants took up handicraft weaving, gardening and transporting goods on their horses.

The eldest son (), having graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow University, returned to Kaluga land with an ardent desire to devote all his strength to serving his homeland. He was appointed as a peace mediator. The main attention of society focused on this activity, closely following all the vicissitudes of the implementation of the Great Reform.

Petr Narkizovich Obninsky photo beginning. 1860s

The career of Peter Obninsky, a bright and talented lawyer and brilliant speaker, developed quite successfully. Soon he was appointed prosecutor of the Moscow District Court.

Ruins of the Belkino estate. Ink and pen circa 1950. D. Terekhov Museum of the History of Obninsk.

In March 1983, writer Vladimir Chivilikhin spoke at the Obninsk House of Scientists; he accused the public of inaction and indifference to the dying monument.

In 1984, city authorities promised to find funds for restoration. It is planned to create a local history museum in the estate buildings. The administration of the Borovsky district promises to transfer the estate to Obninsk. The townspeople, not wanting to wait for the city or district to begin restoration, create an initiative group to save the estate. They carry out emergency work in the church on their own and repair the roof. Hundreds of people, museum employees, members of the historical club, schoolchildren and students go to the park to clear the territory. According to the museum’s archival documents, the children’s film studio is filming the film “Before It’s Too Late.”

At the request of the residents of Obninsk, after an appeal from the diocese, by decision of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the temple was transferred to the Church on May 13, 1988. This saved the temple building from further destruction that befell the rest of the estate buildings.

Church of Boris and Gleb. Photo 2010

In 1989, things moved forward. At the request of the city, a project for the restoration of the estate was made, and a contractor was found. But 1991 brought to naught all many years of efforts.

In 1998, the dilapidated building of Riga with the adjacent territory was given to the Obninsk city Cossack community. Clearing of the area began. At the time of restoration, only the western wing of the Riga remained. The Cossack community practically rebuilt the Riga building on its own.

Riga. Photo 2010

The new century was marked by new events in the life of the estate.

What enthusiasts began to do has now been taken up by entrepreneurs.

In 2002, the Belkino Estate Cultural and Ecological Foundation was formed. Through the efforts of the foundation, abandoned cascade ponds were cleaned up, a regular park was fenced off and restored.

Cascade ponds. Photo 2010

Alleys have been restored in the regular park. A picturesque gazebo appeared on the shore of the Big Pond.

The main linden alley of the park. Photo 2010

Thanks to Obninsk entrepreneurs, city residents have a wonderful place for walking and celebrating.

Much has undoubtedly been done, but not everything. The Belkin mansion has not yet been restored. There were no funds for a modern inspection of the technical condition of the building with simultaneous conservation of the monument. The mansion is “bledless”, although there is no official expert conclusion on the impossibility of restoration.

Mansion. Photo 2010

The walls of the hall. Alfresco, musical emblems and architectural ornaments. Photo 2010

FUTURE

The old mansion should get a chance for a second life, it deserves it, with its history, its resilience. He withstood everything, both fame and oblivion. I would really like to see the estate in its original form. As it was then two hundred years ago. So that through the cast-iron lace of the entrance gate one can again see the restored old mansion and the front courtyard with two pairs of outbuildings.

Model of the Belkino estate. Museum of the History of Obninsk.

So that guests coming to the estate can again, as in past centuries, enjoy the harmony of architecture and nature, stroll along the alleys and picturesque paths of the old park.

Material prepared by Ekaterina Chistyakova

Supported by:

1. Museum of the History of the City of Obninsk

Head scientific department:

Researcher

2. Cultural and environmental foundation "Belkino Estate"

Researcher

3.Obninsk city Cossack community "Spas"

Chairman of the Board

employee

4.Church in honor of Saints Boris and Gleb

rector: archpriestAlexey Polyakov

References:

1. Three estates. Belkino. Turliks. Hillocks. , Kashcheeva “Fridgelm” Kaluga 2009

2. Obninsk History of the city and region from ancient times to the present day. Edited by. Obninsk 2004

3. Notes of Count Mikhail Dmitrievich Buturlin. Russian archive 1897.

4. Church parochial school Belkino. Borovsky local historian. Borovsk 1997

5. The fate of Belkino. article for the media

February 2nd, 2017 , 12:56 pm

On January 21, I, together with the “Traveling with Friends” club, went on a photo trip to the city of Maloyaroslavets. On the way we visited the Belkino estate, which is located in the village of the same name in the nature of Obninsk. The temple, outbuildings, and a regular linden park with a cascade of ponds have been preserved from the estate, but the main house is in extremely poor condition and could collapse at any moment...

