Village Pokrovskoye

Brief History and Sight
The history of the village of Pokrovskoye (Gryazovets Okrug, Vologda Oblast) is closely linked to the Brianchaninov family, which traces its roots back to the boyar Mikhail Brenko, a squire of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, who died in the Battle of Kulikovo Field. The village of Pokrovskoye was possibly granted to the Brianchaninovs for their participation in the people's militia of 1611-1612, "for the Smolensk siege and the expulsion of the Poles."
In 1803, Pokrovskoye, along with 400 peasants, was inherited by Alexander Semenovich Brianchaninov, the future father of Saint Ignatius. At that time, the thrifty owner conceived the idea of ​​building a new estate near the village churchyard, where the remains of the family lay. A.S. Brianchaninov rebuilt the family seat in a modern, European style. The building resembles a typical French country house of the early 19th century.
It is believed that the architect of the house, completed in 1812, was the local, talented, self-taught architect Alexander Sapozhnikov. However, the proportions of his creation were so precise, graceful, and rational that several researchers have now proposed that the house in Pokrovskoye was designed by a certain Moscow architect, closely associated with the school of Matvey Kazakov.
The manor house is located in the northern part of the park. This bright, elegant, and lyrical house rises on a hill and remarkably harmonizes with the surrounding nature: the ancient park, the hills, copses, meadows, and distant forests.
The manor park in Pokrovskoye is one of the few surviving examples of 18th-19th-century landscape art. The park's layout is defined by eight linden alleys (the linden trees were brought to the estates of Russian landowners as fifteen-year-old trees from special nurseries established by Moscow merchants during the reign of Catherine the Great), whose geometric lines intersect to form a star. The park descends in three terraces to the south along the slope of a narrowing hill.
The old park is over 200 years old. As local historian Georgy Kreskentievich Lukomsky wrote in 1914: "Although the park is small, it is arranged with great taste."
The last owners of the estate, Vladimir and Sofia Brianchaninov, warned by peasants of the threat of arrest, emigrated to Czechoslovakia in 1918, leaving almost all their belongings behind. They then moved to France, and their children moved to Australia in 1945. From 1924 to the 1990s, the estate in Pokrovskoye housed the Oktyabrskie Vshody sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. During this period, the main house underwent significant renovations, but the mansion's stucco decoration has survived in relatively good condition, as well as the original wooden spiral staircase to the second floor.
A.P. Tarasov, the sanatorium's chief physician, made significant efforts to preserve the manor house, park, and remains of the church. He undertook the reorganization of life in Pokrovskoye and persistently advocated for the scientific restoration of the estate. However, restoration work only began in 1997 and continued until 2009.
The ancient estate hosts exhibitions, literary, musical, and theatrical evenings, cultural and educational programs, and tours.

How to get there
The village of Pokrovskoye is located 28 kilometers from Vologda. The distance by road to the district center of Gryazovets is 32 km, and to the village of Yurovo it is 12 km. Access to the village of Pokrovskoe is via the new Moscow road. At the Vinnikovo-1 sign, turn right and drive 7 kilometers to the estate complex.
http://usadby35.ru/kontakty#close

Museums
The Bryanchaninov Estate was built in the early 19th century by Alexander Semyonovich Bryanchaninov, a member of a distinguished and distinguished noble family, who was a chamber page to Emperor Paul I. The ancient stone house bears witness to the heyday of classical estate construction. The house is striking in its beauty—slender proportions, richly sculptured facades, and an abundance of elegant decoration. Near the estate is the Church of the Intercession (early 19th century), and next to the church is the Bryanchaninov family cemetery. The estate park descends in three terraces to the south along the slope of a narrowing hill. The main alley, the so-called "prospect," begins from a parterre flowerbed near the southern façade of the building and, turning into a path, stretches across the park to a pond, once rich in fish. The first part of the park is designed in the regular, or French, style. The park's layout is defined by eight linden alleys, whose geometric lines intersect to form a star. The second terrace is a landscape, or English, park, which values ​​the pristine nature. A line of fruit trees forms the boundary between the first and second terraces. In the center of the middle terrace, earthen ramparts of a labyrinth have been preserved, near which a stone grotto, carved from cobblestones, once stood. Deciduous trees predominate in this part of the park. The lower terrace is a wide meadow. This terrace once housed the manor's vegetable gardens. In early July, garden bells bloom in Pokrovskoye. For several days, the entire upper terrace of the park is filled with blue flowers.
Residents of Vologda and visitors to the region are given a unique opportunity to experience the atmosphere that once shaped the life and personality of a prominent figure in the Russian Orthodox Church. The estate has now been restored and welcomes guests year-round.

Calendar of Events
New Year in Pokrovskoye
Christmas Concerts
Trinity
Maslenitsa
Orthodox Culture Festival "Pokrovskie Meetings"
Brianchaninov Readings
"The World of the Russian Estate" Festival

Useful Links
Email: vologdarestoration@mail.ru
VKontakte: vk.com/public187043408
Official Website: vologdarestoration.ru