Alekseevsky Orlovtsy and hounds

Alekseevsky orlovtsy and hounds

The village of Islavskoye in the western Moskvorechye has a marvelous history, the remains of which are captured in the ruins of a deceased estate. Today, rubbish is dumped into these majestic ruins, and a century ago there was a prosperous estate that belonged to the Sushkin-Alekseev family.

These places have seen their heyday more than once: at the end of the XNUMXth century, here, in Islavsky, a factory of Oryol breed horses appeared. This was not the first plant of the Orlovites in the western Moskvorechye, but the love for horses led the owner of the estate, Mikhail Alekseev, to another passion – to hunting and breeding hounds. The author of these lines had to meet with the great-grandson of Mikhail Alekseev, the namesake of his ancestor. So, Mikhail Alekseev could not stand it when they called hounds – dogs, for him they were personalities.

Mikhail Ivanovich Alekseev.

Hunting has always been loved in Russia, hunting with hounds occupied a special place in this passion. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the so-called “Alekseevsky hounds” thundered all over Russia, whose breeding roots came from the village of Islavskoye and the activities of Mikhail Alekseev.

Alekseevsky hounds have descended from the best packs of the older time. All the best bloodlines of the Russian breed were combined in them: they had an excellent exterior and were highly appreciated at exhibitions, having won a number of specialized diplomas of the XNUMXst degree (in the pack) on field trials. Many hunters used them as producers in their hunts, and soon the type of Russian hounds, in principle, began to approach the Alekseevsky.

Flock of M. I. Alekseev.

Here is how the hunter Pakhomov N.P. describes the Islav hunt:

“My brother and I arrived in the evening so that, after spending the night, early in the morning the next day, go to the forest with the hounds. Upon arrival, Mikhail Alekseev wanted to show us his stallion Viy. The fact is that shortly before that, he became interested in equestrian sports, bought a foal Viy at the Zhivago factory, which grew into a first-class trotter, earning many prizes and showing remarkable agility. I must say that in general Mikhail was a darling of fate. After his grandmother (Tatyana Sushkina), he inherited the huge Islavskoye estate, half of which he sold for a lot of money to I.V. Morozov, who founded his own stud farm there and built a beautiful house with columns on the high steep bank of the Moskva River, calling this estate “Gorki”. Alexey Maksimovich Gorky later lived and died in this estate.

On the morning of the next day, a flock of hounds with horsemen, a rider and a survivor, and my brother, and Mikhail, on a droshky, crossed to the other side, where the hunting grounds began. It was a late, clear, dry, cold autumn: in the morning the frost seized the ground, and only by the middle of the day did it warm up a little. The trail was tough – the conditions for the rut were difficult. Places are low, marshy, favored by whites and foxes.

My brother and I admire the rare arrival of the pack. Open, she is all in the hands of Ivan Pavlov, who is arriving Alekseev, who leads her solidly, without showing cheap tricks. At the edge of the forest, he stopped the flock, set it up, and he himself galloped to us in order to receive the last orders from Mikhail. He pointed out to him with his hand the place where the hounds would let in, Ivan Pavlov shouted: “Here!” – and the pack flowed in the same ball at the feet of his dappled gray mare.

A horn signal “the hounds are thrown” – and we disperse with guns in different directions.

Somewhere to the side, on the right, as if by accident, uncertainly, a ringing voice rang out. “Ai-yay!” – as if not believing herself, she exclaimed, once again, another, more confidently, and burst into flames as if scalded, bumping into a hare.

And suddenly, like an avalanche, it overturned, roared, the basement flock groaned in different voices and went to spin after the hare over the mounds and bumps, then for a second it fell silent, then again filling the forest with sounds and making our hearts beat faster.

The mentioned estate “Gorki” after the Bolsheviks came to power was nationalized and by 1924 it became known as the Moscow Stud Farm No. 1, which included the surrounding stud farms, among which was Islavsky, Mikhail Alekseev. The hero of our story himself could not leave Russia these days: he was deprived of all his fortune, he was evicted from the Moscow province and, having settled somewhere near Tula, he was still working with the already state hounds.

I had to see a set of things – all that this great man had left from his former life. Everything fit in one small bag … It was a bronze goblet depicting a coat of arms and hounds, a Caucasian belt and a short hunting rifle, which was not in one dashing business in hunting near Islavsky.

His children deserve special mention. They lived in Moscow and, at the call of their blood, continued family traditions associated with horses. The grandson of our hero – Yuri Borisovich Alekseev – took the post of director of the Moscow hippodrome and even almost became the director of the Moscow stud farm No. 1, which still includes their former Islavskoye estate. This issue was resolved at the highest level, but it was considered legal that the closest relative of the former master could not be the director of his own former estates. Surprisingly, the son and daughter of Yuri Borisovich – Tatyana and Mikhail – completely connected their lives with horses. One – at the Moscow hippodrome, the other – in his own equestrian club.

The Islavskoye estate itself, after a fire that occurred 15 years ago, lies in ruins. Many do not believe that this is the very famous and “rich” Rublyovka. The author of these lines is one of the few who tried to fight for the life of this place. For a long time it was not possible to prove that the estate was really in ruins. The Ministry of Culture near Moscow showed piles of papers confirming that this place has an owner who is carrying out “restoration” there. At the same time, the territory of the estate was built up, litigated and divided this historical land.

Finally, with the help of the Ministry of Culture, it was possible make a check there and establish the truth about the actual death of the estate. But at the same time, they managed to reach representatives of VTB Bank, which owns land in the district, and expressed its readiness to take on the task of saving the estate. It would seem that such a chance for her, but even at this level and financial readiness, it was not possible to advance the case.

Our legislation is designed in such a way that it contradicts itself, and such problems can be solved only at the level of the President. He, of course, lives nearby, but is hardly aware of the presence of this historical place. Such is the tragedy of the Russian heritage, about the death of which they simply prefer to remain silent …

It remains to add that near the modern Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, where Islavskoye is located, there are still a few places associated with the name of Alekseev. He had a brick factory between the Golitsyno and Sushkinskaya railway stations, on the territory of modern Chastsovskaya MSW. The Sushkinskaya platform itself was built for the needs of this plant by their aunt, Tatyana Sushkina. As such, there are no geographical or local names associated with the surname Alekseev. The only historically recorded self-name remained only in his Alekseevsky hounds.

Valera Sablia