You will need two hours (M2) to get to the manor of artist Vasily Polenov (Strakhovo village, Tula Region). Why to go there? Firstly, the house of the artist and his irregular park are situated on the beautiful bank of the Oka river; the views alone are worth a trip. Secondly, almost nothing has changed in the house since the painter's death; the opportunity to go back in time is unique. Third, the Polenovo Museum has been under the direction of the Polenov family since its foundation, i.e. the house, the park and even the views are preserved as if no one left the estate after the Revolution; I do not know another place like this, perhaps. Gastronomy: a couple of kilometers away from Polenovo, in Privolye, is the first real Locavore restaurant in the country, "Mark and Lev". All products are delivered to the restaurant's kitchen from nearby farms, and even the wine comes from the Tula winery of the most original Russian winemaker Sergey Palladichev.
At the turn of the century artist Vasily Polenov based his own project on the Borok estate on the high bank of the Oka. Polenov jokingly called the central house (which does not resemble a typical lord's mansion) an "abbey". Today the estate is called Polenovo.
On the way to Polenovo we recommend to stop at the farmer's market "Lavka-Lavka", it is situated on the 107th km of the highway M2.
Vasily Polenov was a passionate collector, his entire house is filled with collections: Egyptian antiquities, antique objects, majolica, paintings. Moreover, the collections are displayed exactly as Vasily Dmitrievich kept them. Generally speaking, there is no feeling of Polenov's museum as of a museum; having got to the "abbey", it is as if you come to visit the artist, moving more than a hundred years back. In fact, you do come to visit. In one of the rooms of the house-museum you can even meet one of the Polenovs, still living and working at the estate. Entrance tickets are purchased on the spot, but for a limited list of events you can use **[e-ticketing service](http://www.polenovo.ru/ru)**.
The church built by Vasily Polenov and the village cemetery where the artist is buried. From the lower fence of the cemetery there is a beautiful view of the bends of the Oka.
The first locavore restaurant (all the products are brought to the kitchen from the nearest, not more than 150 km away, farms) in Russia.
And in half an hour's drive there is village Dvoryaninovo where there is "Bolotov.Dacha" - one of the best country hotels in Russia (there are separate rooms and dormitories, and also - the whole cottages). Look at "Dacha Clockwork" - it is the atmospheric space where guests spend time near a fireplace with books and board games. It works as an hourly-paid ante-café. Not in a hurry to get to work? You can stay here overnight. **[Book accommodation](https://bolotov.life/booking?utm_source=website&utm_medium=roadtrip&utm_campaign=road.travel)**