Since ancient times, among representatives of the highestRussian aristocracy were patrons who contributed to the development of national art. Their activities provided an opportunity to reveal many national talents, which contributed to the rise of a new level of the spiritual life of the country. Among them was Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, whose biography became the basis for writing this article.
Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev was born on July 9, 1751of the year. By the will of fate, he became the heir of one of the richest and most distinguished noble families of Russia. His father, Pyotr Borisovich, head of the Sheremetev family, became the owner of one of the largest states in the country, marrying favorably the daughter of a prominent statesman, the chancellor of Russia, Prince AM Cherkassky.
At one time he was widely known as a patron andpatron of art. The most valuable collections of paintings, porcelain and jewelry were kept in the palaces of St. Petersburg and Moscow that belonged to Peter Borisovich. However, his main glory was home theater, the performances of which sometimes even the members of the reigning House did not disdain to attend.
Being brought up in a family where stage artwas perceived as one of the highest manifestations of spirituality, his son Nikolay from an early age loved the stage and at the age of 14 years already debuted, performing the part of the god Hymen. Together with him, his friend, the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Pavel, took part in the performances of his father’s theater.
In 1769, Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev set offto Europe, where, as a representative of the noblest and richest Russian family, was represented at the courts of France, Prussia and England. He completed his journey in Holland, where he entered one of the most prestigious educational institutions of the time - the University of Leiden.
But not only academic disciplines devotedtime is a young earl. Revolving in the highest circles of European society, he personally met many of the foremost people of that era, among whom were the famous composers Handel and Mozart. In addition, taking advantage of the opportunity, Nikolai Petrovich thoroughly studied theatrical and ballet art, as well as improved in playing the piano, cello and violin - instruments that he had studied in childhood.
По возвращении в Россию Николай Петрович Sheremetev was appointed director of the Moscow Bank and was forced to change the ceremonial St. Petersburg to a quiet and patriarchal Moscow. It is known that Empress Catherine the Great, fearing the possibility of a coup d'état, removed from the capital all the friends and possible accomplices of her son, Tsarevich Paul, from the capital. Since he had an old friendship with the heir to the throne Sheremetev, he also became one of those unwanted at the court.
Having appeared in this "honorable link", NikolayPetrovich did not consider himself to be deprived of his fate, and, taking advantage of the opportunity, proceeded to the construction of a new theater building in the Kuskovo family estate near Moscow. From that time on, the Sheremetevs' fortress theater began to give performances on two stages - in the previously constructed extension to their house on Nikolskaya Street and in the newly rebuilt building in Kuskovo (the photo of the latter is placed below).
According to contemporaries, with a levelproductions of the Sheremetev troupe could not compete performances of a single serf theater in Russia of those years. Thanks to the knowledge acquired abroad, Nikolai Petrovich was able to provide high decoration of performances, as well as create a professional orchestra. Particular attention was paid to the composition of the troupe, recruited from the serfs belonged to him.
Typing artists from among the most giftedthe peasants, the count did not spare the strength and resources to train them in stage skills. Professional teachers of the imperial Petrovsky theater were written out as teachers. In addition, count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev sent newfound actors to study at his own expense not only in Moscow, but also in St. Petersburg, where, besides the main disciplines, they were engaged in foreign languages, literature and versification.
As a result, on performances of the Kuskovsky Theater,opened in 1787, all aristocratic Moscow, as well as guests from the capital, including members of the reigning family, came together. The popularity of his troupe was so great that the owners of other private Moscow theaters complained to the mayor that, for his own sake, the earl - a person who is fabulously rich without that - beats off the audience and deprives them of income. Meanwhile, for Nikolai Petrovich, the service of Melpomene was never fun. Now the theater has become the main business of his life.
Another passion of Count Sheremetev wasarchitecture. Possessing sufficient funds, over two decades he built many structures recognized as true masterpieces of Russian architecture. Among them are the theatrical and palace complexes in Ostankino and Kuskovo, houses in Gatchina and Pavlovsk, the Stranger's House in Moscow (photo above), the Fountain House in St. Petersburg and a number of other structures, including several Orthodox churches.
