Shermetyevs. Sheremetev Nikolay Petrovich Foreign voyage of the young count
The Sheremetev count family is one of the most noble and wealthy in Russia in the 18th century. The Sheremetevs were known as statesmen, builders of churches, wealthy philanthropists who helped the poor and sick, and encouraged the development of national architecture, art, and music. Their home theater was considered the best private theater in the empire; its owners spared neither money nor labor in staging performances and creating scenery. The Sheremetev Theater was distinguished not only by its professional, educated and talented actors and singers, but also by its meticulously calculated hall layout, luxurious decorations and excellent acoustics. Many who visited Kuskovo in those days noted that the scope of the performances and the professionalism of the actors were in no way inferior to the most famous palace theater in the Hermitage.
The Sheremetevs believed that real actors should be raised by patiently training them from childhood. Thus, Parasha Kovaleva (1768-1803), the daughter of a serf blacksmith, ended up with other children on the count’s estate when she was barely eight years old. She was immediately given to be raised by the lonely princess Marfa Mikhailovna Dolgorukaya. The girl received an education from the princess, was trained in vocals, acting, playing the harp and harpsichord, French and Italian, literature, literacy and some sciences. Famous masters—actors, singers and teachers—came to the estate to prepare children for theatrical life. More and more often they noted the excellent abilities of little Parasha and predicted a great future for her.
At the same time, the son of the owner of the house, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev (1751-1809), traveled around Europe in order to improve his education. Having absorbed the revolutionary ideas that reigned there, he immediately decided to change the life of Kuskovo and organize it according to European canons. The first thing the young man took on was the premises of his father’s theater, which seemed to him old and too cramped.
It was then, watching the progress of construction work, that Nikolai Petrovich saw a shy ten-year-old girl with huge eyes on a pale face, and when he got to know her better, he felt the extraordinary talent of the little serf.
In the new theater, the girl made her debut in the role of a maid from Greteri’s opera “The Experience of Friendship.” With her delightful soprano, Parasha captivated all the spectators, not leaving the owner’s son indifferent. Nikolai was so pleased with the debut of the little actress that he gave her the main role in the next opera and never doubted its success for a moment. It was then that the girl’s theatrical pseudonym, Zhemchugova, first appeared on posters. Since then, the best roles in the Sheremetyevo theater have gone to only young Parasha.
The Sheremetevs treated the actors with respect and reverence. They were called by name and patronymic; Count Sheremetev Jr. gave his actors new surnames based on the names of precious stones. Legend has it that the Pearl Parasha was named on the day when a small pearl was found in the estate pond. All actors and musicians of the theater were paid a salary, they were prohibited from any physical work, they ate the same as the owners of the estate, and the best local doctors were invited to see those who were sick. All this surprised the noble visitors of Kuskovo, and for a long time the order in the “strange” family was one of the most interesting topics at social evenings in the capital.
Rumors about the Sheremetev Theater spread throughout all the estates, noble people came to Kuskovo for each performance, and those who did not get to see the performance then lamented for a long time and listened to the vivid stories of those who saw the next production.
The old count decided to build a new theater building, the opening of which was to take place on June 30, 1787, on the day when Catherine P. herself intended to visit the Sheremetev estate. The famous theater, and especially the performance and voice of the young actress Praskovya Zhemchugova, so impressed the queen that she I decided to give the girl a diamond ring. From now on, the young serf Parasha became one of the most famous actresses in Russia.
On October 30, 1788, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev died. All estates with serfs of two hundred thousand souls went to his son, Nikolai Petrovich. After the death of his father, he forgot about the theater, drank and rioted, trying to distract himself from grief. Only Parasha was able to console the young count and with sympathy and endless kindness brought him out of his spree. After this, Nikolai Petrovich looked at the girl differently: a huge, strong feeling arose in his heart. Zhemchugova became the second person in the theater, the actors now addressed her only as Praskovya Ivanovna.
Soon the lovers and the entire theater troupe moved to the count's new estate - Ostankino. Suddenly, Parasha developed tuberculosis, and doctors forever forbade her to sing. The Count's tender care, his patience and love helped the woman survive this grief, and on December 15, 1798, Count Sheremetev gave freedom to his most beloved serf actress. This bold step caused bewilderment and gossip in noble circles, but the count did not pay attention to the slander. He decided to marry his beloved. On the morning of November 6, 1801, in the church of St. Simeon Stolpnik, which is now located in Moscow on Novy Arbat, a scandalous wedding took place. The sacrament was performed in the strictest confidence; only the four closest and most faithful friends of the young couple were invited to it.
