The Grachevka estate (the original name of Khovrino) begins its history from the distant 15th century, when the Surozh merchant Stefan Khovra (Khovrin) took possession of the estate on the Likhoborka River.
There are practically no details about what happened in Khovrin in those distant times. It is only known that at the end of the 16th century, the church of the Great Martyr George was built on the estate by Vasily Tretyakov-Khovrin. This church has not survived to this day, it was burned during the Great Troubles. Then the estate passed several times from one owner to another. From 1646 to 1682, it was the property of the steward V.B. Sheremetiev; at the end of the 17th century, Khovrino belonged to A.V. Golitsyna, then A.V. Pronskoy, A.V. Pozharskaya.
In 1700, by decree of Emperor Peter I, the Khovrino estate was donated to Field Marshal Count Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin. Golovin was a descendant of the Khovrin family, and was also one of the Tsar's associates. After the count's death, the estate was inherited by his widow, who built the stone Church of the Sign at the old Khovrinsky cemetery.
Under the Golovins, the basis for a regular axial planning of the estate was laid. They also planted a linden park and an orchard. The estate was bordered by village streets on both sides. The church was located to the right of the master's buildings. In the cemetery that surrounded the church, local residents were buried from the end of the 15th century.
In 1811, the Khovrino estate was acquired by Prince Obolensky. When the war broke out in 1812, Khovrino was looted and burned. The Church of the Sign, like many Moscow churches, was desecrated by Napoleonic soldiers.
After the end of the war, Obolensky could not restore the estate, and in 1818 he sold Khovrino to N.A. and G.D. Stolypin. The Stolypins revived the estate, somewhat modifying the original architectural plan. They built a large pond on the Likhoborka River, and the park around the house became more compact.
In 1851, the Zhemchuzhnikovs became the owners of the estate. The pre-reform time was approaching, changing the usual order of things. Khovrinsky park was divided by the Nikolaev railway, which opened access to the village of Khovrino for summer residents. The estate was lucky, it did not fall into the hands of resellers, and it was not sold in parts, in 1859 it was acquired by Moscow millionaire Evgraf Vladimirovich Molchanov. After a railway platform was built in Khovrino, it began to turn into a classic holiday village. In the dachas of the Molchanovs, they lived more prosperously, and in the summer, artists, petty officials and the poor intelligentsia lived in peasant huts. Here rested P.I. Tchaikovsky, there were V.A. Gilyarovsky and A.N. Tolstoy. Many artists liked to work in Khovrin.
The most fertile time in the history of its existence began for the estate. Molchanov launched a grandiose construction here, about which they wrote in the newspapers: "Almost naked, but beautiful place, thanks to beautiful ponds and a river, a park was laid out. Huge trees of various species were brought here on troikas: cedars, firs, larches, pines, poplars, all kinds of shrubs, and so on. Flower beds were full of flowers, beautiful gazebos, bridges, grottoes grew. The huge three-story house was refinished, and several new outbuildings were built ... A large farm was started, household services and a water pump were built.
The famous architect Mikhail Bykovsky was involved in the reconstruction of the estate. Now Klinskaya and Festivalnaya streets converge here at an angle.
The new owner of the estate was the merchant S.E. Panov, a cruel tyrant who ruthlessly oppressed the peasants, nicknamed the "wild master." Things almost got to the point where the villagers nearly killed him. The archive preserved Panov's complaint against the priest John Pomortsev, who defended the local peasants, who, being on the verge of despair, set fire to the manor's house.
After Panov's death, the estate was acquired by the merchant of the first guild, Mitrofan Semyonovich Grachev, from whose surname the second name of the estate was derived, by which it is known today. Grachev replanned the territory and rebuilt the estate. In 1900, an amazing palace appeared in the estate, built by the outstanding architect L.N. Kekushev. The famous casino in Monte Carlo became the prototype of the building. Since that time, the estate began to be called Grachevka. Grachev died in 1899, and his widow Varvara Nikolaevna remained the mistress of Grachevka until the October Revolution.
In 1918, the owners were expelled from the estate, and the workers' faculty of the Petrovsky Agricultural Academy was located in the palace and outbuildings. Then, in 1928, a sanatorium worked on the territory of the Grachevo estate, and during the Great Patriotic War - a hospital.
