Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev personality activity fate. Sheremetev Nikolai Petrovich
“An old man with a small white beard, who served in a modest position as a guitarist in the Art Theater, was before the revolution one of the richest people in Moscow - the owner of several dozen huge houses in the city center ... In the Maly Theater, she calmly survived numerous storms Soviet era Louise Feodorovna Alexandrova - former lady of state under Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and former sympathy Emperor Nicholas II. After her close relationship with the emperor became clear, she had to leave Petersburg and move to Moscow. Here Louise Fedorovna entered the Maly Theater as an actress for minor roles, and this saved her life. In the same Maly Theater, a certain Vladimir Alexandrovich Shramchenko served as assistant to the head of the editing part. Before the revolution, he was an official for special assignments under the Moscow governor-general with the rank of state councilor and was in charge of the department of foreign passports in the Moscow branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.One of these "former" was Elagin's colleague at the theater. Vakhtangov - violinist and concertmaster Nikolai Sheremetev. Nikolai Petrovich was born in 1903 and was the grandson of Sergei Dmitrievich Sheremetev, a famous historian, public figure and the grandson of the famous Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev and Praskovya Zhemchugova.
Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev
“He spent his childhood in the Sheremetev Palace in St. Petersburg. He did not study at the gymnasium, the best teachers of Russia went to his house. The famous Russian poet Gumilyov, shot by the Bolsheviks in 1921, taught him the Assyrian language. His father was a great music lover and even kept his own orchestra. When Nikolasha was seven years old, he was taught to play the violin. It must be said that the family museum of Counts Sheremetevs had a magnificent collection of ancient instruments, one of which - the excellent Amati violin - was presented to the boy. This violin survived the years of revolution and years of destruction old Russia, without parting with its owner, and now sounded safely in our orchestra. By a lucky chance (which is so frequent in turbulent historical years), almost the entire Sheremetev family survived during the years of the revolution, with the exception of Nikolai Petrovich's two older brothers, who died during the famous Ice Campaign of the White General Kornilov in southern Russia.The relatives of Nikolai Petrovich emigrated, and he remained in Soviet Russia. How did it happen? The thing was that, like his famous ancestor, young Nikolai fell in love with an actress. Once he got to the rehearsal of the legendary Vakhtangov's "Princess Turandot", saw the leading lady, Vakhtangov's favorite student Cecilia Mansurova, and was smitten.
Cecilia Mansurova
Cecilia Lvovna was married, and besides, 7 years older than Nikolai, she was considered the prima of the theater, and he was a modest violinist, but the young man's perseverance did its job, and she began to reciprocate the fan. In 1924, the entire Sheremetev family managed to obtain permission to travel abroad - to Paris. Nikolai Petrovich also received a foreign passport, but at the very last moment ... tore it up. The Sheremetev family went abroad, and Mansurova separated from her first husband and married the young Count Sheremetev.
However, only in fairy tales at this moment it is said that "they lived happily ever after." Over the next years, the OGPU arrested Nikolai Petrovich ten times. And he never spent more than ten days in prison. His loving wife she turned to her patrons for help, and the count was released from the Lubyanka cellars. The arrests were repeated and repeated, but Cecilia Lvovna's connections were stronger and Nikolai Petrovich continued to play the violin in the theater.
“When passportization was taking place in Moscow, Nikolai Petrovich, of course, went to get a passport. In the regional passport department, where he came along with other Vakhtangovites, a young policeman was sitting. After checking the list and finding the name of Sheremetev among those who were supposed to issue a passport, the policeman hesitated for a moment and, suspecting a mistake, asked:At the same time, in the Vakhtangov Theater itself, the attitude towards Nikolai Petrovich was exceptionally benevolent.“Won’t you, citizen, be a relative of the Sheremetevs?”
“I am Count Sheremetev himself,” answered Nikolai Petrovich.
The policeman was taken aback for a minute, then took off and rushed to the office of the head of the passport department. After quite some time, he returned. His red face expressed an extreme degree of excitement. He excitedly said something to his comrades at work - other policemen who were in the room. They all got up from their tables, approached the barrier separating them from the visitors, and stared at the real living Count Sheremetev. There was absolute silence for several seconds. Then the proletarian heart of the passport official could not stand it.
“Take it, take it, you lordly offspring,” he hissed, turning purple and throwing the passport at Sheremetev’s feet. He added the most powerful of all the curses that exist in the Russian language.
“Recalling now all his behavior, his manner of dealing with people and conversation, even his character, I could not say anything definite about them. I have never met people in my life who would be so changeable, so many-sided as he, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev. Sometimes he was simple-minded, even rude, in all his manners, conversation, and even costume, reminiscent of a simple worker. By the way, our stage workers loved him extremely, and he was friends with many of them. Sometimes he gave the impression of a modest, silent and insignificant person. Sometimes he was brilliant and elegant, standing out even among our most brilliant young actors.The writer Anna Mass, daughter of the playwright Vladimir Mass and a housemate of Mansurova and Sheremetev, recalled her childhood:When the theater received guests from abroad - writers, artists, directors from France, England, Germany and other countries - Sheremetev was always let out ahead, since he was the only one of all of us who was fluent in all the main languages of the world. And looking at him as he - calm and at ease, in a perfectly tailored black suit - told the chief director of the Paris "Comedie Française" in impeccable French about Vakhtangov and the history of his theatre, it was hard to believe that this was the same Nikolasha who yesterday, in shabby trousers and a greasy black blouse, was discussing plans for a future hunting trip with his fellow workers in a working “smoking room”. He loved hunting, tennis and vodka very much. I drank a lot, but I didn't get drunk. Unless when he drinks a lot, he becomes more talkative than usual. These were the only moments when you could hear something from him from his past, and even then not much.
“We kids loved him. When he left the entrance with his two red cheerful setters, we ran to him from all parts of the yard. Before our eyes, Uncle Colin's thumb separated from the hand, described a circle in the air, and then grew back; the swallowed ball somehow miraculously ended up in the pocket of Mishka Rapoport or in the ear of Anya Goryunova.In 1944, Nikolai Petrovich died tragically while hunting under unclear circumstances. Cecilia Lvovna, who survived him by 32 years, never remarried.Everyone loved him and the adults. He was handsome, elegant, knew etiquette perfectly, spoke several languages fluently. And at the same time, he was simple, responsive and accessible like a true aristocrat. When foreign guests came to the theater, Nikolai Petrovich was let out ahead. The theater was proud of its representative. And at the same time he teased him a little. He accumulated anecdotal stories about the count's clashes with Soviet reality - like the case in the police or, for example, in a kerosene shop, when the seller laid siege to him:
Wait! Not Count Sheremetev!
