Greetings, dear readers!
Today I invite you to visit the Palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye. The Palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye was built by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1667 - 1672.
The name of Alexei Mikhailovich is associated with the further strengthening and development of the Sovereign's court in Kolomenskoye, the transformation of Kolomenskoye into the most
ceremonial royal country residence.
On May 3, 1667, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was present at the foundation stone of the palace. The palace was built from wood - the most beloved and widespread material in Russia. People believed that living in a wooden house was “warmer, healthier and more fun.”
Palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye photo
The palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye is considered the pinnacle of Russian wooden architecture; the best craftsmen from all over Rus' were gathered to build the palace.
The French composer G. Berlioz, in a letter to V. Odoevsky in 1868, wrote: “I saw a lot, admired a lot, was amazed at a lot, but ancient Rus' - the one that appeared before us in the monuments of Kolomensky - is from the realm of what I saw the most amazing thing.”
To paint the royal palace, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, icon painters and grass painters from the Kremlin Armory were sent to Kolomenskoye, the best masters were gathered from different parts of Russia - Pskov and Novgorod, Kostroma and Yaroslavl, Vologda and Veliky Ustyug.
In Kolomenskoye, the wooden palace was a traditional wooden building, which consisted of many buildings connected by vestibules and passages. This type of building was called a mansion or mansion building.
The men's half of the palace consisted of the royal tower, the prince's tower, and the Dining Chamber. The women's half of the palace consisted of the tower of the queen and princesses. In total, the palace had 26 towers, some 20 - 30 meters high, as well as 270 rooms.
The wooden palace stood in Kolomenskoye for 100 years. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, his children - Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, Tsarevna Sophia, Tsars Ivan Alekseevich and Pyotr Alekseevich visited their father’s beloved estate less and less often. With the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, the importance of Moscow and Moscow region palaces gradually decreases. And in 1767, by decree of Empress Catherine II, the dilapidated royal mansions were dismantled and a new palace was built on the banks of the Moscow River, which was badly damaged during the War of 1812.
In 2007 - 2010, the 17th century Alexei Mikhailovich Palace was recreated and inaugurated on the territory of the former village of Dyakova in the southeastern part of the Kolomenskoye Museum territory.
The recreated Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye reflects the art and life of the most vibrant period of the Muscovite kingdom, which combined the art of pre-Petrine Rus' with the art of Western Europe. The palace features state rooms for ceremonial receptions, feasts and private chambers for members of the royal family.
Excursion in the palace - all guides in ancient Russian clothes:
Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye
Painted herbs and flowers, motifs of expensive oriental fabrics, landscapes and portraits of historical figures were used in the painting of the palace premises. They cover walls, doors, ceilings, creating a fantastic fairy-tale world.
So, we enter the mansions of the king and princes, into the men’s half of the palace:
Canopy in front of the Dining Chamber:
Dining Chamber - the exhibition “The Tsar’s Feast in the Dining Chamber of Alexei Mikhailovich’s Palace” is now open here:
In the interior exhibition halls of the Alexei Mikhailovich Palace - Exhibition project “Secrets of Harmony” of the Vyacheslav Zaitsev Fashion Museum:
Fragment of the painting of the ceiling and walls in the Dining Room:
Tiled stove in the Duma Chamber. Reconstruction based on 17th century tiles:
Throne Chamber. Fragment of ceiling painting on scenes from the Old Testament. Plafond “Song of Songs of King Solomon”:
In the room of Tsarevich Fyodor Alekseevich:
In the office of Peter I:
Soap room - bath room:
The golden decoration of the palace - wall paintings, doors of the royal chambers:
Currently, life is in full swing at the Alexei Mikhailovich Palace in Kolomenskoye - there are permanent displays and exhibitions, as well as many new exhibition projects.
The “Theatrical Hall” of the Alexei Mikhailovich Palace hosts concerts, festivals, musical evenings, and festive events.
Watch the video - a virtual tour of the palace halls:
Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
All this beauty needs to be seen. Come to the Kolomenskoye Museum, visit the Palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in the Kolomenskoye wooden palace and you will learn a lot of new and interesting things, discover the beauty and customs of Ancient Rus', see the eighth wonder of the world of the 17th century.
The territory of the recreated wooden palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye is located near the Kashirskaya metro station.
