In 2009, the Vologda Region completed the restoration of another unique monument of history and culture of federal significance - the Bryanchaninov estate in the village of Pokrovskoye, Gryazovetsky district. In January 2010, the cultural, educational and spiritual center "The Bryanchaninovs' Estate" started working in the newly opened monument. Today the village of Pokrovskoye is one of the most popular tourist places of the region. Orthodox pilgrims from all over Russia also come to the homeland of St. Ignatius Bryanchaninov. The village of Pokrovskoye is located 28 kilometers from Vologda. Passage to Pokrovsky is carried out on the New Moscow Road. At the Vinnikovo – 1 sign, turn right and drive 7 kilometers along the road to the estate complex. Since May 1, 2015, the movement of the bus route No. 217 Vologda – Pokrovskoye (Bryanchaninovs' estate) – Vologda has been resumed. The bus departs from Vologda Bus station daily (except Monday and Tuesday) at 9.00, 14.00 and 16.00. The noble manor house is small: up to 40 visitors can stay in it at the same time. For the convenience of the guests of the estate, a preliminary appointment for a tour service is organized by phone: (8172) 72-13-65, 8-921-601-79-17, 8-921-601-79-25.
Charming Pokrovskoe
The history of the village of Pokrovskoye is closely connected with the Bryanchaninov family, which originates from the boyar Mikhail Brenko, a squire of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, who died in the battle of Kulikovo Field. The lands of the Bryanchaninovs in Vologda, Gryazovets and Kadnikovsky counties were first mentioned in documents of the XVII century. Perhaps the village of Pokrovskoye was granted by Bryanchaninov for his participation in the people's militia of 1611-1612, "for the Smolensk sitting and the expulsion of the Lyakhs."
In 1803, Pokrovskoe with 400 souls of peasants was inherited by Alexander Semenovich Bryanchaninov, the future father of St. Ignatius. At the same time, the diligent owner conceived the construction of a new estate not far from the village churchyard, where the remains of the representatives of the genus rested.
It is believed that the architect of the house, the construction of which was completed in 1812, was a local gifted self-taught Alexander Sapozhnikov. However, the proportions of his creation were so precise and elegant, so rational, that nowadays a number of researchers have put forward a version that the house in Pokrovsky was designed by a certain metropolitan architect close to the school of Matvey Kazakov. At the same time, scientists note the similarity in the principal compositional construction of the Bryanchaninov estate complex with the architectural creations of another equally famous master – Nikolai Lvov. According to the memoirs of Alexandra Kupreyanova, the niece of St. Ignatius, it is known that during the heyday of the economy (40 - 50s of the XIX century) in Pokrovsky there were numerous workshops – "weaving, gilding, carved - necessary for complete comfort and satisfaction of the exquisite taste of the owners", small factories and huge household services, a kennel where more than 200 dogs were kept, and a menagerie - in case of a festive hunt. The Bryanchaninovs' possessions then extended to 1800 desyatins (1965 ha). The last owners of the estate, Vladimir and Sofia Bryanchaninov, warned by the peasants about the threat of arrest, emigrated to Czechoslovakia in 1918, abandoning almost all their property. Then they moved to France, and their children in 1945 - to Australia.
From 1924 to the 1990s, a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients "October Shoots" was located in Pokrovsky on the basis of the estate. During this period, the main house undergoes serious alterations, but the stucco decoration of the mansion has reached us in relatively good condition, and from the original elements - a wooden twisted staircase to the second floor. A lot of efforts to preserve the manor house, the park and the remains of the church were made by the chief physician of the sanatorium, Alexander Pavlovich Tarasov, who undertook the reconstruction of life in Pokrovsky and persistently fussed about the scientific restoration of the estate.
Repair and restoration work on the historical and cultural heritage site began in 1997. The restoration project of the main house, designed by architect S. B. Kulikov, was based on old drawings and sketches of the building, landscape plans of Pokrovsky, family archives and photographs of the Bryanchaninovs, as well as photographs taken in the estate at the beginning of the XX century by the famous art critic George Lukomsky. In recent years, Vologda restoration company Elektra (General Director K. L. Smirnov) has made a significant contribution to the revival of the monument. On March 29, 2011 in Moscow, the author's team of the project for the preservation of the historical and cultural monument of the Vologda region "Bryanchaninov Estate" was awarded the prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of culture.
House with a mezzanine.
Alexander Semyonovich Bryanchaninov built a family nest in a new, European way. The building resembles a typical French country house of the early XIX century. The stone two-storey house in the classical style is united by one-storey galleries with two wings. From the outside it seems small, but in fact it has two floors and an attic. In the attic there were two large rooms – one with windows on the village was occupied by the master's study and bedroom, the second, facing the garden, was the mistress's bedroom and boudoir. The second floor was reserved for children's rooms – in total, Alexander Semenovich and Sofia Afanasyevna Bryanchaninov had nine children. On the ground floor there was a living room, a hall, an office, guest rooms, a dining room where official receptions and family celebrations, musical, literary and theatrical evenings were held. It is known that governors and ruling bishops often came to Pokrovskoye to visit the hospitable hosts. Servants lived in the outbuildings.
