Suddenly the weather turned bad and a strong wind began to knock down branches, leaves and acorns. And the oak treasures flew to the ground. We live in the middle of an oak grove. The trees are old and have seen a lot.
The summer mood has disappeared somewhere. Pre-autumn melancholy and spleen attacked me :) and I remembered that I have long wanted to show some photographs and tell some stories. And now there was time to sort out the photos on the computer and scatter them into folders. Shall we begin?
Let's start with the story of one wonderful children's poet.
According to these relevant verses of his Not all will determine:
We sit and look out the windows.
Clouds are flying across the sky.
The dogs are getting wet in the yard,
They don't even want to bark.
Where is the sun?
What's happened?
Water flows all day long.
It's so damp outside,
That you won't go anywhere...
Well then these verses everyone will know:
We're going, we're going, we're going
To distant lands,
Good neighbors
Happy friends.
We have fun,
We sing a song
And the song says
About how we live.
So, today is a story about the estate in which Sergei Mikhalkov was born and raised. About the family nest of the beloved poet near Moscow. 
In different sources you can find many interpretations of where and how Mikhalkov spent his childhood. We must take into account the time in which he lived. He belonged to an old, not very rich noble family, and for the time being he did not advertise his origins. In the questionnaires he wrote: “From the employees.” And in his autobiographies, which can still be found online, he wrote that he spent his childhood at the rented dacha of the Yakovlev family not far from the Zhavoronki station.
We lived all year round in a dacha that belonged to some Yakovlevs, occupying
the first floor of a house standing alone in a neglected park. Going to school was
far away, and therefore I received my initial education in the family.
Someone I knew recommended that my parents take a babysitting
children of a Baltic German woman left without work. Emma Ivanovna Rosenberg
entered our family and, with her characteristic German pedantry, took up
education of their wards.
I remember with warmth this lean, wiry old maid,
who laid the foundations of self-discipline in my character and taught me German
language so much that even as a child I could read the original source freely
Schiller and Goethe. The adventure novels of German did not pass me by either.
by Karl Maya, which I read by the light of a flashlight,
covering his head with a blanket during the hours when the children were supposed to sleep.
My home upbringing was not without the village priest.
For two winters in a row he visited us on his horse, three times a week,
the young priest is Father Boris, also known as Boris Vasilievich Smirnov. To his task
was to teach me the basics of geography, history and the Russian language. In its own way
initiative, he tried to occupy me with the law of God, but the efforts
his were unsuccessful, because Demyan Bedny’s “agitation” was completely ousted from my
heads and the New and Old Testaments.
I went to a regular school in the fourth grade after my family moved to
Moscow.
S.V. Mikhalkov
Indeed, after 1917, when their estate was nationalized, they moved to the Yakovlevs’ house, located nearby. And before that, the Mikhalkov family lived in the Mikhalkov family estate near Moscow near the Zhavoronki station. He lived on this Nazaryevo-Troitskoye estate until he was 5 years old.
In fact, the Mikhalkovs had a large estate, Petrovskoye, near Rybinsk. It is this that is considered the main family nest. But I will tell you about the “nest” near Moscow.
The Nazaryevo-Troitskoye estate near Moscow was part of the famous former royal estate of Bolshie Vyazemy (I will definitely write about it later, and about Vyazemy itself, where the Golitsyns lived and about Zakharovo, where the Hannibals lived and Pushkin was brought up). In 1694, the young Tsar Peter I gave Vyazemy, along with the village of Nazaryevo, to his tutor, Prince Boris Alekseevich Golitsyn. It passed from hand to hand in the Golitsyn family. And in 1738 Nazaryevo went to S.A. Golitsyn, who was Moscow governor during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. It was under him that the village turned into a village: the Trinity Church was erected. More about the church a little later.
So, the estate went to the Mikhalkovs as a dowry as a result of the marriage of the poet’s great-grandfather to Princess Golitsyna.
V.S. Mikhalkov (1816 - 1900)
Elizaveta Nikolaevna Golitsyna marries Vladimir Sergeevich Mikhalkov and as a dowry in 1856 brings him Nazaryevo with 720 acres of land. Among the alleys of the old park, the newlyweds founded a new two-story house in the Gothic style, with Gothic windows and turrets.
In this collage, I tried to compare what was and what is now left of this house (clickable). He hasn't changed much. They just smoothed out the roof, removed the superstructures and Gothic turrets decorating the facade. The building is kept in very good condition and is constantly being repaired. You may notice that in my photographs the color of the case is different. I filmed this over the years :) That’s why the body is either light gray or pink :)
They spent most of the year in Moscow, visiting the estate mainly in the summer. In 1890 they finally moved to an estate near Moscow. Nazaryevo, Zvenigorod district. The poet's great-grandfather was elected leader of the nobility of the Zvenigorod district, an honorary justice of the peace for the Zvenigorod district.
This is where the Mikhalkovs, their Moscow branch, lived. The poet’s parents lived here in Nazaryevo after their wedding; he, his older sister and brothers were born.