Address of the Alexey Mkhailovich Palace in Kolomenskoye:
Moscow, 2nd street Dyakovo-Gorodishche, 27
Alexey Mikhailovich Palace in Kolomenskoye how to get from the city center:
Kashirskaya metro station on the Zamoskvoretskaya line, then exit into the city following the signs to the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve.
Enjoy your travels and have a great mood!
See you on the pages of the site!
The ancient village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow is located in the Southern Administrative District of the Russian capital on the banks of the Moscow River. Since ancient times, this territory was considered a princely and then a royal fiefdom. The first buildings appeared here at the beginning of the 14th century. The best time for Kolomensky came during the reign of the second tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Alexei Mikhailovich. The sovereign’s favorite place inspired him to build a magnificent palace, which later became a masterpiece of Russian wooden architecture of the 17th century.
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Modern Kolomenskoye is a museum in a protected area. Surrounded by birch and apple trees, the original residence of the king has been restored. History buffs, as well as tourists, are impressed by the atmosphere of life of the king and his family. Visitors to the estate can study the details of the decoration of the sovereign's chambers.
In 1667, Alexei Mikhailovich personally laid the foundation of the Kolomna Palace. Despite his high position, the king did not shy away from doing crafts. For him, the beginning of the construction of personal choirs was a personal outlet and a kind of political move. The construction of the chambers demonstrated to foreign ambassadors the power and steadfastness of the Russian state. The second half of the 17th century in Russia was marked by important events. Since 1654, a fierce war was waged with the neighboring Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Russian troops conducted a series of triumphant campaigns against the Poles, as a result of which a truce was signed for 13 years.
The Kolomna Palace was built by an artel of carpenters. The craftsmen erected the most beautiful royal chambers in the best traditions of Russian architecture. The wooden estate consisted of many asymmetrical towers, connected by vestibules and passages. Hip roofs of unusual shapes were decorated with fine carvings, and above them towered weather vanes and double-headed eagles. In 1673, all finishing work was completed. The living area of the premises was more than 7,000 square meters. The ceiling height exceeded 20 meters. There were 270 halls in the palace. The palace was divided into male and female halves. The completion of construction was celebrated with ceremonial feasts and festivities.
For Alexei Mikhailovich, the Kolomenskaya estate had a high status. He often received foreign ambassadors and important guests here. As befits a decent family man and father, the tsar allocated separate rooms for his children, as well as for his second wife Natalya Naryshkina. Subsequently, the heirs of Alexey Mikhailovich were engaged in the reconstruction of the Kolomna Palace. During the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich, dilapidated buildings were rebuilt, and under Peter the Great the foundation of the building was restored. After the capital of Russia was moved to St. Petersburg, the estate gradually collapsed and fell into disrepair.
Empress Catherine II planned to restore the palace, but the wooden structures were severely rotten and could no longer be repaired. The Empress ordered the estate to be dismantled. At the same time, she ordered to preliminarily measure each element of the structure, draw up a plan of the palace and describe all material values. It was this decision that allowed her contemporaries to enjoy the Kolomna Palace in all its original beauty several centuries later.
In 2010, with the support of the Moscow city government, the original palace was recreated according to surviving drawings. More than 200 people were involved in the construction of a unique work of architectural art. For reliability, wooden structures were replaced with reinforced concrete elements lined with wood. This is the only deviation from the original structure.
Exhibition and interior decoration
The sovereign valued objects of art and luxury. In the restored palace there is an exhibition with the interior decoration of the 17th century as close as possible. Entering the chambers of the royal estate, guests are amazed by the rich furnishings and ancient household items. All the walls of the palace are painted with a popular type of decor of that era - floral patterns. The herbal letter depicts stylized flowers, leaves, and bunches of grapes. The windows and doors are framed with wooden patterned frames. Stained glass mica glass shimmers with bright colors. Persian carpets are spread on the floor and benches.
The painted ceilings and tapestries tell biblical and mythological stories. The elegance of the decor gives the palace premises a special beauty. The royal estate contains exquisite carved furniture, according to an 18th-century inventory. Each chair, armchair, table, cabinet are unique works of art. Lanterns, lamps, and gilded chandeliers add pomp and elegance to the chambers. Guests of the museum are shown royal household items: dishes, books, ancient maps, knightly armor and halberds, watches, paintings, icons and much more. In the corners of all the chambers there are multi-colored tiled stoves.
