The Memorial Museum-estate of Nikolay Yaroshenko is located on a high slope above the Riverbed of the Olkhovka River in the historical center of Kislovodsk. His house was called the White Villa. Famous people came to visit the artist at the end of the 19th century. Now in the museum you can see a collection of paintings not only by Yaroshenko, but also by many famous Russian artists.
Nikolay Yaroshenko was born in 1846 in Poltava. His father was an artillery major general, so he insisted on his son`s military career. Nikolay began his studies at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School in St. Petersburg and at the same time began attending classes at the Academy of Painting. In 1874 Yaroshenko graduated from the Academy of Painting as an external.
Nikolay Yaroshenko went to the Caucasus for the first time in 1874 and brought several paintings depicting mountains from there. His first exhibition attracted the attention of the public, and the painting "Shat-mountain", which depicts a double-headed Mount Elbrus, was highly appreciated by critics. Yaroshenko was even called a "Portrait Painter of the Mountains."
Since then, Nikolay Yaroshenko often visited the Caucasus, and in 1885 he bought a small house in Kislovodsk. This house is located near the walls of the Kislovodsk Fortress, which now houses the Local History Museum. Nearby is also St. Nicholas Cathedral, the main temple of the city. After Yaroshenko`s death in 1898, he was buried near the altar of the cathedral.
In the early years, Nikolay Yaroshenko and his family spent only the summer months at their estate. By that time, he had become a famous artist. His artist friends came to visit him in Kislovodsk: Repin, Nesterov, Ge, Kuindzhi and others. Chaliapin, Rachmaninov, Mendeleev, Pavlov, Stanislavsky and many other famous people also stayed here. The Yaroshenko family was very hospitable. They built two wings for their guests.
Now in White Villa you can see Yaroshenko`s paintings. Many of them are familiar to the general public, although not everyone knows the author`s name: "Life is Everywhere", "Choir", "Prisoner" and others. In the wings you can see a collection of paintings by other famous artists.
The White Villa and outbuildings are located on a high slope above the Olkhovka River. Part of the Yaroshenko Estate is located at the bottom of the slope, where the Lower Park is located. This Park is part of the huge Kislovodsky National Park.