The main house is surrounded by a perimeter fence with warning signs " Do not approach the building LIFE THREATENING! "But there is no security here, and such a sign will not stop me,
Upon entering, the first thing that catches your eye is the miraculously preserved painting on the walls. To be honest, I have never seen anything like this anywhere else.

Apparently, balls used to be held in this room on the second floor.

And this might have been the living room.

Outbuildings

Belkino is a very romantic place...

Belkinsky Park

Flying stage in the park

The bust of A.S. Pushkin was installed in 2008, the author was sculptor Vladimir Denisov.

Cascade of ponds (Belkinsky ponds).

Lover's Bridge

Children's playground in the park

Rotunda

Views of Obninsk from the shore of the pond.

Lions in the park

View of the main house from the park

The village of Belkino, named after the nickname of the first owner Ivan Belka, was first mentioned in 1588 as the patrimony of Boris Godunov. In 1567, the village was received by Malyuta Skuratov, the head of the oprichnina investigation, who transferred it to Boris as a dowry for his daughter Maria. Back in the 19th century, an elm “three girths” grew in the park, which was called “Godunovsky”. After the Time of Troubles, Belkino passed to the princes Dolgoruky.
In the 70-80s. In the 18th century, when the estate was owned by the richest nobleman Count Ivan Illarionovich Vorontsov, an architectural and park ensemble in the style of early classicism was created here: a regular and landscape park with a cascade of ponds, a manor house with outbuildings, and a “Riga” park pavilion. Stone Church of St. Boris and Gleb was built in 1773. The magnificent cascade consists of four small ponds, which descend along three stepped gentle terraces to the Big Pond.
In 1789, the estate was inherited by the son of Ivan Vorontsov, Artemy Ivanovich, married to Praskovya Fedorovna Kvashnina-Samarina, a cousin of Maria Alekseevna Hannibal, grandmother of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. In 1799, Count Artemy Vorontsov became the godfather of the future poet. Artemy Ivanovich's daughter Anna married Count Dmitry Petrovich Buturlin, and the Belkinskoye estate was given to her as a dowry. Count Dmitry Buturlin, the first director of the Imperial Hermitage, was a famous bibliophile who collected one of the largest libraries in Russia.
The Buturlin family had a close friendship with the family of A.S. Pushkin’s parents, and historians believe that the poet visited Belkino as a child, before the Lyceum. In addition, nearby is the Polotnyany Zavod estate, where Pushkin came to woo Natalie Goncharova in 1828, shortly after the creation of the drama “Boris Godunov”. It is likely that the title of the book “Belkin’s Tale,” written in 1830, goes back precisely to our Belkino estate.
In 1840, the Belkinskoe estate was purchased from the Buturlins, who had left for Florence, by a Russified Polish nobleman, Colonel Narkiz Antonovich Obninsky. Then Belkino was inherited by his son Pyotr Obninsky, a talented lawyer and publicist. In 1904 the estate was divided among his four children. The most famous of them is Viktor Petrovich Obninsky - deputy of the first State Duma from the Cadets, author of the book “The Last Autocrat”. But the Belkino estate passed to the youngest son Boris, a forensic investigator.
At the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, the Belkinskoye estate became a true center of cultural life of the Silver Age. Friends of the Obninskys often visited here, whose names constitute the glory and pride of Russian art - artists Valentin Serov, Isaac Levitan, Vasily Polenov, Konstantin Korovin, Pyotr Konchalovsky, Igor Grabar, singer Fyodor Chaliapin, composer and pianist Nikolai Medtner. In 1910, Valery Bryusov created a series of wonderful lyrical poems here dedicated to the decline of the Russian estate.
After the 1917 revolution and nationalization, the Belkino estate was virtually abandoned. For some time, the main house housed a dormitory, but in the 1950s, cracks appeared in the walls and it was abandoned to its fate. In 1948, the estate was placed under state protection, but this status remained only on paper. During the years of Soviet power, the park became wild, the ponds dried up and became overgrown, and the buildings collapsed. By the end of the 20th century, the estate was on the verge of destruction; the state did not have the funds to save it.
The restoration of the estate began in 2002, when a group of Obninsk entrepreneurs established the Belkino Estate Charitable Foundation. The Fund's activities are financed through gratuitous contributions from its participants. The Foundation has set itself the task of reviving the Belkino estate in its historical appearance in order to create here a comfortable, environmentally friendly recreation area for residents of the city of Obninsk and its environs.
Over the course of ten years, the Belkino Estate Foundation managed to restore and improve the abandoned estate. At the same time, the special unique appearance of the architectural and park ensemble of the 18th century was preserved. The estate's hydraulic system was completely reconstructed: two large ponds and a cascade of four small ponds. A regular linden park with a historical layout of alleys and lawns was restored, and more than five hundred new lindens were planted in place of the lost lindens. The building of the one-story outbuilding, where classical concerts are held in the chamber hall, has been restored.
Small park forms were built in the estate according to the designs of the Honored Artist of Russia A.P. Shubin: the Hermitage summer stage, the bridge of lovers, the rotunda. The Belkino Estate Foundation regularly maintains the park in well-groomed condition. In the future, it is planned to restore the main house with outbuildings, where a historical and cultural center will be located.