This marriage lasted two years in respect, mutual understanding and love. Parasha's health deteriorated every day. On February 3, 1803, Praskovya Ivanovna gave birth to a son. The birth was difficult and painful, and the woman’s body, weakened by consumption, did not even allow the woman to get out of bed. Mortally ill, she begged to see the child, but he was immediately taken away from his mother for fear that the baby would become infected and die. The countess was fading away for about a month. In her delirium, she begged to be allowed to hear the baby’s voice, and when he was brought to the bedroom door, Parasha calmed down and fell into a heavy sleep.
Realizing that his wife’s death was inevitable, Nikolai Petrovich decided to reveal his secret and talk about his marriage to a former serf. He addressed a letter to Emperor Alexander I, where he begged to forgive him and recognize the newborn as the heir of the Sheremetev family. The Emperor gave his highest consent to this.
The beloved wife of Count Sheremetev died in the St. Petersburg Fountain House on February 23, 1803, on the twentieth day from the birth of her son. She was only thirty-four years old. No one from the nobility came to the funeral - the gentlemen did not want to recognize the late serf countess. Parasha was seen off on her last journey by actors, theater musicians, estate servants, serfs, and a man, gray with grief, holding a baby in his arms.
Now Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova-Sheremeteva rests in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in the family crypt of the Sheremetev counts.
She bequeathed all her personal funds and jewelry to orphaned children and poor brides to buy a dowry. Nikolai Petrovich strictly monitored the implementation of the will and until the end of his life he constantly helped the crippled and disadvantaged. In his Moscow palace, he founded the famous Sheremetev Hospital, which is now better known as the Institute of Emergency Medicine named after. Sklifosovsky. Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev died six years after his wife.
In his “Testamentary Letter” to his son, the count wrote about Praskovya Ivanovna: “... I had the most tender feelings for her... observing her mind adorned with virtue, sincerity, philanthropy, constancy, fidelity. These qualities... forced me to trample on secular prejudice in the discussion of the nobility of the family and choose her as my wife...”
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The roots of the Sheremetev family go deep into the history of Russia. Together with the Golitsyns, the Sheremetevs elevated the young Mikhail Romanov to the throne in 1612. We all remember Boris Petrovich Sheremetev from history - the famous field marshal, associate of Peter the Great. But in this article we will not talk about him, or even about his son, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, a general, senator, chamberlain, who spent a lot of effort and money on creating a unique palace ensemble in Kuskovo near Moscow. Let's talk about the grandson of Boris Petrovich and the son of Pyotr Borisovich - Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev.
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was born in St. Petersburg. Young Nikolai Sheremetev, like all his famous ancestors, was closely connected with the ruling dynasty - he grew up and was brought up together with the future Emperor Paul I, and was in great friendship with him. The Count received an excellent education. The education plan included the study of many disciplines: from the Law of God to international commerce. Sheremetev studied history, mathematics, geography, biology, astronomy, engineering, fortification, artillery, military regulations, heraldry, ceremonial art, and studied dancing, music, and dressage. He professionally played the piano, violin, and cello, read scores, directed an orchestra, and participated in amateur performances in the palace and on his estates.
Nikolai Petrovich was known as a well-known expert on architecture and was a major construction customer. Over the course of two decades, with his participation and at his expense, a theater and palace complex in Ostankino, theater buildings in Kuskovo and Markovo, houses in Pavlovsk and Gatchina, the Champetre manor and the Fountain House in St. Petersburg were built. No less important is the role of Sheremetev in the construction of churches: the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God in the Novospassky Monastery, the Trinity Church at the Hospice House, the temple in the name of Dmitry of Rostov in Rostov the Great and others.
