←The Russian Versailles

The Russian Versailles

Photo of route “The Russian Versailles”
Photo of route “The Russian Versailles” — 2
Photo of route “The Russian Versailles” — 3
11 points4 km4 hours

Yaropolets is a small village of about a thousand people near Volokolamsk. Over the 888 years of its existence it has passed from princes to tsars, and from them to emperors and counts.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

  • 📜 Learn the city's history
  • 🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras
  • 🏞️ Enjoy the view

Route points (11)

  1. Monument to V. I. Lenin and N. K. Krupskaya — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Monument to V. I. Lenin and N. K. Krupskaya

    🗿 Monument

  2. Church of St. John the Baptist — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Church of St. John the Baptist

    🕍 Place of worship

  3. Monument to A. S. Pushkin — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Monument to A. S. Pushkin

    🗿 Monument

  4. Goncharov Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Goncharov Estate

    🏟️ Architectural landmark · 🌿 Public garden or park · 📜 Historic site

  5. Abandoned Church of Our Lady of Kazan — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Abandoned Church of Our Lady of Kazan

    🏟️ Architectural landmark · 📜 Historic site · 🕍 Place of worship

  6. Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Chernyshev Estate

    🏟️ Architectural landmark · 📜 Historic site

  7. Obelisk in Honor of Catherine II — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Obelisk in Honor of Catherine II

    🗿 Monument

  8. Red Pond — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Red Pond

    🌿 Public garden or park

  9. Yaropolets Dam — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Yaropolets Dam

    ⚙️ Industrial site

  10. The Station's First Turbine — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    The Station's First Turbine

    🗿 Sculptures

  11. Lenin Yaropolets Hydroelectric Station — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

    Lenin Yaropolets Hydroelectric Station

    ⚙️ Industrial site · 🌿 Public garden or park · 📜 Historic site · 🏟️ Architectural landmark

Chernyshev Estate in Volokolamsk

Point on route “The Russian Versailles”

Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”
Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”
Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”
Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”
Chernyshev Estate — point on route “The Russian Versailles”

Point 6

Chernyshev Estate

🏟️ Architectural landmark • 📜 Historic site

Warning

Susanin strongly urges you not to walk around inside the unsafe estate buildings. It may be dangerous to your life and health.

Historical Background

Contemporaries called the estate “the Russian Versailles”. It was the most lavishly appointed residence near Moscow in the 18th century, with linden greenhouses, gardens and even a theater. Some believe Chernyshev did all this to impress the lady of his heart, Catherine II. But let's take things in order.

Who Was Count Zakhar Chernyshev?

Zakhar Chernyshev was an outstanding field marshal who distinguished himself in the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). He became the first governor-general of the Belarusian Governorate and later governor-general of Moscow. Muscovites loved Zakhar Grigoryevich. The count supported building in the city: today's Moscow City Hall is his former palace.

The Empress's Favorite

Zakhar Grigoryevich grew close to the future empress during her first years in Russia. It's not known for sure whether it was a close friendship or a real romance, but the reigning Empress Elizabeth Petrovna hurried to remove Chernyshev from court. In the years that followed, he and Catherine were often said to be lovers.

The Empress Pays a Visit

Many years later, in 1775, Catherine II, by then Empress of Russia, visited Volokolamsk and called on her “former favorite”. Her visit lasted only a couple of days but remains a landmark event in the history of Yaropolets. Catherine praised the estate's splendid appearance.

Architectural Features

The palace has two floors and is built in the early French Classical style. In its best days the estate — with its semicircular wings, square courtyard buildings and tower-shaped central gates — had greenhouses with pools and a large park.

How “the Russian Versailles” Fell into Ruin

After 1917 the owners emigrated and the estate was nationalized. In the 1920s the building housed a children's sanatorium and a village clinic. It suffered most during World War II, from neglect and shelling. After that the architectural and park complex was abandoned. Today the estate is being restored, extremely slowly.