In the thirties, the theater received the former hunting house of the Sheremetevs in Plyoskov as a rest home. Service staff, recruited from the old count's servants, and the inhabitants of the surrounding villages remembered "Nikolasha" as a child, and when he first came on vacation with his wife, a commotion began among the locals. The cook cooked "their excellencies" separately and served it himself. Peasants came with gifts and bowed from the waist. Tsilyusha, like a true countess, went out onto the balcony and received greetings and gifts. The vacationing artists were enjoying the situation and making jokes."
Based on the book by Yuri Yelagin "The Taming of Art" and
Pavel Sergeevich Sheremetiev(May 19, 1871 - November 20, 1943, Moscow) - historian, artist.
Born in the family of Count Sergei Dmitrievich Sheremetev and Ekaterina Pavlovna, nee Vyazemskaya. Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology of the Imperial St. Petersburg University. During the year he served compulsory military service in the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment. He retired with the rank of ensign. In 1899-1911 he was the leader of the Zvenigorod district. In 1900 he received the rank of chamber junker, in 1906 - collegiate adviser, in 1910 - chamberlain. Member of the Russo-Japanese War (1905-1906). He was a representative of the Russian Red Cross Society from the Moscow nobility. With his participation in Vladivostok, a military hospital for 1000 beds was organized, and a sanitary warehouse was equipped in the village of Novokievskaya. In 1906 he was awarded the Red Cross medal "For the labors incurred during military operations for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers." With the outbreak of the First World War, the ensign of the reserve Count Sheremetev was drafted into the militia, where he also helped the wounded. He spent the whole of 1915 in the active army.
Member of the Society of Lovers of Ancient Literature; Russian Genealogical Society, Historical and Genealogical Society, competitor member of the Imperial Society of Russian History and Antiquities at Moscow University, member of the St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl Scientific Archival Commissions, member of the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Monuments of Art and Antiquity. Since 1903 - a member of the liberal circle "Conversation", a member of which was V. I. Vernandsky. Member of the circle "Patriarchal Conversation". Member of the committee for preparations for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812. Member of the Committee for the preparation of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. Since 1916 - member of the State. Council from noble societies.
Talented artist. A student of K. Ya. Kryzhitsky and A. A. Kiselev. In 1911 he was a deputy chairman of the All-Russian Congress of Artists and chairman of the Committee for the Exhibition of Iconography and Artistic Antiquities.
After October revolution until 1927 he was the head of the Ostafyevo Museum-Estate near Moscow, where he worked on the description of collections of paintings and sculptures, systematized collections of weapons, gems, lithographs and books. In June 1928 he was fired. Since the autumn of 1929, after the liquidation of Ostafyev's museum status, he was evicted and lived with his family in the Naprudnaya Tower of the Novodevichy Convent, writing articles that remained in manuscripts.
Member of the All-Russian Union of Writers (1921). In 1911, P. S. Sheremetev published the book Karamzin in Ostafiev.
Together with the engraver Nikolai Panov, he published the historical and artistic collection "Russian Estates", where Sheremetev wrote texts.
Since 1921, he has been married to Praskovya Vasilievna (nee Princess Obolenskaya; 1883-1941), who in 1922-1928 worked with her husband at the Ostafyevo Museum. A son was born in marriage:
Vasily (1922-1989) - artist.
The roots of the Sheremetev family go deep into the history of Russia. Together with the Golitsyns, the Sheremetevs enthroned the young Mikhail Romanov in 1612. We all remember Boris Petrovich Sheremetev from history - the famous field marshal, an associate of Peter the Great. But in this article we will not talk about him, and not 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 Peter Borisovich - Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev.
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was born in St. Petersburg. Young Nikolai Sheremetev, like all his famous ancestors, was closely associated with the ruling dynasty - he grew up and was brought up together with the future Emperor Paul I, was with him in great friendship. The count received an excellent education. The upbringing plan provided for 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, dance, music, and dressage. He professionally played the piano, violin, cello, read scores, directed an orchestra, participated in amateur performances in the palace and on his estates.
Nikolai Petrovich was known as a well-known connoisseur of architecture and was a major customer-builder. For two decades, with his participation and at his expense, the theater and palace complex in Ostankino, theater buildings in Kuskovo and Markov, houses in Pavlovsk and Gatchina, the Shampetre 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 Virgin in the Novospassky Monastery, the Church of the Trinity at the Hospice House, the temple in the name of Dmitry of Rostov in Rostov Veliky and others.
Count Sheremetev entered the history of Russian culture as an outstanding theatrical figure, the creator of one of the best theaters in Russia. In his estate, in Kuskovo, the count created a theater-school, where he taught acting skills to his serfs. Thanks to him, whole generations of talented serf actors, musicians and composers grew up, and the Kuskovsky Theater became one of the best in Russia. main actress theater, the "culprit" of his 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 agreed to this marriage. The wedding took place in 1801. In 1803, Parasha Zhemchugova, a 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 "relieve the afflicted", whose hard life the countess knew too well. A plot of land was chosen for development (then a remote outskirts of Moscow) on the "Cherkasskiye Ogorody" near Spasskaya Street.
The original project of the Hospice House was carried out by a talented Russian architect from the former serfs, Elizva Nazarov. Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev wanted to create an institution that is completely unique against the motley background of Russian charitable institutions and societies. In April 1804, four outbuildings were laid. Unusual in 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 treated. In the painting of the dome, among the angels, was depicted the infant Dmitry, the little son of Sheremetev. The premises of the church were decorated with special splendor. According to the grandiosity of the plans, the count needed fantastic funds - 2.5 million rubles. And he contributed another 500 thousand to the Treasury for the maintenance of the house. This immense generosity amazed contemporaries.
K without that famous family now another count has been added - Merciful. Nikolai Petrovich survived his wife by only six years. Last years he spent 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 detainees in the house. The charities of the House were not limited to the walls of the almshouse and hospital. The annual sums were released for dowries to brides - "poor and orphaned", an annual win-win lottery was held in favor of a hundred poor brides, who, upon marriage, received from the Sheremetev account from 50 to 200 rubles, to help impoverished artisans, to help raise orphans, and so on. .
The Hospital of the Hospice House (Sheremetev Hospital) has 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 and Surgical Academy was based here. Since 1884, the Sheremetev 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 Sheremetev Hospital turned into a hospital: it received within its walls the first wounded of the Battle of Borodino (the hospital museum keeps the history of the illness of Prince P.I. Bagration), and the injured participants in the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.