Count Sheremetev went down in the history of Russian culture as an outstanding theatrical figure, the creator of one of the best theaters in Russia. On his estate, in Kuskovo, the count created a theater school, where he taught acting to his serfs. Thanks to him, entire generations of talented serf actors, musicians and composers grew up, and the Kuskovsky Theater became one of the best in Russia. The main actress of the theater, the “culprit” of its unprecedented fame, was Praskovya Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, the daughter of an ordinary village blacksmith. Knowing the impossibility of marriage with his own serf actress, Count Sheremetev, who fell in love with her at first sight, will forever decide for himself: “I will never marry anyone.” For a long time, Sheremetev was indeed not allowed to marry a commoner, and only Emperor Alexander I gave his consent to this marriage. The wedding took place in 1801. In 1803, Parasha Zhemchugova - the great serf actress, and then Countess Sheremeteva - gave her husband a son, Dmitry. Three weeks later she died of tuberculosis.
In memory of his beloved wife, the count built a Hospice House in Moscow. Back in the late 80s, Nikolai Petrovich and Praskovya Ivanovna, “in mutual and secret agreement,” conceived and began the construction of this house in order to “ease the suffering,” whose difficult life the Countess knew too well. A plot of land (then a remote outskirts of Moscow) was chosen for development on the “Cherkasy Gardens” near Spasskaya Street.
The initial design of the Hospice House was carried out by a talented Russian architect from former serfs, Elizvoy Nazarov. Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev wanted to create an institution that was completely unique against the colorful background of Russian charitable institutions and societies. In April 1804, the foundation of four outbuildings took place. What was unusual about the building was the location of the Church of the Holy Trinity inside it - in the House they had to take care not only of the bodies, but also of the souls of those being cared for. In the painting of the dome, among the angels, the baby Dmitry, Sheremetev’s little son, was depicted. The church premises were decorated with special pomp. Due to the grandeur of the plans, the funds required from the count were fantastic - 2.5 million rubles. And he contributed another 500 thousand to the Treasury for the maintenance of the house. This immeasurable generosity amazed his contemporaries.
To the already famous surname of the count, another one has now been added - Merciful. Nikolai Petrovich survived his wife by only six years. He spent his last years in St. Petersburg, in the Fountain House. On January 1, 1809, Nikolai Petrovich died.
The grand opening of the Hospice House took place a year and a half after the death of the founder and was timed to coincide with his birthday. By 1838 there were 140 people in the house. The charity of the House was not limited to the walls of the almshouse and hospital. Annual sums were allocated for the dowry of brides - “poor and orphaned”; a win-win lottery was held annually in favor of one hundred poor brides who, upon getting married, received from the Sheremetev account from 50 to 200 rubles, to help impoverished artisans, for benefits for raising orphans, and so on. .
The Hospital of the Hospice House (Sheremetevskaya Hospital) made a significant contribution to the development of clinical medicine in Russia. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Moscow branch of the Medical-Surgical Academy was based here. Since 1884, the Sheremetyev Hospital has become the clinical base of the university. Leading Russian scientists not only introduce advanced methods of treating patients, but also create a solid scientific foundation. During the years of wars and revolutions, the Sheremetevskaya hospital turned into a hospital: it received within its walls both the first wounded of the Borodino battle (the hospital museum contains the medical history of Prince P.I. Bagration), and the injured participants in the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.
Nikolai Sheremetev's son, Dmitry Nikolaevich, in turn, was replaced as trustee of the Hospice Home by his son, Sergei Dmitrievich Sheremetev. He also continued the traditions of charity of the Sheremetev family. For a quarter of a century, the main caretaker of the Hospice House was Boris Sergeevich Sheremetev, who died in the same house at a ripe old age in 1906.
In June 1918, the very name of the Hospice House was liquidated. The church at the hospital was closed, the wooden iconostases were dismantled, and the icons were removed. The house turned into a regular hospital. In 1919, in the premises of the former Hospice House, the Moscow City Ambulance Station was organized, and from 1923 to this day, one of the buildings of the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after N.V. has been located here. Sklifosofsky. The Sheremetevs' coat of arms reads: "God preserves everything." Under this motto, the Sheremetevs did good.
3. Abramtsevo under the Mamontovs
Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (1841–1918), a native of an old merchant family, was born in the city of Yalutorovsk, Tobolsk province (now Tyumen region). His father, Ivan Fedorovich Mamontov (1802–1869), founded a joint-stock company that built the Moscow-Yaroslavl railway and participated in the development of the first oil fields in Baku. Around 1850, the Mamontov family settled in Moscow. S.I. Mamontov studied at the Moscow gymnasium, the St. Petersburg Mining Institute (1854–1855) and at Moscow University (1860–1862), from which he did not graduate. I. F. Mamontov, wanting to introduce his son to the family business, sent him for an internship in Baku (1862–1863), and then introduced him to the board of the Moscow-Yaroslavl Railway.