From 1947 to the present time, there is a hospital in the main house of the Grachevka estate. In 1947, Grachevka and the park were transferred to the Moscow Regional Clinic for Physical Therapy. In 1952, the hospital was renamed into the Moscow Regional Hospital with the same physiotherapy profile, and after 2004 the hospital is called the Moscow Regional Clinical Center for Restorative Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Since 1960, Khovrino and the Grachevka estate have been within the city limits. Private houses were demolished, the cemetery was liquidated, and the Likhoborka River was enclosed in a pipe. The manor pond was lowered, significant damage was also caused to the park. Only the main house and other buildings were lucky - they have been preserved quite well, which is largely facilitated by the management of the IOCCVMiR, taking care of the unique historical and architectural monument.
Guide to Architectural StylesThen the property belonged to the Muscovite D.I. Nikiforov, and the mansion consisted of two separate buildings. In 1879 the estate was bought by the textile manufacturer M.S. Grachev. In 1885-1889, he rebuilt the building according to the project of G.A. Kaiser in eclectic style. Then the two houses were united, and central part The building was decorated with a medallion with the monogram of the owner "MSG".
The Grachevs owned the estate until 1917. It is known that in 1921-1925 the building was used as a hospital for German prisoners of war. Then, until 1941, employees of the German embassy lived here. In cold winters, it was not easy to heat the estate, so German diplomats did not like this house.
Since 1944, the Grachev estate has housed the Norwegian embassy. The Norwegian authorities have invested a lot of effort to restore the house to its former splendor.
At that time, the building was a ruin with dry parquet and poor sanitary conditions. There was not even heating. And in these conditions, Norwegian diplomats with their families had to live.
And in the 1960s, the Grachevs' estate was planned to be demolished in order to build a new city highway. However, the public and prominent artists stood up for the building, including the artist Ilya Glazunov.
In 2000-2001, the original design of the premises was restored and the Grachevs' house was overhauled. It is noteworthy that many unique elements and items of original decoration have been preserved in the interiors.
Now visitors enter through the main entrance and go up the chic marble staircase to the second floor past the ancient sculptures. You can see the luxurious ballroom " mirror hall with gilded chandeliers and a ceiling painting. Here, Sergei Prokofiev played the Bechstein piano, and on May 17, 2009, immediately after winning Eurovision, Alexander Rybak performed. Allegories of the Four Seasons flaunt on the ceiling of the small "Green Hall". And the red "Fireplace Hall" is considered the most harmonious room of the Grachev estate.
They say that...... Russia agreed with Norway to exchange buildings where the German embassy was located. Therefore, the Grachev estate was allocated to the Norwegian diplomatic mission. Similarly, the building of the Russian Embassy in Oslo was also previously occupied by representatives of Germany.
... Mitrofan Grachev in 1895 built a copy of the Monte Carlo casino in his estate. Since then, rumors have spread around Moscow that he won his wealth at roulette.
Grachev's estate in photographs of different years:
In the north of Moscow, there is a very unusual place for this metropolis - this is Grachevsky Park, or, as the locals call it, Grachevka. Getting to this area of the city is quite easy, you just need to get to the Rechnoy Vokzal metro station, not far from it is famous park and no less famous manor.
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The first mention of the Khovrino area and the owners of the estate
The first mention of this area date back to the 15th century. In those days, the territory was owned by the boyars of Khovrin. Information has been preserved that the Khovrins were not too fond of either their serfs or people living near their family nest. According to historical information, at some point in time, the relationship between the owners of the Khovrino territory and the servants and peasants inhabiting it heated up to such an extent that it came to arson.
Tragic and in some ways even mystical story Khovrino district did not end there. The estate and the current territory of Grachevsky Park were transferred into the possession of a variety of nobles. The list of owners of this building included the Sheremetyevs, the Tretyakovs, and the Obolenskys. The last nobles who became the owners of the estate were the Grachevs. It was thanks to them that the name Grachevka appeared, which has survived to this day.
Homestead owner famous for completely changing appearance Houses. Mitrofan Grachev liked to visit Monte Carlo, he liked the unusual and somewhat defiant architecture of this city at that time. Deciding to rebuild his house in Moscow, he asked the architect to make it look like the buildings of Monaco. It is in this form that the estate has survived to this day.
The fate of Grachevka and the estate during communism and today
After the country survived the revolution of 1917, all the property of the nobility was transferred into the hands of the government. The territory of Khovrino did not escape this fate either. The famous house, famous in Moscow for its unusual appearance and during the reign of Nicholas II became a hospital. It is worth noting that the state tried to preserve this original and impressive building. Therefore, we can still admire him.
