Mikhailovskoe

Introducing Mikhailovskoe

Walking around Pushkin's inspiring estate at daybreak, it's easy to see where Russia's greatest poet received his inspiration. As you pass through the moist forest air, you soon reach the edge of a lake, offering magnificent views of tall, regal pines lining the far shore. A silvery mist rises off the smooth surface of the water as a lone fisherman casts his line out across the reeds.

The family house of Russia's most loved writer is open as part of the Pushkin Museum Reserve(22321; admission R150; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun Dec-Mar, 9am-8pm Tue-Sun May-Oct, closed Apr & Nov), a 2½-hour bus ride from Pskov. Alex- ander Pushkin spent two phenomenally productive years in exile at Mikhailovskoe, his family's estate near the settlement of Pushkinskie Gory (Pushkin Hills), 130km south of Pskov. The family first came to the area in the late 1700s, when Pushkin's great-grandfather Abram Hannibal was given the land by Empress Elizabeth. The family house was destroyed during WWII and has since been rebuilt.

The 20-hectare park is closed on the last Tuesday of the month. The attraction is Pushkin's writing room with his comfy leather chair, portraits of Byron and Zhukovsky (Pushkin's mentor, also a poet) and a small statue of Napoleon. The thick religious book on his writing table is the one he supposedly grabbed from the family bookcase and pretended to be reading whenever he saw the local priest coming for a visit.

At Pushkinskie Gory, about 800m north of the bus stop, is the Svyatagorsky Monastery, where Pushkin is buried. Not far from the monastery is Hotel Druzhba (21651; ul Lenina 8; s/d from R420/600), which has simple but nice rooms with bath and shower. Odd-numbered rooms boast pleasant views of the forest. To get to the hotel, walk from the bus stop along the road away from the monastery and bear right.

This is lovely countryside and can be seen as part of a day trip.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009