Catherine II bought the estate in 1775 as a summer residence. Vasily Bazhenov designed the complex, and work began in May 1776. Catherine visited in June 1785 and rejected it, and Bazhenov was removed. Matvey Kazakov designed a replacement Grand Palace, approved in February 1786. Construction halted after Catherine's death in November 1796, and the palace stood half-ruined for more than 200 years.
The article describes Bazhenov's work as neo-Gothic, Moscow Baroque and classical, and says most buildings are Moscow Baroque and neo-Gothic. The Grand Palace combines Gothic towers and lancet arches with classical proportions. The ensemble has more than 20 buildings.
Scientific restoration began in the mid-1980s. The Grand Palace was reconstructed from 2005 to 2007 and officially opened on September 2, 2007. Moscow authorities have run the museum-reserve since 2004.
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