Pearls of Russia

Museums and memorial estates

"Ostafievo" Museum

House-Museum "Ostafievo" is 'Russian Parnassus'.

In the XIX century the estate Ostafievo was one of the centres of Russian culture. Here N.M. Karamzin wrote seven volumes of "History of the Russian State". The poet P.A. Vyazemsky, the owner of the Ostafievo, received here Zhukovsky, Baratynsky, Gogol, Batyushkov, Mitskevich and Dmitriev. A. S. Pushkin was here in 1830 and 1831. Pushkin named so amazingly the Ostafievo alley 'Russian Parnassus'.

The house was build in 1801. Presumably it was the project of architect I.E. Starov. There are monuments of Karamzin, Zhukovsky and Vyazemsky in the park, which were erected in 1911 - 1913 by Count S.D. Sheremetev, Ostafievo last owner.

Pavel Petrovich, the only survived son of P.A. Vyazemsky, continued the Ostafievo historic and literary traditions.

P.P. Vyazemsky studied the history of Ancient Russia, founded in 1877 the Society of Ancient Literature, served in Konstantinopol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He finished the formation of the Ostafievo library. He turned the Ostafievo into house-museum. Small Pushkin museum was established on the second floor.

New times began in Ostafievo , when Count S.D. Sheremetev, who was married to the granddaughter of P.A. Vyazemsky, bought the estate. Count S.D. Sheremetev was the man, who realized the originality and cultural value of Ostafievo. He published complete set of works of P.A. Vyazemsky and 5 volumes of the "Princes Vyazemsky's Archive in Ostafievo ". In 1899, in the year of Pushkin's 100th anniversary, S.D. Sheremetev proclaimed Ostafievo to be public museum. In 1903 the whole estate became a reserve. In 1911, to celebrate 100th anniversary of the publication of "Notes about Ancient and Modern History" monument of N.M. Karamzin was erected in the park , and in 1913, monuments of A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, P.A. Vyazemsky were also erected.

Ostafievo survived the revolution. In 1918 Pavel Sergeevich, the son of S.D. Sheremetev, historian, artist, Corresponding Member of the Russian History Society, became the director of museum Ostafievo.

Due to lack of attention from the state, the Ostafievo gradually dilapidated. In March 1930, the Moscow Soviet passed the decision to liquidate the museum, the subsequent protests resulted in cancellation of this decision, but it was already late - the museum ceased to exist. Books, about 22 thousand volumes, were transferred to the Lenin library without allocation of this collection into the separate "Ostafievo library"; pictures, furniture, weapons were sent to the collections of other museums. Pushkin memorabilia now stored in the Pushkin's museum in Moyka Street. In 1941 the Ostafievo manuscripts collection was passed to the just formed State Archive of Literature and Arts.

Since then the Ostafievo changed many owners. In 1989 the Council of Ministers of the USSR passed decision to organize a museum in Ostafievo.
Manor house, park with a pond have been preserved. Since 1992 the complex was transferred to museum. In 1993 exposition was in one room. Gradually the displays are returned back, and today the exhibit of museum has replenished. The exposition of museum opens the history of the manor, acquaints with owners of the house and their well-known visitors.

The main excursions:
Manor 'Ostafievo' - "Russian Parnassus"
A.S. Pushkin in Ostafievo
N.M. Karamzin in Ostafievo

In the museum there is archive and scientific library. The archival collection of the museum totals 7570 units of storage.