Before the main subject for January 2011, I invite you to discover cross country skiing at Krasnogorsk (not far from Arkhangelskoe park).
Inside there was a collection of drawings about Napoleon, quite funny !
To reach this site, you need to take the metro and then a bus : it will take roughly an hour from the center of Moscow.
There are many tracks (5km, 10km and 15km) but it is not clear to understand where you are : the track marking is not at the level of western European countries !
In March 2010 we had followed tracks and we were fully lost : hopefully, Russian people had helped us to find the way back to the start.
Both traditional and skating styles are possible at Krasnogorsk and there is a shop for renting skis and shoes.
The photos were taken on a sunny day of January but rather cold ... -13°C !
Ice fishing on the left photo
Now, back to Arkhangelskoe Park and Palace.
Where is it located ?
On the West of Moscow, less than 20km from centre of the town and closed to Krasnogorsk (Красногорск).
How to go there ?
From Tushkinskaya Metro Station, bus No. 549 runs roughly every 20 minutes to the Arkhangelskoe stop : the journey takes about 30 minutes. There are also two marshrutka services, T-151 and T-159, which take half the time to get to the Sanatorium stop.
There is cashier near the entrance door and you need to buy tickets for all monuments that you want to visit : if you forget one then you will have to come back at this entrance door.
The park is quite wide and there are several monuments to visit. In two of the buildings there is a sanatorium ( 23 on the map) and you can't visit it.
This historic estate dates back to the 16th Century, although it first came to prominence when Prince Nikolai Golitsyn, a favourite of Catherine II the Great, began to build a magnificent palace on the site in the 1780s. The project took decades, and he died long before it was finished. In 1809, Prince Nikolai Usupov, the biggest landowner in Russia, bought the estate and continued the building of the house and park.
Usupov, the owner of over 20,000 serfs, was a famous epicurean and dilettante, whose social position did not prevent him from expressing admiration for Rousseau and Voltaire, the latter of whom he met and corresponded with. His collection of art contained over 500 paintings, and was renowned throughout Europe. He also found time to dabble in science and the theater, and lived to the age of eighty, surrounding himself with beautiful works of art, rare books, oriental porcelain and also a harem of slave girls.
It took Yusupov 50 years to build and decorate the ensemble. He invited such well- known architects as Gern, Trombaro, Pettondi, Gonzago, Bove and others. The first third of the XIX century was the period of golden age for Arkhangelskoe.
The architectural ensemble of Arkhangelskoe includes :
- Big palace
Big palace in Arkhangelskoe park was erected in 1786-1790 by Russian foremans based on the project of French architect Charles de Guerne.
The visit of the palace is possible by joining a group (sorry, only in Russian) : you can see some paintings on the walls.
- Church of Mikhail archangel completed in 1667,
- Theatre,
In the theatre built in 1817-1818 based on P. Gonzavo's project : up to now scenery and the curtain of work of this famous Italian artist-display arranger were preserved.
- Temple-tomb “Colonnade”
The burial-vault "The Colonnade" is the latest construction on the territory of the estate. The monumental domed building with granite colonnades was built in 1909-1916 after death of one of the Yusupovs. The building was never used as a burial place.
Inside there was a collection of drawings about Napoleon, quite funny !
- Sanatorium (no visit permitted)
- Rose-coloured fountain
- And a park dated 18th century with arcades of trees on each side of the terrace
If you have time, then go near the Moskva river : you can take a drink, have a lunch or simply rest on the grass (if it is not winter season !).
If you want more information about Arkhangelskoe, you can have a look on the Web site (both Russian and English languages) : http://www.arkhangelskoe.ru/
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