Address: Russia, Yaroslavl region, Pereslavl-Zalessky, pl. Krasnaya, 3
Foundation date: 1803 year
Main attractions: monument to Emperor Peter I, obelisk to Emperor Peter I, Botny house, rotunda, White Palace, Bot "Fortuna"
Coordinates: 56 ° 43'25.7 "N 38 ° 46'23.3" E
Cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation
Content:
The "Boat of Peter I" on the shores of Lake Pleshcheevo was created in 1803 and is considered one of the first Russian museums. It was built at the expense of the Vladimir nobility. Today this museum is perhaps the most popular on the routes of the "Golden Ring of Russia" and an indispensable stop for all excursions around Pereslavl-Zalessky. Thousands of travelers come to the small village Veskovo to see with their own eyes a wooden boat built by Peter I.
Royal "amusing" flotilla
The first ships on Lake Pleshcheyevo were preceded by the "amusing" troops of Peter I. He created them, being still a thirteen-year-old teenager, in 1685 in the villages of Vorobyov and Preobrazhenskoye. The young sovereign's interest in military affairs grew, and in 1686 he started artillery with his "amusing" army. In the same year, the first "amusing" ships appeared on the Yauza River.
Botny house
In 1688, in the ancestral village of Izmailovo, Peter I found an old English boat. But for the wooden ship restored by the order of the sovereign, the Yauza was too small. And the king went to Lake Pleshcheyevo. It was then that he had the idea to use the Pereslavl open spaces for his "amusing" fleet. For the construction of ships, the tsar announced the collection of money from the monastic estates. It was a hryvnia from each yard.
At the same time, the sixteen-year-old tsar ordered to establish a shipyard on the spacious Pleshcheyevo Lake. And the emperor appointed ship masters from Holland Karsten Brandt, Klass and Kort to supervise the construction of ships. They began to make ships near the village of Ves'kovo. A year later, almost all the ships were ready. But Peter was forced to leave for Moscow, as required by urgent state affairs - in the capital there was a shooter's riot.
Construction was resumed in 1691. A wooden palace, other buildings and even a small church also appeared on the shore of the lake. Large ships were being completed right on the shore, and a special channel was dug from the shipyard to the lake for lowering the smaller ones.
At the beginning of May 1692, the first "amusing" ships were already exploring the lake expanses, and the tsar continued to study the basics of shipbuilding and navigation. The new fleet was greeted with a thunderous artillery salute. And the hill, where the cannons stood then, was called Mount Gremyach. A year later, Peter I wanted even more space, He left for Arkhangelsk, and his first flotilla was forgotten.
Monument in memory of the stay of Peter I on the shores of Lake Pleshcheevo
The exact number of "funny" ships and their appearance are not known. Historians talk about a hundred ships of various sizes, equipped with all the necessary weapons and manned by trained crews. Some sources mention the large ship Mars, equipped with thirty cannons, and the yacht Anna. The decree of Peter I of 1722 has survived, urging the Pereslavl governors to preserve the "amusing" fleet for future generations. But fate decreed in its own way - a big fire that occurred in 1783 destroyed all the ships that were then stored in Pereslavl.
History of the creation of the museum
The museum was organized in August 1803. By that time, only one bot with the big name "Fortune" survived. This happened because he was located separately from other ships, in the village of Ves'kovo, in an ordinary boat shed.
On the initiative of Ivan Mikhailovich Dolgorukov, who at that time was the governor of Vladimir, a stone Botny house was built for him at the expense of the nobles. This building has all the hallmarks of classicism. The entrance is marked by a portico with four columns. And on the roof there is a spire on which the St.Andrew's flag flies. The boat itself was placed in the Botny House, as well as rudders, anchors and surviving masts from other ships of the "amusing" flotilla.
The grand opening of the new museum was magnificent. It was attended by the archimandrite of the Nikitsky monastery Anatoly, as well as noble ranks and prosperous citizens of Pereslavl-Zalessky. In 1842, next to the museum, a brick gatehouse was built for the sailors who carried the security service here.
Exhibition and presentation hall "Rotunda"
Museum exposition
Now the museum-estate includes the Botny House, a modern monument and an old obelisk dedicated to Peter I, a gatehouse, the White Palace, the Triumphal Gate and the wooden Rotunda building.
The boat "Fortuna" is located in the stone Botniy house. It is a rather large dinghy, made of sturdy oak, controlled by an outboard rudder and the efforts of five rowers. In addition, a sail mast could be attached to the boat.
The White Palace was built in 1853 with donations. It was intended for ceremonial receptions, including guests from the royal family. The estate museum was visited at different times by the Russian emperors Alexander II and Nicholas II, as well as the grand dukes.
With the advent of Soviet power, it housed the geographic station of Moscow State University. In the mid-1920s, Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin lived and wrote stories in this house. Before the Great Patriotic War, a rest house was opened in the White Palace. And in wartime, children from besieged Leningrad were brought here.
Now the White Palace houses a museum exposition. These are several rooms where various things of the end of the 17th century are placed. - shipbuilding tools, wooden carvings from ships, weapons of the time and sailing equipment. In one of the halls, the room of Peter I was reconstructed. Here you can see furniture, household items and utensils from the times of Peter the Great.
White palace
The Arc de Triomphe and the granite obelisk, dedicated to Peter I and crowned with a double-headed eagle, were built with the participation of the architect Peter Santinovich Campioni in 1852. The opening ceremony was attended by residents of Pereslavl-Zalessky and the villages surrounding the lake, guests from the capital, as well as representatives of the city and provincial authorities.
In the 1990s, on the way to the estate from the Pleshcheyevo Lake, a new monument was erected dedicated to Tsar Peter I. It marks the time when the young sovereign just arrived in Pereslavl, dreaming of building his own "amusing" fleet.
Exhibitions and excursion programs are held in the Rotunda hall all year round. The interiors of the Rotunda have been restored according to the traditions of the Peter the Great era. And now it is a real gem of the estate museum.
Schedule
The estate museum is open from May to September - from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00, on Saturdays from 10.00 to 20.00; and at other times of the year - from 10.00 to 17.00. On Mondays - day off. It should be borne in mind that the ticket office closes work half an hour before the closing time of the museum.
The entrance to the estate during the high tourist season from May 1 to October 1 is paid, during the rest of the year it is free. A visit to the Botniy House and the White Palace is paid all year round. Visitors can conduct amateur photography and video filming throughout the entire territory free of charge.
Bot "Fortune"
How to get there
The estate museum is located in the village of Ves'kovo. From Moscow by car you need to get to Pereslavl-Zalessky, and in the city turn left towards Pleshcheev Lake along Podgornaya Street. From Pereslavl bus station, where intercity buses arrive, to Veskovo about 3.5 km.