Mansions of the Tsar and Princes
The main entrance to the palace is a red porch decorated with rich carvings. According to palace rule, only the king had the right to ride a horse up to the wooden steps. Foreign ambassadors and noble boyars had to walk to the main entrance, where they were greeted by a guard of honor. Through a double door decorated with gilding and state symbols, visitors to the palace enter the royal chambers.
The most spacious and elegant hall is the refectory. Overseas guests were received here and holidays were celebrated. The king sat on the throne, and the guests on benches. A wide and long table was located along one of the walls. The ceiling of the refectory features a delightful painting of the zodiac signs revolving around the sun and moon. The Duma Chamber served as a room for negotiations with ambassadors and boyars. Notable nobles gathered here to discuss government affairs, present letters and salaries. In the corner of the hall there is a royal chair, above which hang iconostases with images of the faces of saints.
The Throne Chamber, where the ceremonies took place, demonstrates the greatness and power of the Russian state of that time. The walls, ceiling and window openings are replete with multicolor paintings. On the pedestal stands the royal throne, made of precious wood and decorated with applied gold, silver and ivory. Alexey Mikhailovich sought to amuse and surprise his guests. Near his chair there are delightful moving sculptures in the form of lions. When you press a mysterious button, they growl, their eyes sparkle and their heads turn.
The king spent most of the day in his office. In this secluded place, hidden from prying eyes, the sovereign worked with documents, wrote decrees, and read books. The furnishings in the chamber include a table, carved chairs and a bookcase. Behind the wall of the study is the royal bedchamber. An integral traditional attribute of the ancient Russian home was the soap house. There are four baths in the Kolomensky Palace. Massive wooden fonts were intended for bathing the royal family.
The mansions of Alexei Mikhailovich’s sons deserve special attention. Fyodor's large room personifies the colorful Polish pomp of the interior. The walls are framed with special leather wallpaper. Bright chairs, a massive table, a cabinet with an abundance of books characterize the sophistication and education of the owner. Peter's mansions are distinguished by their strict German-Dutch style. The room is decorated without any frills. Oak table, grandfather clock, carved chairs. The environment is conducive to concentration in studies.
Kolomenskoye is the oldest village in the Moscow region. Previously, this place was the patrimonial possession of the Russian tsars, which housed the grand ducal and royal residences. The most visited of them is the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye. During his reign, he repeatedly carried out work to rebuild and expand the Kolomna residence.
Tsar Alexei treated Kolomensky with trepidation and often spent time in the palace. As a big fan of hunting, while on a country estate, he went falconry. The royal residence was also a favorite place for official events and receptions. Large-scale construction of the royal monastery in Kolomenskoye began in 1660. At the beginning of May 1667, the foundation of the new building was laid. The solemn event was accompanied by prayers.
History of construction
The wooden palace was erected according to sketches and drawings by a team of carpenters, led by the head of the Streltsy Ivan Mikhailov and the headman Semyon Petrov. In the winter-spring period of 1667-1668. Carving and door trim work was carried out in the palace. After this, the building was prepared for painting, and already in the summer of 1669, painting and sketching of icons were completed. After the completion of the work by blacksmiths, ironworkers and locksmiths in the summer of 1670, Alexey Mikhailovich, having examined his property, considered it necessary to decorate the building with picturesque images, which were carried out over almost 2 years, in the distant years 1670-1671.
Completion of construction
Throughout the entire construction period, Tsar Alexy Mikhailovich very often visited his residence in Kolomenskoye, delved into construction issues, and carefully monitored the repair work. In the fall of 1673, the palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye was completed. Almost immediately it was consecrated by Patriarch Pitirim. At the solemn consecration ceremony, Hieromonk Simeon of Polotsk gave a speech in honor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who loved Kolomenskoye so much.
Alexei's Palace is a magnificent building with an asymmetrical layout, with many different sized cells, which were decorated in accordance with the hierarchical traditions of the family foundation. The cages of the palace were connected to each other using vestibules and passages. The palace consisted of 26 towers, varying in height - from 2 to 4 floors, and about three hundred rooms, which were illuminated by several thousand small windows.
