Polotnyanyy Zavod offers different ways to explore its history: the English landscape park of the Goncharov estate, historic houses with exhibitions, and the interactive paper museum “Buzeon.” There, virtual glimpses into the workshops and historical film footage show how paper is made. Visitors can therefore focus on different aspects of the town during their stay: parkland, connections to Pushkin, and the history of paper.
Estate Park, Landscape and Connections to Pushkin
The English landscape park is part of the Goncharov estate and was laid out in 1802. The former English landscape park features a large meadow, tall pines, oaks and lime trees, as well as wet lowlands along the river. The Mnemosyne butterfly, also known as the Black Apollo, lives in the meadows. This protected species is listed in the Red Data Book of Kaluga Oblast.
A large oak stands in the park and is said to be three hundred years old. It is also known as Pushkin’s Oak and the “Lira” Oak. A monument to A. S. Pushkin stands in a picturesque clearing. The historic Spassky Gates, built between 1736 and 1741, provide an entrance to the Goncharov estate. The park thus brings together natural features and named historic sites without requiring visitors to follow a set route.
A guided tour of the old park is offered for organized groups of ten or more. It visits an avenue that A. S. Pushkin and his wife cherished, a former landscaped grove, a gazebo and a monument to Pushkin. The museum-reserve’s visitor information lists the park as open to visitors; check the official website for current access information before travelling.
Houses, Exhibitions and Historical Dates
The Shchepochkin House was built in the first half of the 18th century in the Russian Classicist style. It houses the exhibition “The Storm of the Twelfth Year Broke: The Patriotic War of 1812 in the Works of A. S. Pushkin.” Check the museum’s information for current visitor details about this exhibition.
The main house of the Goncharov estate displays 18th-century commemorative furniture. This includes a massive mahogany writing desk in the “Jacobe” style, as well as chairs and armchairs made in Russia in the style of the English master Thomas Chippendale. The Transfiguration Church in Polotnyany Zavod was consecrated on November 24, 2019; this date marks a historical milestone, not the current visitor arrangements.
The interactive paper museum “Buzeon” is devoted to papermaking and is the only museum in Russia dedicated to this subject. Visitors can take a virtual tour of the operating workshops at the Polotnyano-Zavodskaya paper mill. Soviet newsreel footage about papermaking is shown on a large screen, including material from the Five-Year Plan era, the Great Patriotic War and the 1960s. The museum visit thus combines a virtual look inside the workshops with film footage from different historical periods.
Workshops and Accommodation Planning
The “Polotnyanyy Zavod” museum-reserve offers workshops for children and adults. Participants can make, among other things, a traditional Motanka doll and a beeswax candle. The museum provides a contact for advance bookings. Another group activity is a workshop on the “Polonez” dance in the large Turquoise Salon of the Goncharov House; arrangements must be made in advance.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Polotnyanyy Zavod, it may help to decide first what you want to focus on during your stay: a park tour, exhibitions or workshops. The park tour is intended for organized groups of ten or more, while the dance workshop must be arranged in advance. Also check the latest information about park access and the exhibition at the Shchepochkin House before travelling. This will help you coordinate your cultural plans with your accommodation arrangements.
Discover more destinations: Zvizzhi, Nedelnoye, Borovsk, Losinoye, Kuzmishchevo, Ermolino, Korsakovo, Inino.
Go to the overview of destinations: Kaluga Oblast.