For a short time, the buildings of the Timiryazev Academy were also located on the territory of the estate in Khovrino, but then the educational institution moved, and the hospital continued to function. Subsequently, the estate turned into a rehabilitation hospital. This institution is still there today. Therefore, those who wish to inspect the interior of the house will not be able to do this. The furnishings of the rooms, utensils and pieces of furniture of the Grachev family have not been preserved.
The park had to be restored at the end of the 20th century.. Over the years of rather neglectful attitude, the territory began to look abandoned and unkempt. In order to restore its former beauty and grandeur, the Moscow authorities had to spend a lot of money to clean up the Grachevka park and improve it. According to official figures, more than 50 tons of garbage were removed during the work. In the photo of the 90s, you can still see what the park was like at that time and clearly appreciate how much effort and work was invested in its restoration.
As for the current days, then stroll along the green alleys, look at the facades of the estate, visit the monument to Panfilov’s man erected there - everyone can do all this. On the official website of the park of the city of Moscow, the time of its work and the rules for visiting are indicated. There you can also see photos of the estate and the park ensemble.
sights
In this area of Mokva you can see:
All these sights are completely preserved or have been restored. Various public events for children and adults are often held in the park area, for example, the celebration of Maslenitsa.
If we talk about non-preserved buildings and sights, then they include:
- Church previously located on the site. It was destroyed after the 1917 revolution;
- The dam, once made on the site of the Likhoborka River, which was buried.
Mystery and urban legends
Residents of Moscow often call the Khovrino area and the park mystical. Sometimes you can hear the opinion that the estate itself is located between heaven and hell. The reason for this is the proximity of the Grachevs' house and the park to the infamous Khovrinsky hospital. You can get to it from the park in only 20-30 minutes, which is very short by the standards of the metropolis. This institution began to be built back in 1980, but after 5 years, work was completely stopped. This was done despite the fact that the hospital buildings were almost ready. The Moscow authorities explained this by insufficient funding, but residents felt that it was not about money at all.
According to the urban legends of Moscow, Khovrinskaya hospital is located on the so-called "cursed" place, some people refer the park to the same zones. And everyone who was involved in its construction allegedly confirmed this fact. However, there are not so many reliable data on the statistics of accidents during construction and after it. It is known that a sect of Satanists held meetings in the so-called Khovrinka, but the Moscow authorities called the information about human sacrifices on its territory mere rumors that have no basis.
Now the park and the estate near Khovrino are frightening and frightening for only a few residents of the capital. cursed place. However, there are still people who claim that the atrocities of the Khovrins (the first owners of the territory) contributed to the formation of some kind of anomalous and negative zone. Historians deny the existence of facts confirming this. But to believe or not to believe this urban legend, everyone decides on their own. Various sites that disseminate mystical information are full of allegedly reliable information about the misfortunes that haunted the owners of the park in past centuries, and today the employees of the hospital located in the Grachev estate and, of course, those who dared to go into the abandoned Khovrinka.
In spite of this, Thousands of people visit the park every day those wishing to take a look at the unusual house of the Grachevs, honor the memory of the Panfilovs or simply enjoy the magnificent park ensemble. Guests and residents of the capital claim that all mystical phenomena are nothing more than a fiction and everyone can personally verify this.
Grachevsky Park is one of the few places in Moscow where you can take a break from the bustle of the city, touch the bosom of nature and breathe in the fresh air. This place is located in the north of the metropolis in the Khovrino area. Once upon a time, a small river Likhoborka even flowed here, which in Soviet time“removed” into the collectors, that is, underground. True, there was a pond. It was recently cleaned of dirt and brought back to normal. Swimming, of course, is not recommended in it, but no one forbids you to sit on the shore, feed the ducks and just enjoy the beauty of the water surface.
There are several attractions in Grachevsky Park at once. First, this old manor, which has housed a rehabilitation hospital for half a century. It is unlikely that they will be allowed to go inside, but you can admire it from the street. Moreover, the building has a very unusual architecture with many balconies, turrets, with an abundance of sculptures and lush stucco on the facades.
Also in the park you can find the grave of the Panfilov heroes who died heroically in battles with the Nazis in the fall of 1941 during the defense of Moscow.
But even taking into account all this, Grachevsky Park cannot be called an ideal vacation spot. The whole impression is spoiled by a massive dilapidated building on the edge of a forest belt. This is the infamous Khovrinsk hospital, the construction of which was never completed. This object does not just disfigure the appearance of the area in general and the park in particular. There are many urban legends around the clinic - one more terrible than the other. locals they try to bypass the building, and sometimes they say about the park itself that it is “between God and the devil”.
