Arkhangelskoye is one of the great country estates built by Russian aristocracy in the 17th and 18th centuries, situated about 20 km west of Moscow.
The centerpiece is the Yusupov Palace, set back from the Moscow River in an overgrown grove. Originally built in the 1670s, it was rebuilt in the 1730s by Nikolai Golitsyn, later a favourite of Catherine the Great. The palace once housed one of Russia's richest private art collections. In Soviet times it became a museum, though it has been closed for restoration for years.
The formal Italian-style gardens lead down from the palace toward the river and have been nicely restored. On the grounds you'll find a Gothic bridge over a ravine, a rose-colored granite-and-limestone temple built as a Yusupov family mausoleum, and the Church of the Archangel Michael (1667) — the oldest building on the estate and the source of its name.
Walk down to the terraces between the buildings of the old military convalescent home for views of the palace, gardens, and the river. The riverbank is a fine spot for a picnic.
To get here, take bus 549 or 151 from Tushinskaya metro station.