210 years ago, on January 14, 1809, Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, a major philanthropist, patron of arts and millionaire, died. He was the most prominent figure in the famous Sheremetev family.
According to the school course in the history of Russia, the count is known for the fact that, contrary to the moral foundations of his time, he married his own serf actress Praskovya Kovaleva, and after the death of his wife, fulfilling the will of the deceased, he devoted his life to charity and began the construction of a hospitable home in Moscow (a hospital-shelter for the poor and sick). Later, this institution became known as the Sheremetev Hospital, in the Soviet years - the Sklifosovsky Moscow Research Institute of Emergency Medicine.
Nikolai Sheremetev was born on June 28 (July 9), 1751 in St. Petersburg. His grandfather was the famous field marshal of Peter I, Boris Sheremetev, his father, Peter Borisovich, grew up and was brought up together with the future Tsar Peter II. As a result of his marriage to Princess Cherkasskaya, the only daughter of the Chancellor of the Russian Empire, he got a huge dowry (70 thousand souls of peasants). The Sheremetev family became one of the richest in Russia. Pyotr Sheremetev was known for his eccentricities, love of art and luxurious lifestyle. His son continued this tradition.
In childhood, as was customary among the then nobility, Nicholas was enrolled in military service, but did not follow the army path. The count grew up and was brought up together with the future Tsar Pavel Petrovich, they were friends. Nikolai received a good education at home. The young man was interested in the exact sciences, but most of all he showed a penchant for art. Sheremetev was a real musician - he perfectly played the piano, violin, cello, and directed the orchestra. The young man, as was customary in aristocratic families, made a long journey across Europe. He studied at Leiden University in Holland, then he was one of the most prestigious in Western Europe. Nikolai also visited Prussia, France, England and Switzerland. He studied theater, decoration, stage and ballet art.
Having completed the journey, Nikolai Petrovich returned to the court service, where he was until 1800. Under Paul the First, he reached the pinnacle of his career as chief marshal. The count served as director of the Moscow Noble Bank, senator, director of the imperial theaters and the Corps of Pages. But most of all Sheremetev was interested not in service, but in art. His house in Moscow was famous for its brilliant receptions, festivities and theatrical performances.
Nikolai Petrovich was considered an expert in architecture. He financed the construction of theaters in Kuskovo and Markov, a theater-palace in Ostankino, houses in Pavlovsk and Gatchina, and the Fountain House in St. Petersburg. Sheremetev hosted the country's first private architectural competition for his home in Moscow. The count is also known in the construction of church buildings: the Church of the Sign of the Virgin in the Novospassky Monastery, the Trinity Church at the Hospice House, the temple in the name of Dmitry Rostov in Rostov the Great and others.
But first of all, Nikolai Petrovich became famous as a theatrical figure. Dozens of serf theaters operated in the Russian Empire before the abolition of serfdom. Most of them were in Moscow. The home theaters of Count Vorontsov, Prince Yusupov, industrialist Demidov, General Apraksin, etc. became famous for their troupes and repertoire. Among such theaters was Nikolai Sheremetev's institution. His father, Pyotr Borisovich, the richest landowner (owner of 140 thousand serf souls), created the Serf Theater, as well as ballet and painting schools in the 1760s in the Kuskovo estate. The theater was attended by Catherine II, Paul I, the Polish king Stanislav Ponyatovsky, leading Russian nobles and dignitaries. Under Count Nikolai Sheremetev, the theater reached new heights. Having inherited a huge fortune from his father, he was called Croesus the Younger (Croesus was the ancient Lydian king, famous for his enormous wealth), Sheremetev did not spare money for his favorite business. The best Russian and foreign specialists were assigned to train the actors. Nikolai Petrovich built a new building in Kuskovo, and in 1795 erected a theater in another family estate near Moscow, in Ostankino. In winter, the theater was located in the Moscow house of the Sheremetevs on Nikolskaya Street. The theater staff numbered up to 200 people. The theater was distinguished by an excellent orchestra, rich decorations and costumes. The Ostankino Theater was the best hall in Moscow for its acoustic qualities.
In addition, the count concentrated in Ostankino all art collections, values collected by previous generations of Sheremetev. Possessing good taste, Nikolai Sheremetev continued this business and became one of the largest and most famous collectors in Russia. He made numerous acquisitions in his youth, while traveling abroad. Then whole transports with valuable works came to Russia. He did not abandon this hobby and later, becoming the largest collector of cultural values (marble busts and statues, copies of antique works, paintings, porcelain, bronze, furniture, books, etc.) from the Sheremetev family. The collection of paintings alone consisted of about 400 works, and the collection of porcelain - more than 2 thousand items. Especially many works of art were acquired in the 1790s for the palace-theater in Ostankino.
For Nikolai Petrovich, theater was the main business of his life. Over two decades, about a hundred ballets, operas and comedies have been staged. The main one was the comic opera - Gretri, Monsigny, Dunya, Daleirak, Fomin. Then they preferred the works of Italian and French authors. There was a tradition in the theater of naming artists after precious stones. So, on stage there were: Granatova (Shlykova), Biryuzova (Urusova), Serdolikov (Deulin), Izumrudova (Buyanova) and Zhemchugova (Kovaleva). Praskovya Ivanovna (1768-1803), whose talent was noticed by the count and developed in every possible way, became Sheremetev's beloved. This was common. Many landowners, including Nikolai's father, Peter Borisovich Sheremetev, had illegitimate children from serf beauties. Count Sheremetev gave the girl free rein in 1798 and married her in 1801. At the same time, the count tried to justify his marriage to a former serf and bought her a legend about the "origin" of Praskovia from the family of impoverished Polish gentry Kovalevsky. Praskovya gave birth to his son in February 1803 and soon died.
After the death of his beloved, fulfilling her will, Count Nikolai Petrovich devoted the remaining years to charity. He donated part of his capital to the poor. The count annually distributed pensions alone up to 260 thousand rubles (a huge amount at that time). By a decree on April 25, 1803, Tsar Alexander I ordered that Count Nikolai Petrovich be awarded a gold medal for disinterested help to people in the general meeting of the Senate. By the decision of Nikolai Sheremetev, the construction of the Hospice House (almshouse) began. Famous architects Elizva Nazarov and Giacomo Quarenghi worked on the building project. The construction was carried out for more than 15 years and the building was opened after the death of Sheremetev in 1810. The hospice, designed for 50 sick and 25 orphan girls, became one of the first institutions in Russia to provide medical assistance to the poor and to help orphans and homeless people. The Sheremetev Hospital became a masterpiece of Russian classicism at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries. The Sheremetev family maintained the institution until the death of the Russian Empire.
Sheremetev's personality was interesting. He became famous not for belonging to the richest aristocratic family, not for state and military merits and victories, not for personal successes in art and science, but for his character traits. He was an intellectual aristocrat who, in his "Testament Letter" to his son, was noted for moral reasoning.
Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev passed away on January 2 (14), 1809. He ordered to bury him in a simple coffin, and to distribute funds intended for a rich funeral to those in need.
In his will to his son, the count wrote that he had everything in his life: “fame, wealth, luxury. But I found no rest in anything. " Nikolai Petrovich bequeathed not to be blinded by "wealth and splendor", and to remember about belonging to "God, Tsar, Fatherland and society." Since "life is fleeting, and only good deeds can we take with us outside the door of the coffin."
Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev continued his father's work, donating huge sums to charity. There was even an expression “to live on the Sheremetev’s account”. The Sheremetevs maintained the Hospice House, churches, monasteries, orphanages, gymnasiums and part of the St. Petersburg University.
