Muranovo Estate named after Tyutchev in the Moscow region

Museum-reserve Muranovo Estate

When the Engelhardt family settled in the village of Muranovo near Moscow in 1816, it was impossible to imagine that almost a hundred years later this place would be firmly associated with the name of the poet Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev. The classic of Russian poetry himself has never lived in Muranovo, and perhaps never even been. But thanks to his descendants, who played a significant role in the fate of the estate, a memorial museum appeared here with a large collection of personal belongings, manuscripts, documents and photographs of Fyodor Ivanovich and his family.

Now the Museum-Reserve “Muranovo Estate” named after Tyutchev is one of the most famous and visited attractions in the Moscow region. Fans of the poet’s work, history lovers, as well as those who are not indifferent to manor architecture come here. After all, the unusual appearance of the estate has been preserved since the middle of the 19th century, practically unchanged.

Estate Muranovo. N.I. Tyutchev in his office in the museum against the background of a portrait painted by M.V. Nesterov. Photo by V. Molchanov — N.I. Tyutchev in his office in the museum against the background of a portrait painted by M.V. Nesterov. Photo by V. Molchanov

To understand how the Muranovo estate is connected with Tyutchev, it is necessary to understand the family ties of all its owners. The first owners of the estate were Catherine and Lev Engelhardt. They were distinguished people and made friends with famous military leaders and writers. In 1826, their eldest daughter Anastasia married the poet Yevgeny Baratynsky, and the young received Muranovo as a dowry. Yevgeny Abramovich dismantled the old house of the Engelhardts. And, according to his drawings, built a new large manor for the family – a wooden one, faced with bricks on the outside, with bay windows and a turret.

Estate Muranovo at night — Muranovo at night

Story

In 1837, the youngest daughter of the Engelhardtsev, Sofia, became the wife of Yevgeny Abramovich’s closest friend, the writer Nikolai Putyat. In 1844, Baratynsky died. His widow Anastasia left Muranovo a few years later, transferring the estate to her younger sister. Putyata carefully preserved the house itself, its furnishings, and the memory of its former owners. The garden has not changed – the pride of the estate, the Baratynskys’ office, pieces of furniture and art.

The Putyat spouses owned Muranov until 1869, when their only daughter Olga married Ivan Fedorovich Tyutchev, the son of the poet Tyutchev. It was they and their children who gathered in the Muranovo estate a collection of objects associated with the name of Fyodor Ivanovich. From St. Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo, Moscow and the Tyutchev family estate Ovstug (now the Bryansk region), personal belongings, books, portraits, and letters of the poet were transported to Muranovo. Later, other descendants of Tyutchev (and he had many children) brought here paintings, documents, manuscripts, photographs that belonged to their families and are somehow connected with the name of the poet.

In 1918, Olga Tyutcheva and her son Nikolai transferred Muranovo to the state. At first it was registered as a museum dedicated to the nobility of the mid-19th century. But in 1920, the estate turned into a museum-reserve named after Tyutchev in the Moscow region. Its first director was the poet’s grandson Nikolai Ivanovich Tyutchev.

Sights

The building that we see now was built in the middle of the 19th century. It will be remembered at first sight by its unusual appearance: a combination of a Russian wooden manor house and a classic English house. It seems as if these are two different buildings – a wooden one and a brick one – folded into a single structure. In fact, the entire estate was built of wood, but the turret and the facade of the large ceremonial halls are faced with bricks. The walls of the Muranovo house are remembered by eminent artists who have been here. Nikolai Gogol visited Muranovo, the writer Sergei Aksakov with his sons Konstantin and Ivan came (their Abramtsevo estate was nearby). The latter was married to the eldest daughter of Fyodor Ivanovich Anna and became the first author of the poet’s biography.

Now the main house has a large exposition: a collection of porcelain and faience, furniture, paintings, portraits, photographs and all sorts of household items. Everything is genuine. The Museum-Reserve “Muranovo Estate” named after Tyutchev in the Moscow region is very proud of its library – almost nine thousand copies of the 18th – early 20th centuries! Of course, not all of them are exhibited in the halls: there is simply not so much space for them. But some can be seen in the main house.

You can inspect the estate during excursions. The guide will show you all the rooms on two floors and explain each one. In one of them Gogol stayed, in the other you will see the bed on which Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev died in 1873 – it was specially brought here from Tsarskoe Selo.

Children’s house

Estate Muranovo. Green living room — Green living room

To the north of the estate, you will see a small touching house of a pale yellow color with white carved platbands. It was built in 1878 by Ivan Fedorovich for his children. The children’s house, surrounded by the same miniature vegetable garden and flower garden, was not only a place for games. Here children learned to care for plants, tried themselves in floriculture and housekeeping.

Wing

A year later, in 1879, two wooden huts appeared in the depths of the park, made in the same style as the children’s house. The big one with a beautiful porch is a residential wing. It was built by Ivan Tyutchev for his mother Ernestina Fedorovna. After the poet’s death, she came to Muranovo for the summer months. At first Ernestina Fyodorovna stayed not far from the estate, renting a simple country house. But wanting better conditions for his mother, Ivan Fedorovich erected a house on the territory of Muranov with heating stoves. His own glacier and a kitchen – this is just a small hut nearby.

Estate Muranovo. Large living room — Large living room

Manor Muranovo at different times of the year

Tourists come to the Muranovo Estate Museum in the Moscow Region at any time of the year. But there are especially many guests in late spring and summer. At this time, Muranovo is buried in greenery. Tall century-old trees hide wings and a children’s house in the crowns, neat flower beds adorn the main house. In autumn, the entire park is painted in yellow-orange tones.

In winter, Muranovo is also charming. Through the bare branches of the trees, the estate is visible from afar. Its pink and red brick elements stand out against the white snow.