In 1865, S.I. Mamontov married Elizaveta Grigorievna Sapozhnikova (1847–1908), who also came from an old merchant family that owned weaving factories. The couple settled on Sadovaya-Spasskaya Street in a house donated by I.F. Mamontov. There were five children in the family - Sergei (1867–1915), Andrey (1869–1891), Vsevolod (1870–1951), Vera (1875–1907) and Alexandra (1878–1952), named after the first letters of the name S.I. Mamontova - Savva.After the death of his father, S.I. Mamontov, having inherited part of his fortune, became a director (1872), and then chairman of the board of the transformed Joint Stock Company of the Moscow-Yaroslavl-Arkhangelsk Railway (1894–1899).
In 1870, S.I. Mamontov purchased the Abramtsevo estate from the daughter of S.T. Aksakov. In the dilapidated estate, all the buildings required repairs, and the Mamontovs set about renovating it. In the 1870s–1880s. The manor house was renovated, the kitchen and servants' quarters were rebuilt. In the northern part of the yard, a wind pump and a shed with a barn were erected, in place of the orchard - a greenhouse and two greenhouses where strawberries and peaches were grown, and to the southwest of the yard - a stable and a carriage house. A barnyard with a dairy in the “Dutch style”, a hay barn and a dacha called “Yashkin’s House” did not fit on the territory of the old estate and were moved outside its boundaries. Most of these buildings have not survived to this day.
In an effort to improve the situation of local peasants, Elizaveta Grigorievna Mamontova organized the first hospital (1873) and school (1874) in the district. A carpentry workshop was opened at the school (1876) in order to prevent rural youth from leaving to work in the city. These buildings, located to the northwest of the estate, were called the “Cultural Village” and also have not survived to this day.
An entrepreneur by profession, S.I. Mamontov was an artist by vocation: he was keenly interested in fine arts, architecture, and theater. While studying at the university, he participated in a theater group led by playwright A. N. Ostrovsky, then took singing lessons in Milan, and studied drawing in Rome. Since the late 1860s. The Mamontovs' house on Sadovaya-Spasskaya began to be visited by representatives of creative professions - the artist N.V. Nevrev, the architect V.A. Hartman and others. In 1872, the Mamontovs visited Italy, where they met the sculptor M.M. Antokolsky, the artist V. D. Polenov and art historian A.V. Prakhov. In memory of this event, a “Roman Grove” was planted in Abramtsevo, on the south-eastern side of the manor house. In subsequent years, I. E. Repin, V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov, V. A. Serov, I. S. Ostroukhov, E. D. Polenova, K. A. Korovin, M V. Nesterov, M. A. Vrubel, A. A. Kiselev and other artists. The creative community of these masters entered the history of art as the Mamontov art circle.
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S. I. Mamontov. 1880s |
On the initiative of E. G. Mamontova, with the participation of I. E. Repin, V. D. and E. D. Polenov, V. M. Vasnetsov and Andrei Mamontov, a collection of works of folk art was collected in Abramtsevo (1881–1890s ). Based on this collection, products were created from the Abramtsevo workshop, which was transformed into a carpentry workshop. The artistic direction of the workshop from 1885 to 1892 was carried out by E. D. Polenova, who created more than a hundred sketches, according to which furniture and other household items decorated with carvings and paintings were made. Later, the workshop was led by artists M. F. Yakunchikova and N. Ya. Davydova.
In 1890, a ceramic workshop was built in the “Cultural Village”, the artistic director of which was M. A. Vrubel. He made tiled stoves for the Moscow and Abramtsevo Mamontov houses, numerous works of decorative sculpture and tableware. A significant contribution to the activities of the workshop was made by master technologist P.K. Vaulin, who was in charge of ceramic production for more than ten years.
Vasnetsov, Polenov, Serov, Korovin, Kiselev, Andrei Mamontov and other artists also took part in the work of the workshops. Abramtsevo products were in demand in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, and received awards at prestigious exhibitions, including the World Exhibition in Paris (1900). In the 1890s. similar art workshops were opened in the estates of Solomenka M.F. Yakunchikova and Talashkino of Princess M.K. Tenisheva.
