What we know about two grand estates in Maryland and Long Island that have long served as compounds for Russian diplomats As payback for Russian interference in the election, President Barack Obama ordered a pair of waterfront estates owned by the Russian government to be vacated this week. Owned for decades as out-of-town escapes for the Russia?s elite diplomats, these two estates?in Long Island and in eastern Maryland, outside of D.C.?speak to the elevated nature of diplomatic life, boasting amenities such as full-sized soccer fields, lighted tennis courts, and swimming pools.
Labeled ?beachside spy nests? by the U.S., they also represent part of the intriguing history of Russian-American relations, and how both have used this types of upscale real estate in their rival?s homeland for international relations, consular missions, and covert surveillance and spying. The Obama administration?s move, the largest expulsion of Russian officials since 2001, centers on a historic Long Island manse known as Killenworth and a Georgian-style mansion on the Corsica River outside of Centreville, Maryland.
Library of Congress:  Frances Benjamin Johnston
Hand-colored 1918 photo on Killenworth

The Long Island retreat, Killenworth, was built by George Dupont Pratt?son of the founder of Standard Oil, Long Island railroad employee, and co-founder of the Boy Scouts. It has played a key role in Russian diplomacy for decades after being purchased for $1 mi...