Pskov Stud Farm Stele (Volyshovo)

The Pskov Stud Farm stele stands at the entrance to the village of Volyshovo in the Porkhov District of Pskov Oblast, on the Porkhov–Uspenye road, about 19 kilometres from Porkhov. It marks the turn to one of the oldest stud farms in the region, founded in 1923 on the former estate of the Counts Stroganov.

History of the stud farm

Horses were bred at Volyshovo long before the Soviet era: in the late 19th century the Stroganovs set up a stud on the estate, breeding English Thoroughbreds, Anglo-Arabs, trotters and Shire draught horses. In 1923 the Pskov Stud Farm was created from the horse-breeding part of the nationalised estate; it took over the count's stable complex and turned to trotters.

The farm suffered heavily in the Second World War: according to accounts, only seventeen of its three hundred breeding horses came back. It was rebuilt after the war and until the 1990s ranked among the five best stud farms in the USSR.

Its golden age is linked to the chief livestock specialist Anna Grigoryevna Kunitskaya, who gave more than fifty years to Volyshovo. Orlov and American trotters were crossed here, producing famous stallions such as the Derby winner Otello, Losk, Olgin, Brodyaga-Ya and Prokaznik. Their offspring won major prizes and set records; Olgin is called one of the best sires of the 20th century and Brodyaga-Ya one of the best trotters of the century.

What to see in Volyshovo

The stele is only the start of a visit to the Stroganov estate, counted in the early 20th century among the most beautiful country estates of the Russian Empire. The ensemble covers about 45 hectares and has several dozen historic buildings. The main house was badly damaged by a fire in the summer of 2018 and stands in ruins; going inside is unsafe.

The farm buildings have fared better. Two cast-iron horse heads still decorate the facade of the historic stables, and the old riding hall has roof beams shaped like a ship's frames. The count's stables could be repaired and used again, but that needs an approved project, so the horses now live in the farm's own buildings.

The stud farm today

The farm still works, though its horses no longer set the records of the past. Most buyers of its trotters come from St Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast. In 2024 a foundation, Revival of the Stroganov Estate in Volyshovo, was set up to restore the estate and its horse-breeding traditions.

Getting there

Volyshovo lies on the Porkhov–Uspenye road, about 19 kilometres from Porkhov; the road is good, and the turn is marked by a sign and the stele itself. Coach tours from St Petersburg to Porkhov and Volyshovo include the estate and the working stud farm.