Muranovo Estate Museum-Reserve

Muranovo Estate is a remarkable architectural and park ensemble, representing a rare example of a preserved complex of a nobleman’s nest of the 19th century. Muranovo is located among the picturesque landscapes of the wooded Moscow region, 63 km northeast of the center of the capital. The small estate is associated with the names of a whole pleiad of poets and writers of the century before last. In the premises of the memorial manor recreated authentic interiors, and during the tour guides acquaint visitors with the most interesting facts from the literary life of Russia in the pre-revolutionary era.

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Video: Muranovo Estate

Contents

Highlights

Muranovo estate has the status of a museum-reserve. The museum is named after Fyodor Tyutchev, members of his family were the last owners of the estate. The main exposition of the estate is devoted to the legacy of the famous Russian poet. But the enfilade of rooms also contains items belonging to several generations of aristocratic families Engelhardt, Putyat, Boratynsky, who lived here and are connected with Tyutchev branches of the genealogical tree.

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Muranovo estate has collected art paintings, engravings and photo albums, porcelain collections, products of masters of arts and crafts of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The atmosphere of bygone days is preserved by antique clocks, antique furniture, decorative statuettes, chests with cute trinkets that amused the ladies of society. Portraits, personal items and a library collected by the Muranovs with rare books in several European languages have been preserved as a memory of generations of the estate’s inhabitants.

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History of Muranovo estate

The foundation of the estate dates back to 1816, when the family of Major General Lev Nikolayevich Engelhardt purchased this plot of land on the outskirts of the ancient village of Muranovo near Moscow. The retired general, who once served under the banners of Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov, wrote here interesting memoirs of the brilliant era of Catherine the Great.

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Over time, the cozy summer estate became a family nest for four noble families, united by family and friendship ties: the Engelhardts, Boratynskys, Tyutchevs and Putyat. Many of their representatives left a bright trace in the literary life of Russia of the XIX century.

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The two-story house, which has survived to this day, was built in 1842 by the poet Evgeny Abramovich Boratynsky, who married the daughter of General Engelhardt. Boratynsky from his youth joined the literary labor, was friends with Pushkin, Delvig, Kuchelbecker. Subsequently, the estate was owned by the literary man Nikolai Vasilyevich Putyata, who became close to the Boratynsky family. Among his friends were Vladimir Odoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Tyutchev. Many of them came to Muranovo to visit, to take part in literary evenings.

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The last owner of Muranovo estate was the grandson of the poet Fyodor Tyutchev, Nikolai Tyutchev. In 1918, he transferred the estate with all its furnishings to the Soviet state and was appointed curator of the literary museum organized here, one of the first in the country. Nikolai Ivanovich headed the memorial museum until his death in 1949. The tradition of family succession was observed, and the next head of the museum was Tyutchev’s great-grandson, literary scholar, doctor of historical sciences Konstantin Ivanovich Pigarev. He died in 1984 and was buried next to his predecessor, near the eastern facade of the house church in Muranovo.

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In 2006, during a summer thunderstorm, lightning struck the estate building, causing a fire. Fortunately, the museum staff managed to save the library, managed to evacuate most of the exhibits and archives. Major reconstruction of Muranovo Manor continued until 2015. The exposition was restored, and the museum reopened to visitors.

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A walk around the estate

The Muranovo estate is approached by a linden alley planted in the 70s of the century before last. Behind the tall trees one can see the bar’s house. Part of the building is made of red brick, and the adjacent outbuildings are log. Although there were distinguished princes and holders of general’s epaulettes among the representatives of several generations of the estate owners, they preferred to build not a status palace, but a somewhat eclectic, but comfortable and cozy country house. The main entrance is arranged from the south, through a sunny veranda with carved railings and a staircase facing the park.

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The museum’s exposition is housed in 16 rooms on two floors. The spacious living room served the inhabitants of the Muranovo estate for literary evenings. It is furnished with antique furniture of the XIX century. Carefully selected interior details recreate the atmosphere of the century before last. There are also items of the XVIII century: French mantel clock, candle candelabra, porcelain figurines, lomber table. On the walls there is a family portrait gallery. These are paintings by famous Russian painters – Orest Kiprensky, Vasily Tropinin, Fyodor Rokotov and other masters. The seascape is painted by Ivan Aivazovsky. The living room is decorated with an elegant bronze chandelier hanging over a round table with mosaic inlay.

