In the picturesque upper reaches of the Shelon River valley in the Pskov region lies a remarkable noble estate that once belonged to Prince Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin, the director of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. The house was designed by Ivan Fomin, a well-known follower of the classical traditions of Kvarengi, who created a true architectural gem here. A wide staircase adorned with garden vases led to the main entrance with columns, while a ramp at the back allowed any traveler to approach the house directly. The interior of the house matched its exterior: the interiors were done in the Art Nouveau style at Gagarin's request. The living room was decorated with paintings, foreign furniture, and mirrors, while numerous flowers and plants created a cozy atmosphere. Interestingly, the engineering and utility systems of the estate were developed by Andrei Grigorievich himself. Thanks to his project, the house was equipped with heating from a boiler room in the basement, as well as plumbing and a telephone, true royal luxury for the early 20th century. Gagarin, being a practical man, arranged cellars, storage for pickles and jams, and even a separate smokehouse for hams. Since 1912, he led a peasant lifestyle here, being the first director of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic. He also cared for the local peasants and during World War I became the chairman of the volost guardianship for the families of peasants who went to the front. His two sons also did not stay in the rear, bravely fighting at the front. In 1918, the estate was nationalized, and his son Grigory, who returned from the war, was nearly shot, but the peasants stood up for him. Realizing the direction things were heading, Grigory emigrated to the USA. Andrei Gagarin himself organized a House of Creativity at his estate, where cultural figures such as Chukovsky, Khodasevich, Zoshchenko, Mandelstam, and others took refuge from the Soviets for some time. Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin is buried in the village of Velskoye Ustye, two kilometers from Kholomki. Gagarin's older children left the country, while his youngest son, Prince Peter Andreevich, born in 1904, remained in his homeland. He received an education and a job in his field, but in 1938 he was arrested and executed as an 'enemy of the people.'