The residence of the Indian ambassador to Russia - the former possession of the princes Vorontsov-Veliyaminov

Passing the gallery

A photo: Dmitry Livshits

Text: Tatyana Konstantinova

Magazine: N4 (71) 2003

Several centuries ago, Moscow outside the present-day Garden Ring was considered a suburb. Which, as it should be on the outskirts, abounded not with industrial landscapes, but with pretty-looking groves, gardens, fields. Boyars Vorontsov-Veliyaminov belonged to a picturesque place between the floodplains of the Moskva River and the Yauza. Many noble grandees of that time would not give up such an attractive possession. And the occasion was: the boyar was reported, and Prince Dmitry Donskoy, quite in the spirit of medieval mores, was not slow to execute the obstinate subject. And, without a doubt, got his hands on luxurious lands. So Vorontsovo field became the royal patrimony. During the reign of Ivan III in Vorontsov, an amazing garden was laid out (which has been partially preserved to this day). Later, the estate passed to Princess Khovanskaya. And she took it and sold it to Prince Potyomkin, who bequeathed his possessions not to anyone, but to Catherine II. When her son Paul I came to the throne, he did not think of anything better than to exchange the former estate of crowned mother for the palace of Count Bezborodko. The heirs of the count divided the garden into areas that were already sold separately. And what is interesting: the development of this area of ​​Moscow until the beginning of the last century was carried out taking into account the peculiarities of the landscape. The mansion built in 1911 by the architect K. V. Appolonov for the family of the famous businessman Mark was not an exception. (By the way, he was probably the first car dealer in Russia.) By that time, much had changed in the area, but the panoramic view of Moscow still hit everyone who had a chance to visit the former royal patrimony. They say that it was from here that Napoleon Bonaparte examined the Russian capital. In memory of this, the garden is decorated with an empire pavilion, erected in 1814 immediately after the victory of the Russian troops and called "Napoleon's summer residence". The hall is decorated in the traditions of Russian mansions, when they were very careful to make an impression on the visitor of scope and magnificence from the threshold. The classic composition - enfilade, cozy sitting rooms, festive dining - remained unchanged. In some rooms, the decor has been preserved from distant pores: stucco molding, wooden carving, configuration of portals, wrought-iron lattices on the stairs, a fireplace. “It is gratifying that my family has the opportunity to live in such a unique place in Moscow,” says the Indian ambassador to Russia, Mr. Krishnan Raghunath. “Russian history itself comes alive when you look at the old house, the park, the architectural environment of Vorontsov Field, where later construction - including the Soviet period - testifies to the dramatic and great collisions of History. " Now, when the mansion is the residence of the Indian ambassador, the former possession of Princes Vorontsov-Veliyaminov has once again acquired a new look, a new page of history has opened for him.