After the revolution, everything was nationalized. The Mikhalkovs had a collection of paintings by old Western European masters, which they inherited from the Golitsyns. Their presence was considered a great rarity for landowners' estates of that time. Regarding this collection in 1914, there was even a report in the newspaper “Russkoe Slovo” about the discovery of five paintings in it that belonged to Rubens. But this sensation was later refuted. It was not Rubens :) But there were works by Dutch masters there.
An extensive collection of paintings, engravings and family portraits, sculpture, Egyptian antiquities, a valuable library, a rich manuscript archive of the 17th-20th centuries were nationalized and entered the Zvenigorod Local History Museum and Moscow museums.
After the revolution, the Mikhalkov estate served as a hospital, an orphanage, an experimental genetic station (!!!), one of the first schools in Russia for professional motorists (personal drivers), then a rest home. During the Battle of Moscow, this building was occupied by the headquarters of the 5th Army led by General L.A. Govorov. After the war, a boarding house opened there again.
This is a photo from the early 1960s. There are no extensions yet.
Unfortunately, due to dilapidation, in 1966 one of the estate buildings, which resembled a wooden gingerbread house, was demolished. 
In its place a new sanatorium building was built. An ordinary 5 or 6-story building made of glass and concrete. Boring and correct :) Today, the former estate houses a departmental sanatorium-type boarding house.
A person is always drawn to his native places. In the early 1990s, I met Mikhalkov himself there. He vacationed there in the summer. He often sat on a bench near the main, so-called “old” building with a young red-haired woman (secretary Julia, who later became his wife). And then I came across an interview with Andron Konchalovsky’s son online:
“...my father was recovering from a broken hip in a sanatorium in Nazaryevo. I came to see him. A two-story old mansion, completed and rebuilt, decorated with tuff and marble, aluminum doors with glass - the architecture of Brezhnev’s times.
Do you see this window? - said the father. - Dad used to throw me chocolates from it. And I stood here. This was our family estate, our home. And your great-great-grandfather, his wife and many of our relatives are buried near the church."
These are the windows. It seems to me that the coats of arms or monograms of the owners are clearly erased above the window. It can be assumed that this family coat of arms was there. Or something similar. Although a monogram is also possible. 
Near the estate, in the village, there is the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity (single-domed, in the style of late classicism). 
The Church of the Holy Trinity was built in the 1740-1750s by Prince S.A. Golitsyn, the grandson of B.A. Golitsyn, the tutor of the young Tsar Peter I. In 1824, the grandson of S.A. Golitsyn - Colonel, Prince S.N. Golitsyn, instead of the previous church, is building a new, stone church of the Holy Trinity. As I already wrote, in 1856 the granddaughter of S.N. Golitsyna Elizaveta Nikolaevna, who owned Nazaryevo, marries the landowner Vladimir Sergeevich Mikhalkov. With their funds, the church was completely reconstructed, a parish house, a church fence, and a school at the church were built. This was their “family” church with a family burial vault. The church was closed in the late 1930s, rebuilt, occupied by a club, then a post office. It was reopened in 1995 and is now being actively restored.
The Mikhalkov family graveyard is located next to the church. 
Great-grandfather, great-grandmother, grandfather, uncles, older sister, everyone is here.
Previously, I met Mikhalkov himself (the elder), and his son Andron and grandson Yegor there. They said that part of the funds for the restoration of the church came from their family. And although they pay more attention to the church in Aksinino today, they do not ignore this one either.
This is such an estate near Moscow. She was probably lucky that she became a sanatorium and now there is a well-groomed park with hundred-year-old oak trees, a thuja alley, and the condition of the building is carefully maintained. The church is not abandoned, it is functioning and being repaired.
The resort itself is nothing interesting. So-so. Neither this nor that. An ordinary sanatorium-type boarding house near Moscow. With inflated prices and an inappropriate level of service. Unfortunately, NOTHING has been preserved from the historical interiors. And there is no memory there. Wonderful. This could be a marketing ploy.
p/s I’ll also tell you about the estates of the Ganiballs, Golitsyns, and Yusupovs in the Western Moscow region. Want to? Just not right away. I need to dig up photos on flash drives. Unfortunately, this computer does not have them. They are in Moscow. And Moscow is THERE. Far away:))) Not in this life (as my friend says). This is already in September.
p/s Modern photographs are mine, old photographs, information and data are taken from books and the Internet.
Alexander Tsekalo suffers from gigantomania, and Vladimir Solovyov is surrounded by many enemies
When building a dream house, the owner tries to realize all his ideas in it and make it as comfortable as possible for himself and his family. Our stars are no exception. Sometimes the dachas of celebrities are distinguished by their wildest fantasies. With the help of the famous private realtor Maxim CHEPURA, we compiled a rating of celebrity mansions, calculating approximately how much the artists would earn if they put their buildings up for sale right now. And psychologist Natalya VARSKAYA tried to characterize the personalities of their owners using the facades of houses. For the purity of the experiment, we did not tell our experts who exactly owned which house.
