Kuskovo is often called the Moscow Versailles for its formal French gardens. It is a perfect example of the 18th century Muscovite country residence. The history of the estate dates back to 1715, when Russian tsar Peter the Great presented the Kuskovo village to Boris Sheremetev, a Russian general who excelled in the battle of Poltava. For many years Kuskovo served as the summer residence of the Sheremetevs family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful in Russia. The estate comprises the central palace and a number of smaller buildings and architectural constructions dotted throughout an extensive landscape park, which includes formal French gardens, ponds, lakes, as well as Russian and Italian sculptures.The estate also features Italian cottage, which comprises a miniature palace, the Green Theater, the Orangery and the magnificent Ceramics Museum.