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Behind the living room is an enfilade of interior rooms with authentic furnishings. In the study there is a bureau, standing at it Evgeny Boratynsky liked to write. In the 70s of the XIX century here was moved a desk and a few items from the St. Petersburg apartment of F. I. Tyutchev. Since that time the room was jokingly nicknamed “the study of two poets”. Portraits of both classics hang on the walls. Poetry lovers will immediately recognize Tyutchev’s expressive portrait, which marks the front of many editions of his works. Here are also hung engravings and several watercolor landscapes, acquired by Boratynsky during a trip to Italy.

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The corner room once served as Boratynsky’s bedroom. Over time it was converted into the Green Drawing Room, so named after the color of the wallpaper. An Empire mahogany set has been preserved here, and the walls are decorated with portraits of relatives and friends of the Boratynsky family. Next to it is the Blue Drawing Room. It is a ladies’ boudoir with mirrors in chased bronze frames. There is a narrow ottoman couch, on the table rests a carved box for needlework, arranged painted porcelain plates, statuettes, elegant bottles of perfume.

The windows of the family dining room face the south facade. In the center under the crystal chandelier is a sliding table, near the wall – a capacious sideboard with services made of glass and fine porcelain. In the wall niche with two columns there is a tall floor clock. The interior is decorated with paintings of the second half of the XVIII century. Among them stand out ceremonial portraits of Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna, presented by the Emperor to a prominent dignitary F. A. Osterman, in whose family in his youth was brought up mother Fyodor Tyutchev.

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Two neighboring rooms house the thematic exposition “Boratynsky in Muranovo”. This is the most complete memorial museum of the poet, where his portraits, book publications, paintings, lithographs, objects and documents related to the Boratynsky family are collected.

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Of great cultural value is the estate library, collected by several generations of inhabitants of the house. On the shelves of bookcases shimmering gold embossed covers of encyclopedias, crowded volumes of works by Russian and foreign writers. There are many editions in the collection, which a hundred years ago became a bibliographic rarity. In the room there is a clock of the XVIII century, an amateur telescope of the Enlightenment era and a lacquered bureau with many drawers and secret compartments. The Muranovsky library is not a “dead” collection: the books are used by researchers of Tyutchev’s and Boratynsky’s works, historians, art historians.

To the southeast of the estate is a well-maintained Tyutchev Park. Further to the south is the Barsky meadow overlooking the pond on the Talitsa River. From here you can walk to the spring of Sergius of Radonezh. The street Barskaya Glade will lead you to the holy spring of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, also known as the Barsky well. A small church and a children’s playground are built nearby.

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While walking around the Muranovo estate you can have fun: play croquet, ride a horse, take part in the game quest “Secrets of the estate park”. In winter there is a skating rink on the ice cover of the pond.

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Where to eat

Muranovo estate has a small cafe “Buffet in the barn”. Here you can snack on pastries (50-60 rubles), drink tea or coffee, try the specialty shchi with sour pineapple, order chops. The doors of the cafe are open from 11:00 to 17:00.

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About a kilometer northeast of the museum-reserve is a cottage village “Forest Fairy Tale”. Here is a good restaurant, lunch in which will cost within 700-1000 rubles.

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Practical information

On weekdays, the museum-reserve “Muranovo Estate” receives visitors from 10:00 to 17:00, on Saturday-Sunday – until 18:00. The day off is Monday.

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Ticket price: entrance to the territory – 50 rubles (schoolchildren and privileged pay 30 rubles). Inspection of museum exhibitions in the premises of the estate – 100 rubles on weekdays, 150 rubles on weekends and holidays.

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To join a 45-minute overview group tour is offered for 1000 rubles, and to the theatricalized inspection – for 1500 rubles. The services of an individual guide will cost 3,000 rubles.

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A fee of 100 rubles (500 rubles on weekends) is charged for photography and videography. The ticket office offers an audio guide for 200 rubles. You can ride a humble horse along the alleys of the park (100 rubles for 5 minutes, the price rises to 500 rubles on weekends).

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As a souvenir of your visit to Muranovo, you should buy a guidebook with literary digressions, illustrations and a detailed genealogy of the estate owners. The author of the book is the late director of the museum, great-grandson of the poet Fyodor Tyutchev, literary scholar K. I. Pigarev.

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How to get there

The museum-reserve is located 63 km northeast of Moscow, in the village of Muranovo, belonging to the Pushkin municipal district. At the Yaroslavsky railway station take the train, get off at the platform “Ashukino”. From here to Muranovo runs bus number 34. Transportation runs rarely. You can approach the estate by cab, the fare will cost about 150 rubles. In good weather, many tourists head from the peninsula to the museum on foot. The distance is 4 km.

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