Ostankino Palace: Distant view of the south facade of the main hall

District in the north of Moscow, formerly a village and estate. From 1743 to 1917 the estate belonged to the counts Sheremet'yev and a palace (including a private theater) and park ensemble took shape there in the 18th century. The palace, a Neo-classical wooden building, was built for Count Nikolay Sheremet'yev in 1791-1798 by serf architect-builders, including Pavel Argunov (born ca. 1768), to a design by Francesco Camporesi. The interiors contain gilded carving, decorative parquet floors, crystal chandeliers and a collection of Russian and western European paintings, engravings, sculptures and furniture, including paintings by the serfs Ivan Argunov, Nikolay Argunov (1771-after 1829) and Yakov Argunov (1789-1830). The landscaped park (1793-1795; designed by A. Mironov and Pavel Argunov) is partly preserved. In 1918 the palace became the Ostankino Palace Museum of Serf Art.