Temple of Boris and Gleb
At the end of the 19th century. The interior of the temple was decorated anew: secular painting was replaced by paintings of Gospel scenes, and images of cherubs appeared under the dome. In 1815, under the next owner of the estate, D.P. Buturlin, a warm chapel was built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Quench My Sorrows.” Count Dmitry Petrovich Buturlin, director of the Imperial Hermitage, grandson of Field Marshal P.A. Buturlin, was a deeply religious and devout man. The count spent every summer at the estate and sang in the left choir of the temple. In 1885, a parish school was opened at the church, the trustee of which was P.N. Obninsky.
The temple was closed in 1930 and transferred to the ownership of the local collective farm. A warehouse for fuels and lubricants was set up in his building, and then fertilizers were stored there. The temple was transferred to the church on May 13, 1988.

If you like to travel around Russia, you can join the trips of the Traveling with Friends club. You can find out how to do this
Our next trip will take place on February 4 to Kashira and the surrounding area.

(Russia, Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Obninsk)

The former estate of the Vorontsovs, on the outskirts of modern industrialized Obninsk, is going through hard times. This applies to a greater extent to the house (V.D. Polenov, I.I. Levitan, A.V. Sredin, V.A. Serov, V.Ya. Bryusov were here) ... and to the huge park - the destruction of which It began under Obninsky, who mercilessly used birch line-alleys for firewood. The Church of Boris and Gleb (1773, possibly designed by architect K.I. Blank), unlike the house, has been renovated and is operational.
Belkino (Borisoglebskoe) - “an ancient possession of the Belkin nobles, in the second half of the 16th century. guardsman G.L. Velsky (Malyuta Skuratov) and then his daughter’s husband, Tsar Boris Godunov; from 1605 to 1611 - uncle of the last wife of Ivan IV M.F. Naked. Then the estate was granted to the voivode, Prince. DI. Dolgorukov, since 1626 it was owned by his son, the steward, Prince. G.D. Dolgorukov and in 1676 the estate transferred to the patrimony was inherited by his son, the steward, Prince. P.G. Dolgorukov;

from 1687 it was owned by his son, the steward, Prince. G. P. Dolgorukov on a section with his stepmother Prince. A.Yu. Dolgorukova (nee Prince Baryatinskaya), who married boyar T.N. at the end of the century. Streshneva; from 1719 G.P. became the sole owner. Dolgorukov, who soon gave the estate as a dowry to his daughter A.G. Volynskaya (later in Shepeleva’s second marriage); from the 1740s gt. until 1761 it was owned by her daughter, Prince. E.V. Urusova (nee Volynskaya).
The estate belonged to gr. I.I. Vorontsov, who rebuilt it in the 1770-1780s; in 1789 he was succeeded by his son, Count. A.I. Vorontsov (godfather of A.S. Pushkin), since 1793 owned by the husband of his daughter Anna, the famous bibliographer gr. D.P. Buturlin. Since 1833, the estate was leased to the manager of the Voronezh estate of the Buturlins, Buturlinovka I.A. Kavetsky, since 1840 it belonged to his daughter’s husband, Colonel N.A. Obninsky, from 1863 - to his son, public figure P.N. Obninsky and until 1917 his son B.P. Obninsky,” wrote A.B. Chizhkov and A.A. Zorin in the book “Kaluga Estates”, M., 2007.
The palace, supposedly built by Karl Ivanovich Blank in the 1770s, has preserved only the ruined outer walls. It was so dilapidated that they surrounded it with a fence and posted a sign warning that being nearby was dangerous to life.
Until the mid-18th century, Belkino was like most rural estates. The estate included wooden mansions with “red” windows and tiled stoves, and an orchard. After the “Manifesto on the Freedom of the Nobility,” the construction boom reached the Kaluga outback.
Count I.I. Vorontsov (1719-1786) retired from government service and began building a large, but at the same time compact, three-story palace in his “hunting” residence. (Let me remind you that the count had another estate for living in the summer - Voronovo near Moscow).
The house, capable of accommodating a large retinue, was complemented by symmetrical wings with services. The ensemble was surrounded by a beautiful park with access rays-alleys and cascading ponds.
The architect designed the facades of the “hunting castle” in the spirit of early classicism. Despite the absence of mandatory order elements, the architecture of the house could hardly be attributed to the Baroque style, of which the Boris and Gleb estate church is a representative. Various panels and rustication dissected the smooth surfaces of the walls. From the side of the courtyard and the park, the axis of symmetry of the structure was marked by balconies and two-column entrance portals; the centers of the other two facades were marked by barely protruding risalits.
During Soviet times, the palace housed various institutions, including a hostel.
For many years, the wonderful palace has been on the verge of collapse, is it really impossible to save it? From the buildings of the manor's estate you can also see the outbuilding and the barn. The park has recently been put in order, a road and path network has been laid, and gazebos have been installed in several corners.