Maksim Galkin
Realtor: I recognize Galkin’s “chambers”, spread out over a hectare of land. True, it is not clear why Maxim needed such a castle, but even if he ever decides to sell it, he will not be able to find a buyer. If only not his devoted billionaire admirer. Such a house will always be associated with the first owner. In the future, such a building can only be repurposed into a hotel or holiday home. According to the most conservative estimates, the interior decoration and decoration of a house can cost three times more than the object itself.
Psychologist: Everything is simple to the point of banality: the owner loves to impress people and be the center of attention. He enjoys great authority in certain circles. And Vladimir Solovyov is surrounded by many enemies
Yuri Bashmet
Psychologist: The owner of this house probably had a poor childhood. Pronounced ambition and desire to manage. Doesn't like to let strangers into his life. Maybe he even has some kind of Bluebeard secret.
Realtor: It will be almost impossible to sell such a huge territory. Most likely, the owner will not do this - the house will be inherited. The big minus is that the mansion is located next to the highway. The noise from cars makes life unbearable for household members.
Andrey Konchalovsky
Psychologist: A person lives here who is distrustful and not very positive. For him, the main thing is that those around him listen and obey. He can be cruel at times. This may be due to the fact that he believes that goals are more important than people.
Nikita Mikhalkov
Psychologist: Master at heart. It can be different, but more often - a kind person with an open heart. We are vulnerable, but easy-going, although we never forgive major insults.
Realtor: The place is legendary and prestigious, and the prices here are among the highest. One hundred square meters here costs about $110 thousand. Such estates are similar to real family estates, which, in fact, have no price. On the one hand, it is strange and unusual for modern people that on a huge territory (about a hectare) there are almost no additional buildings. On the other hand, I know from experience that it is precisely this kind of space and silence that every city resident dreams of.
Yuri Antonov
Psychologist: There is definitely greed in the owner. A man of the “kurkul” type, as people say.
Realtor: This three-story mansion looks like a real Russian noble estate and a Soviet Palace of Culture at the same time. Apparently intended for a large family. Cozy and tasteful. A house like this, put up for sale, will go down the drain.
Joseph Kobzon
Psychologist: Either the ancestors of the owner of this house knew what a good life was, or the person dreamed of being like such people from childhood.
Realtor: The estate consists of several houses, all of them made of high quality building materials. The interior decoration is also probably not cheap, so the cost of finishing can be as much as the mansion itself with a plot in addition.
Alla Pugacheva
Psychologist: It seems that the house was built as a mini-hotel. Either the owner planned to rent out the premises, or he likes to invite family and friends. But he certainly doesn’t lack an entrepreneurial streak.
Realtor: A big plus is that the house is located away from others. In addition, there is a forest all around, and a pond nearby automatically equates this place to a dream cottage. The mansion was built using high-quality building materials in a classic style. This one will last for 100 years and will always be valuable. In my understanding, this is exactly what a country house should be like: quiet, green, fresh and no one around.
Valentin Yudashkin
Psychologist: For the person who built such a house, punctuality is most important. He got used to a certain routine. Likes to manage people and processes.
Realtor: Minskoe Highway occupies third position in the list of priority destinations near Moscow, and Bakovka is one of the most expensive places. But today buying real estate here is unfashionable and unprofitable. Difficult transport accessibility and overly inflated prices can scare off buyers. The mansion is very archaic. You can look for buyers for this for a long time.
Alexander Tsekalo
Psychologist: Strange house. You don't need to be a psychologist to understand: his owner is trying to realize all his hidden fantasies in him. Gigantomania is clearly visible here. Perhaps the reason is some serious complex. And, most likely, coming from childhood.
Realtor: If we take into account the cost including finishing, the price can reach more than half a billion rubles. Now the house is under construction, and it is difficult to imagine what else the owner will think of to build on the site. A house made in high-tech style will certainly be the most noticeable in the village. An unusual facade, exclusive design, elite building materials - selling the property will be problematic.
Alexander Malinin
Psychologist: This person can be different: for some he is gentle and faithful, for others he is cruel and narcissistic. His goal in life is the desire to embrace the immensity.
Realtor: A very nice house both in terms of architectural design and color scheme, which is important. All existing buildings are made with extreme care and in the same style, successfully harmonizing. Made with taste and love. An ideal home for a happy large family.
Masha Rasputina
Psychologist: From his youth, a person tries to prove to others that he is no worse than others, and sometimes even much better. Childish and slightly unsure of himself.
Realtor: The house is fabulous, even like a toy. It’s immediately obvious: the owner is a woman; a man, I think, would not allow himself such an abundance of pink shades. Successful landscape design. But the project is too individual and therefore not attractive for sale.
Ivan Urgant
Psychologist: Perceives only himself and his point of view. Clearly egocentric. He strives by any means to occupy people's attention with himself.
Realtor: An extremely unusual shape of the mansion. Against the backdrop of classic dachas it looks like something cosmic. There are too many outbuildings: one gets the impression that what is in front of one’s eyes is a factory, not a home for a family. The owner is clearly building to last! Subsequently, such a domina will be of interest to few buyers.
Tigran Keosayan and Alena Khmelnitskaya
Psychologist: A supporter of everything Western. He wants to be valued not in the narrow context of his family, but far beyond its borders.
