Kolomenskoye

A beautiful and sprawling estate, which today serves as an open air museum of wooden architecture.

The Kolomenskoye was developed as a retreat for the princes of Moscow. Now, a royal estate demanded a collection of great works of architecture and that is exactly what this estate has on display today. The oldest recorded structure here is the Ascension Church. This stunning piece of Russian architecture made of white stone, rising towards the sky in an octagonal shape was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The magnificent summer palace which was built by Tsar Alexis I was reconstructed as an exact replica by the Russian government, complete with it's wooden architecture and imposing presence. It is one of the best structures of the estate. The estate houses numerous other buildings, many of which are in fact churches. Other buildings include gates, chambers and pavilions. Furthermore, under Pyotr Baranovsky, several wooden structures from around the USSR were imported to Kolomenskoye for preservation, making the estate a site of truly rich architectural heritage.