Photo captions in the text:
1. The main house in the Belkino estate (modern photo)
2. A.V. Middle Room in the Obninsky Belkino Estate
3. V.A. Serov Hall of the old house. Belkino estate, Kaluga province. 1904

The ancient Belkino estate is located in the suburbs of Obninsk. Today this is a favorite vacation spot for Obninsk residents. This was once the property of Boris Godunov’s brother, Semyon. Since the 15th century it belonged to the Belkin family of nobles. In the 18th century the village of Belkino passed to Ivan Illarionovich Vorontsov. Having married, he retired and lived in Belkino in the summer and autumn. Vorontsov was obsessed with construction and built a stone house, a temple and a regular park here.

Then Belkino passed to D.P. Buturlin, as a dowry for granddaughter I.I. Vorontsova. Buturlin D.P. was the curator of the Hermitage, owned a large library, which burned down during the Moscow fire of 1812 (part of his library, located in Belkino, survived). Buturlin liked spending time in Belkino, he loved gardening and built greenhouses here with lemon and orange trees and rare flowers.

At different times, Pushkin’s parents A.S., Countess Vorontsova-Dashkova, came to Belkino. When the Obninskys owned the estate, I.I. visited here. Levitan, V.D. Polenov, P.P. Konchalovsky, V.A. Serov, V.Ya. Bryusov, I.E. Grabar and others.

In Soviet times, various institutions were located in the Belkin estate palace. Currently the estate is in disrepair. From the palace where Levitan, Pushkin, and Serov once visited, virtually only the walls remain. Its floors and roof are destroyed. The house built by K.I. Blankom in 1770, it became so dilapidated that they had to surround it with a fence because it was dangerous to be near it. Blank designed the facades of the “hunting castle” in the style of early classicism. Rust and various panels dissected the surfaces of the walls. From the side of the park and courtyard, the axis of symmetry of the building is marked by two-column entrance portals and balconies, the centers of the other two facades are marked by barely protruding risalits.

The park has now been put in order, it has been cleaned, and a road and path network has been laid. The park contains numerous picturesque places that attract amateur photographers.

The estate also includes: a gazebo for lovers, decorative bridges, Belkin ponds, sculptures, the Church of Boris and Gleb, a monument to Pushkin, a monument to priest Feodor Tikhomirov, a mass grave of soldiers who died here during the Great Patriotic War.

The stone Boris and Gleb Church, located on the territory of the estate, was built in 1773. It was part of the estate complex. The traditions of Catherine's era are clearly visible in its appearance. The architectural design of the temple used elements of classicism and baroque. The interior of the temple is decorated with paintings using the grisaille technique, which was done by I.D. Nekrasov under the leadership of V.I. Bazhenova. At the end. 19th century secular painting in the temple was replaced with paintings of scenes from the gospel, and images of cherubs were made under the dome. In 1815, a winter chapel was built in the name of the “Quench My Sorrows” icon.

In 1885, a parochial school was opened at the Boris and Gleb Church under the tutelage of P.N. Obninsky. The school building, which is a log house of two log houses, has survived to this day. The first teacher of the law at the school was Feodor Tikhomirov, to whom a monument was erected on the estate. He served in the temple for about 25 years and was buried in the church fence. He was replaced by Georgy Vasilyevich Troitsky, who served here until 1927.

Until the 1930s, John Zhukov served in the Boris and Gleb Church. On November 23, 1930, he was arrested and sent to Siblag for three years. In 1937 he was shot. In the 1930s, the temple was closed and transferred to the local collective farm, which located its warehouse here. Only in 1988 the temple was again transferred to the Church. Today there are children's Sunday school and theological courses.