The history of “The Countess Panina’s House”

Город Городец, Нижегородской области

The history of “The Countess Panina’s  House”

        The wooden houses of Gorodets, decorated with dense bas-relief and deeply cut wooden fretwork now seem as if they are fairytale castles. I would like to tell a history of only one house. “The Countess Panina’s  House” as gorodchane call it with love, is a typical sample of  wooden empire architecture style. It is closely connected with one of the oldest and the most famous families  in Russia - Panin’s family. Its members were high-ranking state Russian personalities. One of their numerous houses is in my native town Today the patrimony mansion of the Count V.N.Panin is a cultural heritage object of federal  importance. It is known for certain, that Catherine the Great visited Gorodets. The brothers Grigory and Feodor Orlovs formed the empress escort. She granted the central Gorodets to the Count Grigory Orlov. He sold «an imperial gift» to his brother Vladimir. Subsequently this part became the property of Count Panin and Princess Volkonsky. Then their daughter, Sofia Vladimirovna Panina (nee Orlova), became the owner of the Gorodets mansion. Since 2005 the museum “The Countess Panina’s  House” has been a part of Gorodets Museum Complex, which. helps you to disclose original  culture of Gorodets in XVIII – XX centuries. A lot of expositions are waiting for you.. ”Music drawing room” meets you with sounds of old waltz.. Classical music, love songs, folk songs are heard here,. The old gramophone gives you opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the last century.. The exhibition of handwritten books published in Russia before the 18th century you can find at the library. Surprisingly, but art of handwritten books remained in Gorodets until the middle of the XX century. The exposition “History of Russian Costume” tells you about traditional Russian and town  costumes. If you want to plunge into atmosphere of  XIX century, be inspired with charm of old lordly mansion you should visit the “The House of countess Panina”