Cuscovo Palace

About

Kuskovo, in eastern Moscow, is the former summer estate of the Sheremetev family, who held it for over three centuries until 1917; its ensemble was shaped chiefly by Pyotr Sheremetev. The wooden Grand Palace was built in 1769-1775 under Karl Blank, with serf architects Fyodor Argunov and Alexei Mironov playing central roles. The formal French garden retains pavilions including the Dutch House (1749), the Italian House (1754-1755), the Grotto (1756-1761) and the Hermitage (1765-1767). A museum since 1918, Kuskovo absorbed the State Museum of Ceramics in 1932, adding major porcelain and glass holdings. The combined collection now exceeds 70,000 objects, shown alongside chamber concerts and exhibitions of 18th-19th century decorative art.