Dzerzhinskiy District: Art in Ugra National Park and Estate History

Dzerzhinskiy District offers different reasons to visit: art installations in Ugra National Park and estate history in Polotnyany Zavod. At one destination, art and walks shape the stay; at the other, estate architecture, parkland, and exhibitions take center stage. When choosing your vacation rental, it may help to consider which of these themes you want to shape your trip more.

Art installations and walks in Ugra National Park

Some of the art installations at Nikola-Lenivets Art Park—including “Mayak,” “Bobur,” “Ugruan,” “Dom nad lesom,” and “Vselenskiy razum”—are located in Ugra National Park, a federally designated protected area. Visiting these art installations requires a separate permit from the national park administration. It is not included in the park ticket and must be obtained separately. Check the current park rules and permit requirements before your visit.

Guided walks explore the history and mythology of the place, the park’s development, and its artworks. Seasonal routes may vary. A walking trail described in 2018 leads to the Nikola-Lenivets hillfort sanctuary and offers viewpoints, scenic openings, and rest areas. So, alongside the art installations, the landscape and navigating the trail are also central to the experience.

Estate complex and landscape in Polotnyany Zavod

The Goncharov family estate complex includes the Church of the Transfiguration, the English landscape park, and the entrance tower of the horse yard. The complex thus brings together several historical elements rather than focusing on a single building. The former English landscape park has a large meadow, tall pines, oaks, and lindens, as well as low-lying areas along the river. The ground there stays damp even on the hottest days. The bends of the Sukhdrev River have marshy banks where marsh marigolds often bloom.

Individual buildings also make their own impression: the Shchepochkin House is a manor house from the first half of the 18th century in the Russian Classicist style. A monument to A. S. Pushkin stands in a picturesque clearing in a park. Together with the parkland, it offers a different side of the district from the art installations in the national park.

Horse yard, exhibition, and planning your visit

The horse yard at the Goncharov estate is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Check the opening hours before you travel. Its south wing serves as an exhibition center, where the exhibition “My Fiery Horse, My Faithful Horse…” is on display. Since exhibitions may change, it is advisable to check in advance whether it will still be running during your visit.

A notice dated July 8, 2026, states that the House of the Goncharovs Museum and Exhibition Center is operating with technical maintenance due to repairs in the second ceremonial hall, with access restricted. Before your visit, check whether this dated restriction is still in effect. This allows you to plan separately for the horse yard’s opening hours and possible access to the museum.

When looking for a vacation rental, your preferred excursion may be the deciding factor: in the national park, the focus is on art installations and guided walks; at the estate complex, it is on parkland, architecture, and exhibitions. Plan your art visit only after confirming the separate permit; check the horse yard’s opening hours and the exhibition center’s latest access information.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Peremyshlskiy District, Yukhnovsky District, Kaluga, Zhizdrinskiy District, Ferzikovsky District, Kozelskiy District, Dzerzhinskiy District, City of Kaluga.

For the broader travel overview: Kaluga Oblast.