Alexander Lazarev
Psychologist: It seems to me that he is a very open and sociable person. There are no people who wouldn't like him. Honest, trusting, prone to compassion.
Realtor: Both houses look very modern - classic and Mediterranean style. But they require cosmetic repairs. This may reduce the price somewhat, but not significantly. Moreover, I am sure that the new owners will not rush into restructuring.
Vladimir Pozner
Psychologist: Definitely a very creative person. The traditions of his ancestors are overly important to him.
Realtor: The house was built a long time ago and without any frills. The latter is a big plus when selling. But, even despite the proximity of the airport, this place is considered elite, which is why the dachas here are not cheap.
Alexander Gradsky
Psychologist: The owner of the house is a pedant and values stability. He is surrounded by many people, he is constantly in contact with someone. But he often gets tired of communication, so he often needs personal space, to which outsiders are not allowed to enter.
Realtor: This is one of the oldest dacha places; houses here have always been valued. The proximity of the airport does not bother buyers. Even in the “hot” season, several super-expensive mansions are sold here. The house with columns and spacious balconies was built in a classical style, I would even say in the Soviet style. In my opinion, such an object may be of interest to older people; young people today prefer something more whimsical.
Leonid Yarmolnik
Psychologist: The owner is a great visionary, a dreamer and the owner of an artistic gift. As a child, I probably loved fairy tales, adventure stories and mischief.
Realtor: Simplicity and nothing superfluous. The pool on site is always popular. But there is a feeling that the house was built quite a long time ago, and it is clear that it needs repairs. You can't sell it for too much! A good option for those who want to buy a summer house in a prestigious location for a reasonable price. I'm just afraid that the repairs might cost more.
Mikhail Shats and Tatyana Lazareva
Psychologist: It is felt that the owner has experienced little real happiness and joy in life. Often feels misunderstanding. He treats his own appearance without fanaticism.
Realtor: A classic country house, nothing remarkable or interesting. He has no personality. There are a lot of them on the market. The picture is spoiled by a dubious wooden shed in the corner and a dump of building materials. If I were the owners, I would at least paint the house some fun colors. It wouldn't hurt for him to make a mess. Boring option.
Vladimir Soloviev
Psychologist: A nervous person, sometimes it comes to the point of bile. Has many enemies. Maybe that's where the irritation comes from. Open only with those closest to you.
Realtor: Two pretty good houses - a three-story mansion and a house with a veranda. A very modest plot of land by today's standards. In my opinion, there is not enough space for a large family or friendly gatherings.
Alexander Domogarov
Psychologist: There is clearly an inquisitive and sociable person living here. I would say that the owner of this house has an easy, flexible character. A huge number of ideas swarm in his head, but not global ones.
Realtor: In this elite gated community there are about
20 house buildings located in a forested area. The dwelling in the photo looks quite simple, but thanks to the rather large area of the land plot and convenient location to communications, it looks quite cozy. The territory is spacious, there are no unnecessary objects or pretentious buildings. As they say, everything you need for quiet happiness. I think the house would attract many buyers.
Today, most country houses near Moscow are built in the classical style. The average area of land is 10 - 12 acres, and the average area of cottages is from 500 to two thousand square meters. meters. But there are also objects of six to eight thousand square meters. meters. The average price level for such mansions in elite locations is $8 million. For comparison: a similar building in Marbella (Spain) will cost a maximum of 1.5 million euros.
By the way
The mansion of Briton Stuart Hughes in Switzerland is considered the most expensive house in the world. The cost of an object with an area of 725 sq. m is estimated at 7.5 billion euros. 200 tons of gold and platinum were used during construction.
 |
The President met with the writer's family in honor of his 100th birthday. And Nikita Mikhalkov reproached the president for being late
Late in the evening of March 12, on the eve of the centenary anniversary of the Soviet writer, poet, author of the texts of two anthems Sergei Mikhalkov, President Vladimir Putin met with the famous family in the “family nest” on Nikolina Gora. While numerous children were languidly waiting for the distinguished guest, the owner of the house, director Nikita Mikhalkov, talked with journalists, told stories from the life of his father, recalled his poems and at the same time treated the guests to his own from the Tuscan vineyards.
Nikita Mikhalkov
The Mikhalkov family was waiting for the arrival of the distinguished guest in the hall of the first floor of one of the two houses of the estate, where Sergei Mikhalkov himself lived and three generations of his descendants grew up. A small living room, icons on the walls, wooden internal balconies and a view of the terrace. Everything is very simple and homely.
Almost all members of the famous family gathered in the family house. 16 people, including Nikita Sergeevich himself with his wife Tatyana, his daughters Anna and Nadezhda with their husbands, sons Stepan and Artem, as well as Yegor Konchalovsky, the second wife of Sergei Mikhalkov - Yulia Subbotina and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
But Andrei Konchalovsky and his wife Yulia Vysotskaya were not there. According to Nikita Mikhalkov, they were supposed to fly from abroad to Moscow on March 13, just on the day of the anniversary itself...
