Nikolai Sheremetev inherited Ostankino in 1787 and chose the site in 1790. He managed construction himself and hired architects as he saw fit. Casier, who called himself an architect, was hired first, but his project was not realized. Francesco Camporesi is named as the most notable architect involved. Igor Grabar attributed the design to Vasily Bazhenov, but modern studies reject this. The article says the palace as a whole has no single author besides Sheremetev.
It is a Neoclassical palace on a wooden frame. The wooden palace was structurally complete by the end of 1793, and major work finished by the end of 1798. The theater opened in summer 1795.
The Sheremetev family owned it until 1917. Under the Soviets it became a museum of serf art. Repairs in the 2000s reinstalled partitions so the theater can again serve its original function.
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