The Kuskovo Estate

The estate is located in the Moscow outskirts. In the 18th century this Estate was the countryside residence of the Sheremetiev's family who were one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Russia of that period. The Estate was built and decorated for receptions and various festivities. It is also known as the Moscow Versailles.

The estate comprises the grand palace and a number of smaller pavilions and architectural follies dotted throughout an extensive park. Its territory covers an area of more than 300 hectares, including three parks - French regular, English landscape and Zaprudny, system of ponds and channels, small and big architectural park ensembles. These buildings were designed by French and Russian architects, and took over 40 years to complete. The centerpiece of the estate, the main Palace, was built entirely of wood. Its painted salmon-pink-and-white exterior was completed between 1769 and 1777 by the serf architects Argunov and Mironov who were supervised by a professional architect K. Blank. Visitors enter the palace through the Grecian Entrance Hall, decorated with replicas of antique vases, and proceed through an impressive suite of rooms of the 18th century. The main Palace and its Ballroom is a splendid site for concerts and cocktails. The Conservatory with its spherical dome is beautiful. On display there is a rich collection of Russian and foreign porcelain.