In Abramtsevo they supported the tradition of home performances, which was widespread in those years. The director, and often the playwright, was S.I. Mamontov, the roles were played by anyone, and the scenery and costume designs were created by Polenov, Vasnetsov and other artists. These amateur productions greatly contributed to the creation by Mamontov of the Russian private opera (1885–1891, 1896–1899) in Moscow. On the territory of the estate, next to the manor house, a sculpture workshop (1873) designed by V. A. Hartmann and a bathhouse (1877) were built –1878) designed by I.P. Ropet - examples of the “Russian style”, popular at that time, one of the trends in architectural eclecticism. In 1881–1882 In the estate park, according to the design of V. M. Vasnetsov and V. D. Polenov, the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands was erected. In 1883, next to the church, according to the design of V. M. Vasnetsov, a gazebo was built, which was called “The Hut on Chicken Legs” for its bizarre appearance. The church and the hut are considered the first works of Russian Art Nouveau.
In 1893, members of the Mamontov art circle celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of their community. At the celebration of this event, V. M. Vasnetsov gave a speech, and the following year the anniversary album “Chronicle of Our Art Circle” was published, the cover of which was designed by V. D. Polenov. Both Vasnetsov’s speech and the album were dedicated to the theatrical activities of the circle, but its legacy is more significant and diverse. The Mamontov art circle laid the foundation for the national, neo-Russian direction of the Art Nouveau style and largely determined the work of the World of Art association, the Art Theater of K. S. Stanislavsky and the Russian Seasons of S. P. Diaghilev at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. The members of the circle created one of the first museums of works of Russian folk art, and the Abramtsevo workshops laid the foundation for the revival and development of ancient crafts - wood carving and majolica production.
Over the past years, S.I. Mamontov’s entrepreneurial activities have expanded significantly: he laid the Donetsk Coal Railway, was the main shareholder of the Moscow Joint Stock Company Carriage Building Plant, the Partnership of the Nevsky Mechanical Plant, and the Society of East Siberian Iron Smelters, becoming one of the founders of the Russian railway industry. But in 1899, Mamontov was arrested on charges of financial abuse and spent several months in prison. The following year he was acquitted by a jury, but was completely ruined. The Moscow house, sealed after Mamontov's arrest, and the collection of works of art stored in it were sold at auction to pay off debts. Abramtsevo, rewritten in 1880 by E. G. Mamontov, was preserved.
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Manor house. 1880s
At the "Hut on Chicken Legs"
From left to right:
Alexandra Mamontova,
Mademoiselle Rachou (governess),
Vera Mamontova. 1890s
Vera Mamontova. 1890s
Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands
mid 1890s mid 1900s
Friday, August 10, 2007 00:12 + to quote book
I am adding this story to my diary today as a sign of fulfillment of a promise. Rusinka, after exchanging mutual comments in her diary on this topic, and also as a sign of my deep respect for many Russian people from the Sheremetev family. This post is long, but I didn’t want to tear it into parts. Patient and interested in Russian history (especially the history of patronage) and partly romance, I think he will not regret the time spent reading. If this story arouses interest in a narrow circle of my readers, then over time a continuation of the story about the glorious Sheremetev family will appear here
Why exactly today, August 9, did I decide to post this story in my diary?
It was compiled by me exactly a year ago.
On this day 255 years (now 256 years) ago, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, a brilliant and versatile educated man, was born.
Being one of the richest nobles, he was a generous benefactor of that era, so far from us. A little about the ancestors of Count N.P. Sheremetev:
The roots of the Sheremetev family go deep into the history of Russia. Together with the Golitsyns, the Sheremetevs elevated the young Mikhail Romanov to the throne in 1612. Nikolai Petrovich's grandfather, Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (1652-1719), is a famous field marshal and associate of Peter I. Father, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev (1713-1788), is a general, senator, chamberlain, who spent a lot of effort and money on creating a unique Kuskovo in the Moscow region palace ensemble.
I. Argunov. Portrait of Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev. 1760
Kuskovo
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was born on June 28, 1751 in St. Petersburg. Young Nikolai Sheremetev, like all his famous ancestors, was closely connected with the ruling dynasty - he grew up and was brought up together with the future Emperor Paul I, and was in great friendship with him. Many years later, Nikolai Petrovich would be one of the last to see Paul I on the eve of his tragic death in the Mikhailovsky Palace.
