ABRAMTSEVO COLONY

The Abramtsevo Colony is a late 19th century estate in Russia, about 50 miles north of Moscow, that became a center for artistic activity. Originally owned by author Sergei Aksakov, other writers and artists originally came there as his guests. By 1870, eleven years after Aksakov's death, it was purchased by Sava Mamontov, a wealthy indistrialist and patron of the arts. Under Aksakov, vistors to the estate discussed ways of ridding Russian art of Western influences to create a purely Russian style. Under Mamontov, Russian themes and folk art flourished there.

Abramtsevo is now open to the public and tourists can wander along the many paths through the surrounding forest and cross the wooden bridges that served as an inspiration for the artists at the Abramtsevo Colony. They can also visit many of the buildings to see works produced by the artists at the colony. One building, the main "manor," was the model for the manor in which Anton Chekhov set his Cherry Orchard.