The Abramtsevo Museum-Estate is one of the most famous estates of the Moscow Region. Famous artists of 19-20th centuries, sculptors, and some eminent writers lived and worked there at various times.
The first mention of Abramtsevo dates back to the 16th century when the village was known as Obramkovo and belonged to a landlord Volynsky. However, the real prosperity of the estate was in the 19th century, when the writer Sergei Aksakov lived there. During the years of his life, the estate was often visited by famous Russian writers — I. Turgenev, N. Gogol, F. Tyutchev, and others.
After the death of the owner by 1870, Abramtsevo dilapidated. It was then purchased by Savva Mamontov — philanthropist, industrialist, theatrical figure, and just a rich man. After he had renovated a house, built a new kitchen and servants' quarters, expanded the territory, Mamontov also created the famous Abramtsevo artistic circle. It included Polenov, Vasnetsov, Repin, Serov, Korovin, Vrubel, and other famous painters and sculptors of that time. Members of this group were united by a common commitment to the further development of Russian national art, which was based on folklore and artistic traditions.
Then there were opened woodwork and ceramic workshops, which started Abramtsevo wood carving and painted pottery. During a few decades, there was a hard and fruitful life: there were created paintings, buildings were constructed according to the original architectural projects, the Old Russian pottery was revived, new forms of household items were developed, innovative performances were staged. The Abramtsevo artistic circle played a major role in the development of national culture in Russia in the late 19th — early 20th century.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Abramtsevo Estate was turned into a museum. There was built a New Abramtsevo village near the estate where such outstanding Soviet artists as P. Konchalovsky, B. Johansson, V. Mukhina, I. Mashkov, and others lived and worked.
The ancient estate retained its color to this day. The Abramtsevo is one of the largest estates, one of the most attractive cultural centers near Moscow.
