Russian villas in Nice are impressive, but Pavel Georgievich von Derwies surpassed them all. Today, he would be called a railway magnate. He invested his significant fortune in creating a unique project: according to the architects Makarov and Grimm, Chateau Valrose was built, a castle surrounded by an exotic park, which, thanks to the imagination of Vladimir Fabrikant, became a masterpiece of landscape art.

The name of this place is connected to the expression "val vente," which means "valley of winds," but over time it transformed into "valley of roses" due to the abundance of flowers on the estate's territory. Villa Valrose is located in the northern part of Nice, at the intersection of Valrose and Joseph Vallo avenues, between the neighborhoods of Cimiez and Liberation.

The Valrose estate includes an extensive park with fountains, a pond, sculptures, and many exotic plants. There are two castles on the territory, large and small, built in the Gothic style.

Von Derwies was a passionate lover of music and maintained his own symphony orchestra and choir, for which a separate palace was built. In the concert halls and living rooms of Chateau Valrose, high society gathered to enjoy the arts. In 1874, von Derwies built a theatrical stage, where five years later Glinka's opera "Life for the Tsar" was performed. The magnificent couple von Derwies organized charity concerts and performances for the local residents, and the proceeds were distributed by the consul, Orthodox priests, and municipal authorities among needy Russians.

The generous patron was deeply shaken by the early death of his daughter in 1881, after which the musical life in Chateau Valrose faded. Now, this building houses the administrative service of the University of Nice. In memory of von Derwies, his good deeds remain: an elementary school he opened in Nice and a simple village hut transported from his Ukrainian estate. The hut, decorated with Russian proverbs such as "A house is not beautiful for its corners, but for its pies," reminds us of the Russian roots of this talented man. In honor of von Derwies, one of the streets in Nice bears his name.