Housing stock
The living quarters were mostly located on the top floor of the building. During construction, the palace premises were divided into several territorial zones: men's and women's. The men's part of the buildings included the mansion of the king, his sons and the front vestibule. And the women's part included the chambers of the queen and princesses. The Palace of Tsar Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye is one of the first Russian buildings made almost entirely of wood. The elegant facades and interiors of the palace, created using the principle of symmetry and decorated with multi-colored carved elements and figured compositions, amaze with their splendor even today.
The fate of the palace under the new ruler
At the end of the 17th century, the magnificent residence was a favorite place of entertainment for Alexy Mikhailovich and his family, and was also often used for diplomatic events. After the enthronement of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich in 1676 - 1682, significant changes occurred in the village of Kolomenskoye. The palace of Tsar Alexei was radically rebuilt.
Dining Chamber
In the spring of 1681, carpenter Semyon Dementyev, a peasant of the nobleman P.V. Sheremetev, began the construction of a luxurious Dining Chamber, which was combined with the ruler’s mansion with a vestibule. The dining chamber is a large castle building in ceremonial decoration. It was within its walls that important palace ceremonies took place. As usual, any reception was crowned with an invitation to the royal table and the ceremony of serving the “sovereign cup.” At the end of the official part and completion of all preparations, a feast followed. Before the feast began, the suppliers decorated with silk fabrics. The canopy in front of the Dining Chamber consisted of 2 small buildings, which were connected to each other by a passage in the wall. It was from this building that the royal feasts were served. Exquisite delicacies were placed on the sideboard counters, jugs with various drinks were placed on other stands, and fragrant baked goods were placed in the Bread Yard; In the Feed Yard, before the start of the feast, jugs with unusual drinks were brought out for the guests.
front gate
The Grand Entrance or Red Porch is the main entrance to any royal residence. The Tsar's Palace in Kolomenskoye is no exception. According to the rules of existing etiquette, only the king had the opportunity to arrive at the entrance on horseback or in a cart. Those who dared not follow the established rule were punished. In Kolomna Castle, during diplomatic meetings, even revered foreign guests dismounted from their horses in front of the main gate. The reception procedure was very complex and required special pomp when welcoming distinguished, honored guests. A clergyman or a boyar with a steward always walked towards visitors. Foreign guests or especially close gentlemen were greeted more than once - first at the entrance near the stairs, then on the porch and the last time at the door of the chamber.
All along the way, there were two rows of courtyard and service people in luxurious clothes and with ceremonial weapons, which were specially issued from the royal treasury for receptions. The sovereign always approached his subjects through the front porch. Here the king gave an audience, listened to reports, and accepted all kinds of offerings. An obligatory and important part of the state ceremony was the ceremonial distribution of festive pies, which were baked especially for members of the royal family in honor of Angel Day. The magnificent architecture of the building and the decoration of the porch, which used state symbols, gave a feeling of solemnity. The main entrance to the palace was overshadowed by icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and John the Baptist. After completion of construction, the majestic building with new buildings was repeatedly depicted in various engravings and paintings. In the period from 1682 to 1696, Kolomenskoye (Alexy's palace) was visited by Tsars Peter and Ivan, and Princess Sofya Alekseevna. Peter I and his mother Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina spent a lot of time in the palace and controlled the condition of the building. During the emperor's visit to the estate, a new foundation of the palace was built. And in subsequent years, emperors and empresses of the Romanov boyar family often visited Kolomenskoye. The palace at that time was filled with life.
Destruction and dismantling of the palace
Despite the efforts made to maintain the buildings and structures of the palace, during the 18th century its decoration became old, and gradually the palace was almost completely destroyed. In the 18th century, despite all attempts at preservation, the buildings were destroyed. In 1767, Catherine II issued a decree on dismantling the palace, and for 3 years, from 1767 to 1770. dismantling work was carried out, during which a detailed plan for the new building was drawn up. Along with 18th-century inventories and other materials, he recreated a complete picture of the magnificent architectural monument of the 17th century. In the 1990s, the idea arose to rebuild the Kolomna Palace, which was approved and supported by the Moscow government.
