The 125th anniversary of Alexander Block, a famous 20th century Russian poet, has been commemorated at his former residence, which is now a state owned museum. The poet described the country estate as “a paradise not far from Moscow”.

However, travelling to the estate is difficult by car, so some festival goers went on foot. This year, many outstanding Russian poets took part in the event. Evgeniy Evtushenko has been a regular visitor to the estate since 1972 and has written verse inspired by Block's poetry. Young artists also go to the manor to recite their work. Visitors also had something else to celebrate. The Block manor house was looted during the Revolution and the Civil War but is now being restored. It's also survived a fire and German occupation. Many pieces of original furniture have been sourced in nearby villages. Now architects are drawing up plans to renovate the church where Block was married in 1903. They want the work to be completed within the next two years. But In the meantime, the poetry festival is still the main event at this historic estate.