The stucco decorations of the facades give a special flavor to the house. Attributes of military glory: helmets, banners, pikes, horse heads - a tribute to the military merits of representatives of the Bryanchaninov family. All elements were restored during the restoration. In one of the letters to his relatives Ignatius Bryanchaninov wrote: "I want to go back to the pink dream." The "pink dream" was considered a metaphor, but a study of the color of the facade walls of the building carried out during the scientific restoration revealed their original pink hue. It turned out that contrary to the established opinion, in the aesthetic preferences of the beginning of the XIX century, the interiors of the house were not pale at all, but had saturated colors: in addition to pink, there are other shades – green, pearl gray. During the restoration of the estate, the paint was chosen as close as possible to the original, wooden floors made of precious wood were restored, room lamps were made according to old samples in St. Petersburg. The elements of the stucco decoration - palmettes* - in the central and most beautiful hall of the house - the round dining room - are made by hand. The brick Pokrovsky Church was built in the style of early classicism in 1810. An internal path – no more than twenty steps - separates the house from the church porch. The old photographs of the church show that the interior decoration of the temple echoes the architectural forms of the estate. This testifies not only to the unity of the style of the entire estate ensemble, but also that the church was an integral part of the life of the estate. The deeply religious Bryanchaninovs regularly attended divine services. The custody of the church in the 1990s was assumed by the community of the Vologda Alexander Nevsky Church. His priests perform divine services in Pokrovsky on the day of the memory of St. Ignatius on May 13. Many believers from Vologda, Gryazovets, and surrounding villages gather here annually for the patronal feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. To the left of the church is the family necropolis. In 2006, the grave of Vladimir Nikolaevich Bryanchaninov appeared in the family fence. The last owner of the estate died in France in 1963, his ashes were transported to his historical homeland by his granddaughter Tatiana Watson. Since 1994, she has been coming to Pokrovskoye from Australia every year. Those who communicated with Tatiana Alexandrovna, note her special love for the motherland. A park that has passed through the centuries…
The manor Park in Pokrovsky is one of the few extant examples of landscape art of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The layout of the park is set by eight lime alleys (lime trees were brought to the estates of Russian landlords by fifteen-year-old trees from special nurseries that Moscow merchants started under Catherine II), whose geometric lines intersect to form a star. The park descends in three terraces to the south along the slope of a tapering hill. The main alley, the so-called "proshpekt", starts from the parterre flower bed at the southern facade of the building and, turning into a path, stretches through the entire park to the pond, rich in fish in the old days. The border of the first and second terraces of the park is formed by a line of fruit trees. In the center of the middle terrace, the earthen ramparts of the labyrinth have been preserved, not far from which there was once a stone grotto made of cobblestone. This part of the park is dominated by hardwood trees. The lower terrace is a wide meadow. Alexandra Kupreyanova described it in her memoirs as follows: "In the third part of the garden, more open to sunlight, garden plants are placed - berries, fruits and vegetables. Here, by the natural force of water pressure, there is a gushing fountain that gives coolness and irrigation to the plant kingdom. From the top of this part of the garden there is a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside and neighboring manor houses. At the end of the garden there are extensive greenhouses - for flowers, fruits and vegetables." In early July, garden bells bloom in Pokrovsky. For a few days, the entire space of the upper terrace of the park is filled with blue flowers. The garden variety of the bell was brought to Russia from Holland by Peter I. This biennial quickly took root in Russian estates and annually gives abundant flowering. The nature of Pokrovsky is distinguished by its botanical diversity, which arose from the centuries-old mixing of wild and cultural flora. For many years, associate professor of Vologda State Pedagogical University Natalia Repina has been studying the manor park, and its flower design is the famous Vologda florist Elena Antipina. It is pleasant to walk through the old park at any time of the year, but it is especially beautiful here in autumn. Away from the noise of the city, you can enjoy the bright colors of nature, silence and tranquility for an infinitely long time…
A look into the future
Expositions are open in the estate. Through the efforts of museum and scientific workers, restorers, representatives of the diocese, historical documents, archival materials, photographs about the life of the village of Pokrovskoye, about St. Ignatius, and other representatives of the ancient Bryanchaninov family were prepared for display. A worthy place is occupied by the reflection of all stages of the scientific restoration of the manor complex.
Literary, musical and theatrical evenings, cultural and educational programs for family holidays are held in the old manor. The future of the renovated architectural monument promises to be very bright for the events, and therefore interesting for the citizens of Vologda.
