Abbey is a brick building with a tiled roof. This artist's workshop. The building was built in 1904 on the project VD Polenov and perfectly inscribed in the common architectural ensemble. This architecture VD Polenov called "Nordic". But it would be better to call it "polenovskoy" because it is a fusion of several different architectural styles.

When planning the construction of a separate comfortable studio, Vasily carefully thought out function and layout of the premises. The eclectic and unusual building Abbey are clearly visible features of the Romanesque style. The room is illuminated by a large studio high window, which faces north, the room is always filled with diffused light. It could work on canvas, spread it on the floor, and to look at it from a distance, just had to climb into the attic and through a specially carved in the ceiling hatch to look down. Workshop could easily turn into an auditorium here was specially provided for the scene on both sides of which there were two hewn stone blocks of stylized columns. In the studio the artist placed easel and everything necessary for his work.

Creativity VD Polenova closely associated with theatrical activity, with his work as a painter-decorator. Not quite the usual dimensions of the studio premises, including, and its high altitude, have been associated with the functional requirements of the equipment is the decor workshop. The Abbey VD Polenov worked on a series of his paintings "From the Life of Christ." Also here he worked his disciple EM Tadevosyan, cellist VL Kubatsky composer AN Alexandrov, FF Fedorov, designer of the Bolshoi Academic Theater, academicians NA Sokolov, PN Krylov GG Ryazhskiy (famous Kukryniksy) and other artists.

Attic in the Abbey was used as a storehouse of theatrical props, costumes and scenery. It kept the costumes, which are sewed to the performances of the artist's wife and his younger sister, ornamental weapons and clothes Serb soldiers who had brought back from his travels logs. Who are stored theatrical equipment and costumes of amateur theater, which has been working with rural school children and youth.

Abbey building was badly damaged by fire and has long been used to demonstrate the diorama. Now it has been recovered and there are organized performances polenovskogo theater, concerts, musical evenings.