From Peter I to the present day
The first mention of this area dates back to the 15th century. For two centuries it was owned by the boyars of Khovrin, hence the name of the modern district. Under them, a manor was built on the territory of the park. Later, the estate passed several times from one owner to another. Sheremetevs, Tretyakovs, Obolenskys settled here.
Grachevka received its modern name thanks to its last owner, the merchant Mitrofan Grachev. He bought the estate in 1895, and in a few years he changed it beyond recognition. Under him, a completely new house was built, the same one that can still be seen today. Moreover, interestingly, the unusual architecture of the building was “copied” from the famous casino in Monte Carlo, where Grachev was a fan of visiting.
After the Revolution, the estate, together with the adjacent territory, was given over to a sanatorium. And since then, the main attraction of Grachevsky Park has been serving precisely medical purposes - during the war years there was a hospital there, and now a rehabilitation hospital.
Grave of the Panfilov Heroes
Soldiers and officers of the 8th Guards Rifle Division, commanded by Major General Ivan Panfilov, are buried in Grachevsky Park. In 1941, these Red Army soldiers participated in the defense of Moscow. They fought on the most difficult sector of the front - the Volokolamsk direction.
All of them died in battle, but managed to stop the German attack, destroying almost two dozen tanks in the process. Posthumously, they were all given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The famous phrase “There is nowhere to retreat - behind Moscow belongs to them.
True, modern historians believe that the feat of the Panfilovites is rather a literary fiction of Soviet propaganda, designed to raise the morale of the troops. But monuments to these soldiers stand all over the country, and every year flowers are brought to the obelisks and steles.
This building began to be built in 1980, but after 5 years, work was stopped. The reasons are various. Some say that funding has been reduced, others blame geologists who did not take into account that this place was once a swamp. Since then, the Khovrinskaya hospital has been standing unfinished: somewhere there are no walls, some ceilings are missing, the basements and part of the first floor are flooded.
The building is one of the ten most mystical places in Moscow. The people call it "Umbrella", because from a bird's eye view it is very similar to the logo of the corporation of the same name from the famous computer game "Resident Evil". Another popular nickname is "Nemostor" - that was the name of a large satanic sect, which often held its rites in the hospital building.
The walls of Khovrinka are now covered with numerous graffiti. The most famous inscription is located above the main entrance. It reads: “This hospital is a land of miracles. He went into it and disappeared there.
It is probably not very expected to see luxurious mansions and estates on the outskirts of Moscow, but nevertheless, we walked around one of the most amazing estates - Grachevka.
The history of the foundation of the estate is connected with the ancient and noble family of the Khovrins-Golovins. At the turn of the XIV - XV centuries, the merchant Stefan (or Stepan) Vasilievich came to Moscow from Surozh and acquired land on the banks of the Moscow River. In 1370, he donated it to build the Simonov Monastery, in which he accepted monasticism before his death. And in 1389, Stepan Vasilievich introduced himself to the Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich.
His son Grigory, who took an active part in the life of Moscow, was nicknamed "Khovra", i.e. an untidy, not clean person, the surname Khovrin came from him. Gregory continued the work of his father and helped the monastery of the Simonov Monastery, with his money a cathedral church was built in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God. Later in the monastery there will be numerous burial places of the boyars Golovins.
The son of Gregory - Vladimir - was close to Vasily the Dark and treasurer of the Grand Duke John III. He also did not forget family traditions and founded the church "Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, in the courtyard in the Kremlin" (presumably, it was the Holy Cross Monastery). At Vladimir had four sons, whom he called Ivans, and only gave different nicknames: Khozyuk, Head, Tretyak, Chetverta. Ivans Golova and Tretyak gave rise to the Golovins and Tretyakovs.
Representatives of the Khovrin family held positions under the Grand Dukes. Vladimir Grigoryevich and Ivan Vladimirovich Golova subsidized the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin. Being rich people, the Golovins and Khovrins acquired villages near Moscow. One of them was located on the high treeless bank of the small river Likhoborka, a tributary of the Yauza. Khovrino is mentioned in 1585 and belongs to Ivan Tretyakov's great-grandson, Semyon. After his death, the village passes to his brother Fomich.