Reconstruction of the royal residence
The best specialists were sent to work on recreating the royal residence. More than two hundred people of various specialties: weavers, sculptors, artists, carpenters, and many others. Basically, all manual work was carried out in workshops in Moscow. But some of them were also performed by craftsmen from other large cities of Russia. Before construction began, archaeological work was carried out and the surviving foundations were studied. As a result of the fact that centuries-old trees had been standing on the site of the palace for many years, they decided to move the construction. And the territory of the once existing village of Dyakovskoye became the place for recreating the palace. The modern building has been recreated in life-size, which the palace had during the time of Alexei Mikhailovich.
Alexey's Palace today
Work to recreate the palace was carried out according to the surviving drawings. But many changes were made during the construction of the new building. The palace was built not from wood, but from reinforced concrete structures covered with logs. Also, it was not possible to recreate the original structure due to a change in the orientation of the cardinal directions, which was intentionally disrupted as a result of the fact that the building model was turned in the other direction. What we managed to recreate inside the palace were the ancient interiors and paintings from the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. The total area of the entire building is more than 5 thousand square meters. m., and the area of all premises is more than 7 thousand square meters. m. As a result of all the work carried out to reconstruct the palace, the palace interiors of the Romanov era were recreated. A huge number of visitors visit the palace with pleasure to plunge into the reign of the emperors of the Romanov family, to see interior items that recreate the image of the era and tell the story of the foundations of the royal family. Today the residence is not only a museum, but also a wedding palace. You can have an unforgettable wedding in Kolomenskoye. All conditions have been created for this here. All this beauty is located at the address: Moscow, Andropov Ave., 39, building 69.
Kolomensky is a former royal residence, and now the Moscow State United Museum-Reserve.
I suggest you plunge into the times of Tsarist Russia and visit the wooden palace that is located there.
Next, a word from the author.
The Kolomna Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich - once considered the "eighth wonder of the world", and now called "Luzhkov's remake" - opened its doors to visitors on September 4, 2010. I only got to it a couple of weeks ago and I invite you to examine it with me. Looking ahead, I will say that I really liked the recreated interiors, and the appearance of the palace is almost identical to what can be seen in its “old” images.
A little bit of history. By 1668, the bulk of the work on the construction of the “old palace” was carried out by a team of carpenters under the leadership of Senka Petrov and Ivashka Mikhailov. The best craftsmen from Moscow and other cities were involved in all stages of construction work. The paintings of the palace interiors were created by masters of the Armory Chamber.
Created in the 17th century, the wooden palace was designed, first of all, to show Russian citizens and foreign guests the greatness of the Tsar and the power of his power. Patriarch Kirill, who was present at the opening of the new palace, noted in his characteristic manner that Russia was a great state even before Peter I, which many people forget.
The “modern” palace, like the original one, has 270 rooms with an area of 7,239 square meters. m. (this is not a one-room apartment of 40 square meters!). Currently, the interiors have been recreated in only 24 rooms. Today, 226 people from 20 different specialties were involved in the work on creating the interiors of the palace.
During the time of Alexei Mikhailovich, the palace was not only a place of rest, but also the main country residence of the Russian sovereign. Here were held meetings of the Boyar Duma, which was later “exterminated” by Peter I, councils with the heads of orders (prototypes of ministries), diplomatic receptions and military reviews.
Unfortunately, when I walked in Kolomenskoye, the flower beds around the palace were not yet planted with flowers. I was only able to photograph this bush.
The "modern" palace is not entirely wooden, unlike its original example. All structures are now monolithic, reinforced concrete, which are then lined with logs. The orientation of the new palace relative to the cardinal points is also disrupted; now the palace is rotated 90 degrees around the vertical axis, which violates its sacred purpose, among other things.
Alexei Mikhailovich's palace is a complex labyrinth of rooms connected by passages. Now you can examine the chambers of the king and queen, as well as the princes and princesses.
The timber for the construction of the new palace was brought from the Krasnoyarsk Territory, then processed by craftsmen near Vladimir, and then delivered to Moscow.
The palace was divided into 2 parts: men's and women's. Accordingly, women were not allowed to enter the men’s quarters, and even the king entered the queen’s women’s quarters only for marital reasons.
Surprisingly, but true: the female half of the royal family, in fact, was locked up and even the queen was not allowed to go anywhere. The only activities are handicrafts and prayers. Men did not enter the women's quarters and only on holidays could the queen, for example, invite her father to visit.
