What do the Fountain Palace in St. Petersburg have in common with the Moscow estates of Kuskovo and Ostankino? All of them once belonged to the Sheremetevs. This ancient noble family gave Russia several prominent statesmen. One of them was Sheremetev Dmitry Nikolaevich (1803 - 1871) - the great-grandson of Field Marshal during the Great Northern War.
Ancient boyar family
In Russian chronicles of the XIV century. there is a mention of the confidant of the Moscow prince Simeon the Proud Andrei Ivanovich Kobyl. Many noble families descended from him, the most prominent of which were the Sheremetevs and the Romanovs.
One of the descendants of the boyar Kobyly received the nickname Sheremet, which is recorded in the annals of the XV century. In the next century, the Sheremetev boyars sat in the Duma, playing an important role in the election of Mikhail Fedorovich, Romanov's cousin, to the kingdom in 1613.
During the Petrine reforms, Boris Petrovich Sheremetev stood out. A talented diplomat and commander, he was the first in Russia to receive the title of count, which was new at that time. Since then, his direct descendants, right up to the revolutionary events of 1917, occupied prominent government positions.
Some of them also became famous as patrons andphilanthropists. For example, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev left behind a memory as a generous trustee of the Hospice Home for the Crippled and the Poor, founded in Moscow by his father.
Child of misalliance
It is known that serf theaters were very popular in the Russian Empire of the 18th century. The actress of one of them has a romantic story worthy of a film adaptation.
We are talking about the beautiful Parasha - the daughter of a blacksmith from the Yaroslavl province. As a little girl, she ended up in Kuskovo, an estate that belonged to the Sheremetevs. Here she showed acting and musical talent. Together with a beautiful voice, this allowed young Praskovya to make her debut on the stage of the fortress theater at the age of 11.
Later, like all Sheremetev actors, she received the stage name Zhemchugova and under it played in a play given in honor of the opening of a new theater in Kuskovo. The premiere was attended by Empress Catherine II, who presented Praskovya with a pearl diamond ring.
A few years later, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, who loved his serf actress, decided to marry her despite class barriers. To this end, he submitted a petition to Emperor Alexander I. The bride's family received freedom, and a beautiful legend was composed about her origin from the Polish noble family.
After all, permission was granted. Praskovya Zhemchugova became Countess Sheremeteva, but, unfortunately, she died of tuberculosis shortly after the birth of her son in 1803. Her husband survived herfor just six years. So in 1809 Dmitry Nikolayevich Sheremetev became an orphan.
Education and upbringing
Guardians, according to the last will of the late count, appointed teachers for little Mitya. We do not have exact information about his home education. It is known that, according to the customs of that time, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev studied French.
Later, his son recalled that his father was fluent in him and knew the classical literature of France well. Also, the young count's training program included music, dancing, singing and the Russian language.
As the child of an unequal marriage, the orphaned Dmitry Sheremetev was brought up in a social vacuum. The father's relatives did not want to keep in touch with him, and the maternal relatives, due to their class position, did not have such an opportunity. This certainly left an imprint on the personality of the shy youth.
Military service
Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev celebrated 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 attending theaters and balls. A few cavalry guard friends often gathered in his house. They were accompanied by the artist Kiprensky O., who painted a formal portrait of Count Sheremetev in 1824.
The cavalry guard regiment did not take partonly in the suppression of the Decembrists, but also in the suppression of 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 degree.
Charity activities
Even at the end of the XVIII century. Sheremetev N. P. decided to found a Hospice for the poor in Moscow. However, the count did not have time to realize his plans - the shelter was opened after his death. In his will, he asked his son not to leave the Hospice he had established without care.
Count Dmitry Nikolayevich Sheremetev fulfilled his father's wish. Throughout his life he was involved in charity work, making large donations to the maintenance of the orphanage. Over time, the Moscow Hospice House became exemplary throughout Russia. It 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 with 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. Stanislaus 1st class, St. Anna 1st class and St. Vladimir 2nd class respectively.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev, whose biography is inextricably linked with the history of Russia in the 19th century, died in 1871 and was buried next to his father in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The awards he received are recognition of his greatcontribution to the noble cause of helping those who need it most.