N. Argunov. Portrait of Count N.P. Sheremetev. 1798
At the age of eight, Sheremetev, according to tradition, was recorded as a sergeant and then lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment.
The Count received an excellent education. There is a well-known document called “Plan for the education of a young gentleman. Composed for the young Count Sheremetev, the only son of His Excellency Count Sheremetev, by Yakov Shtelin in the winter of 1764.”
Kuskovo Estate
The education plan included the study of many disciplines: from the Law of God to international commerce. Sheremetev studied history, mathematics, geography, biology, astronomy, engineering, fortification, artillery, military regulations, heraldry, ceremonial art, and studied dancing, music, and dressage.
View of the Kuskovo estate
In addition, the plan was supposed to help the count develop good taste for judgments about works of painting, sculpture, architecture and art.
Family of serf artists
Family art gallery in Kuskovo
As a result, Sheremetev grew up and was brought up in a special atmosphere, receiving a serious musical education: he professionally played the piano, violin, cello, read scores, directed an orchestra, and participated in amateur performances in the palace and on his estates.
Fragment of the interior of the palace. Kuskovo
In 1769, the count went on a long trip to European countries.
Moscow outpost. 18th century engraving
The goal is to study at Leiden University (Holland). While traveling, Sheremetev meets Handel and Mozart (the latter, by the way, even helps him financially). He is presented to the courts of Prussia, France and England.
Upon returning to Russia, Sheremetev’s successful career at court began. In 1774, twenty-three-year-old Sheremetev was promoted to chamberlain, in 1777 he was elected Moscow district marshal of the nobility, and in 1786 he was appointed privy councilor and senator. Empress Catherine II loves and visits the Sheremetev estates more than once, especially Kuskovo.
Interior of the palace in Kuskovo
With the accession of Emperor Paul I in 1896, Count Sheremetev became one of the highest-ranking officials of the court - Chief Marshal, led all ceremonial processions and had lunch and dinner with the emperor almost every day.
In the Kuskovo Palace
In 1799 he was appointed director of the imperial theaters, then director of the Corps of Pages.
Nikolai Petrovich was known as a well-known expert on architecture and was a major construction customer.
View of the village of Ostankino. Unknown artist
Over two decades, with his participation and at his expense, a theater and palace complex in Ostankino, theater buildings in Kuskovo and Markovo, houses in Pavlovsk and Gatchina, the Champetre manor and the Fountain House in St. Petersburg were built.
No less important is the role of Sheremetev in the construction of churches: the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God in the Novospassky Monastery, the Trinity Church at the Hospice House, the temple in the name of Dmitry of Rostov in Rostov the Great and others.
Fragment of the interior of the estate in Ostankino
Count Sheremetev went down in the history of Russian culture as an outstanding theatrical figure, the creator of one of the best theaters in Russia. On his estate, in Kuskovo, the count created a theater school, where he taught acting to his serfs.
N. Argunov. Portrait of a boy from the Sheremetev family. 1803
The main actress of the theater, the “culprit” of its unprecedented fame, was Praskovya Kovaleva-Zhemchugova (1768-1803), the daughter of an ordinary village blacksmith.
If you wish, read the continuation of the story in the comments.
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Every fairy tale is born from a story - one way or another. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes life resembles a plot taken as if from a children's book. For example: a noble prince fell in love with a beautiful but poor girl, and this love was so strong that he spat on prejudices and married her.
Well, maybe not a prince, but a count. And they lived together for a short time. But happy.
Prince
The pillar nobleman, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev, was royally rich, knightly noble and romantically in love with art. On the Kuskovo estate, which he inherited from his father, he built a theater that made waves throughout Russia. The actors in it were serfs, who, as children, were selected from all Sheremetyevo volosts for their special talents to study music, singing, choreography, foreign languages and, of course, stagecraft at the theater school.
Nikolai Petrovich personally selected the repertoire and supervised the rehearsals. The fame of its talented actors excited the entire high society. Emperor Paul, Metropolitan Platon, Polish King Stanislaw II Poniatowski, Swedish King Gustav III and other nobles - all flocked to Kuskovo to enjoy the magnificent performances. And express admiration for the main figure of the Sheremetyevo Theater - Praskovya Zhemchugova.
Cinderella
She received the surname Zhemchugov at the whim of Nikolai Petrovich himself. Looking for precious talents among the crowds of serf children, the count preferred to call them accordingly: Granatova, Almazov, Biryuzova.
