What unites the Fountain Palace in St. Petersburg with the Moscow estates Kuskovo and Ostankino? All of them once belonged to Count Sheremetev. This ancient noble family gave Russia several outstanding statesmen. One of them was Dmitry Sheremetev (1803 - 1871) - the great-grandson of Field Marshal during the Northern War.
Ancient boyar clan
In the Russian chronicles of the XIV century. the reference to the confidant of the Moscow prince Simeon the Proud Andrei Ivanovich Kobyl is preserved. Many noble families came from him, the most prominent of which were the Sheremetevs and Romanovs.
One of the descendants of the boyar Kobyl received the nickname Sheremet, which is recorded in the annals of the XV century. In the next century, the boyars of the Sheremetevs sat in the Duma, playing an important role in the election to the kingdom of the homogeneous Romanov Mikhail Fedorovich in 1613.
During the Petrovsky transformations Boris Petrovich Sheremetev was especially distinguished. A talented diplomat and commander, he was the first in Russia to receive a new title for the count at that time. Since then, his direct descendants up to the revolutionary events of 1917 held prominent public positions.
Some of them became famous as patrons and philanthropists. For example, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev left a memory after himself as a generous trustee of the Odd Habitation House for Cripples and Beggars, founded in Moscow by his father.
Child of the Mesalliance
It is known that serf theaters were very popular in the Russian Empire of the 18th century. With the actress of one of them is connected a romantic story worthy of an adaptation.
We are talking about the beautiful Parashe - the daughter of a blacksmith from the Yaroslavl province. As a little girl, she got to Kuskovo - an estate owned by Counts Sheremetev. Here she showed acting and musical talent. Together with a beautiful voice, this allowed the young Praskovye to make her debut on the stage of the fortress theater already at age 11.
Later, like all the actors of the Sheremetevs, she received the stage name of Zhemchugova and underneath played in a performance given in honor of the opening of a new theater in Kuskovo. The premiere was attended by Empress Catherine II, who presented the performer of the main party Praskovya Zhemchugova with a diamond ring.
A few years later, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, who loved his serf actress, decided to marry her in spite of class barriers. To this end, he filed a petition to Emperor Alexander I. The bride's family received a free one, and a beautiful legend was composed about her descent from the family of Polish gentry.
In the end, permission was obtained. Praskovya Zhemchugova became Countess Sheremeteva, but, unfortunately, died of tuberculosis shortly after the birth of her son in 1803. Her husband survived her only six years. So in 1809, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev remained an orphan.
Education and upbringing
The guardians, according to the last will of the late count, appointed little Mitya teachers. We do not have accurate information about his home education. It is known that, according to the customs of that time, Dmitry Nikolayevich Sheremetev studied French.
Later, his son recalled that his father owned it very well and knew well the classical literature of France. Also, the training program for the young count included music, dancing, singing and the Russian language.
As a child of an unequal marriage, an orphaned Dmitry Sheremetev was brought up in a social vacuum. Relatives of the father did not want to keep in touch with him, and relatives on the maternal side, due to the estate status, did not have such an opportunity. This, of course, left an imprint on the personality of a shy young man.
Military service
Dmitry Nikolayevich Sheremetev noted his coming of age in 1820 with a large donation to charity. In 1823, the count entered the Cavalier Guard regiment, where he served until his retirement with the rank of captain in 1838.
Like many offspring of noble families, he combined military service with visits to theaters and balls. Few cavalry-guard friends often gathered in his house. The company was composed by the artist O. Kiprensky, who painted in 1824 a ceremonial portrait of Count Sheremetev.
The cavalry guard regiment took part not only in suppressing the performance of the Decembrists, but also in suppressing the uprising in the Kingdom of Poland in 1831. Nicholas I, after returning from Poland, Count Sheremetev awarded him the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class.
Charity
At the end of the XVIII century. Sheremetev N.P. conceived to found in Moscow a hostile home for the poor. However, the count did not have time to realize his plans - the shelter opened after his death. In the will, he asked his son not to leave without care, the Strannopriimny house established by him.
Count Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev fulfilled his father's desire. Throughout his life, he was engaged in charity, making large donations for the maintenance of the shelter. Over time, the Moscow Hospice House became exemplary throughout Russia. He was repeatedly visited by both members of the imperial family and foreign guests.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev: awards
The Order of St. Vladimir, received in 1831, was not the only one by which the reigning dynasty noted the merits of Count Sheremetev. So, in 1856, 1858 and 1871. Emperor Alexander II awarded him the orders of St. Stanislav 1st degree, St. Anne 1st degree and St. Vladimir 2nd degree, respectively.
Dmitry Nikolayevich Sheremetev, whose biography is inextricably linked with the history of Russia of the 19th century, died in 1871 and was buried next to his father in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The awards he received are a recognition of his great contribution to the noble cause of helping those who need it most.