The post of trustee of the Hospice Home was replaced by the son of Nikolai Sheremetev, Dmitry Nikolaevich, in turn, by his son, Sergei Dmitrievich Sheremetev. He also continued the traditions of charity of the Sheremetev family. For a quarter of a century, Boris Sergeevich Sheremetev, who died in the same house at a ripe old age in 1906, was the chief caretaker of the Hospice House.
In June 1918, the very name of the Hospice House was abolished. The temple at the hospital was closed, the wooden iconostases were dismantled, the icons were removed. The house has turned into an ordinary hospital. In 1919, the Moscow City Ambulance Station was organized in the premises of the former Hospice House, and from 1923 to this day, one of the buildings of the N.V. Sklifosofsky. The emblem of the Sheremetevs is inscribed: "God saves everything." Under this motto, the Sheremetevs did good.
3. Abramtsevo under the Mamontovs
Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (1841–1918), a descendant of an old merchant family, was born in the city of Yalutorovsk, Tobolsk province (now the Tyumen region). His father, Ivan Fedorovich Mamontov (1802–1869), founded a joint-stock company that paved the Moscow-Yaroslavl railway, 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), which he did not graduate from. I.F. Mamontov, wanting to involve his son in 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 Grigoryevna 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 - Sergey (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 the director (1872), and then the chairman of the board of the transformed Joint Stock Company of the Moscow-Yaroslavl-Arkhangelsk Railway (1894–1899).
In 1870, S. I. Mamontov acquired the estate of Abramtsevo from the daughter of S. T. Aksakov. In the dilapidated estate, all the buildings required repair, and the Mamontovs took up its arrangement. In the 1870s–1880s the manor house was repaired, the kitchen and the servants' room were rebuilt. In the northern part of the courtyard, a wind pump and a shed with a barn were erected, in place of an orchard, a greenhouse and two greenhouses where strawberries and peaches were grown, and to the southwest of the courtyard, a stable and a carriage house. An animal farm with a dairy in the "Dutch style", a hay barn and a cottage called "Yashkin's house" did not fit on the territory of the old estate, and were taken out of it. 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 in the district (1873) and a school (1874). 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 north-west of the estate, were called the "Cultural Village" and also did not reach our time.
An entrepreneur by profession, S. I. Mamontov was an artist by vocation: he was keenly interested in fine arts, architecture, and theater. During his studies at the university, he participated in theatrical circle, which was led by the playwright A. N. Ostrovsky, then took singing lessons in Milan, studied drawing in Rome. From the end of the 1860s. Representatives of creative professions began to visit the Mamontovs' house on Sadovaya-Spasskaya - the artist N.V. Nevrev, the architect V.A. Gartman 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, in Abramtsevo, on the southeastern side of the manor house, the "Roman Grove" was planted. 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 Mammoth 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 Andrey Mamontov, a collection of works of folk art was collected in Abramtsevo (1881-1890s ). On the basis of this collection, the products of the Abramtsevo workshop, which was transformed into a carpentry workshop, were created. 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 the artists M. F. Yakunchikova and N. Ya. Davydova.
In 1890, a ceramic workshop was built in the "Cultural Village", artistic director which was M. A. Vrubel. He made tiled stoves for the Moscow and Abramtsevo houses of the Mammoths, numerous works of decorative sculpture and utensils. A significant contribution to the activity 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, Andrey Mamontov and other artists also took part in the workshops. Abramtsevo products were in demand in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, 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, the tradition of home performances, widespread in those years, was maintained. The director, and often the playwright, was S. I. Mamontov, the roles were played by everyone, and the scenery and sketches for costumes were created by Polenov, Vasnetsov and other artists. These amateur productions largely contributed to the creation of Mamontov's Russian Private Opera (1885–1891, 1896–1899) in Moscow. -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 manor park, according to the project 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 project of V. M. Vasnetsov, an arbor was built, which, for its bizarre appearance, received the name “Hut on chicken legs”. The church and the hut are considered the first works of Russian Art Nouveau.
In 1893, the members of the Mammoth Art Circle celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of their community. At the celebration of this event, V. M. Vasnetsov made a speech, and the following year, the anniversary album “The Chronicle of Our Artistic Circle” was published, the cover of which was designed by V. D. Polenov. Both Vasnetsov's speech and the album were devoted to the theatrical activities of the circle, but his legacy is more significant and diverse. The Mammoth art circle laid the foundation for the national, neo-Russian direction of the Art Nouveau style and largely determined the work of the association " World of Art», Art Theater K. S. Stanislavsky and S. P. Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons 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 marked the beginning of the revival and development of ancient crafts - wood carving and majolica production.
Over the past years, S. I. Mamontov’s entrepreneurial activity has 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, the Society of East Siberian Iron Smelting Plants, 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 completely ruined. The Moscow House, which was sealed after Mamontov's arrest, and the collection of art works stored there were sold at auction to pay off debts. Abramtsevo, copied in 1880 to E. G. Mamontov, managed to be preserved.
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Manor house. 1880s
At the "hut on chicken legs"
From left to right:
Alexandra Mamontova,
Mademoiselle Rachou (governess)
Vera Mamontov. 1890s
Vera Mamontov. 1890s
Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands
mid 1890s mid 1900s
Is the Romanov dynasty the history of St. Petersburg? Nothing like this! Their fate was decided here, in Kuskovo!
Yes, yes, here in the village of Kuskovo, the most important issue for any state was once decided - who should own the country.
The history of this historical area dates back to the end of the 16th century, when it was first mentioned “Behind the boyar Ivan Vasilyevich Sheremetyev ...”. In 1577 the villages Naydenovo, Churilovo and Veshnyakovo were bought by this influential man.
And the Kuskovo estate itself, which has survived to this day, passed from one representative of the Sheremetyev family to another for almost a whole century. This stopped only in 1715. Then Vladimir Petrovich Sheremetyev sold it for 200 (!) Rubles to his brother, a well-known associate of Peter the Great, Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev. It was his heirs who transformed Kuskovo. This active man became famous for many victories, even during Northern war received the rank of field marshal (third in Russia). And when he suppressed the popular unrest in Astrakhan by force, he became the first Russian count.
Field Marshal Sheremetyev did not live long in his beloved Kuskovo - only four years. Therefore, historians associate the heyday of the estate primarily with his son. The name of the village, according to legend, received from the "piece", which Count Peter Borisovich Sheremetyev usually called his family property, i.e. a small plot of land where there was a house, a main pond, a garden and a village. Almost everything that is in Kuskovo owes its appearance to Count Peter Borisovich Sheremetyev.
