Ostafyevo Museum-Estate

The historic Ostafyevo estate in the Moscow region is a unique monument of Russian culture, where over the course of two centuries the history of literature was being created. This place, which contemporaries called “the Russian Parnassus”, preserves the memory of visits by Pushkin, Gogol and Karamzin and has today become one of the most visited museum complexes in the metropolitan region.

A historical journey through the centuries

Foundation and first owners of the estate

The roots of the estate complex go back to the distant 17th century, when the estate of the political figure Prokopy Lyapunov appeared on these lands. At that time, the territory was called the village of Klimovo, later renamed Ostafyevo. A fateful moment came in 1751, when the merchant Kozma Matveyevich Matveyev acquired these lands, receiving a rare right for his estate class to own serfs and a landed estate. Matveyev laid the architectural foundation of the estate, which has been largely preserved to this day. The compositional design of the territory and the carefully planned layout of the park area were all created precisely under the first owner from the merchant class.

The era of flourishing under the Princes Vyazemsky

Ostafyevo experienced a true cultural heyday under Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky, one of the most educated men of his time and a descendant of the ancient Rurik dynasty. It was he who built the majestic palace with wings, laid out a picturesque park and turned the estate into a center of attraction for the creative intelligentsia. Under his son, the poet Petr Andreevich Vyazemsky, the estate reached the peak of its fame. Within the walls of the estate, meetings of the famous literary society “Arzamas” were held, theatrical performances were staged, poetry was recited and philosophical discussions took place. The owner himself dedicated many poetic works to his family nest, celebrating its beauty and special atmosphere.

Karamzin and the creation of historical heritage

A special place in the chronicle of Ostafyevo belongs to Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. The historian and writer lived on the estate for eleven years — from 1804 to 1815. It was here, in the silence of the Moscow countryside, that the first eight volumes of the monumental work “History of the Russian State” were created, which became the pinnacle of Russian historiography.

Museum work of Count Sheremetev

In 1898 the estate passed to Count Sergey Dmitrievich Sheremetev, a historian and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Understanding the cultural value of Ostafyevo, he opened here, just a year later, one of the first museums in Russia dedicated to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. This event was timed to the centenary of the great poet’s birth. Between 1911 and 1914, memorial busts of outstanding figures appeared in the park: Karamzin, Pushkin, Zhukovsky, as well as the owners of the estate — Petr and Pavel Vyazemsky. The unveiling of each monument turned into a ceremonial event with many guests in attendance.

The Soviet period and the revival of the museum

Trials of the 20th century

After the 1917 revolution, the estate was nationalized, although the museum was initially preserved. In 1923 Ostafyevo was officially recognized as an inviolable monument of garden and park culture of museum and academic significance. But already in 1930 the museum was abolished, and its priceless collections were distributed among various institutions or sold. In the following decades, the estate was used for a variety of purposes:

• A pioneer camp for children’s recreation in the pre-war years
• A military hospital during the Great Patriotic War
• A recreation base of the USSR Council of Ministers from the mid-20th century

It was precisely in Soviet times that the building underwent the most significant alterations. A complete modernization was carried out: new utilities were installed, windows and staircases were replaced, and the interior layout was changed. The major renovation of 1945 caused serious damage to the historical appearance of the estate.

Restoring museum status

Justice was restored on December 5, 1988, when Ostafyevo once again became a museum. Seven years later, in February 1995, the complex was included in the list of historical and cultural heritage sites of Russia of federal significance. Large-scale restoration work continued until 2016. Specialists painstakingly recreated the palace interiors, restored items of interior decor and returned the estate to its original appearance. The final restoration phase from 2010 to 2016 included the reconstruction of the belvedere and the Ostafyevo galleries, which gave the complex a fully completed palace look.

The architectural ensemble of the museum-estate

The main palace in the classicist style

The heart of the estate complex is the two-story palace, built between 1800 and 1820. The authorship is attributed to the outstanding architect Ivan Starov. The building is an example of Russian classicism with characteristic elements:

• A majestic six-column portico emphasizing the main entrance
• A triangular pediment giving the structure monumentality
• A belvedere on the roof, recreated in 2012 based on historical documents
• Two side wings connected to the main building by open colonnaded galleries

The palace interiors and museum exhibitions

The Oval Hall and the vestibule form the compositional center of the building. The grand hall is considered a benchmark of Russian estate architecture of the early 19th century. It is decorated with half-columns, a decorative frieze and a painted ceiling. In the vestibule, works of European art from the 15th–16th centuries are exhibited. Of particular value are the three libraries that belonged to different generations of the Vyazemsky family:

1. The library of Andrei Ivanovich — the founder of the estate collection
2. The collection of Petr Andreevich — the poet and literary figure
3. The collection of Pavel Petrovich — a passionate bibliophile and collector

Each library reflects the interests and preferences of its owner and contains rare editions and unique manuscripts. The Great Drawing Room impresses with its collection of Italian paintings, marble busts of Roman emperors and reliefs by Henning. In the dining room there are 17th-century monastic cupboards, antique furniture and a collection of weapons from various peoples.

