A brilliant ball in the palace, morning coffee on the balcony of your own estate, or tea with bagels in the merchant’s living room? We have selected six historical residences in which you can rent a room and live like a gentleman.
Petrovsky Travel Palace, Moscow
In the appearance of this building, the handwriting of the famous architect Vasily Bazhenov, the author of the Tsaritsyno ensemble, is clearly visible. After all, the luxurious mansion was built by his best student, Matvey Kazakov. Experts find elements of romantic neo-Gothic, Baroque, classicism and Moorish style in the decoration of the Petrovsky Palace. The building project “in the Turkish style” was ordered by Catherine II.
A strategically important location was chosen for the new residence – the road between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Empress herself stayed in the palace only twice. But at the end of the 18th century, a new tradition appeared: Russian rulers spent the night here before their coronation. In 1812, Napoleon “stayed” in Petrovsky Castle, retreating from burning Moscow. At this time the building was badly damaged. Later, after restoration, theaters and restaurants were opened in it: the mansion became one of the centers of secular Moscow. Today, a hotel is located in the royal interiors. If centuries ago only the most illustrious persons rested here from the road, today any traveler can book rooms. This complex is also popular as a venue for weddings and corporate events. The hotel has meeting rooms, banquet and ballroom spaces. For guests, guides give a tour where they tell the history of the residence. And even those who have never been to this palace before can buy a subscription for the whole year to the fitness room and spa center of the Petrovsky Castle.
Ershov House, Gorokhovets
The former district town of Gorokhovets is known to vacationers as a ski resort and one of the centers of wooden modernism. The mansion with carved platbands, high porches and front gardens has been preserved here. Those who want to stay longer in Gorokhovets can get unique impressions of life in the 17th century chambers that belonged to the guest hundred merchant Semyon Nikiforovich Ershov. The five rooms of the Ershov House Hotel are quite standard. But in the sixth – 120-meter suite – under the white stone vaults, the medieval furnishings of the house are recreated: heavy carved furniture, rich carpets, a long dining table and other items of merchant life. All hotel windows overlook the main square and the domes of the Annunciation Cathedral. The hotel restaurant offers traditional Russian dishes.
Sanatorium “Valuevo”, Moscow
The former owner of this estate is Count Alexey Ivanovich Musin-Pushkin. It was he who made the most important discovery for culture: among the many manuscripts of one of the monasteries of Yaroslavl, he discovered a monument of Russian literature – “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” It is not surprising that he was visited by those interested in the history of the Russian people A.S. Pushkin and N.M. Karamzin.
The elegant estate is decorated with a round turret, a lovely antique portico and columned galleries. Almost all outbuildings have been preserved here, which is not typical for ensembles that survived Soviet times. From the windows of the main house there is a solemn view of the driveways, manicured lawns and flower beds.
In the 21st century, the territory of the residence is occupied by the Valuevo sanatorium. But not only those who prefer wellness treatments will enjoy relaxing here. This place is popular for weddings and corporate events: you can accommodate guests, organize a banquet on a grand scale, and have a beautiful photo shoot in a landscape park. There are plenty of textures for romantic photos in the estate: centuries-old trees, a system of three lakes and islands, grottoes and a hunting lodge.
“Taleon Imperial Hotel”, St. Petersburg
The former palace of Prince Nikolai Chicherin has always been considered a popular place among the nobility and intelligentsia. In the 18th century, these walls hosted masquerades, balls, musical evenings, and public readings, which were attended by writers A.N. Radishchev and D.I. Fonvizin. At the beginning of the 18th century, the famous French actress Mademoiselle Georges, who, according to some information, was Napoleon’s lover, lived here. In the middle of the 19th century, the premises of the building were rented by the Noble Assembly of Nobility: F.M. began to visit here. Dostoevsky, I.S. Turgenev, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. At the beginning of the 20th century, the government changed, but the importance of the palace as a cultural center remained. V.V. performed here. Mayakovsky, M. Gorky, A.S. Green.
Since 2003, the luxurious five-star Taleon Imperial Hotel has been operating in the mansion. View restaurants, pompous furniture, crystal chandeliers, wide staircases, large swimming pools and spas – guests have no doubt that they are relaxing in a princely residence.
Hotel-restaurant “Selivanov”, Rostov Veliky
The stone house on the shore of Lake Nero belonged to the Selivanov dynasty of merchants for several centuries. Industrialists and entrepreneurs, they made a fortune trading potatoes, breeding horses, and producing molasses and chicory.
In the 19th century, the house was once again rebuilt and given its appearance, which has survived to this day. During the Soviet years, stained glass windows disappeared, tiled fireplaces were destroyed, and other interior details disappeared. The second floor turned into a communal apartment. In the 20th century, the city estate was renovated and a restaurant was opened in it, and then the Selivanov mini-hotel. The new owners decided not to change the facade of the building during the reconstruction, and also tried to restore the decoration of the house. As a result, today the rooms and common areas are designed in the Art Nouveau style popular at the beginning of the 20th century.
Maryino Estate, Leningrad Region
Today, the two-hundred-year-old noble nest is in the private ownership of Galina Georgievna Stepanova, who is engaged in the systematic and effective restoration of the residence. In past centuries, the magnificent estate belonged to the Stroganov-Golitsyn dynasty. They were close to the imperial family, founded cities in Siberia, built mining plants, and were engaged in philanthropy. The estate delighted guests with a luxurious English park with different thematic pavilions. The Stroganov-Golitsyns paid a lot of attention not only to entertainment, but also to economic activity. Representatives of the administration, former serfs, went to study in Europe. The owners of the estate opened an agricultural school for peasant orphans.
Today everyone can not only take a walk in the palace park, but also stay in a hotel on its territory. The interior decoration of the building is designed so that guests feel like wealthy nobles: silk wallpaper and tapestries, porcelain and bronze dishes, antique furniture. From the windows of the rooms you can see the front yard, cascading ponds, and stone bridges. Among the lordly entertainments: horseback riding, carriage and sleigh rides, art galleries, a museum exhibition, a farm with peacocks, geese and ostriches. Another pride of the estate is Russian greyhounds, an indispensable breed for hound hunting. The owners of the estate are trying to recreate not only material values, but also Russian traditions and folklore. Christmas, Ivan Kupala Night and other Slavic holidays are celebrated here on a festival scale.