The second version about the origin of such an ignoble, at first glance, name is that the young wife of the count, Varvara Alekseevna, spent her childhood nearby, in Vishnyaki. It is two versts south of Kuskov. She loved her family nest very much and the count built a palace for her on his piece of land especially for this and called it Kuskov.
The very idea to build a luxurious manor near Moscow here arose because Sheremetyev wanted to be near the palace of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in the village of Perov near Moscow.
Mikhail Ivanovich Pylyaev described this place most fully in 1886 in the book "Old Moscow":
“All the land around belonged to Prince A. M. Cherkassky, and in comparison with his huge estate, which consisted of almost all the neighboring villages and villages surrounding Kuskovo, it really was a piece.”
The French architect Vali was chosen as the architect of the house. In the bedroom of the late count hung an unfinished portrait of him, painted by his fifteen-year-old daughter. There is a whole story associated with it. Sad. Death prevented him from finishing the portrait, and the inconsolable father did not want anyone's hand to defile the sacred work of his dear daughter. However, there were other portraits in the house. For example, one by Grotta, shot through with 10 bullets; another in the front dining room and also shot through with five bullets; next to him is an incised portrait of the countess, his wife. These three ruined portraits remain as a memorial to the French stay here in 1812. This fanaticism is connected with the fact that the count madly hated the French.
A garden was laid out near the estate, which during the plague epidemic in 1772 did not let the starving people die.
To the right of the estate is a drawbridge. And six cannons - trophies of the Battle of Poltava, presented by Peter I to Count Sheremetyev.
The Kuskovo estate is a unique monument of history and architecture of the 18th century, located in Moscow. At one time, it was the summer entertainment residence of the Sheremetevs and was one of the examples of a Russian estate. To this day, it attracts many tourists with its picturesque surroundings, garden and park ensembles and unique monuments architecture. Palace, Grotto, Large Stone Greenhouse, the old church is perfectly preserved to this day.
Manor Kuskovo, manor ensemble of the 18th century in the Moscow region (since 1960 within the boundaries of Moscow, Yunosti street, 2).
Kuskovo was first mentioned at the end of the 16th century. and already as the possession of the Sheremetevs. In 1623-1624. here stood a wooden church, a boyar court, and the yards of serfs. In the possession of the Sheremetevs, Kuskovo remained for more than three hundred years, until 1917 - a rather rare case in the history of estates.
The heyday of the estate is associated with the name of Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, the son of the famous Petrovsky field marshal. In the 1750s - 1770s. in Kuskovo, an extensive residence was organized with a palace, many "entertainment undertakings", a large park and ponds. The creation of this outstanding ensemble is closely connected with the names of the fortress architects Fyodor Argunov and Alexei Mironov. The architectural complex was built in the Baroque-Rocaille style of the mid-18th century. Buildings of this style have been preserved mainly in the vicinity of St. Petersburg; this complex is unique for Moscow and the Moscow region.
In 1774, according to the project of the French architect Charles de Vailly (according to other sources, C. Blanc?), a palace was built ( Big house), which was not at all intended to amaze with its size, but struck with the sophistication and splendor of the interior decoration.
The manor complex was designed for lavish receptions and entertainment. For these purposes, park pavilions and gazebos, a greenhouse and a cabinet of curiosities, a menagerie and a hunting lodge were built. There was a small flotilla of rowboats on the Kuskovsky pond. In addition, the French park is decorated with numerous sculptures, an obelisk and a column with a statue of the goddess Minerva. Truly Moscow Region Versailles!
The origin of the Sheremetev family
The Sheremetevs are a Russian boyar family from which many boyars and governors came. The ancestor of the Sheremetevs is Andrei Kobyla, mentioned in the annals of 1347, who served at the court of Moscow Prince Ivan II. The founder of the surname is the great-grandson of Fyodor Andreevich Koshka - Andrei Konstantinovich, who received the nickname Sheremet, which has not been deciphered to this day. From the end of the 15th century, his offspring began to bear the surname of the Sheremetevs.
IN XVI-XVII centuries many boyars, governors, governors came out of the Sheremetev family, both by virtue of their personal merits and by kinship with the reigning dynasty. So the great-granddaughter of Andrei Sheremet, Elena Ivanovna, was married off to the son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Ivan, who was killed by his father in a fit of anger in 1581. Five grandchildren of A. Sheremet became members of the Boyar Duma. The Sheremetevs took part in numerous battles of the 16th century: in the wars with Lithuania and the Crimean Khan, in the Livonian War, and in the Kazan campaigns. Estates in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod counties complained about their service.
The influence of the Sheremetevs on state affairs increased significantly in XVII century. In the 17th century The Sheremetevs were one of the 16 clans, whose representatives were elevated to the boyars, bypassing the rank of roundabout. The boyar and governor Pyotr Nikitich Sheremetev stood at the head of the defense of Pskov from False Dmitry II. His son Ivan Petrovich was a famous bribe-taker and embezzler. His cousin Fyodor Ivanovich, also a boyar and governor, was a prominent statesman in the first half of the 17th century. He largely contributed to the election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the tsars, was at the head of the Moscow government, was a supporter of strengthening the role Zemsky Cathedral in matters of government.
by the most famous representative of this kind is Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (1662-1719). Which in 1706 for the suppression of the uprising in Astrakhan was promoted to count. From him went the count branch of the Sheremetev family. The family of the Counts Sheremetevs came to an end in 1989 with the death of its last representative in the male line, V.P. Sheremetev.
Wikipedia
Sheremetev Boris Petrovich
Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (1652–1719) - Russian military figure and diplomat, associate of Peter I, founder of the count branch of the Sheremetev family, the first Russian field marshal. The son of the boyar Peter Vasilyevich Bolshoi and his first wife Anna Fedorovna Volynskaya. Until the age of 18, he lived in Kyiv with his father, attended the old Kyiv school. From 1665 he began serving at the court as a steward, from 1671 at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Repeatedly accompanied the king on private trips to monasteries, performed the duties of a rynda at ceremonial receptions.
In 1681, as governor and governor of Tambov, he commanded troops against Crimean Tatars. In 1682, after the accession to the throne of the tsars John and Peter, he was granted the boyars. In 1684-1686 he participated in the negotiations and the conclusion of " Eternal peace with Poland. For the successful conduct of business, he received the title of a close boyar and viceroy of Vyatsky. From the end of 1686, he led the troops in Belgorod guarding the southern borders, participated in the Crimean campaigns (1687, 1689).
