In the second half of XVI century, Tsar Ivan the Terrible granted the boyar Nikita Zakharyin-Yuryev the Izmailovo area near Moscow. It received its name from the surname of the first owner, voivode Lev Izmailov. Boyar Nikita was the grandfather of the first Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Feodorovich. A century later, due to the lack of direct descendants, the estate was inherited by Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. So the boyar estate, notable for its beautiful hunting grounds, became a royal patrimony.Unlike the ceremonial Kolomenskoe, which contemporaries called the “Kremlin outside Moscow”, Izmailovo became better known as a unique experimental farm for its time. Plenty orchards and vegetable gardens were set out on an artificially created island, agricultural crops unusual for the central part of Russia (for example, melons, watermelons and even pineapples!) were grown here. There were also a poultry house and an apiary arranged, an irrigation system of 37 ponds was built, a linen manufacture and brick factory, as well as glass factory. During the reign of Alexey’s son Feodor, the construction of a magnificent complex of the Tsar’s Courtyard was completed on the island. Some buildings survived to this day, including the Intercession Cathedral and the Bridge Tower, decorated with fancy glazed tiles, and the Front and Back Gates. During the reign of Tsars Alexey and Feodor, wooden palaces were built at Izmailovo. Their images have not been preserved, but the descriptions indicate that they both very much resembled the Palace of Tsar Alexey at Kolomenskoe in exterior and interior.Izmailovo is also connected with another son of Tsar Alexey Romanov – the first Russian Emperor Peter I. It was here, in the old Linen Yard, that the 16-year-old tsar discovered an old boat. It was a gift from the British ambassadors to his grandfather, boyar Nikita Romanov. The wooden sailing vessel was restored and launched. This is how the future great Tsar-reformer’s passion for “shipcraft” (navigation and shipbuilding) began. The boat became known as the “grandfather of the Russian fleet”. Today, this historic vessel named ‘St. Nicholas’ is kept in the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg. In 1998, a monument to the emperor, created by the famous Soviet sculptor-muralist Lev Kerbel, was erected on Izmailovsky Island.The royal estate also survived the “military period. The laconic buildings of the almshouse for veterans of the Patriotic War of 1812 and other wars of XIX century remind of it. By order of Emperor Nicholas I, dwelling buildings for soldiers and officers were built on the desolated island. Architect Konstantin Ton skillfully and carefully fit them into the already existing ensemble of the Tsar’s Courtyard. In XX century, the former Nicholas almshouse received a second life – the houses of the military complex were rebuilt and occupied by workers. The settlement was named “the Bauman town”. The communal apartments of the Bauman Town were finally settled apart only in the 1970s.In 2007, Izmailovo estate became part of the Moscow State Integrated Museum-Reserve. Although it is not as well-known as Kolomenskoe, its ancient architectural ensemble of the Tsar’s Courtyard and wonderful Intercession Cathedral draw visitors’ attention. The unique tiled decor for the Cathedral was created by the famous Belarusian master Stepan Ivanov (Half-Devil). The estate is surrounded by a picturesque pond and a quiet reclusive park. The theme of tiles is continued by the fascinating permanent exhibition ‘Open Storage. Stoves and tiles.’The unique collection of tiles of the Moscow State Integrated Museum-Reserve counts about 16,000 items, making it possible to trace the history of Moscow tiles from their origins, the ceramic plates of the XV century, to the products of the Soviet period of XX century. For a long time, the exhibits of the museum collection were hidden from the others' eyes. Now they are available to a wide audience and can tell the story of this centuries-old art. Worthy of separate attention are replaces and stoves of German and Finnish production that decorated Moscow mansions and tenement buildings in the second half of XIX century.You can learn more about the different times the royal residence on Izmailovo Island experienced, as well as about the history of tile art, when visiting our guided tours:- “Stoves and tiles”;- “Tsar’s Courtyard at Izmailovo”;- “The patrimony of the Quietest Tsar Alexey”;- “Tsar's Island";- “Peter I and his entourage. Miniatures from the life of the royal family”;- “The Island of Royal Wives”.You can purchase tickets to the exhibition or book a tour on our website.