Light snacks, sweets, fruits, bagels and crackers were waiting on the table. The decanters contained a dark burgundy color of the branded Konchalovka liqueur. When we entered, the older children were modestly sitting in the corner on the sofa and quietly communicating with the head of the family, who was located a few steps away from them on the steps of the wooden stairs leading to the second floor. Everyone was on shift. Everyone found the most comfortable option for themselves - some were slippers, some were moccasins, and some were elegant high-heeled shoes. However, this did not concern the youngest. They were completely at home in socks.
We celebrate dad's birthday every year, although he has been gone for four years now. This year he would have turned 100 years old. Mom would have noted 110,” Nikita Mikhalkov began to tell us. – Dad wrote very easily. I really love his children's poems and lyrics. He didn’t write for children from top to bottom, that is, from the perspective of an adult. He always wrote in the first person, like a child. It was an inside look, amazing knowledge of child psychology. And another hundred years will pass, he will remain in memory less as an author of hymns, and more as a children’s poet.
Here Anna joined us and told us: what she loved most was when grandfather read his works himself. “At first we had his Melodiya records, and now the discs have already come out,” she suddenly remembered.
And the time was approaching ten. Vladimir Putin was already two hours late. The children were tired and hungry. They constantly ran to the kitchen and, chewing, went out into the common living room. At first no one dared to take anything from the table, but as night approached, the ban apparently relaxed, and the plates gradually became empty. “There is a strong smell of meat in your office. The girls are hungry. Look, they’re going right there,” Anna Mikhalkova turned to her father, laughing, pointing with her gaze at her hungry niece, who walked decorously past her.
Meanwhile, Nikita Sergeevich recalled his childhood, his dislike for school, his classmates, teachers, and even how he was in the infectious diseases hospital in the next ward with Korney Chukovsky. So, for example, Korney Ivanovich told young Nikita “about how Bunin created an encyclopedia of Russian obscenities.
And suddenly our communication stopped. A day or two has passed. I'm terribly upset and can't understand what happened. Maybe I offended him in some way. And so I seized the moment and asked what happened. Then Chukovsky asked me if I wrote poetry? I said I'm not writing. “Isn’t this your notebook?” he asked me again. “No,” I replied. “What happiness!” he exclaimed with relief, Mikhalkov told us.
It turned out that a notebook with the lyrics of popular songs, among which were “Lilies of the Valley” and “Mishka, Mishka, where is your smile,” was left by the nanny who was cleaning the wards. After looking through the homemade collection, Chukovsky thought that his young interlocutor wanted to get the poet’s review of his poems. And since he did not like the quality of the lines and their content, out of a sense of tact and not wanting to offend the talent, he decided to limit their communication.
The time was approaching midnight. Now not only children, but also adults have left the hall. The elders were not heard, but the younger ones, tired of waiting, completely relaxed. From the second floor one could hear stomping, loud laughter and characteristic screams a la a kindergarten. Children periodically rushed past us at speed, braking at turns. Anna Mikhalkova was approached by her 12-year-old son with a complaint, in English, about the long wait.
By this time, in order to somehow distract the guests, Nikita Mikhalkov offered his own wine, produced from Tuscan vineyards. As Mikhalkov explained to us, this year the red and white variety of the drink called “12” (similar to the director’s film of the same name) will begin to be sold in Russia.
The types will be different. Cabernet, Sauvignon and others. The price is not yet known, everything will depend on agreements with sellers,” said Mikhalkov. – But I must say that this is a completely new feeling – pride, not related to creativity...
Suddenly everything came to life. It became clear that the head of state would arrive soon. The family gathered for about fifteen minutes. The elders called the younger ones, shouting from the first floor to the second and urging them to hurry up. Yegor Konchalovsky's daughter Maria was delayed. Artem Mikhalkov, who was sitting next to him, jokingly said: “Masha, Masha come to me!”, “Masha, ugh!” However, the girl had already appeared at the door.
When meeting with the family, Putin shook hands with everyone in turn. The children made delighted faces, but not for long, because after a few minutes some of them almost fell asleep over their plates.
Sergei Vladimirovich not only wrote two anthems - Soviet and Russian - he was a playwright, writer, poet, fought at Stalingrad, - VVP began his welcoming speech. - Mikhalkov is a whole era and the life of the country. One can evaluate his views in different ways, but the fact that he is an outstanding person is an obvious fact.
Mikhalkov, in turn, spoke about the idea of erecting a monument to his father next to the house on Povarskaya Street, where he lived in recent years, hinting that the help of the Moscow authorities would be required. Putin reacted immediately, noting that the conversation with the city mayor Sergei Sobyanin had already taken place and there should be no problems.
The head of state also supported the idea of naming a ship or airliner after Sergei Mikhalkov, but Putin missed a slight reproach from the owner of the house in his direction. Mitigating the reproach with words about the significance of the head’s arrival at the family’s house, Mikhalkov still wondered “why did this man travel for so long.”
Will the president come to Nikita Sergeevich's 100th birthday? VIDEO
Nikita Sergeevich has at least two estates. One is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the second is in the village of Mytnitsa, Mezhdurechensky district.