After the fall of Princess Sophia, he joined Peter I. During the Azov campaigns of Peter I (1695, 1696), he commanded an army operating on the Dnieper against the Crimean Tatars.
In 1697-1699 he traveled to Poland, Austria, Italy, and the island of Malta on diplomatic missions. Returning to Moscow, he appeared before the tsar, changing the boyar opash for a German caftan. Subsequently, Sheremetev's travel notes took shape in a book of memoirs, published after the author's death by his grandson. During the Northern War (1700-1721) he took part in all decisive battles with the Swedes. In the Battle of Narva (1700) he commanded the noble cavalry, then - the commander of the troops in the Baltic.
In 1701, for the victory at Erestfer, he was the first in Russia to receive the rank of Field Marshal, as well as a portrait of the Tsar, adorned with diamonds.
He won victories at Hummelshof (1702), Koporye (1703), Dorpat (1704).
In 1706, for the suppression of the Astrakhan uprising, he received the title of count.
In the Battle of Poltava (1709) he commanded the entire Russian infantry, in 1710 he took Riga. During the Prut campaign (1711) he led the main forces of the Russian army, in 1712-1714 he commanded an observation army against Turkey, and in 1715-1717 - a corps in Pomerania and Mecklenburg. Having devoted himself to serving the tsar and the Fatherland, in old age the count lost the favor of Peter I. The hostility that did not immediately arise probably came from an unfriendly attitude towards Menshikov or a difficult character, which distinguished all military generals, especially those who were out of work. By the end of his life, he was the owner of 18 estates and more than 18 thousand male serfs.
Cavalier of orders - Maltese (1698), St. Andrew the First-Called (1701), Polish White Eagle (1715), Prussian Black Eagle.
Boris Petrovich Sheremetev was married twice: from 1669 to Evdokia Alekseevna Chirikova and from 1712 to Anna Petrovna Saltykova (1686–1728), daughter of boyar Pyotr Petrovich Saltykov and Princess Maria (Martha) Ivanovna Prozorovskaya. Anna Petrovna in her first marriage was married to Lev Kirillovich Naryshkin, uncle of Peter I. She was buried in Moscow in the Epiphany Monastery. Children from his first marriage: Sophia, Anna, Mikhail, who rose to the rank of major general. The eldest daughter Sofya Borisovna Sheremeteva-Urusova died before she was 24 years old. Her sister Anna Borisovna married Count Golovin. Michael was a hostage in Constantinople, he experienced all the hardships of Turkish captivity. He died 5 years before the death of his father. Children from the second marriage: Peter, Natalya, Sergey, Vera, Ekaterina.
The count branch of the dynasty continued along the male line from the middle son of the Sheremetevs - Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev, the youngest son, Count Sergei Borisovich, did not leave any offspring. Vera Borisovna was married to Privy Councilor Lopukhin; Ekaterina Borisovna married Prince Alexei Urusov.
Natalya Borisovna Sheremeteva married Ivan Dolgoruky. After the death of the young emperor Peter II, the life of the princes Dolgoruky changed dramatically for the worse. A noble family was waiting for Siberia, where the young couple went immediately after the wedding. Relatives persuaded Natalya to refuse marriage, but she remained adamant and consciously accepted a heavy lot. In 1738, by decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna, Ivan Dolgoruky was executed. Twenty-five-year-old Natalya was left a widow with young children. With the accession of Elizabeth, the disgraced family was forgiven. The princess returned to Moscow, but never remarried. Having raised children, Natalya Borisovna left for Kyiv, settled in the Florovsky Monastery, taking monasticism under the name of Nektariy. The nun Nectaria was buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, near the Assumption Cathedral, where today two cast-iron tombstones have survived: Natalya Dolgoruky and her son Dmitry. In literature, her name was mentioned as a synonym for fidelity and self-sacrifice: Let the marble of the graves be more durable,
Than a wooden cross in the desert
But the world of Dolgoruky has not yet forgotten ...
N. A. Nekrasov. "Russian women"
The grandson of Natalia Borisovna - Ivan Mikhailovich Dolgoruky, a famous Russian poet of the first half of XIX century, devoted the most heartfelt lines to Kuskov: The precious patchwork of the earth,
Kuskovo, sweet corner!
Eden's chip is shortened,
In which the hardest rock
Forgotten on a Sunday
and everyone was captivated by something!
- Delights new all the time
Changed there like clouds;
Kuskovo was spare for everyone,
- Ask at least bird's milk:
Where you can't stretch five fingers
Everywhere you will get pleasure.
Sheremetev Petr Borisovich
Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev (1713–1788), son of Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev and his second wife Anna Petrovna Saltykova, by Naryshkina's first marriage. Peter Borisovich as a baby was enlisted by Peter I in the Preobrazhensky Regiment as an ensign. He was a childhood friend of Emperor Peter II, with whom he grew up and studied together. In 1726 he was promoted to second lieutenant by Catherine I, in 1728 by Peter II - to lieutenant and in 1729 - to captain-lieutenant. Being in the regiment in active service, in 1730 he was promoted to captain by Empress Anna Ioannovna. In 1741 he was granted a chamberlain to the court of Anna Leopoldovna, in 1754 by Elizaveta Petrovna - lieutenant general, in 1760 - chief general and adjutant general, in 1761 Peter III - chief chamberlain. On the day of the accession of Catherine II, he was appointed to be present in the Senate and participate in all coronation celebrations in Moscow.
In 1762 he composed the "Charter on the Positions and Benefits of the Chief Chamberlain". In 1766 he was elected an honorary amateur of the Academy of Arts. In 1767 - a member of the commission for the drafting of the New Code. In 1768 he retired and settled in the Kuskovo estate. In 1776 he was elected head of the Ulansky Moscow Corps of courtyards and gentlemen, in 1780 - in the Moscow provincial marshals of the nobility.
Cavalier of orders - St. Anna (1742), St. Alexander Nevsky (1744), Polish White Eagle (1758), St. Andrew the First-Called (1761).
In 1743, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev married Princess Varvara Alekseevna Cherkasskaya (1711–1767), the only daughter of Chancellor Alexei Mikhailovich Cherkassky and his second wife, Maria Yurievna, nee Princess Trubetskoy.
Since 1741, Varvara Alekseevna was a lady-in-waiting, since 1743 - a lady of state to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. A profitable marriage made Sheremetev the richest landowner in Russia. His estates were spread over 17 provinces and included 130 villages, 1066 big villages, 26 settlements, 464 farms and empty lots. The dowry of Varvara Alekseevna included estates in Ostankino, Maryina and the picturesque area of Maryina Roshcha. At the disposal of the count were his own painters, architects, marble makers, sculptors, carvers, window makers, carpenters, etc.
