Kaluga region, Polotnyany Plant: Goncharovs' estate and a village with an unusual name

Polotnyany Zavod is just such a strange name for a city-type settlement located 32 km from Kaluga. An ancient settlement of workers hardly anyone would be interested in our days, if not for the unique attraction that is included in its composition. It is here that the Goncharov estate is located, the exact address of which is: Kaluga Region, Polotnyany Zavod, Trudovaya Street, 1a.

Brief history of the village

Once upon a time in the place of a modern settlement there was an ancient churchyard with a mysterious name Vzgomonie. In 1718, Peter the Great issued a decree to build a factory in this area for the production of sailing cloth. This responsible work was entrusted to a merchant from Kaluga - TF Karamyshev. He also took the case of two companions - his nephew GI Shchepochkin and AA Goncharov (ancestor of NN Goncharova - wife of AS Pushkin).

The produced cloth not only satisfied the needs of the Russian fleet, but also was exported to England. Very soon, here, by order of the emperor, a paper mill was opened. After the death of Karamyshev, other companions decided to share the case. And Goncharov became the sole owner of linen production. Very soon even the locals forgot the name Vzgomonie. The settlement was named after the main industrial site. What is noteworthy, Kaluga region is famous for this production today. Polotnyany Zavod is a settlement in which the enterprise, founded in 1718, still operates.

Construction of the estate

Afanasy Abramovich Goncharov quickly earned a fortune in the production of paintings. Already in 1760 he began the construction of a residential building in the immediate vicinity of his famous plant throughout the country. Such a neighborhood of the industrial and manor house is not typical for this period. However , AA Goncharov was very proud of his production and did not experience any inconvenience from the proximity of the plant.

In his will, the industrialist points out that all the real estate of the family can not be sold or mortgaged. After the death of his grandfather and father, the owner of the estate is AN Goncharov (the grandfather of Natalia Goncharova). Like many wealthy heirs of the time, he quickly spent all the inheritance he had received. Family affairs were so bad that when Natalia Nikolayevna married Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, the dowry was given to the poet by the plant's products.

Kaluga region, Polotnyany Plant: famous guests of the Goncharovs' estate

In the heyday of the Goncharovs' estate, it was rich and elegant. The main house was big enough. The interior was distinguished by a luxurious and fashionable by the standards of its time decoration. A huge park was divided around the manor, historically divided into three zones. In 1775, local plants and the estate were personally visited by Catherine II. The Empress liked the organization of production and the estate itself.

Polotnyany Zavod (Kaluga region) is also known as the headquarters of M. I. Kutuzov. In 1812, he stayed here after the Maloyaroslavets battle. Twice I visited Goncharov's and Pushkin's estate. For the first time he visited the estate as the groom of Natalia Nikolaevna and lived here for several days (1830). And then, as a legitimate husband, the great poet again came to the ancestral estate of his wife. He lived here for two weeks (1834). Manor (Polotnyany Plant, Kaluga region) very much liked Pushkin. Aleksandr Sergeevich wrote that he would be happy to live here if he were the owner of local factories.

Black pages of the history of the Goncharovs' estate

The descendants of Afanasy Abramovich Goncharov were owners of factories and a manor complex until 1917. In 1918, all industrial facilities and buildings on the estate were nationalized. What is noteworthy, the plant is still functioning today. Among the range of its products you can find stationery, familiar to every schoolboy. The destiny of the manor house was completely different. In 1920 the main building of the manor was transferred to the school of the village. But the educational institution existed within its walls for very little. The Great Patriotic War began, the school was closed, and the estate was badly damaged by enemy invaders.

Museum complex "The Goncharovs' Estate"

Today the village of Polotnyany Kaluga Region Plant is known as a fairly large tourist center. The manor complex is turned into a museum. There are excursions and a variety of cultural events. Works on the restoration of the main house were started in the 1970s. For tourists, the museum complex was opened in 1999, to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The main house represents the greatest interest. It is open today for visits to 18 rooms in which the interior decoration and decoration of the interiors was reconstructed.

The exposition of the museum tells about the life of the Goncharov family and reflects the life of the noble family of that time. A significant part of the collection is dedicated personally to Alexander Pushkin. In this museum you can see not only his portraits, but also manuscripts and reconstructed office environment. The composition of the museum complex, located at: Kaluga region, Polotnyany Zavod, ul. Labor includes various attractions. This Spassky entrance gate, the tower of the horse yard, the fence of the green zone, the groom's house, the hulls and the ruins of the linen factory. In the park you can see the pergola, which is the reconstruction of the one in which Pushkin loved to rest, and a monument to the great poet.

Information for tourists

The entrance to the museum complex is free. Tickets are purchased only to visit the main manor house. The exposition works from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive. You can get on the tour from 11.00 to 18.00. The exact address of the museum: Kaluga region, Dzerzhinsky district, Polotnyany Zavod, ul. Labor, 1а.

The main thing is to enter the village. Further you can easily find a manor complex. You can get here from Kaluga by car or by bus. Do not rush to leave after seeing the most famous landmark. In Polotnya Zavod there are other interesting objects: the Transfiguration Church, the Shchepochkin Manor. Many tourists are impressed by the historical development of the city center, here you can see many old houses.