Izmailovsky Island is an artificially created land area that is rich in historical events of the past. There was a country residence and family estate of the famous Russian Romanov dynasty. According to the decree of Alexei Mikhailovich, two ponds, Serebryany and Vinogradny, were connected on the territory of the village of Izmailovo, ultimately resulting in a small island of land, which in the future was named Izmailovsky Island.
History
In the 16th century, being tsar, Ivan the Terrible presented a small village called Izmailovo to his voivode and noble diplomat, a relative of his ex-wife Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuriev, who was her brother. Later the family estate is inherited by the owner's youngest son. But under him the estate fell into decay. After his death, the estate again returns to the royal hands, but another dynasty already owns it.
Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich planned to build a country residence here, connects two local ponds, and builds a ceremonial estate on the resulting land plot. To get to the territory of the residence, he builds a large stone bridge. Which ends with a passage Bridge Tower, which has three tiers. On the second, meetings of the Boyar Duma often took place. Alexey Mikhailovich dreamed of organizing his own agricultural project on these lands. Here he was engaged in the cultivation of agricultural crops, such as:
- Shemakha watermelons
- Bukhara melons
- heavenly grapes
A menagerie was set up on the island, where lynxes, lions, tigers, leopards, elks, deer, porcupines, birds lived. The center of the entire famous family estate was the Tsar's court. It was surrounded by a wooden fence with seven gates. The courtyard was subdivided into a front and an economic part. In the very heart of the front part of the courtyard, a royal palace was built of wood, and outbuildings and premises for household needs were built in the economic part. Later, the chambers of the archers appeared on the territory of the courtyard, the place of a small wooden church was built of stone, the Intercession Cathedral.
Alexey Romanov built a home theater on Izmailovsky Island. He opened a glass factory here, the products of which were later used in the royal feasts. The tsar attracted various foreign specialists to his estate to work on his projects. Here the future Tsar Peter I spent his childhood years, in these parts he dreamed of creating a Russian fleet and played games here, imagining himself as the commander of a regiment.
Rumor has it that even during his fun, he accidentally burned down an outbuilding located nearby. The widow of Ivan V Praskovya Fedorovna and her three daughters lived on these lands for a long time. A new stone palace was specially built for her, on the site of a wooden one that burned down. During the stay of Praskovya Fedorovna, various fruit trees were planted, sterlet was launched into the ponds. Constructed greenhouses for the cultivation of tropical and exotic plants. She brought many servants with her. She invited jesters, soothsayers and holy fools to the island.
During the reign of Catherine II, the estate fell into decay and fell into disrepair, the palace, by her decree, was dismantled. The estate also suffered greatly from the attack of the troops of the Napoleonic army. After that, a military almshouse is opened in these parts. After the October Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, the almshouse was closed and the cathedral was robbed. The Moscow regiment of engineering units is settled in these parts. In the building of the almshouse, classrooms, a kindergarten and a library are opened. Its residential buildings are given over for communal settlement. A working settlement named after Bauman was founded. Here's where things start to work:
- small shop
- pharmacy
- bathhouse
- post office
- cinemas
- police
Soon, the inhabitants of the island are allocated separate apartments and many organizations begin to work here.
Izmailovsky Island today
In 2007, Izmailovsky Island is part of the Moscow State Museum-Reserve. From the former estate, only the bridge tower, the front and rear gates of the entrance to the Tsar's yard and the Intercession Cathedral remained in their original form. Excursions are organized to these places from the capital. Local guides meet the group in Russian national costumes. The banks of the ponds were strengthened with the help of reinforced concrete slabs, three so-called Bauman bridges were built across it. There is a boat station on the reservoir. There is a large urban forest park area near the pond.
Sights
In 1998, a decision was made to recreate the royal estate. And in 2003, a beautiful architectural ensemble received its first visitors, where you can admire the white-stone palace and wooden houses-towers. All compositions were restored according to how they looked in tsarist times. All this recreated miracle was named the Izmailovo Kremlin. In the center of it there is a wooden temple, which is the tallest wooden church in the capital.
An observation deck was installed on its bell tower, where you can climb and admire the gorgeous natural landscapes of the surrounding places. There are a lot of museums on the territory of the complex. Here they built a registry office and gave it the romantic name "Palace of Happiness", next to its entrance there is a horseshoe, where young couples every time make a wish and take pictures at random and happiness. There is also a large shopping and entertainment center built here. The island often hosts various exhibitions and sales of decorative items, antiques, paintings and souvenirs. All products are handcrafted and lovingly crafted. The fair is called “Vernissage in Izmailovo”.
How to get there
You need to get to the Partizanskaya metro station, leaving the metro, you should walk along the Izmailovskaya highway until you reach the Blagusha cafe. From the cafe, turn left along the road and go straight along it until you get across the bridge to the island.
