Deleted from history: why the famous manor of the 18th century was not needed

Irina Mishina

... This place was in the 17th century the patrimony of the princes Miloslavsky, and since 1690 - the Naryshkins. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Empress Catherine II, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III have been here. In 1865, the Kuntsevo estate was acquired by the merchant and philanthropist Soldatenkov. The architectural ensemble of the estate took shape by the end of the 18th century, when a beautiful house in the style of classicism was built on an elevated place. Later it was supplemented with outbuildings in the Empire style.

The house is located on a high hill, with a beautiful descent to the river. They say it is the highest point in Moscow. And one of its most picturesque places. Emperor Alexander II with his wife, Lermontov, Leo Tolstoy, Herzen and Ogarev liked to visit here. Artists Savrasov and Kramskoy painted views of the estate. It could become a tourist Mecca, turning Fili Park into an analogue of Arkhangelsk or Shakhmatovo. But in the end it turned into a pile of stones and an unrelenting scandal.

Fitness club on the site of the monument?

Soviet reality was merciless to everything connected with the word "nobility". But the 1990s and 2000s turned out to be even more merciless to history. The mansion and outbuildings were privatized by a foreign company in 1994 and then transferred offshore. Since 2007, the estate has been owned by Revolta Ventures Inc. The Limited Liability Company "USADBA NARYSHKINO" was also registered. The main activity of this LLC is "activities of hotels and other places for temporary residence." The interests of the owner have been represented by Grant Kaitsakov for many years, although some call Aru Abrahamyan, the president of the World Armenian Congress, the ultimate beneficiary.

Under this owner, the estate has experienced as much as it has not experienced, probably in all the years of its existence. The building burned several times before and was rebuilt in 1817 and 1976. The last fire in it occurred in 2014, already under the current owner. Restoring the estate after him turned into an impossible mission. If we recall that the estate is a federal security facility, all this is more than strange: after all, certain obligations apply to the security facility. They are essentially not implemented. The owner's representative, Grant Kaytsakov, says: "We could not carry out the restoration project, but we have it." But there is clearly something wrong with this project. Repeatedly, including in front of television cameras, Grant Yuryevich announced plans to use the mansion and outbuildings of the Naryshkin estate for rather controversial purposes. Thus, in an interview with the Moscow-24 TV channel, he said: “ A sports and recreation complex will be located here. Maybe SPA is loudly said, but here are the services. The main building will have a hall for banquets and receptions.” And the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow said nothing in response, although the functionality of the fitness center and spa could not be equipped inside a protected cultural heritage site of federal significance.

True, now Grant Kaitsakov has changed the concept and is talking about a youth club. But it has already passed. The "Kids Club" sign hung on one of the outbuildings for some time, but there was nothing to do with children there. Security did not let them into the territory, but there were reasons to assume that there was a commercial structure there that had no connection with the children.

From a letter from the head of the Naryshkins / Soldatenkov Estate initiative group and the Council of the Kuntsevo OSK Sergey Zavyalov : “The western and eastern brick outbuildings, built in the 20s of the 19th century, are almost completely destroyed. The buildings stood roofless in the rain and snow for more than a year. Presumably, by his actions, the owner is trying to bring the condition of the outbuildings to the status of "an object unsuitable for restoration" in order to be able to demolish them, with the subsequent erection of new buildings on this territory. To date, the roofs of both buildings have been completely destroyed, and the historical brickwork has been partially destroyed. On the territory adjacent to the outbuildings, a modern brick was found, unsuitable for restoration work, they are going to replace historical material) .

Numerous public organizations are also sounding the alarm. “ If the owner does not fulfill security obligations, he is brought to criminal liability under Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Destruction or damage to cultural heritage sites, historical and cultural monuments of the peoples of the Russian Federation, included in the unified state register of cultural heritage sites). Even if they are foreigners, citizens of another state, no one has canceled the law on the territory of our country for them. In this case, only maximum publicity, the courts, and, as a last resort, the removal of the object from unscrupulous owners for failure to fulfill security obligations will help, ” Igor Shikhov, coordinator of the Arkhnadzor movement, told NI.

Court, yes

The case went to court. On February 16, 2022, the Moscow Arbitration Court considered in a preliminary hearing the case on the claim of the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow against Revolta Ventures Inc. (British Virgin Islands, Tortola Island) on the seizure of a cultural heritage object. However, the result was an amicable agreement, according to which the owner from the Virgin Islands undertook to carry out work to preserve the Object, provided for in the project documentation, within 16 months, and within 4 months to submit to the Claimant the reporting documentation on the performance of work and receive from the Claimant, that is, from Department of cultural heritage, act of acceptance of work performed.