The estate park: a natural gem

The park area covers 21 hectares and represents a harmonious combination of various landscape zones. Here you can stroll along the old linden alley, laid out back in the 18th century and extended by one third in the 19th century. According to legend, it was this alley that Pushkin himself dubbed “the Russian Parnassus”. The natural diversity of the park includes:

• A pine forest of 870 trees planted in 1905
• Birch groves creating a typically Russian landscape
• A picturesque pond with a 19th-century gazebo on its bank
• Coniferous plantings that give the park its special character

At the beginning of the 20th century the park was enriched with memorial monuments to great Russian writers and the owners of the estate. The busts of Pushkin, Karamzin, Zhukovsky, Petr and Pavel Vyazemsky became important elements of the landscape design and a reminder of the cultural heritage of these places.

Practical information for visitors

Opening hours of the museum complex

The Ostafyevo museum-estate is open six days a week:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday: 10:00 — 18:00
• Saturday: 10:00 — 21:00 (evening opening hours)
• Monday: closed
• The last Friday of each month: 12:00 — 18:00

The park area is accessible daily from 8:00 to 23:00, with entry allowed until 22:00. The ticket office closes one hour before closing time.

Admission fees

Ticket prices vary depending on the exhibition and visitor category. Museum exhibitions (three permanent displays on different floors):

• Full ticket — 350 rubles
• Concession ticket — 300 rubles
• With the Pushkin Card — 200 rubles
• Children under 15 — free

Park admission:

• Full ticket — 100 rubles
• Concession ticket — 50 rubles
• With the Pushkin Card — 50 rubles
• Children under 16 and pensioners — free
• From 8:00 to 10:00 — free entry for all categories

Please note: to visit the museum you need to purchase both a park ticket and a museum exhibition ticket. Guided tours are paid for separately.

Guided tour programs

The museum offers a variety of educational formats. Themed tours:

• “N. M. Karamzin: Life and Works” — a story about the great historian
• “The furnishings of the Ostafyevo house” — an introduction to the interiors
• “A. S. Pushkin and Ostafyevo” — about the poet’s connection with the estate
• “The estate park in Ostafyevo” — a walk through the grounds
• “Church of the Life-Giving Trinity” — an architectural monument
• Ecological trail “The unusual in the ordinary”

Interactive formats:

• Quest “Secrets of the estate park” for family visits
• “Ostafyevo gatherings” — immersion in 19th-century everyday life
• “Kaleidoscope of names, events, faces” — a theatrical program

How to get to Ostafyevo

The museum is located in the Razanovskoye settlement, the village of Ostafyevo, south of Moscow. There are several convenient routes. By public transport from Moscow:

• From “Bulvar Dmitriya Donskogo” metro station: bus No. 802 to the “Ostafyevo Museum-Estate” stop
• From “Buninskaya Alleya” metro station: minibus No. 1255
• By MCD-2 or suburban train from Kursky railway station to “Shcherbinka” station, then buses No. 509, 898 or 1045

By private car: The optimal route runs along Varshavskoye Highway to the town of Shcherbinka, then turn onto Ostafyevskoye Highway to Ostafyevo Pond and the entrance to the museum complex. There is a parking lot in front of the entrance, but spaces are limited, so it is recommended to arrive in the morning hours.

Interesting facts about Ostafyevo

The first Russian female aeronaut: In 1803, Praskovya Yuryevna Gagarina landed on the estate grounds after a hot-air balloon flight. She became the first Russian woman aeronaut, and Ostafyevo entered the history of Russian aviation. The literary society “Arzamas”: Meetings of the famous literary circle, which united leading writers and poets of the Pushkin era, were held within the walls of the estate. New works were discussed here and creative debates took place. The origin of the name “Russian Parnassus”: According to legend, it was Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, inspired by the beauty of the linden alley and the creative atmosphere of the estate, who gave it this poetic name. Parnassus is a mountain in Greece that was considered the abode of the Muses. The Trinity Church: Next to the estate stands the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, an architectural monument that is currently under restoration. The church served as the spiritual center of the estate for centuries.

The modern life of the estate

Today Ostafyevo is not only a museum but also an active cultural venue. Literary evenings, musical concerts, theatrical performances and academic conferences are regularly held here. The estate has become a popular place for wedding ceremonies and photo shoots. Every year the Ostafyevo museum-estate is visited by more than 100,000 people. Tourists come here to immerse themselves in the history of Russian literature, enjoy the beauty of the park and architecture, and feel the atmosphere of a 19th-century noble estate. The Ostafyevo Museum-Estate — the “Russian Parnassus” — continues to play an important role in the cultural life of the metropolitan region, preserving and promoting Russia’s literary heritage for contemporaries and future generations.