Golitsyns estate

The estate was built by Prince Sergey Golitsyn, infantry general in the army of Catherine the Great, in 1780, allegedly by the famous architect Giacomo Quarenghi. The mansion was built on top of the hill to provide a magnificent view over the river valley, a village on the bank of the river and the ponds by the foot of the hill. The sublime mansion towered over the main park alley, a grand three-storeyed building with symmetrical side wings. The main hall was decorated with columns, stucco moulding, rare stones, mosaics, sculpture. The left wing of the mansion had a winter garden and an orchard-house, the right wing was an art-gallery with a valuable collection of West-European and Russian art. One of the true architectural and engineering wonders was a park fountain.
The religious buildings were added later to the estate, already in the 18th and 19th cc: a bell tower, a church, a chapel and a burial chamber.
The estate is now a protected cultural heritage object. There are works under way to restore the former beauty of the unique estate.