Museum-reserve “Manor Popov”, Ukraine, Vasilevka
- Country: Ukraine
- City: Vasilyevka
- Address: Gagarina vul. 12
Historical and architectural Museum-reserve “Popov Hacienda” is located in the Northern part of the great wing of the Palace complex, a little reminiscent of the Vorontsov castle in the Crimea. Fazenda and is located in the small town of Vasil’evka, in Zaporozhye. The name of the town was in honor of Vasily Popov, major-General of the Royal army, who in 1784 received from Catherine II to the colorful land along the river Kalachakra. Economy, organized them here, soon became famous as one of the best in the South of Ukraine.
Buildings erected under Vasily Popov, partially preserved. Left the landlord’s house, built in 1790 and several small outbuildings. In the period 1864-84 years, the grandson of Vasily Popov built the manor is a beautiful Palace complex. Melitopol architect A. N. Ageenko, head of the construction work, designed a plan of a Hacienda in the likeness of the Vorontsov Palace.
For over twenty years were equipped Fazenda, a place in which selected near railroad, which had just appeared in those parts. From the castle and from the Dnieper river and the lands of the estate was reserved for the breakdown of the picturesque Park and beautiful garden. In the castle, in addition to the festive halls located 15 ethnographic rooms. Decorations were carried out in unique genres: Turkish, Chinese, Indian and other styles. There were castle and knights ‘ hall, which houses a collection of various weapons and armor of knights. Popov was an educated man, he was very proud of his Observatory, which was a five-inch telescope. Also in the manor was well-stocked library.
Widely known Palace was due to the strange design of the building in the Baroque style and also with the use of Gothic and Romanesque styles. In addition to books, paintings of the best artists of Europe, collections of porcelain, then there was a mechanical room, shaking guests moving puppets, made in human growth, who were dressed in local costume. A large dance hall had a marble floor, which was covered by Golden chandeliers, and the mirror room was placed an aquarium with many exotic fishes.
The Popov house, located on a high hill, surrounded by exquisite fence was built in the style of the castle. From the side it resembled a fortification. The protective fence was from the observation tower, the outhouses and stables, which deserves a separate discussion.
Having a purely commercial purpose, this building is a structure that resembles the urban development of Northern Italy in the middle ages. I believe that the construction took place under the leadership of the Russian architect Nicholas Benois. This genre of construction are inherent in one more architectural monument in Eastern Europe – the Moscow Kremlin.
The events that took place in the early twentieth century, contributed to the preservation of architectural buildings of the Hacienda. Now this monument of architecture is in very poor condition. On site, in addition to the Museum-reserve, is a private dwelling house and boarding school. The only thing that has survived to the present day, so it’s a hunting Lodge in the style of a castle and the corner tower.
House Popov is located in a picturesque place of the conference venue, represents a delightful hunting grounds, which are in abundance vodilas game and fish. When you visit the tower’s observation deck is visible panoramic views of the river and a picturesque Park.
According to Moscow experts, observation tower Popov is recognized as the most valuable building of the complex, evaluated as “urban development global importance.” Modern experts who conducted the survey were amazed at the precision and skill lined with masonry, is brought to perfection. The outer spacing between the bricks is equal to 4 mm, and the pointed arches of the tower spacing and not exceed 1 mm. Now the condition of the tower is very sad from the fact that in the years of Soviet power, she was no more worthy of use than using it as a cowshed or pigsty.
The Hacienda survived in the time of the change of power from 1917 to 1921, But during the industrialization of the 1930-ies it was destroyed. Were lifted ceiling, marble staircases, tiled stoves, which went to the construction of Vasilyevsky House of culture. During the Great Patriotic war Nazi invaders used the Palace buildings for the construction of a defensive character. After the war, the brick used in the construction of the station. Active the local inhabitants is also often used materials from the estate for their needs. Later, on the territory of the Hacienda began to do Historical-architectural Museum-reserve “manor Popov” the destruction was stopped. To bring back the former beauty of architectural structures, it is necessary to do huge work that requires massive financial investments.