Крутой поворот в жизни графа наступил в 1796 the year when, after the death of Catherine II, the Russian throne was taken by her son Pavel. Feeling sincere affection to Sheremetev as a friend of his childhood, he was one of his first decrees bestowing upon him the rank of chief marshal and introduced him, thus, to the number of the most influential state dignitaries.
Since then, orders, titles, privileges,gift estates and other royal mercies fell on him one after another. From 1799 he was the director of the imperial theaters, and after some time he was the head of the Page Corps. However, in these years, he tried to get something completely different from Emperor Sheremetev, and this is what the further story will go about.
The fact is that by his 45 years, Count SheremetevNikolai Petrovich was not married. Possessing a colossal state that made him richer than the emperor himself, and excellent appearance, the count was the most enviable bridegroom in Russia, with whom many brides from the highest strata of society dreamed about marriage.
However, the heart of the earl firmly occupied the serfhis theater actress Praskovya Zhemchugova. Possessing amazing natural beauty and a wonderful voice, it nevertheless remained in the eyes of society only a serf girl — the daughter of a rural blacksmith.
Once in childhood, the earl noticed this vociferousthe girl and, having given her a worthy upbringing, made her a first-class actress, whose talented viewers tirelessly applauded. Her real name is Kovalev, Zhemchugovaya, the count himself made her, finding such a stage name more resonant.
However, the existing traditions did not allow themlegitimize the relationship. From the point of view of the aristocracy, it is one thing to enjoy singing a serf actress, and quite another to allow it to enter the high society, recognizing its equal. The important role was also played by the protests of the numerous relatives of the count, who saw in Praskove a pretender to the inheritance. It is curious to note that in that era people of the acting profession in general had such a low status that it was even forbidden to bury them in a church fence.
Of course, in such an environment, the marriage wasis impossible. The only way out of this situation would be to give the highest permission, for which Sheremetev appealed personally to the emperor, hoping that Paul I would make an exception for him from the general rule. However, even the memory of children's friendship did not make the autocrat disrupt the order established for centuries.
Only after the assassination of Paul I by conspirators Earl managed to carry out his plans by fakingthe documents of her bride, as a result of which Praskovya Zhemchugova began to appear as a Polish noblewoman Paraskeva Kovalevskaya. Alexander I, who replaced his father on the throne, agreed to Sheremetev to marry, but in this case the wedding was secret, held on November 8, 1801 in one of the small Moscow churches.
In 1803 a son was born in the Sheremetev familyreceived in the baptism of the name of Dmitry. However, the joy of the father soon turned into grief: twelve days after the birth of the child, his wife Praskovya died, and she could not recover after giving birth.
From ancient times on Orthodox Russia existedsuch a custom: when a close person died, in the rest of his soul to spend money on godly deeds. Voluntary donations could be different - everything depended on material possibilities. Sheremetev, in memory of his late spouse, built in Moscow a strange hospice, in whose premises today the Research Institute of Emergency Care is located. Sklifosovsky (photo number 4).
Construction work on this well-knownMuscovites of the building were led by an outstanding architect of Italian origin, Giacomo Quarenghi, who was an ardent admirer and connoisseur of the late actress’s talent. Created exclusively for the poor and disadvantaged people, the Unusual Home was designed for the maintenance of 50 patients who received inpatient treatment, as well as 100 “those who were appreciated,” that is, beggars who had no means of subsistence. In addition, there was a shelter for 25 orphan girls.
Чтобы обеспечить финансирование этого заведения, Earl put in the bank on his account sufficient for those times the capital, and also wrote off to the maintenance of Strannopriimnogo house several villages with serf souls. In addition to direct expenses, of these funds, according to the will of the graph, it was necessary to help families in need and allocate certain sums annually for dowries for poor brides.
Nikolai Petrovich died on January 1, 1809,only six years after surviving his spouse. The last years of his life he spent in his St. Petersburg palace, known as the Fountain House (photo, final article). His ashes, resting in the Sheremetev tomb of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, were buried in a simple wooden coffin, because the count bequeathed all the money spent on the funeral to the poor.
