On September 11, 1856, the Empress gifted an estate to her third son, Nikolai Nikolaevich, who was married and a father. The architect Gerald Ernestovich Bosse was appointed for the project and completed the facade decoration of the palace by 1859. In addition, a stable building, a greenhouse, and a kitchen wing were constructed.

The Znamensky Stable Yard was a spacious complex, designed with arched gates with wrought iron doors, resembling a palace. It included a riding hall for guests, ten horse stalls, a infirmary, forges, and living quarters for the staff. Exhibitions of purebred horses were held here, attracting horse breeding enthusiasts and owners of stud farms. The General Inspector of Cavalry, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder, was involved in this endeavor and had a great passion for horses.

The Stable Wing was especially impressive, its quadrangle emphasized by turrets, and the arches of the gates created an impressive perspective, highlighted by the decor of the intricate wrought iron doors. The stable quadrangle, built in 1860, in its exterior decoration was hardly distinguishable from palaces. Grand Duke Nikolai, being the cavalry inspector, had a fondness for horses. The stable housed horses of all the most famous breeds in the world. The stables included a riding hall, forges, an infirmary, and living quarters for servants in the corner towers. Annual exhibitions of purebred horses were held at the estate, attracting stud farm owners and horse breeding enthusiasts.

During the Great Patriotic War, German troops were stationed in Znamenka, and the estate suffered damage. However, the relatively well-preserved stables were never restored.

In the 1960s, the building housed a poultry farm and was maintained in fairly decent condition. Moreover, one could freely enter the inner courtyard, which was also beautifully decorated in the spirit of the same neo-Baroque style.

In the 1970s, simultaneously with the restoration of the palace and its adaptation into a sanatorium for Glavlenavtotrans, it was apparently decided to convert the former stable wing into one of the sanatorium’s buildings. The poultry farm was evicted from here—but work for the sanatorium never began.

Since then (for half a century now!) the building has been empty and deteriorating.

Sources:

https://www.citywalls.ru/house22706.html