Alexei Mikhailovich had 2 wives: Maria Ilinichna Miloslavskaya, who bore him 13! children (died a few days after the last birth) and Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, who gave birth to only 3 children, the eldest of whom was none other than the future All-Russian Emperor Peter I. There is even a version that Peter was born not in the Terem Palace of the Moscow Kremlin, but in Kolomna Palace.
The tsar, tsarina, princes and princesses had separate chambers in the palace with separate entrances and exits and additional rooms for servants/maids and mothers/nannies.. It must be said that of the 16 children of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, more than half died either in infancy or in childhood.
Surely you will ask about tiles. It is wooden, the material is linden.
What else? The palace was not recreated in its original location. It was believed that the construction of a palace not far from the tented Church of the Ascension would lead to a terrible influx of people in Kolomenskoye in one place.
Now let's go inside. Let me immediately outline some nuances:
Entrance to the palace is naturally paid, but I never expected the price of 400 rubles per person. Yes, I understand that a lot of money was invested in the palace (I hope that at least most of it was used for its intended purpose!), but 400 rubles, it seems to me, is a little expensive.
For children, students and pensioners - 200 rubles + 100 rubles if you want to join an excursion group, which I recommend doing.
But that is not all. In one of the parts of the palace there is an exhibition “Treasures of Russian Art of the 17th Century” - a ticket there is 250 rubles. At first we didn’t understand where the entrance to the palace itself was and paid 250 re. Then we realized that, having already paid 500 rubles (no, I love Russian art!) we need to pay another 800 for two! Yes, you calculated everything correctly, my dear friends! A walk through the palace ended up costing 1,300 rubles for two!
I won’t torment you with the treasures of Russian art of the 17th century, but I will show you the interiors of the palace. Shall we come in?
The rich decoration of the country residence once amazed the imagination of noble nobles and foreign ambassadors. Now, to go inside, you have to put on shoe covers like in a hospital. They are very careful about cleanliness, the carpets covering the floors are thoroughly vacuumed.
The interiors of the palace combined the high art of the Muscovite kingdom of the second half of the 17th century with the advanced construction technologies of that time and the skill of the craftsmen. Everything in the palace was thought out to the smallest detail: from the finishing of floors and painting of ceilings to the smallest details of furniture.
Painting one of the ceilings
This is the front porch, where foreign ambassadors waited to receive the sovereign.
This is also a painting on one of the ceilings. Alexei Mikhailovich likened himself to the Sun, the queen to the Moon, and his children to the planets and stars, which was supposed to testify to the cosmic greatness of the sovereign.
These are the reception rooms and the refectory where Alexey Mikhailovich received guests.
The furniture in the royal palace was varied: Russian furniture, imported Western European furniture and Russian furniture made according to European models. Russian furniture is, first of all, benches and benches. Imported European furniture - beds, armchairs and chairs.
The Emperor sat on this throne. Noticed the two golden lions below? They have a secret!
Alexey Mikhailovich was a great lover of mechanics and, on his orders, for the amusement of the guests, mechanical lions were installed near the throne, which shook their heads and sparkled their eyes, which led to the “slight” surprise of foreigners to the great pleasure of the Russian Tsar.
If you join the excursion, these same lions will be included for you. Your children will be delighted! Guaranteed! By the way, children are allowed to sit on the floor on carpets, which they also really like during the excursion.
In addition to the sun, Alexey Mikhailovich compared himself with kings David and Solomon, as well as emperors Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. This photo shows a fragment of a painted ceiling depicting King Solomon.
And here are the portraits of Alexei Mikhailovich himself.
There was also a place for a portrait of Tsarevich Peter, whose reign transformed the Russian state into the Russian Empire.
This is the office of Alexei Mikhailovich, where the tsar worked and edited state papers with his own hands.
This is what the royal bedchamber looked like. As befits a bed in those days - it was very short, since they slept sitting up so that the blood would not rush to the head (and this was considered life-threatening), and because of the wigs that were worn for several days.
In all the chambers of the royal family there were icons and chapels for worship and prayer. In the king's chambers, the chapel was called the Cross Chamber.
This, if I'm not mistaken, is the teaching chamber where the princes were taught.
