In 1870 Savva Mamontov – railway tycoon and patron of the arts – bought this lovely estate 45km north of Moscow. Here, he hosted a whole slew of artists, who sought inspiration in the gardens and forests: painter Ilya Repin; landscape artist Isaak Levitan; portraitist Valentin Serov; and the quite un-Slavic painter and ceramicist Mikhail Vrubel. Other artists came to dabble in the woodworking and ceramics workshop, and musicians (including Fyodor Chaliapin, who made his debut here) performed in Mamontov's private opera.
You can enter most of the buildings, some of which contain exhibits, if you buy the general admission ticket. The exception is the Manor House, which requires a separate admission ticket.