These buildings in the photographs could serve as excellent backdrops for historical films. Here, one could shoot scenes about the Middle Ages, the deeds of Peter the Great, or adapt works of Russian classics. Once, in the village of Muromtsevo in the Vladimir region, there was a true noble town. Its development is linked to the officer of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, Vladimir Semyonovich Krapovitsky.

After his father's death, he inherited vast estates with lands, pastures, and forests. This would have been enough for a comfortable life for his descendants, but Krapovitsky decided to develop the estate. He invested in steam mills, organized a sawmill and a brick factory, and laid a railway for transporting goods. Over time, the business began to yield significant profits, which he fully reinvested into the estate. The scale of construction is impressive even today: a school, a hospital, a post office, service buildings, a park, and a manor house were built, totaling 72 structures.

The noble estate consisted of two buildings: for the owner and his guests. From the outside, the house resembled a large medieval castle with a flag on the spire, indicating the owner's presence. Krapovitsky spared no expense on the interior decoration: marble was brought from Crimea and Finland, the dining table was made of light oak covered with boar skin, and the furniture in the living room was made of mahogany. But that is not the main thing! Vladimir Semyonovich equipped the house with the latest technology of that time: it had electricity, plumbing, telegraph, and telephone.

A particular pride of the owner was the magnificent park and greenhouse with exotic plants. After the revolution, Krapovitsky and his wife emigrated to France and never returned. Over the years, the house was looted, and the estate burned down three times. Fortunately, today the 'noble town' is being restored.