In 1703 Peter founded Petersburg. In just nine years, it becomes the capital of the state. The main city of the country, with the direct participation of its patron, begins to be actively settled and improved. One of the first to move to the banks of the Neva was a relative of the tsar, Count Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev. He was allocated plot No. 34 along the Fontanka embankment for the construction of the estate.
The first stone buildings in the estate
The site was bordered by the Fontanka River on one side, and Liteiny Prospekt on the other. During the construction of the family estate, the count and his family were located on Millionnaya Street. Over time, a wooden house and outbuildings appeared on the site. The new estate was destined to become the family nest of the Sheremetevs. On the site of a wooden house in the 1730s, a one-story stone palace was erected. In 1750-1755, the second floor of the building was built on, which was designed by S. I. Chevakinsky and F. S. Argunov.
Manor under Pyotr Borisovich
The descendant of Boris Petrovich who owned the estate, in connection with the sudden death of his wife and daughter in 1768, decides to move to Moscow. While there, he begins the development of the estate. It was inherited from his wife. Subsequently, already under his son, the Sheremetevsky Palace in Ostankino was completely completed. It, like Severny, is one of the family estates and, in the absence of the owner, is repeatedly rented out and continues to be rebuilt.
The heyday of theatrical art in the estate
The next owner of the estate in St. Petersburg is the son of Peter Borisovich Nikolai. At first, the new owner preferred to live in Moscow, rarely visiting his Northern estate. However, already in 1796 he moved to St. Petersburg. Under the leadership of the architect I. E. Starov, a significant renovation of the interior of the house on the Fontanka begins. Nikolai Petrovich was a big fan of theatrics. He organized a theater in the palace, the actors of which were serfs. He even gave freedom and in 1801 married one of his actresses, Kovaleva Praskovya Ivanovna. During his tenure, the estate was rebuilt by Quarenghi and Voronikhin. The Garden Pavilion and the Summer House, as well as the Carriage Houses, appeared on the territory of the estate.
Live at the Sheremetyevo account
After the death of Nikolai Petrovich in 1809, the estate passes to his son Dmitry, who at that time was only six years old. A guardianship is being createdcouncil headed by the chief trustee M. I. Donaurov. Active restructuring continues: in the 1810s and 1820s, the Stationery, Fountain, Hospital and Singer outbuildings appeared. The authors of the projects are H. Meyer and D. Kvardi. Under Dmitry Nikolayevich, who served in the Cavalier Guard Regiment, the owner's colleagues become regular visitors to the palace, and the expression "live at Sheremetyevsky's expense" arises. The artist Kiprensky and Pushkin also often visit here. In 1837, the count tied the knot with the maid of honor of the Empress Anna Sergeevna. From this marriage in 1844, a son, Sergei, was born. In 1838, a cast-iron fence with a gate appeared on the estate, decorated with the coat of arms of the Sheremetevs. The architect I. D. Korsini, who worked for twenty years in the estate, radically rebuilt all the palace premises. In the 1840s, a garden wing appeared on its territory. The estate itself becomes one of the most visited places in the capital. Musical evenings are held here, which adorn Glinka, Berlioz, Liszt, Schubert with their performances. The first wife of Dmitry Nikolaevich dies of poisoning in 1849. Ten years later, in 1859, he marries a second time. Son Alexander is born. In 1867, the Northern Wing was added to the Sheremetyev Palace. The author of the project is N. L. Benois.
Sergei Dmitrievich and his view of the estate
In 1871, Count Dmitry Nikolaevich dies. As a result of the division of property, the Sheremetyev Palace is inherited by Sergei Dmitrievich. In 1874 on the estatenew five-story buildings appear (architect A. K. Serebryakov). Profitable houses are being erected from the side of Liteiny Prospekt, the front part on Fontanka - 34 is left unchanged. The beginning of the twentieth century passes under the sign of destruction. The Grotto, the Hermitage, the Garden Gate, the Greenhouse, the Chinese arbor are being destroyed. Arenas and Stables are being rebuilt into the Theater Hall - now it is the Drama Theater on Liteiny. Two-story shopping pavilions appeared in 1914 (architect M. V. Krasovsky).
Estate after the revolution
In the post-revolutionary period, the Sheremetyev Palace was transferred by Sergei Dmitrievich to the disposal of the new government. A. A. Akhmatova lived in one of its outbuildings from mid-1924 until 1952. The main parts of the building have been redone. Until 1931, there was a museum here. In 1984, the Sheremetyevo Palace received the Research Institute for the Arctic and Antarctic. As a result of improper use and care, the interiors of the halls have lost their former grandeur and beauty, and some of the outbuildings have become residential apartments. At the end of the 20th century, the attitude towards the estate gradually began to change. Sheremetyevo Palace has undergone restoration. The main purpose of this event was to recreate the atmosphere of the XVIII century. The first exhibition in the Sheremetyev Palace was presented by exhibits belonging to the family of the owners of the estate. Among them are completely unique samples. Here are collections of paintings and art objects, musical instruments. The house at Fontanka 34 traditionally hosts concerts and art exhibitions. Since 1989, the Literary and Memorial Museum of A. A. Akhmatova has been operating. It recreatedworkroom of the poetess. Her books, photographs and personal belongings are presented to the general public. In 2006, a monument to A. A. Akhmatova appeared on the site near the Sheremetyev Palace. Its opening was timed to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of the death of the poetess.
What does Sheremetyev Palace offer guests?
The Museum of Music, located in the building of the estate, has a huge collection of ancient instruments in its vaults. It is considered to be one of the best in the world. The collection includes unique instruments created by Russian and European masters in the 16th - 18th centuries, belonging to the royal Romanov dynasty, as well as unique samples from all over the world, which have no analogues. Also in the museum are Russian bells and recreated copies of various antique instruments. You can visit the museum as part of the daily tours taking place there. The topics are very varied. For example, as part of the tour "Counts Sheremetyevs" you can learn a lot about the creators of the estate, their life and fate. There are other programs as well. For example, "Fountain House. Palace and Manor". This tour is dedicated to the architectural monument-estate and its creation. Within its framework, you can learn many fascinating details from the life of the palace, for example, one of the legends that the drawings of F. B. Rastrelli were used when designing the house. But still, most of the excursions taking place in the Sheremetyev Palace are devoted to music: "The Evolution of Keyboard Instruments", "Wind Instruments - Folk and Professional", "Outstandingnames in the collection of musical instruments" and others.
Homestead today
Sheremetyevsky Palace was the pride of five generations of its owners, their family nest. For several centuries, each of the owners preserved and increased the property of the family. Art objects, an art gallery, ancient sculptures, numismatic and weapons collections, a rich library - this is not a complete list of what the owners of the estate owned until 1917. The Sheremetyevo Palace, the photo of which is presented above, has been a meeting place for the intelligentsia for several centuries. Today it has not lost its former greatness and continues to attract millions of people.
