Dzerzhinsky District: Art Park and Estate History

Dzerzhinsky District offers distinct cultural highlights: the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park, with contemporary art and architecture in a picturesque natural setting, and the Goncharov estate in Polotnyany Zavod, whose history is also connected with sailcloth and paper manufactories. Museums round out the picture with regional crafts, a virtual tour of a paper mill’s workshops, and a visit to a diorama.

Nikola-Lenivets Art Park

The Nikola-Lenivets Art Park features a collection of contemporary art and architecture in a picturesque natural setting. Part of the park lies within Ugra National Park. The park is open to visitors around the clock; however, on festival days, entry is only possible with a ticket to the event. Bicycles, kick scooters, and other personal mobility devices, including those with electric motors, are permitted.

Estate and Manufactory History in Polotnyany Zavod

The Goncharov estate in Polotnyany Zavod was established in the first half of the 18th century under Afanasy Abramovich Goncharov, the great-great-grandfather of N. N. Goncharova-Pushkina. The castle-like manor house and the buildings of a sailcloth manufactory and a paper manufactory formed part of the estate. The complex also includes the Transfiguration Church, a horse yard, parks, a greenhouse, and ponds. The park at the Polotnyany Zavod estate is designated a regional historic and cultural conservation area.

The exhibition in the main house of the Goncharov estate covers Alexander Pushkin’s visits to the property in late May 1830 and in August 1834. On November 24, 2019, Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, together with Archbishop Maksimilian of Pesochnya and Bishop Nikita of Kozelsk, consecrated the Transfiguration Church. Visitors to the Polotnyany Zavod Museum Reserve can take a boat trip on the Sukhodrev River and see the estate from the water; confirm availability on site.

Museums and Crafts

The Buzeon Paper Museum offers a virtual tour of the operating workshops of the Polotnyano-Zavod paper mill. The “Podvorye Masterov” Museum displays collections by regional artisans. In the wider destination of Kaluga Oblast, the works on display also include pieces made using traditional and more modern techniques, including installations created with a 3D printer. Buzeon offers a look inside the workshops of a paper mill, while “Podvorye Masterov” focuses on the work of craftspeople. Check the current visiting arrangements before visiting “Podvorye Masterov.”

A visit to the “The Great Stand on the Ugra” Diorama Museum is possible only as part of a guided tour. Before your trip, check the official website for current visiting arrangements.

In the wider destination of Kaluga Oblast

You can travel along the Great Kaluga Trail on foot, by kayak, or by bicycle, and experience the natural environment of Ugra National Park. Information boards and trail signs along the Great Kaluga Trail help visitors determine their location and the distance to the nearest settlement. The annual “Archstoyanie” festival in Nikola-Lenivets usually takes place in late July. The program includes new art installations, performances, concerts, lectures, and workshops; individual program items may vary from year to year.

Discover more destinations: Peremyshlsky District, Kaluga City, Obninsk City, Kozelsky District, Dzerzhinsky District, Maloyaroslavetsky District, Maloyaroslavetsky District, Zhizdrinsky District.

For the wider travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.