Children: Anna, Boris-Porfiry, Alexei, Maria, Varvara, Nikolai. Anna Petrovna took part in amateur performances before the court. In 1760 she was appointed maid of honor to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. In 1768, she was declared the bride of N.I. Panin, but she fell ill with smallpox and died. Varvara Petrovna was married to Count A. K. Razumovsky, an enlightened man, but very quick-tempered and despotic. After ten years of marriage, he forced the countess to leave the house, leaving behind children. Varvara Petrovna settled separately in a Moscow house on Maroseyka. She died alone, bequeathing her entire fortune to her lackey. She was buried in Moscow, in the family tomb of the Novospassky Monastery, next to her father, Count P. B. Sheremetev and grandfather, Prince A. M. Cherkassky. Illegitimate children (pupils) of the Remetevs: Yakov, captain of the Preobrazhensky regiment, later a real state adviser; Anastasia, married Kuchetskaya; Margarita, married to Putyatina.
Possessing 140 thousand souls of peasants, not burdened by service, the count lived for his own pleasure. He ordered from abroad political and philosophical writings, both collected and published his father's papers, is known as a lover of arts, theater, a collector. Recognition of his services in this area was the election of "honorary art lover of the Academic Assembly" in 1766.
A zealous owner, the count personally supervised the construction work in Kuskovo in all areas: the laying out of the park, the construction and decoration of the palace and pavilions, and the decoration of interiors with works of art.
It is known that according to the plan of Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetyev, "Kuskovo" should be more luxurious than the estates of other nobles and not inferior to the royal residences in its beauty. Thus, the territory of the estate was about 300 hectares, including three parks - French regular, English landscape and Zaprudny, many ponds and canals, architectural and park ensembles.
Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev.
The son of Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev is Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev.
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was born in St. Petersburg on June 28, 1751. In 1759, he entered the rank of sergeant in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, but at the same time remained with his parents to "graduate from the sciences" provided for by the home education system.
In 1765 he was promoted to lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. He was a senior comrade of the Grand Duke, later Emperor Paul I. In 1768, N. P. Sheremetev was granted the court rank of chamber junker.
In 1769, he retired to continue the sciences "in foreign lands." He studies at the University of Leiden, in 1771-1772 he got acquainted with theater life England, Holland, Switzerland, takes music lessons from the Parisian cellist Ivar.
After the death of his father, P. B. Sheremetev, Nikolai Petrovich becomes one of the richest people in Russia. He inherited a serf theater in Kuskovo (near Moscow), where he organized the training of serf actors performing arts. Prominent Moscow actors were invited as teachers: P. A. Plavilshchikov, Ya. E. Shusherin, S. N. Sandunov, I. F. Lapin. In 1792, Sheremetev founded the famous Ostankino theater, perhaps the best at that time.
In 1774, the count was granted the title of chamberlain. He takes part in rehearsals and amateur performances at the "small" court of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich. In 1777, Sheremetev was appointed director of the Noble Bank in Moscow, in 1782 he was elected marshal of the nobility of the Moscow district, in 1796 he was transferred by Catherine II to the Governing Senate and moved to St. Petersburg.
On November 6, 1796, with the accession of Paul I, N.P. Sheremetev was promoted to the position of chief marshal. In 1797 he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. In 1798, the count was elevated to the rank of chief chamberlain and became a holder of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1799 he was appointed director of the Imperial Theaters and the Corps of Pages.
Sheremetyev married his serf actress P.I. Zhemchugova-Kovaleva, whom he gave freedom. The wedding took place on November 6, 1801. On February 3, 1803, a son, Count Dmitry Nikolaevich, was born to the Sheremetevs.
In 1803 N. P. Sheremetev received the Order of St. Vladimir I degree for the establishment of the Hospice House in Moscow, the construction of which began in 1793.
On January 2, 1809, Count Nikolai Petrovich died, was buried in St. Petersburg in the family tomb of the Sheremetevs in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Praskovye Kovaleva-Zhemchugova.
And the reason for that was love. The love of Count N.P. Sheremetev for his serf actress Praskovya Kovaleva-Zhemchugova.
His feelings for Parasha were so strong that the count neglected secular conventions and secretly married her. So, in order to save his wife from the memories of her humble origin and humiliating past, the count decided to build a palace-theater on the other side of Moscow, where her talent could be revealed in all its splendor.
Zhemchugova-Kovaleva, Praskovya Ivanovna - outstanding Opera singer second half of the 18th century.
Her repertoire included the main roles from the "serious comedies" by Gretry, Monsigny, Picchini, Daleyrac and "lyrical tragedies" by Sacchini, which in the 18th century could only be heard on the stages of the Sheremetev theaters near Moscow in Kuskovo and Ostankino, as well as at home concerts in St. Fountain house of Count N.P. Sheremetev. Zhemchugova-Kovaleva was the first to introduce Gluck's reformist operas to the Russian public.
Empress Catherine II and Emperor Paul I admired her talent.
Praskovya Ivanovna Kovaleva (1768-1803) was born on July 20, 1768 in the village of Berezino, Yaroslavl province, in the family of a blacksmith ("forger") Ivan Stepanovich Kovaleva and his wife Varvara Borisovna. Her parents were serfs of the Cherkassky princes. It is difficult to say from whom Praskovya inherited the gift of singing, but the illness that brought her to the grave so early came from her father. Tuberculosis of the spine made Ivan Stepanovich humpbacked, for which he was sometimes called Gorbunov. His daughter, according to various sources, also had several surnames: Kuznetsova, Gorbunova, but she is best known as Kovaleva. On the stage, she was listed as Zhemchugova, since all the serf actresses and dancers of the Sheremetev Theater had "elegant" names by name. precious stones: Yakhontova, Almazova, Granatova and the like. Before her marriage, she became Kovalevskaya, since Sheremetev, in order to justify before the world, and most importantly, before his future children, his marriage to a serf, created a legend about her origin from a kind of Polish gentry. In the marriage certificate, Praskovya Ivanovna signed with this surname. According to legend, her ancestor was the nobleman Yakub Kovalevsky, who was captured by Russians in the 17th century, and his descendants allegedly lived with Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev.
