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Kuskovo Estate

      The unique monument of the 18th century, Kuskovo Estate, located in Perovsky district of Moscow, used to be the summer residence of Sheremetyev Counts. The architectural ensemble of the estate had been formed by the middle of the 18th century. Magnificent constructions such as the Palace, Grotto, Hermitage, Great stone conservatory, old church, and Italian and Dutch houses survived until nowadays. At Kuskovo there is also a very well preserved French regular park with ponds, pavilions and marble sculptures.
      Kuskovo ensemble was created by serf architects F. Argunov, A. Mironov, G. Dikushin, with participation of K. Blank. The central place belongs to the palace, designed by Ch. de Vaya and put up in 1769-1775 by K. Blank. The wooden palace construction with the ground floor made of stone was made in style of early classicism with baroque elements. The palace features the original planning and the interiors of the 18th century. It boasts a unique collection of paintings, including the portraits of Russian Emperors. They were given to Kuskovo estate masters as royal presents. In the palace one can also see the portraits of Sheremetyev Counts.
      One of the most interesting constructions at Kuskovo is the Grotto put up in 1755-1761 under supervision of F. Argunov. The stone baroque-style pavilion is richly decorated with sculptures in the niches, adornments on the pediments, and lions' masks above the windows. The Grotto walls are decorated with colored glass and travertine. The architect implied that the Grotto would symbolize water and stone elements.
      The Hermitage erected under supervision of K. Blank in 1765-1766 is one of the best monuments of Russian park architecture of the 18th century. The baroque-style pavilion was supplied with unique lifting mechanisms and was intended for an intimate circle of persons only. Even the servants were not allowed to visit the pavilion.
      The baroque-style Great stone conservatory was designed by F. Argunov in 1761-1783. The central pavilion of the conservatory is connected with the smaller side pavilions by means of glass galleries. Part of the central pavilion was serving as a hall for concerts and dances.
      In 1919 Kuskovo Estate got the status of the State Museum, and since 1938 it was consolidated with the only Ceramics Museum in Russia. Nowadays the museum possesses one of the richest collections of glass and ceramics from the Antiquity till modern times in the world. The funds of the museum number over 30,000 items of Russian and foreign art, including Italian majolica, Venetian, English and Russian glass, as well as Chinese porcelain. The museum boasts unique examples of Russian porcelain of the 18th-20th centuries.



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Kuzminki Museum Of Russian Estate

      The history of the Pearl of Moscow dates back to 1702 when Peter the Great granted this land to Baron Stroganov for his merits before the Motherland. The best Russian architects and sculptors of that time constructed the architectural ensemble of Kuzminki: R. Kazakov, I Vitali and P. Klodt. The Vlakhernskoye-Kuzminki estate experienced a period of revival and reconstruction of the architectural and park ensemble and was turned into the "Russian Versailles" when it belonged to the princes Golitsyn. On September 5, 1999, the "Museum of the Russian Estate Culture" was opened in the estate. The exposition of the muzeum, "Kuzminki: frome the last past to the present", acquaints visitors with Russian nobility life of the XIX centry, the lifestyle and range of interests of the owners of the estate. Theatrical perfomances and costumed tours about the estate - "The parlor of the princes Golitsin", "A picnic at the estate" and "The Park of games and entertainment" - are held there.

Flowers Festival in Kuzminki

      The enormous metropolis of Moscow definitely lacks Hyde Park or Tier-garten in its center. Thus city authorities try their best to decorate the town in the summer time with flowers and floral arrangements. Or better to say, they're learning landscaping, which, we have to admit, they are getting better each year, allotting more money and teaching staff the basics of horticulture.
      Moscow's Third Flowerbed Festival opened on July 10, attracting huge crowds from day one; it's a preview of what we might find in the city squares next year.
      The festival was crowded in the first few weeks, but now, when the majority of Muscovites are happily shirking work on the shores of the Black Sea or the Mediterranean, it's finally the best time to have a look at what's on display in Kuzminki.
      The site was chosen to commemorate the Vlakhernskoe-Kuzminki Estate's 300th anniversary. The estate has been turned into a museum of manor culture after years of being deserted and unkempt. All those bright greenhouse flowers and numerous flower gardens of all shapes and colors look simply magnificent, panning across the estate. Some of the exhibits will stay there for the next season as well, in order to revive the landscape.
      The new fad florists are exploiting in the summer of 2004 is shaping 3-D figures made from plants and flowers: horses, donkeys, and ox-drawn carts appear to be made out of hay and decorated with flowers, shaggy and cute. Compositions imitating small ponds look very natural, though it's not water at all, just blue flowers and pebble.
      Several other features enhance visitors' visual pleasure. In the daytime, the florists who created the exposition give explanations and recommendations on landscape architecture and design during workshops on modern landscaping trends that can be easily applied in your own garden. Also, two wooden Ferris wheels and a number of true-to-life replicas of traditional XVII century merry-go-rounds will thrill the adults as much, if not more, than the kids.
      Overall, the Flowerbed Festival is still a far cry far from Berlin's Green Week or London's traditional garden exhibitions, but Moscow is on the right path, and that's worth seeing.



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