During the Time of Troubles, the village was destroyed, as evidenced by scribe books: “ the patrimony of the wasteland that was the village of Khovrina»
After the Tretyakovs, Khovrin was owned by Vasily Borisovich Sheremetyev, a close boyar of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. By 1646, Khovrino had 9 peasant farms, not counting the yards of the clergy. Sheremetyev built a wooden church of St. Nicholas with St. George's chapel, and then a cold summer church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign". Suffering from many ailments, Vasily Sheremetev soon died, and the patrimony passed into the state treasury. Vasily Borisovich gave the village as a dowry to Afimya Vasilievna Golitsyna, who transferred the estate to her mother's sisters. After their death, the estate goes to the Treasury.
But Khovrino soon returned to the original owners. Peter I for services to the state in 1700 presented the village of Khovrino to Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin, the guardian of young Peter.
In honor of Fedor Alekseevich, a silver medal was even knocked out, he was the first to be awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
But F.A. Golovin never saw the village - he died on the way from Moscow to Kiev. Khovrino was inherited by his son Nikolai, the future admiral and president of the Admiralty College, and remained so for about a hundred years in the hands of the Golovins, until in 1811 Nikolai Fedorovich's granddaughter Ekaterina Petrovna Baryatinskaya sold the estate to N.P. Obolensky.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, the village was badly damaged. The French plundered the village, the estate burned down, the church was desecrated. In 1818 the village was divided between N.A. Stolypina, the younger sister of E.A. Arsenyeva (Lermontov's grandmother), and Colonel L.I. Zhemchuzhnikov.
After the devastation caused by Napoleon's troops, in the 1820-1830s, the topography of the area in Khovrin was significantly changed: a dam appeared on Likhoborka, which made it possible to arrange a huge pond in front of the house, more than 900 m long, the mirror of which in front of the house was about 70 m wide.
Stolypin died in 1851, and in 1859 Pyotr Lukich Zhemchuzhnikov sold Khovrino to Moscow millionaire Evgraf Vladimirovich Molchanov.
View of Khovrino on the map of 1856
Molchanov arranges his estate near Moscow on a grand scale here: he lays out a park, plants valuable tree species, puts gazebos, grottoes, finishes a three-story house and builds several outbuildings. Journalist A. Yartsev wrote about the construction of the estate under him in Moscow Walks: " On an almost bare, but beautiful place, thanks to beautiful ponds and a river, a park was laid out. Huge trees of various species were brought here on troikas: cedars, firs, larches, pines, poplars, all kinds of shrubs, and so on. Flower beds were full of flowers, beautiful gazebos, bridges, grottoes grew. The huge three-story house was refinished, and several new outbuildings were built ... A large farm was started, household services and a water pump were built."
In 1868-70, Mikhail Dorimedontovich Bykovsky erected a new stone church of the Sign, for the construction of which Molchanov allocates 50,000 rubles.
Let's digress a bit from the history of the estate and talk about the church. Molchanov's money was not in vain, the sacristy of the Church of the Sign was considered the richest in the district. The walls were lined with light-colored artificial marble, which masked the lack of interior lighting. The low one-tier iconostasis was also finished with artificial marble.
V late XIX century Khovrino and its environs became popular summer cottage. Many writers, artists, poets liked to rest here. On September 28, 1897, the poet Valery Bryusov and Ioanna Runt were married in the Khovrin Church of the Sign. In Soviet times, the church was closed and devastated, it housed first a factory for the blind, and then a warehouse. Of course, all the rich decoration was lost.
In 1991, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" was returned to believers. Georgy Polozov, who was appointed priest in Khovrino, raised the temple from the ruins with his assistants.
In 1994, the lower church was completely renovated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the upper Church of the Sign in the spring of 1997, a marble floor was made and artificial marble on the walls was renewed.
Molchanov was a great philanthropist: with his assistance, the Khovrino platform was opened. It was after this that Khovrino became a real summer cottage. The richer public came to Molchanov's dachas, petty officials, artists, and the intelligentsia lived in rural houses in the summer.
We could not find old photos of the station, so, relying on research intuition, we went to explore the surroundings of the modern Khovrino platform. One of the buildings may well be a train station.
And the neighboring buildings also have the style of the railway, so perhaps they are also related to the station.
But back to the history of the estate. After the death of E.V. Molchanova, his widow Elizaveta Iosifona in 1879 sold almost the entire estate to the merchant S.E. Panov, leaving himself 10 acres of land with forests and cottages.