Already at the entrance to the Mezhdurechensky district from Gryazovetskoye, any grandmother selling mushrooms on the side of the road will confidently wave her hand at the question about Nikita Sergeevich’s estate: “go there!”
The estate is located on the banks of the Sukhona River. Beautiful fishing spots. At first, we missed a little and arrived at the recreation center for FSB officers. It is located on the street of the Student Village Mytnitsa.
Majors and colonels come here to fish and hunt not only from the Vologda region, but also from the capitals. According to the locals, the base is under the protection of Rybnadzor. Officially, this is not a recreation center at all, but something like fishermen’s houses.
FSB officers rest here
Nikita Mikhalkov's estate is located about two kilometers away. Previously, there was no mobile communication in these places. Now there is a tower of the MTS company.
This tower was erected for Nikita Sergeevich and resting security forces
According to the security guard, Nikita Sergeevich last came here three months ago - he was on vacation from May 1 to May 10.
Estate
Last Saturday, only one of Nikita Sergeevich’s two sons-in-law was here. Which one exactly remains a mystery to us. His driver turned out to be a taciturn big guy who, in response to all questions, only promised to “turn him over to the cops.” To be fair, we were on private property without permission.
On the territory of the estate
The local security guard was a little more friendly. He immediately complained: these are not the times these days. Nikita Sergeevich has cut nine huntsmen out of 12. Three are enough for him to hunt. There is a crisis in the country.
What's the hunt like these days? There are only three huntsmen left
Nikita Mikhalkov, according to the security guard, respects goose hunting most of all. The estate has everything you need for relaxation. Stables, chapel, two cars for moving through marshy areas. Everything is made of wood, except for the outbuildings, which partially serve as a fence - made of concrete blocks; a small ditch has been dug in front of them. The estate itself gives the impression of being moderately well maintained - clean, but the grass is not trimmed. Or is it the Russian style - I don’t know.
This is a stable
On the director’s official website there is a page about the estate in the Vologda region: “Governor Pozgalev gave Nikita Mikhalkov ownership of 140,000 hectares of forests, meadows, fields and arable lands for the next 50 years.”
Fisherman
It is also written here that anyone can hunt in the lands of Nikita Sergeevich: “Everyone who has a license can hunt in the territory of Nikita Mikhalkov’s forestry completely freely, and even licenses are issued free of charge.”
Everything around is rented by Nikita Mikhalkov
It is reported that everyone in the area “respects and appreciates Mikhalkov” because he cares about Russia and “believes that he will help revive the country in a spiritual sense.”
Let's get together!..
The village, a little over 10 kilometers from the town of Pavlovo-on-Oka, was once named for its specialty - “splitting” substandard wood into pine shingles - is now known in the area exclusively as the place where Nikita Mikhalkov built his estate. The most titled and, perhaps, the richest Russian cinematographer has now settled on a peculiar peninsula among the Oka oxbows and bends for several years now. From Shchepachikha, still a populous village with empty general store counters, but in the sight of a fading village, a smooth asphalt road leads to the estate. It's one-lane - two cars can't pass each other on it. Well, outsiders are not allowed there - in the middle of the swamps (tested by practice) any outsider will be met and politely escorted home. And the flash drive will be taken away from the photographer altogether, just in case.
And don’t say that you weren’t warned: before entering the almost “Baskerville” swamps, there is a poster copied from the American one, but written in Russian: “Passage is prohibited. Private property." Some of the locals, however, know an alternative route - it requires a boat and a lot of courage. The guards, of whom Nikita Sergeevich has several dozen, are armed, according to the Shchepachikha residents, with “50-round” carbines and do not like to joke. So, if you were not invited to Mikhalkov, you have to turn back from the flat asphalt road - to the village, where the asphalt ends and the “minefield” traditional for spring Russia begins.
It is all the more interesting that both inside - on a magnificent, ethnic-style manor house with numerous services - and outside, in the working-class village of Tumbotin and several other nearby villages - things are quite positive. Life goes on, people work, the “master” himself is very respected. It's just vipers, you know...
The idea of rural wit
There is a joke in the village that Nikita Sergeevich released vipers into the forest to protect his possessions. “Okay, all the rangers at Mikhalkov’s, our locals, warned us,” a local resident, mason Andrey, told SP. “Otherwise someone would definitely have been bitten.” Now children who come from the city will have to be driven away from there.”
Why snakes were released along the boundaries of the site - the locals have no doubt: “so that just anyone would not walk around.” Few people are offended by the “master” - mainly women, who will now have to worry about their children and goats, who may accidentally suffer from Mikhalkov’s “battle bastards.” The men reason more thoroughly: if I had the same estate, I would do the same. But really, all sorts of people are walking around! Those of the richer villagers (mostly summer residents from Nizhny) even imitate - the cottages here come across with a twist, one is built into an English castle, the other into a log tower.