But the public of the Fili region, apparently, was not satisfied with the implementation of this decision. “We are in a state of struggle. Two weeks ago I sent a deputy request to the mayor's office, now we are waiting for an answer. How is the settlement agreement concluded? On what terms? Questions remain, ” State Duma deputy Yevgeny Popov told NI.

"The situation with the Naryshkin estate excited the entire district. The people who were in our initiative group proposed to create a Public Council and take control of this whole strange situation in which the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow seems to be in favor of reconstruction, but in reality is just watching behind the destruction of the security facility. There are already hundreds of different people in our Public Council - architects, builders, art historians, athletes, and it is no longer possible to ignore this! Head of the Board of OSK "Kuntsevo" Sergey Zavyalov.

We contacted the owner's representative Grant Kaytsakov . Grant Yuryevich told us that the day before, a prosecutor's check was held in the mansion, the object was inspected, the documentation was checked. “ We plan to complete work in the main building of the mansion by November this year, in the outbuildings by August 1, 2026. Project documentation is being developed. During the reconstruction, we encountered difficulties: the bearing capacity of the brick walls is very low, the brick foundation is almost allowed. Now we are cooperating with the Department of Cultural Heritage, they control the compliance of the works with historical analogues ,” the representative of the owner told NI.

Of course, everyone is concerned about the future functionality of the mansion and outbuildings. The concept seems to have changed again. Grant Yuryevich said that there would probably be a youth club at this place. But it is possible that the mansion will also be used as a Reception House. “ The main building will have a kitchen and a hall for receptions, as well as a reception house, a conference hall ,” says Grant Kaitsakov. But in this case, apparently, the question of its availability for visitors to Fili Park will inevitably arise. However, Grant Yuryevich assured that "once a month, everyone will be allowed into the main building."

Obviously, the premises will serve purely commercial purposes. Not satisfied with the activists and the course of reconstruction.

Who benefits from a 15-year reconstruction?

“We managed to get the plan of the estate in its original wooden version, where literally every centimeter is described. This plan is certified by the Central State Archives of Moscow. We are monitoring the progress of the reconstruction, and, in our opinion, the owner is engaged in a remake, not restoration, - says Olga Frolova, a municipal deputy of the Fili-Davydkovo district . - We collected 3.5 thousand signatures in defense of the Naryshkin estate, so what? Promises, lawsuits and conflicts with the owner continue. The city says it doesn't have the funds to restore the estate. And since 2007, the owner has been promising restoration, but in reality everything continues to collapse. If in the homeland of the owner, in Armenia, part of the history was systematically destroyed, how would they react to it? Why did this become possible with us, in the case of a cultural monument that is significant for Moscow and Russia? Why is history approached as a remake? In fact, nothing has been done to restore the estate,” said the municipal deputy of the Fili-Davydkovo district.

From a letter from the head of the Naryshkins / Soldatenkovs Estate initiative group, Chairman of the Council of the Kuntsevo OSK Sergey Zavyalov : the size, color and shape of the belvedere itself. At the moment, they have nothing in common with the original version, recreated in the late 70s - early 80s of the XX century."

The violations committed during the reconstruction were recorded and sent to the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow. So, the right, historical wing, was dismantled last autumn and stood without a roof all winter. Now this historical building is actually systematically destroyed.

“It raises legitimate questions why the Moscow Heritage Committee looks at all this calmly, although this is a direct violation of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and security legislation. We have written more than one appeal to the mayor's office. Comes to paradoxes. Recently, the owner posted on the website of the Moscow Heritage Committee an outdated restoration project from 2010! And the Moscow Heritage Committee did not notice it! The restoration project has not yet passed the examination, and for some reason the Moscow Heritage Committee also closes its eyes to this, ”Elena Petrova, a senior researcher at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, a member of the Naryshkins / Soldatenkov Estate initiative group, told NI.

At the same time, the representative of the owner, Grant Kaitsakov, assures: "All our actions are thoroughly coordinated with the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow."

“Now it is already obvious that the appearance of the estate is distorted. The amicable agreement between the Moskomnasledie and the owner merely postponed the reconstruction period. Now it is clear that the western historical wing has been dismantled, an arch has been destroyed in its upper part, apparently, they are going to build it on. Regarding the functionality, the owner really voices the plans of both the youth club and the reception house, but what exactly will be in the western wing is still not officially announced anywhere, ”said NI, a senior researcher at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, a member of the Naryshkin Estate initiative group / Soldatenkov»» Elena Petrova.

The fact that the Naryshkin estate may lose its historical appearance and become a commercial facility is already obvious. However, it is no longer a manor, but a sad symbol of indifference to its roots and its past.