Sheremetevs’ Theater Palace: How Ostankino Estate is being restored
Built in 1795, Ostankino Estate, a pantheon of arts, a theater palace and a museum of historical treasures is a real gem of 18 th-century wooden architecture. It used to welcome the cream of society, Paul I, Alexander I and Alexander II, famous poets and artists. The serf actress Praskovia Zhemchugova, who became Countess Sheremeteva, shone on the theatre stage.
Large-scale restoration works are in full swing out at the estate. Read on to find out how the unique palace is being restored and what archaeological discoveries the experts have made.
Theater as a heart of the palace
One of the most noble, wealthy and enlightened aristocrats of his time, Count Nikolai Sheremetev was a great fan of music and performing arts. He transformed a serf troupe into a classic professional theatre that needed a decent stage. The count built a theater palace complex, turning the Ostankino family estate into a pantheon of arts.
The Ostankino Palace project was entrusted to the Italian architect Francesco Camporesi. Later, other outstanding architects of that time also worked on it: Ivan Starov, Vincenzo Brenna, Giacomo Quarenghi, serf architects and the count himself, who supervised the construction. The main building of the palace, the heart of which was the theatre, was connected by one-story covered galleries with the Italian and Egyptian pavilions. The estate complex was complemented by outbuildings, wings, the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, which has survived to this day, and a huge area of a pleasure garden known as Ostankino Park.
The wooden, unheated building quickly fell into disrepair, so it was repaired and rebuilt several times. Recently, the dilapidated estate was closed for complex restoration. Last year, restoration at the wooden palace started.
“Ostankino Estate is a federal cultural heritage site. The interiors of its state rooms have preserved the authentic decor and furnishings of the 18 th century. To completely restore the historical elements and return the estate to its former beauty and grandeur, specialists were developing a restoration project for several years. In parallel, they did emergency response work, and the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage were continuously monitoring the condition of the site. Restoration is already underway in the Egyptian and Italian pavilions, and has also begun on the façades of the theater palace,” said Alexey Yemelyanov, Head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage.
Ostankino Palace is built of wood. This is one of its main features, as this material is inexpensive, has unique acoustic properties necessary for a theatre and also allows for a variety of layouts, shapes and decor. However, wood is not durable.
“Over two centuries, humidity and leaks have significantly damaged the building’s wooden walls, ceiling beams, floors and supporting structures. In addition, due to the shallow foundation of the palace, the lower crowns have been damaged by flooding. The restorers are tasked with restoring the estate to its former glory and preserving it for posterity,” emphasized Sergei Avdonin, Director of the Ostankino and Kuskovo State Museum and Reserve.
Sphinxes to be restored
Currently, the palace is surrounded by scaffolding on all sides. Its eastern wing, Egyptian Pavilion, is covered with a special tent. The garden sculptures and trunks of huge larches are also fenced and covered with protective boxes. There is also a construction camp nearby with several workshops to make wood and stone objects and plaster moldings.
Ostankino Palace is being restored by professional artists, cabinetmakers, plasterers, carpenters and joiners who restored the masterpieces of wooden architecture in the Kizhi Museum Reserve. Work is underway both at the estate’s premises and in restoration workshops in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where some of the decorative architectural elements have been delivered such as window frames, carved interior doors and parquet.
We are heading to Egyptian Pavilion as its restoration is in full swing. The eastern wing of the estate inspired by Ancient Roman architecture is associated with the birthplace of the pharaohs thanks to the sculptural sphinxes that used to decorate the hall. Along with other interior items, they have been removed. Windows, doors and plaster moldings have been restored. The floor has been covered with plywood panels, the ceilings have been insulated, and the walls have been stripped down to the original plaster. The specialists have already restored the wooden frame, have almost completed the restoration of the roof and basement and have begun interior finishing. The plastered walls feature even squares of painting patterns.
“Ostankino Estate has preserved a lot of original structures and decor, so we use the conservation method. The artists remove dirt layer by layer, stripping the walls down to their original late 18 th-century finish. After restoring the wooden base and plaster, they apply paint according to the historical pattern, without changing the wall texture. “It will remain a little rough,” explains Viktor Golub, Chief Architect of Ostankino Estate.
French wallpaper and ceramic shards
Painstaking work is underway at the palace. To replace a rotten beam, specialists have to select a tree of the same type, and then conduct mycological and entomological studies to exclude the presence of fungi or insects in it. At the final stage, the structures are treated with a special protective compound so that they would last for many years.
“Carpenters disassemble and reassemble parts of the palace like a wooden construction set, cleaning or replacing damaged elements while striving to preserve every board and nail. All work is done by hand, as it was during the construction of the estate. Even the carpenters’ axes are sharpened just as they used to do it back then. To strengthen the foundation, we use the modern injection technology. “A special solution is pumped into the drilled holes under a certain pressure,” says Mariya Romanchikova, Head of the Ostankino Estate restoration project.
The palace has preserved many original decoration and furnishing elements. While removing the traces of previous restorations, specialists have made many discoveries of historical value and scientific interest.
“We have found a large number of ceramic shards. In the early 19 th century, the guest wing and old wooden buildings along with the ceramic stoves were removed. Some of the building materials were used to repair and reconstruct the palace-that was how the fragments ended up there. The bricks still bear the date stamps of the factories and craftsmen. But the most valuable finds are original wallpapers and fabrics from the 18 th century brought from England and France,” emphasizes Viktor Golub.
Splendor of the Sheremetev family
Restoration has also started in the western wing of the palace, Italian Pavilion, which is considered the most elegant part of the estate due to the abundance of mirrors, gilded panels, plaster portals and marble sculptures. Now its façade is surrounded by scaffolding and painted with small clouds. With such marks, restorers indicate severely damaged areas of plaster, which will then be chipped off and replaced with new ones.
The pavilion’s lobby looks deserted. The doors and parquet have already been removed but some statues, vases and fragments of plaster moldings still remain, and the precious chandeliers have been packed in wooden boxes.
Most of the furniture and furnishing have been transported to the central part of the theater palace to be restored. Visitors can enter it from Italian Pavilion via a covered gallery. It has preserved the splendor of the state rooms with gilded windows and door woodcarvings, hand-made glass and mirrors, elegant furniture, painted domed ceilings and massive long chain chandeliers. Not only are the walls of the estate made of wood but also the columns, which are indistinguishable from marble, richly decorated floor lamps, candelabra and carved gilded wall panels.
“According to the palace inventories, the earliest of which dates back to 1802, all objects in these halls are in their proper place. Archival documents and preserved decorations allow the experts to completely recreate the look of the palace as it was more than two centuries ago. “On top of that, the 20 th century restorers tried to preserve the original multi-layered finish under the new fabrics,” notes Olga Eremina, Chief Curator of the Ostankino and Kuskovo State Museum and Reserve, showing authentic fragments of fabrics and wallpaper that have been uncovered in some places.
After the restoration, Ostankino Palace will remain the same as it was in the 18 th century-without heating, running water, sewerage, electric lighting or air conditioning. The preservation of the furnishings and valuable museum artifacts will be ensured by maintaining a constant temperature inside the building. To do so, specialists restore and strengthen felt insulation in the attic and walls, while dehumidifiers will help remove excess humidity. The innovations will include hidden lighting of exhibits and external lighting of the façade installed on the ground, as well as security systems.
As before, the palace will be open to the public only during the summer season. The landscaped space of the estate park will feature new entrance areas, comfortable toilets, ticket offices and a cozy coffee shop.