The most interesting, but, in my opinion, very modern-looking room is the soap bar. Did you also think that this was more like a Finnish sauna? Anyway! Let us believe that the soapbox, i.e. The bathhouse, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, looked exactly like this! The king was progressive, and the palace was built with the latest technology.
Water for the soap house was taken from the Moscow River, and the tsar always washed himself here before and after committing sinful acts, which included visiting the queen and visiting the theater.
This is a prototype of a bath; hot stones were placed at the bottom of the trough (or what should you call it?) so that the water did not cool down and the king could steam his feet.
Let's go to the women's half. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it as interesting there as at the men’s, and I didn’t take many photographs. But let's look at some pictures anyway.
Perhaps the most interesting place in the women's section is the recreated blue drawing room of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
And here is her portrait.
I’ll finish with a portrait of Catherine II, on whose orders Alexei Mikhailovich’s palace was dismantled after she was informed that restoration of the palace was impossible, and the collapse of the ceilings of the wooden structure had already begun. It was thanks to her, as I wrote above, that the reconstruction of the palace in our time became possible, since the empress ordered measurements and accurate descriptions of the palace, as well as its wooden model, to be made.
The Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (Kolomensky Palace) is a life-size wooden model of the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. Decorating the country residence Kolomenskoye in the 17th century, the palace was a pearl of Russian wooden architecture, with its bright colorful exterior decor and lush interiors, which invariably delighted both the Moscow nobility and foreign ambassadors.
Royal mansions in Kolomenskoye from the Rurikovichs to the Romanovs
The most picturesque structure of the architectural ensemble of the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, undoubtedly, is the palace of the second representative of the Romanov royal dynasty, Alexei Mikhailovich, recreated in a close to its original form. The appearance of the wooden mansion of the second Romanov in the royal country residence near Moscow continued the series of previously existing grand ducal chambers. Each of the rulers - Prince Vasily III Ivanovich, and the first Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, and the founder of the new royal dynasty Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - considered one of their concerns the decoration of the Sovereign's court with various buildings and new palaces, by the way, built on the site of the previous ones.
Thus, the first grand ducal chambers were apparently built by Vasily III simultaneously with the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in the 1530s, and it was quite likely that they were completed during the time of Ivan the Terrible. But for the Rurikovichs, Kolomenskoye near Moscow, although it was one of their favorite vacation spots, was still not listed as a ceremonial country royal residence.
Everything changed with the accession of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The new autocrat emphasized in every possible way his relationship with the Rurikovichs, so he decided to decorate their beloved Kolomenskoye with a new royal palace, the construction of which was completed in September 1640. Then, as noted in the chronicles, the sovereign arranged a three-day feast in the “palace tripartite with a vestibule and a vault” - a spacious wooden royal mansion.
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who since childhood loved the picturesque nature of his father’s estate near Moscow, was no exception in decorating Kolomenskoye. In 1666, by his decree, the palace of Mikhail Fedorovich, built just a quarter of a century earlier, was dismantled and on the exposed foundation began the construction of new royal mansions, which should, with their appearance, emphasize the greatness of the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus'.
For the construction of the palace, the foundation stone of which took place in May 1667 in the presence of the Tsar, the best carpenters, joiners and woodcarvers were invited, because from time immemorial in Rus' wood was the most common and, as they now say, environmentally friendly building material. Not only common people, but also the sovereigns themselves considered wooden houses to be the warmest and most comfortable, having a beneficial effect on physical and mental health.
The palace was erected in rough form quite quickly - already a year later, 26 interconnected passages and vestibules of different-sized towers, numbering 270 separate rooms, began to be decorated on the outside with carvings, paints and gold leaf, and on the inside - with paintings on primed canvases, carpets, carved wooden furniture, rare fabrics, silverware and other household utensils. The palace was decorated by the best masters of the second half of the 17th century - royal isographers Simon Ushakov, Fyodor Evstigneev and Ivan Filatiev, court artist Bogdan Saltanov, painters Stanislav Loputsky and Vasily Poznansky, skilled woodcarvers Elder Arseny and layman Klim Mikhailov.
The palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye grew up like a fairy-tale mansion, immediately called by foreign ambassadors “the eighth wonder of the world.” Richly decorated with carvings and painted with multi-colored paints, the 100-meter-long and 80-meter-wide tower complex consisted of male and female halves, in which separate mansions were built for the king (on the eastern side), the queen (probably on the western side), Dining room and other wards. Behind the king's mansion were the prince's rooms, and in the back were the princesses' rooms. In the basements there were utility rooms, guardhouses, and rooms for courtyard people.
