Flyonovo

Western European Russia


In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, illustrious artists and musicians, including Stravinsky, Chaliapin, Vrubel and Serov, visited Flyonovo, the pretty riverside estate of art lover Princess Maria Tenisheva, near Talashkino, 18km southeast of Smolensk. The visitors joined in applied-art workshops, which the princess organised for her peasants, and helped in building projects. The most striking result is the almost psychedelic decoration on the exterior of the brick Holy Spirit Church (Церковь Святого Духа), particularly the mural of Christ over the entrance designed by well-known landscape painter Rerikh.

On the estate grounds is the ornately decorative wooden house Teremok, with its folk-art museum, while the interior of another large but simpler wooden building is the former arts school. The first headmaster of the school was SV Malutin, the inventor of the beloved matryoshka doll. A smaller building (admission R80) sells crafts still produced here.

Take marshrutka 104 from Smolensk’s bus station to Talashkino (R28, 20 minutes), from where it’s a pleasant 2km walk to the estate. You can hop on the same marshrutka at pl Smirnova. The 130 often goes direct from Smolensk: ask at the station. It's possible to get a taxi from Smolensk for around R370 one-way and ask the driver to wait to return.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western European Russia attractions

1. Teremok

0.15 MILES

Located at the estate of Flyonovo, this ornately decorative wooden house, covered with peasant-style carving, is now a folk-art museum with a lot of…

2. Smolensk Flax Museum

10.34 MILES

Flax production developed from the Middle Ages as one of Smolensk’s main industries, as the moderate climate sustained soil ideal for growing the plant…

3. Smolensk WWII Museum

10.48 MILES

This comprehensive museum covers WWII in the Smolensk area from the beginning of the war and occupation by the Nazis to the region's liberation. Displays …

5. Thunder Tower

10.55 MILES

This witch-hatted tower offers incredible city views from its fourth tier; a small museum (open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday; admission R80) on the 3rd…

7. In the World of Fairytales Museum

10.62 MILES

One for the kids, where they've smashed the boring don't-touch rules. It's a small creative space with activities and interactive exhibits based on…

8. Konenkov Sculpture Museum

10.63 MILES

Contains playful woodworks by Smolensk Oblast native Sergei Konenkov, otherwise known as the 'Russian Rodin'. The museum also has works by other noted…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "russia/western-european-russia/smolensk/attractions/flyonovo/a/poi-sig/1529971/360579",
      "destination": "Western-European-Russia",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Russia",
      "region": "Western-European-Russia",
      "position": "superzone"
    }