- Address: Zinnenstrasse 6, 6353 Weggis, Switzerland
- Founder: Sergey Rachmaninov
- Year of construction: 1930-1934.
A fine thread, connecting the culture of Switzerland and Russia, life and creativity of Sergei Rachmaninov lingered. Surprisingly, traveling in one of the richest countries in Europe, you can find a wonderful place, which will appeal to every Russian. Fleeing from the Bolsheviks, it was at Villa Senar that Sergei Rachmaninov, a great composer and musician, found his haven.
The manor of a famous artist is located on the shore of the Firvaldshtets lake , in the small town of Hertenstein, in the canton of Lucerne , occupying an area of more than 10 hectares. Here there are two houses, and you can also find a well-kept garden and a small pier with several motor boats, to which the great musician was weak. With some confidence, it can be argued that this picturesque area is thanks to Villa Senar and gained worldwide fame.
A bit of history
In the 1920s, wishing to be closer to the daughters who settled in Paris, Sergei Rakhmaninov bought a site with a house in Switzerland . From this moment the history of Villa Senar begins. Ten years later, in 1931, capital construction began. Then the name of the villa was invented. "Senar" is an acronym for the names of Sergei and Natalya Rachmaninoff, and the last letter "p" stands for the surname. The construction of the villa was burdened by many difficulties - the musician wanted to repeat the estate, which remained at home, in the town of Ivanovka, in Tambov region. On the territory of the estate was planned a garden. For this, I had to blow up a part of the rock and bring a few trucks to the ground.
The project of the house Rakhmaninov personally discussed with the architect, bringing in it a lot of details and wishes, equipping the present family nest. He was very proud of the fruits of his labors, and on this wave of loftiness and inspiration in the first year of his residence at the villa Senar wrote a famous Rhapsody on the theme of Paganini. Unfortunately, trying to avoid war, in 1939 the Rakhmaninov family leaves the estate forever. The musician wanted after death to be buried on the territory of Senar, but fate decreed somewhat differently.
Villa Rachmaninov today
Despite all the aspirations, the external appearance of the estate is a bit like the classical Russian estates. Today it is a two-story building, externally decorated with white plaster, with many terraces, huge windows and a flat roof. The house is designed in the style of Art Nouveau, which at that time hardly ever gained popularity. At Villa Senar, everything is now preserved, as in former times - genuine furnishings, original furniture, the legendary grand piano Steinway. Also, some other cultural values are stored here - various musical instruments, diaries, notes and correspondence of a great musician and composer.
In 1943, the estate was inherited by the composer's grandson - Alexander Rakhmaninov, who founded the S.V. Rachmaninoff. After his death, the heirs wanted to sell parts and properties of Villa Senar in parts, but due to some conflict between the laws of Switzerland and Russia, these plans were somewhat postponed. This gave time to the leaders of the Fund S.V. Rakhmaninov put the question before V.V. Putin asked the question about the purchase of Senar in favor of Russia, with the further arrangement of the memorial in honor of the musician and composer, as well as the organization of the International Cultural Center. According to experts, the cost of the Rakhmaninov manor is about 700 million rubles.
How to get there?
The city of Hertenstein is very peculiar in terms of public transport . For example, you can get to Villa Senar, once owned by S. Rachmaninov, with the help of a ferry. The closest is the ferry station Hertenstein SGV, ferries BAT and BAV.
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