In fact, Praskovya was the daughter of a hunchbacked blacksmith - a “farrier,” and she came to the count’s theater at the age of seven, Parashka Kovaleva. But already at the age of 13 she struck like lightning, performing on stage the deeply touching role of Louise from Seden’s drama “The Runaway Soldier”. At the age of 16, Praskovya Zhemchugova was deservedly considered the prima of the theater, hypnotizing audiences with her soulful dramatic acting, unusual for such a young girl, and her flexible lyric-dramatic soprano.
Zhemchugova easily transformed from a tragic heroine into a comedic talker, or into a young page - her slender, fragile figure allowed her to do this. And she always received a standing ovation. But when she appeared on stage in the image of Eliana from the opera “The Samnite Marriages” by Grétry, the audience burst into general sobbing.
Transformation into a princess
She was a match for Sheremetyev. Yes, an excellent musical education, brilliant command of foreign languages, external grace and bright beauty... But is that really the point? The identity of souls is the root cause of the deep passion of the count and the ardent reciprocity of the serf actress. Harmonious, subtle, generous - Zhemchugova was molded from the same count material. And only according to earthly laws she stood below him.
Sheremetyev made a vow - if he cannot marry his beloved, he will not marry anyone. After the death of his father, Nikolai Petrovich openly moved to a house specially built for Praskovya in Kuskovsky Park.
Everyone knew about their relationship - no one judged. In those days, landowners' crushes on young serfs were widespread. And to suspect Praskovya Zhemchugova of any selfish interest would be almost blasphemous - her whole image was so pure.
However, in 1797, after the count was awarded the title of chief marshal of the imperial court and he had to move to St. Petersburg, high society became agitated. The fabulously rich Sheremetyev was 37 years old, he was single, and besides, he was warm-hearted and good-looking. A most enviable party! Only for some reason he is not interested in social entertainment, and in a St. Petersburg house he lives with a serf actress! It was in Kuskovo that Praskovya was elevated to Olympus - in calculating Petersburg, where connections and origin ruled the show, the world spoke of her only as a courtyard girl.
Meanwhile, the count was terribly burdened by the awareness of guilt before his beloved. The northern winds of St. Petersburg undermined her health - Praskovya lost her magnificent voice. In addition, her hereditary tuberculosis worsened. Having long ago received her freedom from the count, Zhemchugova remained a simple kept woman - and the bitterness of this position was killing her.
Taking advantage of the sovereign's favor (and inventing a legend about Praskovya Kovalevskaya from a family of Polish nobles!), Nikolai Petrovich was honored in every sense with a royal gift - Alexander I signed a special edict giving Count Sheremetyev the right to marry Praskovya Zhemchugova.
Midnight struck
The wedding, which took place on November 6, 1801, was secret. A dark carriage quickly drove up to the parish church of Simeon the Stylite and hastily took away the count, the newly made Countess Sheremetyeva and the modest witnesses of their marriage.
Nikolai Petrovich did not reveal to anyone that he was married. Despite the imperial approval, Praskovya Sheremetyeva would not have been accepted in high society - the title of actress was no better than the status of a former serf, because at that time they even buried actors behind the cemetery fence.
The secret came to light two years later, when it was no longer possible to hide it - a son, Count Dmitry, was born into the Sheremetyev family. Naturally, such an unforeseen turn stunned all the greedy relatives, who happily accepted the fact that Nikolai Petrovich would no longer leave behind a direct heir. “Our eldest relative is an excellent thing,” Anna Semenovna Sheremetyeva noted in her memoirs. Nikolai Petrovich finally secured the title of madman, which he had been awarded for his entire life.
However, did this bother him if his beloved Praskovya died on the twentieth day after the birth of his son? Childbirth, together with tuberculosis, dealt a fatal blow to this strong-willed, but very fragile organism.
For the six years by which he was destined to outlive his wife, Nikolai Petrovich strictly followed her will: he raised his son, helped the poor, invested capital in issuing dowries to poor brides, and built a Hospice House (now the Sklifosovsky Research Institute).
The count was buried next to his wife, in the Sheremetyev tomb of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, in a simple plank coffin - Count Sheremetyev bequeathed to distribute all the money allocated for the rich funeral of the highest persons to the poor.
Elena Gorbunova