S.E. Panov was a contractor who made his fortune in construction railways sometimes dealt with criminals. Therefore, he often appeared in newspapers, mainly in connection with scandals: “ Khovrin's owner is a merchant, do you know him? - hired workers at the Khitrovy market to fill the cellars with ice; they came, finished their work and went to get the money, and the owner, having an iron arshin in his hands, began to measure the wages earned on the shoulders, and they, after all, are mischievous people, began to repay him in the same way, but they staged such a battle, passion!»
Panov's quarrels with local peasants sometimes took the most difficult forms. Fires were not uncommon in the village, as they said, from arson. Khovrintsy threatened to burn the owner. In 1884 the manor house burned down. The damage was estimated at 10,000 rubles. In 1887, these places were visited by P.I. Tchaikovsky: " We went further to Khovrino. Breakfast in the forest near an empty cottage. Dirt and abomination».
In 1895, the estate was acquired by the merchant of the first guild, Mitrofan Semyonovich Grachev, who decided to significantly upgrade it by building a new main house. The personality of the owner is very interesting and mysterious, so it's worth telling a little about it.
Despite belonging to a well-known merchant family, the origin of Mitrofan Semyonovich's fortune has not yet been clarified. Nevertheless, it is known that he was very rich and did charity work: he was an honorary member of the boards of two orphanages - Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky.
The lack of reliable information about the wealth of Grachev is more than covered by legends, and all of them are associated with maps. According to one version, he won Khovrino in cards, according to another, which seems more convincing, the story was as follows. In his youth, Mitrofan Semenovich served as a clerk for a wealthy landowner, who took him with him on trips abroad. Once in the famous gambling house in Monte Carlo, he won a fortune, after which his life changed dramatically. In memory of this event, he built a house in Khovrino - a copy of the casino in Monte Carlo, where he was lucky. It is very difficult to verify whether this is true or a beautiful fairy tale, and the only proof of the authenticity of the events is the house itself, which looks like a fairy tale, but quite realistically decorating Moscow today.
The design and construction of a new house in the Khovrino estate, which from that time began to be called after the name of the new owner Grachevka, M.S. Grachev ordered Lev Kekushev in 1898-1899. The construction was supervised by G.A., already familiar to Grachev. Kaiser, who rebuilt back in 1873, together with P.P. Zykov his mansion on Povarskaya. In 1900 the house was completed.
A clear prototype of the manor house is the casino in Monte Carlo, but Kekushev skillfully adapted its architectural forms to the appearance, scale and arrangement of a country house near Moscow. The casino was built by the famous French architect Charles Garnier in 1878 in the neo-baroque style, which uses the motifs of the French and Italian Renaissance.
Comparison of the manor house in Grachevka with the casino in Monte Carlo still convinces that it was the house that was set by the owner Kekushev as a model.
The buildings have a lot in common: a tower with a small belvedere, scaly faceted domes with lucarnes, a pilaster order, sculptural decoration - vases, female figures, relief masks.
In the center of the park facade of the house there are three arched openings on the ground floor, above which there are three oval windows (in Monte Carlo - round), behind these arches in Grachevka there is a front hall decorated with mirrors and a marble fireplace, and in Monte Carlo - the main hall festivities.
But there are also differences, the most obvious being the asymmetry of the Khovrino house. In fact, all the front rooms of the house are somehow separated into independent volumes, this already shows the "master's hand" of Lev Kekushev.
The ceilings of the open verandas on the second floor were supported by sculptures of caryatids made of zinc alloy. only one of the verandas has been preserved - a small one, with a balcony towards the main entrance; the large veranda has lost its original appearance. The portico of the Caryatids evokes associations with the famous portico of the Athenian Erechtheion. Caryatids hold in their hands symbols of the arts - lyres and scrolls.
The park sculptures that adorn the stairways from the house to the park are similarly designed.
At the foot of the park terraces there are four pairs of lying lions - the "autograph" of the architect Lev Kekushev.
The lavish decoration of the interior was preserved by the vestibule and two ceremonial halls of the enfilade. On the central axis there is a double-height dance hall. It is very difficult to get inside the estate (there is a hospital there), so you can get an idea of the interiors only from photographs from books.
Big (dance) hall of the estate
Fireplace in the dance hall and one of the putti figurines in the decoration of the hall
Ceiling lamp of the Great Hall
Stucco desudéportes above the door in the Great Hall
Fireplace in the medallion living room
Railings of the main staircase and cast railings of the staircase leading to the basement
Front lobby of the main house
