The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov, Yekaterinburg: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

The Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate is not only an interesting architectural monument, but also a building with its own unique history, which includes many myths, legends and interesting facts. This house is considered to be practically the most valuable heritage of the city of Yekaterinburg. In addition, at one time it had federal significance. This beautiful estate is located in the very center of the city in the Kirovsky district on the street that bears the name of Karl Liebknecht. Voznesenskaya Gorka can rightly be proud of this attraction.

Estate of the late 18th century

Looking behind the curtain of history, you can see that all the truly breathtaking structures were built before the twentieth century. And the estate of the Kharitonov-Rastorguevs (Yekaterinburg) is no exception. Its construction began in the eighteenth century, namely in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five. It is noteworthy that the construction of the Ascension Church began simultaneously with the estate.

The construction of the buildings was finally and solemnly completed at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Architect Malakhov literally put his whole soul into the construction of this beautiful house, which is known as the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate in Yekaterinburg. Some facts indicate that it was with his light hand that a luxurious garden was laid out at the estate in the middle of the nineteenth century. The original owner of the house is considered to be the provincial secretary - Isakov, however, unfortunately, he died without even seeing the completion of construction work with his own eyes.

New owners of the estate

His widowed wife was so heartbroken that she could not find the strength to continue building a fashionable home. Without thinking twice, she sold the unfinished residential complex to a well-known merchant in that area - Lev Ivanovich Rastorguev. Apparently, the scale of the estate seemed too modest to him, since he immediately ordered the expansion. In addition, two houses were erected, including a two-story outbuilding and a greenhouse.

At the end of construction, Rastorguev decided to strengthen family ties, and the estate became the property of his son-in-law Kharitonov. That is how the Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate got its official name.

Expansion of territory

The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov in Yekaterinburg was famous for its gardens. The son-in-law of the famous merchant decided not to be modest and continued to buy up adjacent land plots. It was decided to expand the garden, which now began to occupy morenine hectares and be called "English". Fanciful trees brought from afar and other park structures made it unique and inimitable, especially by the standards of the nineteenth century.

A few years later, a wasteland located nearby was added to the family property. Some buildings, including outbuildings, were interconnected by one-story passages, which made it possible to travel from house to house without going outside. It was very convenient, especially in cold rainy weather or in winter.

Mysterious cellars

The basements of the majestic building are of particular interest to historians and just curious tourists. For a long time they were covered with a veil of fear and mystery. Legends say that rebels were hidden in them for a long time. Some say with certainty that under the estate there is a whole network of dungeons, which extends in all directions far beyond the estate. However, the probability of finding out is negligible.

And again without a master

1837 was a turning point for Kharitonov in his life. The emperor issued a decree on the eviction of the owner of the estate in Kexholm. The reason for this was the accusation of Kharitonov in the brutal treatment of his workers. Since then, everything has changed a lot. Since he had no successors, the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate was empty, and eventually some of its parts began to be used as rented premises. Many began to rentapartments and work offices.

The imprint of communism on the estate

Then the time of the revolution came, and for some time the Red Guard detachments were stationed there, and then the university also worked. The building was multifunctional and suitable for almost everything, and after it also became the property of the state, meetings and congresses of the Socialist Union began to be held there. In honor of such events, the square was also renamed, which later was called Komsomolskaya.

Legends of the old building

One thousand nine hundred and twenty-fourth year opened the curtain of secrecy, which was inspired by the estate of the Rastorguev-Kharitonovs. A collapse occurred in the park near the main entrance to the palace, as a result of which a tunnel opened in the dungeon. After a couple of decades, workers were cleaning the pond and found a hole with a passage that extended twenty meters deep. These exciting finds confirmed the rumors at the time about the famous dungeons that were built under the estate. Such failures occurred as a result of the obsolescence of both the building itself and the structures around it. Against the background of these events in the nineteenth century, it was decided to carry out a major restoration of the estate with a view to its further use.

Some work has indeed been done, however, unfortunately, at present the complex is far from being in the most satisfactory condition. The façade has indeed been renovated, but the plaster and paint are falling off. According to some reports, this was caused by gross violations in operation. The Ministry of Culture paid special attention to the current state of the Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate. Measures were taken and the illegal construction of brick structures on the territory of the architectural and historical monument was stopped.

The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov: an architectural monument

The appearance of the estate was quite typical for the first half of the nineteenth century, and the style of construction can be safely called classical. The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov (Yekaterinburg) is located at the intersection of two streets, that is, it has a corner location. This gives it a majestic look and opens up a view a couple of blocks ahead. The park can be safely called a special pride of the entire estate. Its gardens and avenues form a beautiful spectacle and are superbly combined with an artificial lake and rotunda. Some of the trees in the park are over two hundred years old and are the oldest in the entire city. Yekaterinburg can rightly be proud of this place. The estate of Rastorguev-Kharitonov, described above, is a real diamond of cultural value.

But the antiquity in the estate breathes not only from the trees. Old legends about the Rastorguev family are of considerable interest to lovers of history and culture. There is a myth that the count so badly wanted to build fabulous dungeons in his palace that he turnedfor help to the architect, who at that time was serving his sentence in hard labor. He immediately involved him in the implementation of his plan, and promised an early release as a reward. As it turned out, after the end of the grandiose, but secret work, the count did not give the architect the promised freedom. He was returned to hard labor in Tobolsk, where he hanged himself out of desperation. It is difficult not to call this act vile, even in relation to a convict. The circumstance of his death deeply disturbed the public, and even after a long time there were rumors that because of this, one misfortune after another began to pour on the estate. One of them is the alleged death of one of the count's daughters. Unrequited love and a broken heart prompted her to go and drown herself in the park pond. A tragic end … However, let's not forget that this is nothing more than an assumption, because today there are facts that indicate that Rastorguev's daughters lived a long enough life and remained in the city even after their husbands were exiled to Kecksburg.

These are just a few stories from a long list of myths and legends that Kharitonov-Rastorguev's estate (Yekaterinburg) is famous for. Tours, which are regularly organized on the estate, can tell a lot about the culture and life of people, in particular, the nobles in the period of emerging feudalism.