The other day, the staff of the gardens of the Russian Museum visited the oak seedling number 118, which was planted on June 20, 2019. The ceremonial planting of the oak took place on the territory of the former family estate of Major General, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, Dmitry Vasilyevich Lyalin. The estate is located in the village of Meryovo, Luga District, Leningrad Region.

Our employees were warmly greeted by the current owner of the estate, Mikhail Petrovich Velikanov, who restored the Lyalins’ family estate from the ruins. And although the work on the restoration of the park continues to this day, the abandoned place is again filled with vitality.

A bit of history. Dmitry Vasilievich was born in 1772 in the estate that belonged to his father. The retired second lieutenant Vasily Lyalin, after retiring, began to equip his estate. In addition to the manor house, outbuildings, orchards and vegetable gardens, he sets up a park that descends in terraces from the manor house to Lake Merevskoe. In its layout, the park is very similar to the seaside gardens of St. Petersburg. At the age of 14, Dmitry Lyalin leaves his parental home, joining the service as a corporal of the 1st Naval Battalion, located in Kronstadt. From that moment, Dmitry Vasilyevich visits the estate very rarely, only short vacations and the time to recover health after injuries. For thirty years of military service, Dmitry Vasilyevich Lyalin takes part in 32 battles (5 sea and 27 field). His portrait, as a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, is placed in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace. In 1816, Dmitry Vasilievich retired with the rank of Major General. Since he did not start a family and because of the wounds he received, he needed care, Lyalin lived with his sister in the village of Dmitrievskoye, Pskov province. But he does not forget his parental estate, he entrusted the management of the estate to his neighbor and childhood friend Ivan Trubashov, who inherited the estate after the death of Dmitry Vasilyevich in 1847. According to the will, the ashes of Dmitry Vasilyevich Lyalin were buried not far from his family estate, on the churchyard of the Holy Trinity. The monument at his grave has survived to this day, but there are no manor buildings. Subsequent owners rebuilt them several times, then revolution, war. Later, in Soviet times, a village school was erected on the foundation of the manor house. The only thing that conveys the atmosphere of the times of Major General Lyalin is the park. Although it also changed under the influence of the tastes of the owners, the general layout has survived to this day, and there are old-growth trees in the park.

Currently, Mikhail Petrovich Velikanov continues work to restore the park of the Lyalina estate. But he also does not forget about the current moment – concerts of classical music are regularly held on the territory of the estate, in which opera singers and musicians from St. Petersburg and Moscow take part.

The staff of the gardens of the Russian Museum are sure that with such a caring owner, the sapling of the Peter oak from the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg will grow tall and beautiful.

Follow the following reports about the oak trees of the project “ALL-RUSSIAN DUBRAVA OF EMPEROR PETER THE GREAT”. The site “Gardens of the Russian Museum” has a map of oak seedlings planting. Watch and join the project. An application for a thoroughbred seedling can be submitted on the website www.igardens.ru

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