In reality, Sheremetev saw his future lover and wife in 1773, when he, the heir to a huge fortune, a handsome and educated young man, returned to Russia. A small, thin and timid girl of five, Parasha was "on errands" in the house of a relative of the Sheremetevs, Princess Marfa Mikhailovna Dolgoruky. For a good voice, she was taken to a home theater - for education. Naturally, at that moment, Nikolai Petrovich could not even think about any "relationship" with this child. In addition, the count always had a rich choice among the female half of the serfs. This was a common and widespread phenomenon in serf Russia. He even started a custom at home: during the day he left his handkerchief to another chosen one, and at night he came to her to pick it up.
Praskovya studied secular manners, singing, music, French and Italian. She studied with the best Russian actresses: E. Sandunova and M. Sinyavskaya. When Nikolai Petrovich became interested in the young girl, he was first of all captivated by her extraordinary singing gift, thanks to which Parasha quickly won his special attention and affection.
In 1779, she made her first performance on the stage of the Kuskovo theater in the comic opera The Experience of Friendship. And next year, she already plays a leading role. But the party of Lisa in the comic opera by P. Monsignier "The Deserter", staged in 1781, brought her real success. From that time on, the young count notes Praskovya with special attention, and she becomes one of his favorites. And in 1787 Sheremetev makes the final choice. Since that time, he began to seriously engage in home theater.
Performance in 1787 in Kuskovo in the opera by A.-E.-M. Gretry's Samnite Marriages was a real triumph for the nineteen-year-old Praskovya Zhemchugova. She becomes the first theater actress and favorite of Nikolai Sheremetev. After the death of his father in 1788, the count, who was already 37 years old, begins to openly live with her in a house specially built in Kuskovo park.
Inspired by the success of the first singer and seized by the desire to protect her from the increased malevolent attention of the servants, Sheremetev decided to build a special theater-palace in Ostankino, a village received from his father, as a dowry for his wife, for the performances of his beloved. Nikolai Petrovich creates Grand Theatre with a specially equipped stage and engine room for grandiose productions.
Praskovya Ivanovna left the stage in 1796 in connection with the move of Count N. P. Sheremetev to permanent residence in St. Petersburg and the actual closure of the theater. In 1798, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev signed a "freedom", which had never happened before in the Sheremetev family, in 1801 - a marriage was secretly formalized with her. For everyone, Sheremetev remained a wealthy bachelor, whose enviable inheritance was counted on by numerous relatives or prospective brides. On February 3, 1803, an heir, Dmitry, was born to Count Sheremetev. Three weeks later, on February 23, Praskovya Ivanovna died.
The birth of a son and the death of his wife could no longer remain a family secret. The news of the death of the peasant countess caused a state of shock in high society. Some members of the family were especially indignant, deceived in their material hopes, since the count had a legitimate heir.
In Moscow, in the church of Simeon the Stylite on Povarskaya, on November 6, 1801, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, a representative of one of the richest and noblest Russian families, and a former serf, were married. talented actress Praskovya Ivanovna Kovaleva-Zhemchugova. The groom was 50 years old and the bride was 33 years old. The service was quiet and simple, only two witnesses were present - the famous architect Giacomo Quarenghi and the former serf theater actress Tatyana Shlykova-Granatova. But their happiness did not last long. On February 23, 1803, three weeks after the birth of her son Dmitry, Praskovya Ivanovna died. To perpetuate the memory of his beloved, Sheremetev erected a monument in the park of the Fountain House - in the form of an antique sarcophagus with an inscription in French:
I believe that her elusive shadow
Wandering around today
I'm getting closer, but then this expensive image
Brings me back to sadness, disappearing forever.
The Countess was not particularly beautiful; she was weak and sickly in build, and, having recovered once after a serious illness, she chose for herself a motto and carved the following words on her seal: “Punishing, punishing me, the Lord, I will not betray death.” Kindness and modesty were the hallmarks of this intelligent, deeply religious woman. Light, charming image the countess-peasant lived through it and remained in memory for a long time.
She donated a lot to charity, gave rich contributions to the church. Shortly after the birth of his son to the main icon of the St. Petersburg church Mother of God She donated a diamond chain with a sapphire to All Who Sorrow Joy behind the Foundry Yard. Feeling the approach of death, she asked all her own money to be invested in the construction of a hospitable house with a hospital in Moscow, and also to invest in the issuance of a dowry to poor brides.
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev subsequently wrote in his testamentary letter to his young son that he found in her “reason adorned with virtue, sincerity, philanthropy, constancy, fidelity ... attachment to the holy Faith and the most zealous worship of God. These qualities captivated me more than her beauty, for they are stronger than all external charms and extremely rare. She made me trample on secular prejudice in the discussion of the nobility of the family and choose her as my wife.
The fate of Praskovya Kovaleva has always given rise to legends and conjectures. But what has never been a legend is the undoubted artistic talent of the first singer of the Sheremetev Theater. During her artistic career, she sang about fifty parties, and the theater was for her the meaning of existence.
Was she happy? As an actress, definitely yes. Any singer could envy her repertoire European level. A special theater was built for her, and this is perhaps the only case in world practice. Zhemchugova knew fame and success, which would be enough for more than one generation of performers. The royal persons gave the singer jewelry, encouraging her talent. On stage, she had no rivals. Everything was created for the actress by one person - Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, whose name will always stand next to her. As a woman, Praskovya could also be called happy, because life was given to her greatest miracle- the ability to love deeply and faithfully, as well as to be loved. This happiness, however, was overshadowed by the fact that the lovers could not openly be together. The fact that she was a serf illuminates with a tragic light the whole life of Praskovya Ivanovna Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, Countess Sheremeteva.
Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova-Kovaleva. Chronology.
In 1775, she was “assigned to the theatre” by Count P. B. Sheremetev in the Kuskovo estate. She studied musical art and acting together with Arina Kalmykova (Yakhontova), Anna Buyanova (Izumrudova) and Tatyana Shlykova (Granatova). One of her first music teachers was Count N. P. Sheremetev.
On June 29, 1779, she made her debut on the stage of the “house theater” of Count P. B. Sheremetev in Moscow as a maid in the comic opera by A.-E. Gretry "The Experience of Friendship" (libretto by C. Favard). In 1779-1785 she performed many leading roles in the performances of the Sheremetev fortress theater. In 1785, the actress became the first among the favorites of Count N. P. Sheremetev.
In 1790-1796, the singer took lessons dramatic art with the actors of the Moscow Petrovsky Theater M. Sinyavskaya, E. Sandunova, Y. Shusherin and others. On July 22, 1795, Praskovya Ivanovna played one of the main roles in O. Kozlovsky's lyrical drama "Zelmira and the Bold, or the Capture of Ishmael" (libretto by P. Potemkin) - a performance that opened the famous theater in Ostankino.