The main line of defense of the estate from outsiders is, of course, not vipers and copperheads, but huntsmen and guards from local residents. “No, no Tajiks, only our guys,” says Alexey from Tumbotin, who apparently works on the estate himself, but does not like to discuss this with outsiders. “In winter we use snowmobiles, now we use ATVs, and there are also several horses that help with hunting.” The whole region is talking about the powerful and expensive carbines of the guards (Pavlovo and the surrounding areas have long lived by the production of weapons and hardware, so everyone knows a lot about iron). Their number is no more than a hundred, but not a couple of dozen, or rather, no one counted.
The salary they receive is “no worse than us,” says mason Andrey. In rubles this is about 20 thousand per month, perhaps a little more. The “viciousness” of the guards can be explained simply by the strict system of fines. “There was a case here recently, poachers shot a young wild boar, but the huntsman didn’t keep track. I was left without a salary for a month; the boar was worth that much.” The entry of outsiders, presumably, is fined no more lightly...
In the taste of sweet old times
The estate of Nikita Mikhalkov itself is divided into two unequal parts. The first - the estate itself with the main house, guest cottages, house church, stables and other services, with a pier on one of the Oka oxbows - occupies 115 hectares, the second - the Tyomino hunting farm, named after the son of Nikita Sergeevich - is almost a thousand times larger . Initially, the area of the farm transferred to the director for long-term use was 37,000 hectares, then it was expanded to 140 thousand hectares.
“The house was built very well, in an old style. Chopped, do you hear! Not Schmeiding siding, but real chopped siding, who can do that now!..,” say almost enthusiastically the Shchepachikhinsky and Tumbotinsky men who cover their own houses with siding, installing double-glazed windows. It’s cheaper and easier - you don’t have to bother with insulating windows and painting the house every year. But purely aesthetically, Mikhalkov and his buildings are approved by almost everyone who saw them. And the restoration of the church in Tumbotin, in which the “master” wholeheartedly invested, is, whatever one may say, a matter pleasing to God. True, when asked how many people visit this church outside of Christmas and Easter, the Tumbotin residents hesitated somewhat. Not much, apparently.
The director himself said many times that when building his estate, he was guided by the mansion of appanage princes and boyars of the pre-Petrine era - and the stylization, apparently, turned out even more successful than the recently built “palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich” in Kolomenskoye. Moreover, the stylization turned out not to be blindly imitative, but creative and adequate to the needs - the log mansion was not surrounded by a palisade, the service buildings were not crowded around the mansion, as was the case in real boyar estates.
The guest quarters were also not integrated into the main manor house, as is generally customary in Russian estates, but were built separately (and the largest guest house is a real hotel, according to those who visited the estate, designed for 400 - 500 guests). “Everyone,” as the mason Andrei puts it, visits Mikhalkov—Putin, Medvedev, numerous actors, and regional authorities. “Shantsev, for example, never comes here - he flies. Because to get here from Pavlov you have to take a ferry, and the road is bad. So he’s in a helicopter.”
The main entertainment in the estate is quite traditional for the large aristocracy: horse riding, riding yachts, troikas and snowmobiles, hunting. True, hunting is more rifle hunting than the more aristocratic hunting with dogs or falcons (although there are such opportunities on the estate) - in the circle of the Sheremetevs or Yusupovs of the century before last, Mikhalkov would be called “small-grass”... But with the newfangled “Tiger” all-terrain vehicles, like those of the elite riot police - a patriotic analogue of Hummers, each costing 5-6 million rubles.
Slowly, the estate and hunting farms are beginning economically meaningful activities - for example, dumplings with minced boar and elk meat go to the table not only for guests of the estate itself, but are also served in the Rus restaurant, the most upscale of three or four restaurants in Pavlov. They are called “Tyominskie” and cost an impressive 500 rubles per serving by local standards. The amount of game in the Mikhalkov forests has already become a local legend - fortunately, almost no one dares to poach - and this means that, if desired, the hunting area can be fully loaded with elite visitors and earn a lot of money.
Another profitable function of the Mikhalkov estate, apparently, is to serve as a film set for the director’s films. It was here - more precisely, next to the hunting farm, in the village of Polyany - that most of the scenes of the now-released "Citadel" - the conclusion of the military saga about Divisional Commander Kotov - were filmed. A fake bridge and a church were blown up here, a large film crew was stationed here, and villagers were paid 2-3 thousand rubles for the inconvenience. Presumably, the proximity of the shooting to his own estate helped the director save a lot from the $50 million budget announced for Citadel. And, of course, it’s more pleasant to work within your own walls.
What the estate does not have is an agricultural component. This circumstance sharply separates the Mikhalkov estate from the traditional Russian type of landowner farming - almost everywhere in post-Petrine Russia there were landowner fields, and the pre-Petrine boyars did not disdain land ownership. Hunting and other “purely aristocratic” types of thought were limited only to the appanage princes of the pre-Moscow period - they really were not interested in agriculture and did not organize large-scale “agricultural holdings”, preferring to hunt and take tribute from the subject population.
Patrimonian or favorite
So, among the picturesque bends of the lower Oka, not far from Nizhny Novgorod, one of the most famous people in Russia built a real manorial estate, of noticeable scale even by the standards of Tsarist Russia. What is most interesting is that we are talking not only about the external, but also about the functional stylization of large-scale land ownership of the past. But until recently, this seemed impossible to someone.
