Published on: 2026-10-20
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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An island for Moscow is an unusual phenomenon, and an island with a 17th-century royal estate is an even rarer case for any major city. But Izmailovo is exactly such a place. Here, the landscape and architecture create a self-sufficient environment with a unique atmosphere. The tour of the estate was conducted by the artist and museum employee Viktor Matorin.
Artificial island and architectural landmark
On the lands belonging to the Romanov family, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich the Quietest, father of Peter I, planned to carry out a large-scale agricultural experiment — to create a model farm with gardens, apiaries, and vineyards. Hence, for example, the name of the local pond — Serebryano-Vinogradny: the Serebryanka River and vineyard plantations.
Artist and museum employee Viktor Matorin, who has devoted 17 years to studying these places, emphasizes their uniqueness: “This is a classic 17th-century estate: the landscape and architecture have been preserved — you can relax, draw, or take a walk.”
The Copper Riot of 1662 prompted the tsar to consider the security of the residence. The ponds around the estate were connected to create a continuous water ring. The village became an island; the peasants were relocated — only the royal family and their entourage remained. The architectural dominant of the island became the Pokrovsky Cathedral, built between 1671 and 1679.
Viktor Matorin explains the differences between estates of different eras based precisely on the original layout: “What is the difference between a 17th and 19th century estate? Both will have a church and a manor house. In Izmailovo, in particular, there was a wooden palace that no longer survives. But in a 17th-century estate, a church is always located at the center. All the architecture is built around it — it is the main structure in every sense. In the 19th century, the manor house is in the center, and the church could stand to the side.”
The true treasure of the Pokrovsky Cathedral is the seven thousand tiles covering its walls. They were created by the workshop of masters Ignat Maksimov and Stepan Polubes. The tiles have been preserved to this day, but the modern Izmailovo estate allows for a much fuller and deeper immersion into the history of this craft. The exhibition “Open Storage. Stoves and Tiles” features about 1,000 items. Visitors feel as if they are entering the museum’s collection: they see large-format icon tiles and whimsical stove tiles with inscriptions.
A combined ticket can be purchased using the service “Mosbilet” He grants the right to visit the exhibition of works by Stroganov graduates “Learned”. Even more tickets to the Moscow State United Museum-Reserve “Kolomenskoye — Izmailovo” are also available at “Mosbilet”.
Another key object remains the Bridge Tower: it forms the island’s ensemble along with the Front and Rear Gates, although it stands at some distance from them. Why ‘Bridge’? There used to be a bridge and a ramp leading to the island here. It has not survived, but Viktor Matorin recreated the island’s architectural landscape in the painting “The Youth of Peter in Izmailovo.” The work is currently exhibited in Saint Petersburg, and the artist plans to deliver it to Izmailovo: “The main hero in my painting is the 17th-century architecture. A lot has survived to this day in its original form. For example, the Bridge Tower is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. The painting also reconstructs the lost bridge. This painting can be used for guided tours.”
The artist deliberately used a circular structure for the canvas: “I chose a circle for a reason: Izmailovo is an island, and it is surrounded by water.” The painting is allegorical: the future emperor holds a small boat in his hands. In 1688, it was here, on the island, that 16-year-old Peter I found an English boat in a linen barn, which would later be called the grandfather of the Russian fleet. This marked the beginning of the tsar’s passion.
Museum environment
Viktor Matorin painted about 300 pictures. He worked directly on the island’s territory, collaborated with researchers, studied materials, documents, and drawings. Besides large-scale historical canvases, the artist also depicts contemporary life in his works. This is what Viktor Matorin says about the painting “Easter in Izmailovo”: “Why did I paint it? One event struck me. That year, snow was still on the ground at Easter: it was warm during the day, but it froze slightly at night. One evening, I came to paint studies and saw that at sunset the earth had turned red. There is even an expression — ‘Red Easter.’ And I saw such an artistic image.”
Museum life on the island is not limited to exhibitions and research work. There is an art studio here, plein airs are organized, the estate participates in major city projects and campaigns. “I conduct master classes, meetings, plein airs. We hold a number of such events as ‘Night at the Museum,’ ‘Night of the Arts,'” the artist notes. Students and schoolchildren can use the Pushkin card to pay for classes. Free events are also provided.
A special atmosphere is created by the work of the excursion department. The guides conduct programs in historical costumes. School groups like this: it helps the children to better imagine historical events.
The childhood of Anna Ioannovna and communal apartments
The bright pages of the island’s history are not limited to Peter’s youth. The childhood of the emperor’s niece, Anna Ioannovna, who later also ruled the country, was spent here. Later, the estate fell into decline, but in 1837 Nicholas I commissioned the architect Konstantin Ton to build a military almshouse here for veterans of the Patriotic War of 1812. In Soviet times, in the 1920s, the buildings were converted into communal apartments for the workers’ town named after Bauman.
Today, an unusual space has opened at the museum — the lecture hall “Old Moscow Apartment,” where interactive lectures dedicated to that era take place. You can visit a Soviet kitchen, where each of the many hostesses has her own corner, and feel nostalgic at the sight of dishes and other household items “just like at grandma’s.”
Getting to the island is easy: from the Partizanskaya metro station — via the pedestrian 2nd Baumansky Bridge, built in the style of Soviet modernism in 1964.
There is a legend that Alexei Mikhailovich conceived Izmailovo as a paradise island capable of withstanding the anticipation of the end of the world. There is no documentary evidence for this—it is most likely just a beautiful invented story. But it poetically describes the island’s life today: it is a space separated from the city noise, where architectural monuments, museum collections, and contemporary art create an environment for contemplation and learning.
Learn about performances, concerts, exhibitions, and other interesting events on the official “Mosbilet” channels in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
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