In 1796, Zhemchugova-Kovaleva fell seriously ill. In 1797 she last time appeared on the stage of the Ostankino Theater in a performance given in honor of the visit to Ostankino of the Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski (the role of Eliana in A.-E. Grétry's opera The Samnite Marriages).
In 1797 she moved with the count to St. Petersburg, where she lived "in the secret half" of the Sheremetev Fountain House. On December 15, 1798, N.P. Sheremetev gave her and all the members of her family a “vacation allowance”. In 1799, Kovaleva-Zhemchugova was excluded from the staff of actresses by the count. On November 6, 1801, Praskovya Ivanovna married Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev and became a countess.
On February 23, 1803, after the birth of her son Dmitry, she died of transient tuberculosis. She was buried in the Sheremetev family tomb in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.
In memory of his beloved wife, N.P. Sheremetyev ordered the palace under construction in Moscow to be turned into a shelter and hospital for the poor. In 1810, a charitable complex was opened under the name of the Hospice House. Now this building houses the Moscow Institute of Emergency Medicine. N. V. Sklifossovsky.
Bright personality and the unusual fate of the "first" singer of the serf theater, her transformation from a serf actress into a Countess Sheremeteva for two centuries has attracted the attention of researchers, writers, artists, and connoisseurs of Russian culture.
Tatyana Vasilievna Shlykova-Granatova
Tatyana Vasilievna Shlykova-Granatova was born in the family of a serf gunsmith. From the age of 7 she was brought up in the house of Count N. P. Sheremetev together with Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova-Kovaleva, her closest friend.
As a girl, she performed on the stage of the home theater. She showed great talent for music, singing and especially dancing. Since 1785 she stood out as a dancer.
She studied recitation, dance and music with the famous choreographer Le Pic. She created vivid images in the ballets "Inessa de Castro" by Cianfa-nello (daughter of the king), "Medea and Jason" by Solomoni (Creusa) and others. Played roles in comedies ("Seduced" by Catherine II).
Tatyana Vasilievna also performed opera parts: Grétry's Samnite Marriages (young Samnite woman), Paisiello's Funny Duel (Clarissa).
Having received her freedom in 1803, T. V. Shlykova-Granatova continued to serve in the count's house until the end of her days. Lived a long, 90-year life. She raised the son of Count N. P. Sheremetev and P. I. Zhemchugova-Kovaleva, who died after childbirth, and subsequently helped raise their grandson.
Tatyana Vasilievna was an educated woman: she knew poetry, literature well, and spoke French and Italian.
2 chose
Every fairy tale is born from were - 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 spit 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. In the Kuskovo estate, inherited from his father, he built a theater that thundered throughout Russia. Serfs acted in it, who, as a child, were selected from all Sheremetyevsky volosts for special talents for training in theater school music, singing, choreography, foreign languages and, of course, stage skills.
Nikolai Petrovich personally selected the repertoire and watched the rehearsals. Glory about him talented actors stirred up the whole world. Emperor Pavel, Metropolitan Platon, Polish King Stanislaw II Poniatowski, Swedish King Gustav III and other nobles all rushed to Kuskovo to enjoy magnificent performances. And to express admiration for the main prima 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 name them accordingly: Granatova, Almazov, Biryuzova.
In fact, Praskovya was the daughter of a hunchbacked blacksmith - "farrier", and she ended up in the count's theater at seven-year-old Parashka Kovaleva. But already at the age of 13 she struck like lightning, performing on stage the deeply touching part of Louise from Seden's drama "The Runaway Soldier". At the age of 16, Praskovya Zhemchugova was deservedly considered the prima of the theater, mesmerizing the audience with a soulful dramatic game, unusual for such a young girl, and a flexible lyric-dramatic soprano.
Zhemchugova easily reincarnated from a tragic heroine into a comedic chatterbox, or into a young pageboy - a slender, fragile figure allowed her to do this. And always plucked a standing ovation. But when she appeared on stage in the image of Eliana from Gretry's Samnite Marriages, the audience burst into sobs.
Transformation into a princess
She was a match for Sheremetyev. Yes, an excellent musical education, a brilliant command of foreign languages, outward 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, delicate, generous - Zhemchugova was molded from the same, count, material. And only according to earthly laws 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 condemned. In those days, the love of landowners in young serfs spread everywhere. And to suspect Praskovya Zhemchugova of any selfish interest would be almost blasphemous - her whole image was so immaculate.
However, in 1797, after the Count was granted the rank 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 cordial and good-looking. The most enviable party! Only for some reason secular amusements are not interesting to him, and in a St. Petersburg house he lives with a serf actress! It was in Kuskovo that Praskovya was raised to Olympus - in prudent Petersburg, where connections and origins ruled the ball, the world spoke of her only as a yard girl.
Meanwhile, the count was terribly burdened by the realization 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 since received freedom from the count, Zhemchugova remained a simple kept woman - and the bitterness of this position killed her.
Taking advantage of the sovereign's favor (and adding the legend of Praskovya Kovalevskaya from the family of Polish gentry!), Nikolai Petrovich was awarded a royal gift in every sense - Alexander I signed a special edict giving Count Sheremetyev the right to marry Praskovya Zhemchugova.
Midnight has struck
The wedding, which took place on November 6, 1801, was secret. The dark carriage quickly drove up to the parish church of Simeon the Stylite and hurried away the count, the newly-made Countess Sheremetyeva and modest witnesses of their marriage.
Nikolai Petrovich did not reveal to anyone that he was married. Despite imperial approval, Praskovya Sheremetyeva would not have been accepted in high society - the title of actress was not at all better status 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 in the Sheremetev family. Naturally, such an unforeseen turn stunned all the greedy relatives, who happily resigned themselves to the fact that Nikolai Petrovich would no longer leave a direct heir behind him. "An excellent trickster is our elder relative," Anna Semyonovna Sheremetyeva noted in her memoirs. Nikolai Petrovich finally secured for himself the title of a madman, which he had been awarded for his eyes all his life.
However, did he care if his beloved Praskovya died on the twentieth day after the birth of his son? Childbirth, together with tuberculosis, dealt a death blow to this, strong in spirit, but very fragile body.
For the six years for which he was destined to outlive his wife, Nikolai Petrovich strictly followed her will: he raised his son, helped the poor, put capital into giving dowry to poor brides, built the Hospice House (now the Sklifosovsky Research Institute).
The count was buried next to his wife, in the Sheremetyevskaya tomb of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, in a simple wooden coffin - all the money put on the rich funeral of the highest persons, Count Sheremetyev bequeathed to distribute to the poor.
Elena Gorbunova