The “physiology”, that is, the functioning, of the Mikhalkov estate deserves a separate analysis. The main function of this place is to be the owner’s residence, a place to relax and receive guests, to represent Mikhalkov’s personality and tastes to those whose opinion he is interested in. The director is naturally not interested in the opinions of villagers and city dwellers, which is why the estate is closed from them—from us.
This was precisely the main goal of the most magnificent estates and palaces of former Russia - the residences of the Sheremetevs, Yusupovs, Bobrinskys. The most famous of them - Kuskovo, Ostankino, Yaropolets, Bogoroditsk - surpassed the Mikhalkov estate in scope.
Another thing is that the largest nobles of tsarist times owned not only residences, but also huge plots of agricultural land, where serfs or hired peasants produced what Marx would call a “surplus product” for the landowners. As a rule, the huge steppe fields in the Black Earth Region and Novorossia were not directly related to the Moscow or Crimean residences of princes and counts, but belonged to the same persons and, to a certain extent, brought the main income to the owners. Mikhalkov does not have such “working” land - that is, agricultural holdings.
The main cinematographer of the Russian state, however, uses another source of wealth, no less traditional for the Russian (and, in general, the European, post-medieval era) nobility: proximity to power. Nikita Mikhalkov - this is hardly disputed - courtier an aristocrat, moreover, hereditary and successful by the highest standard. In almost all times (at least since the era of Ivan the Terrible), well-born and successful dignitaries at court lived on a much larger scale than the income from their own households allowed them - and the “cash gap” was always eliminated by grants “from the royal shoulder.” Money, land, serfs - the stories of Catherine’s favorites Orlov and Potemkin are well known, who spent more than anyone in Russia could imagine, but received incomparably more as a gift from the crown.
On the contrary, no matter how well-born boyars and nobles, deprived here and now of the highest favor and “bypassed” at court, over the course of a couple of decades were bled dry, became “impoverished”, dropped out of the high society “vanity fair”...
No, successful estate farming in Russia is possible (both then and now) - according to the formula “cherries were dried and sent to Moscow by carts.” But examples of such successful land ownership in the estate format were demonstrated not by the largest nobles, but rather by strong and well-born “middle peasants”. Such were, say, successful landowners Lev Tolstoy, Afanasy Fet and Nikolai Nekrasov. It is interesting that, as SP wrote, in Yasnaya Polyana, estate life and economy have been practically restored, and from an economic point of view, Tolstoy’s estate is much more independent, autonomous and tenacious without “court” support than Mikhalkov’s residence.
But what will happen to the estate of the head of the Union of Cinematographers in the event of his unexpected disgrace - well, let's say, if those at the top decide to radically change the style from "imperial" to "anti-imperial" - is not very clear. Perhaps the guest house with 500 beds could be converted into a good hotel, and the hunting ground could be opened for free access - at a considerable cost - to the public. Then - if the land granted by the state is left to the landowner - Mikhalkov will survive, just as the disgraced boyars and nobles survived in their estates.
In the absence of "Dubrovsky"
After all, it’s a strange thing - the director only has to fear changes in the situation “at the top.” Village residents generally respect Mikhalkov. You won’t hear any bad words about Mikhalkov in the vicinity of the estate - except that the Old Believers, who have been living in the vicinity of Pavlov-on-Oka since ancient times, were outraged for several years by the “debauchers” from the Mikhalkov estate, who swam naked and were not embarrassed by the local residents.
In the minds of the inhabitants of Shchepachikha and the surrounding area, Mikhalkov took the place of the “father-master” that had been empty for one and a half hundred years - and it was as if fifteen decades had not passed since the abolition of serfdom. And now the well-known Vorsmen master Valery Safonov makes an offering to Nikita Sergeevich - a damask hunting set with inlay and chasing in the form of the “life” of film actor Mikhalkov, where the stamps include walking around Moscow and a shaggy bumblebee on fragrant hops. And so local officials - in the person of Governor Valery Shantsev - on his birthday “grant” the master several dozen more hectares of land for the construction of that same 500-bed hotel.
Mikhalkov enjoys a reputation as a strict but fair owner. Maybe because he loves his land and decorates it better than everyone else within the reach of the Shchepachikha and Tumbotin people. “At least Mikhalkov takes care of the forest, doesn’t cut it down, he has animals there,” says Shchepachikha resident Uncle Petya. - With his own money, and how he earns it is his business. But look around, everything has already been cut down and is being sold on the stump. Of course, they are planting a new forest, but it will still grow…”
He takes care of the forest, gets animals, builds a cozy house, pays money to local residents (rather than importing strangers). Mikhalkov is perhaps the only powerful person in today’s Russia who, at least at the estate level, is playing “the long game.” And the fact that at the same time he treats his own fellow citizens approximately as Kirill Petrovich Troekurov treats small-scale neighbors - Mikhalkov’s neighbors, apparently, simply do not know any other attitude. Dubrovsky is not in the vicinity of Shchepachikha and, apparently, is not expected.