The Estate of von Derviz in the village of Kiritsy is located 60 kilometers southeast of Ryazan. A trip to this estate can be combined with a visit to the ancient Settlement of Old Ryazan. The Estate of von Derviz is one of the most famous sights of the Ryazan region, but it is impossible to visit it, since there is a sanatorium for children with tuberculosis there.
Access to the Estate of von Derviz is closed even for parents of children who are undergoing treatment there. It can be admired only from the viewing point near the road. The estate is built on a slope that rises above the Kiritsa River. A dam has been made on the opposite side of the road, so now only a small stream flows at the foot of the estate.
This estate was owned by Sergei von Derwiz, a descendant of the German nobleman der Wiese, who came to Russia under Peter I. Sergei`s father, Pavel von Derviz, was one of the richest people in Russia. Together with his partner Karl von Meck, he built railways in Russia.
They laid the first road along the route Moscow-Ryazan-Kozlov. It became very popular and made its owners rich. Then the partners laid the Kursk-Kiev railway and their wealth has become enormous. Pavel von Derviz was even called "The Russian Monte Cristo". He built a huge villa Valrose in Nice and in 1868 went to live there.
Karl von Meck`s wife is known for her friendship with Peter Tchaikovsky. This friendship began after her husband`s death in 1877. She learned about the talented teacher of the Moscow Conservatory Peter Tchaikovsky. He earned his living by teaching and had no time for creativity. The Baroness began to provide him with significant financial support. Tchaikovsky was able to leave teaching and focus only on creativity. Thanks to Baroness von Mekk, Tchaikovsky wrote a large number of works and became one of the greatest composers in the world.
Sergey Derviz was born in 1863. His childhood years were spent at his father`s villa in Nice, but he returned to Russia. His father died in 1881. Sergei and his brother Pavel became heirs to a huge wealth. Brought up abroad in luxury, Sergei thoughtlessly spent money, squandering a wealth.
He spent a lot of money on the construction of a luxurious estate in Kiritsy, in the vicinity of Ryazan. Sergei was friends with Baroness von Mekk, was fond of music and played the piano well. However, he did not have his father`s entrepreneurial abilities. Eventually he became impoverished, sold the estate in Kiritsy and left for France.
The Estate of von Derviz was built by the famous architect Fyodor Shechtel. Construction was made in the period from 1883 to 1889. Then Shechtel was a little-known architect and built such a huge estate for the first time. Experts define the architectural style of the Estate of von Derviz as a mixture of Gothic and Romanticism.
Later, Shechtel built houses in the style of mixing Gothic and Modern. By the beginning of the 20th century, he had become one of the most famous architects in Russia. Shechtel is also considered the founder of the pseudo-Russian style of architecture, which was later called Russian Modern. The Estate of von Derviz in Kiritsy has become one of the most famous examples of this style.