All six gates of the palace were decorated with icons of the Mother of God “Smolensk” and “Kazan”, the Ascension of the Lord, the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist and the Moscow Wonderworkers.
In 1681, already under the new sovereign Fyodor Alekseevich, some rooms of the palace were rebuilt, gilding and external decorations were renewed. Thus, at the new vestibule that connected the tsar’s mansion and the Dining Chamber, a front gate was built, richly decorated with gilding, and in the absence of the sovereign, they were draped with fabric to avoid clouding of the gilding. The palace complex also included outbuildings, and after the Streltsy riot of 1682, better known as Khovanshchina, 16 huts were built next to the palace to protect the royal owners.
After the founding of St. Petersburg, social life, following the imperial court, moved to the new capital and gradually Moscow and its suburbs became empty. Even despite the distant care of the Sovereign Court of Peter I and Anna Ioannovna, who ordered the country residence to be kept in order, Kolomenskoye gradually fell into disrepair.
Wood is a short-lived material subject to rapid destruction. A century later, the magnificent royal palace fell into disrepair and, by decree of Empress Catherine II, due to the impossibility of preserving it, it was dismantled to its foundations in 1767, and the remaining material was used for repairs and construction of other buildings of the Sovereign's court ensemble.
It is worth noting that it was not in vain that the Empress compared herself with her great predecessor, Peter I; it was in her spirit to think about the future. Apparently, that is why, before dismantling the Kolomna Palace, she ordered an exact scaled-down copy of the building to be made and all measurements and inventories to be made, which, together with the drawings of the first builders of the palace, became the basis for recreating this unique monument of wooden architecture in our days.
Kolomna Palace after reconstruction
In the last century, Kolomenskoye near Moscow received the status of a museum-reserve, so the buildings that existed in 1923 were preserved, and already in the early 1990s the idea arose to recreate the unique palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in its original form, fortunately, descriptions, drawings and a model of the destroyed three centuries ago buildings.
But inexorable time left its mark on the landscape of the former Sovereign's courtyard - trees had long been growing in the place where the Kolomensky Palace once stood, so it was decided to recreate the monument at Golosov Ravine, on the territory of the former village of Dyakovo.
By September 2010, a wooden model of the palace was installed in a new location, however, unlike the original, all its structures are made of reinforced concrete blocks and only covered with logs. The painstaking work of studying ancient documents and drawings bore fruit - 24 interiors of the royal choir were recreated, and all of them historically and documented correspond to the original.
As in the former palace, the recreated mansions are divided into male and female halves, each of which is decorated in the spirit of the 17th century - unique objects (tapestry, icons, church decorations) are presented in the Cross Chamber by the Tsar’s choir and the Oratory by the Queen’s choir. In the Dining Chamber there is an exhibition in which the royal feast is recreated in the smallest detail - the dishes served, according to historical documents, at the royal table in the 17th century are presented and decorated accordingly.
The highlight of the palace interiors is their artistic decoration - rich carved wooden decor, stoves decorated with colored enamels, subject-mural paintings of walls and vaults, colorful fabrics and carpets, multi-colored glass and mica windows, unique lamps recreated according to Russian and foreign analogues of the 17th-18th centuries.
The basis of the paintings in the Royal Cabinet are framed with ornaments of images of ancient heroes - Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, the Indian king Porus and the Persian king Darius III. The throne room of the King's Choir is decorated with images of the biblical kings - David and Solomon. On the walls of the Front Entrance Hall and the Throne Chamber of the Queen's Choir, paintings were made on the themes of the seasons and clergy from the Book of Esther, and on the vaults of the Dining Chamber the starry sky and celestial bodies are depicted.
Information for visitors
The doors of the museum exhibition in the palace of Alexei Mikhailovich are open to visitors every day except Monday, just remember that from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday you can get to the palace from 10.00 to 18.00 hours, on Saturday - from 11.00 to 19.00 hours. Tickets for viewing the exhibitions of the male and female halves of the palace are sold separately, but you can also purchase a complex ticket. The cost of tickets, both regular and for preferential categories, is indicated on the official website of the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve.
