Countess-peasant from Ostankino. Praskovia Ivanovna Zhemchugova, Countess Sheremeteva

BEHIND THE THEATER. PRASKOVIYA ZHEMCHUGOVA

In the "Letter of Testament" to his son, Count Sheremetyev wrote about Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova: “... I had the most tender feelings for her ... observing the mind adorned with virtue, sincerity, philanthropy, constancy, fidelity. These qualities ... made me trample on secular prejudice in reasoning about the nobility of the family and choose her as my wife ... than devastated. And at such a moment you accidentally collide with the very stranger, who was desperately lacking for happiness.

Praskovya Zhemchugova - too good

Nikolai Sheremetiev studied at Leiden University and was familiar with the theatrical life of Europe. And having inherited the serf theater from his father, he decided to organize the training of serf actors in performing arts in Kuskovo.

Perhaps he did not seek the caresses of a woman when he traveled to other countries, adopting innovations, learning, did not yearn to revel in the quivering feeling bestowed from above. But when the offspring of the famous family, Count Nikolai Sheremetyev, returned to his native estate in Kuskovo with the intention of changing, if not everything, then a lot, and first of all he took up the famous theater of his father - he saw a very young actress on the stage and ... Voice, acting, appearance, huge eyes in a pale face left a mark on his soul. This imprint was at first exclusively selfish in nature: the still unformed teenager shone in the theater, like an uncut gem.

Nikolai, like everyone else from the Sheremetyev family, had a weakness for artists and immediately noticed in Praskovya Kovaleva future star. At his insistence, she began to play only the main roles in all productions, and her new name flaunted on the posters - Zhemchugova(such a pseudonym was given to her by her patron).

Born from tears...

Enjoy the show starring Praskovya, very influential people came to Kuskovo, among whom was Tsarina Catherine herself. She presented the young actress with a diamond ring. The girl was popular with rich men. But she looked only at one - her patron. And in 1788 Praskovya became a support for him in life. After all, on October 30, Nikolai's father died. The son grieved so much that he saw the only consolation in alcohol. Its pink misty haze enveloped the whole world, not letting anyone through the erected barriers. Nobody but a fragile girl. Before her, bitterness receded, her warm hands healed her headache, and her soft voice instilled a sweet sense of peace. Now the count looked at his serf with a clear understanding that he did not need other women. "I won't marry anyone but her!" he decided firmly.

Covert and overt

Novels between the owners and their bonded were not new to society, so the lovers did not receive much condemnation. Society ladies are still did not refuse to take possession of the heart of the enviable groom Sheremetyev, and the gentlemen did not refuse to steal a fraction of the attention of his precious actress. However, the two held each other tightly. And when Nikolai received the title of Chief Marshal of the Imperial Court, he moved to St. Petersburg, of course, not forgetting to pick up his favorite actress. But something always prevents people from being truly happy. For example, diseases. The damp climate of the capital hit Praskovyu, awakening the tuberculosis that had been dormant in her until now (which she inherited from her father, a blacksmith). The girl, who was proud of her beautiful voice, became hoarse and could no longer sing. She was afraid that, having lost her talent, she would also lose the love of the count. However, he considered it foolish. He personally took care of the health of the actress and even made her free. Moreover, he took his beloved down the aisle.

On November 6, 1801, a carriage with the groom and bride. They quickly climbed the steps, got married and went back to the estate to celebrate. The wedding took place in a narrow circle of acquaintances, remaining a mystery to the rest of the world. It’s just that the lovers understood what Praskovya would have felt if she had come into the world as Countess Sheremetyeva. After all, in those days, actors were considered nonentities and were buried behind the cemetery, despite how they shone on the stages at the court. No matter how famous Zhemchugova would not have accepted it. Even despite the special edict of Emperor Alexander I, who personally agreed to the marriage of the count and his serf.

How much happiness is measured?

They lived, loved, respected each other and enjoyed every day. And stupid and envious people whispered behind their backs. Nicholas was called crazy. He did not care about other people's speculation and gossip, because his wife was expecting a child. What else can inspire a man, if not the news of the birth of an heir from his beloved woman? Sheremetyev saw everything in pink and had no idea what misfortune awaited him ahead. FROM every month his beloved Praskovya faded away. The doctors gave no hope. After a protracted and painful childbirth, weakened by consumption, she nevertheless gave her husband a long-awaited son. The Countess could no longer get up from the bed. Feeling close death, she asked to see her child. I wanted to take him in my arms. But the midwives took him away from his mother, fearing infection. Praskovya was left alone with the nurses, locked in a room from others. She raved, suffered, begged to be allowed at least to hear the voice of the newborn. Her faithful guardians remained deaf to requests.

Together with his wife, Nikolai also suffered. He saw her despair, watched from the outside how life was leaving her bit by bit every day ... And he could not do anything: neither save nor help. The only thing Sheremetyev tried to moderate her pain was to bring the baby to the door of his wife's bedroom. Hearing his crying, the woman calmed down and plunged into a rebellious sleep.

Burdened with grief, Nikolai could no longer carry this burden on his shoulders and remain silent. He revealed his secret to everyone, telling who his wife was.

A month has passed. In 1803, the torment of the unfortunate countess ended. She left her husband and son.

And then, without Praskovya Zhemchugova ...

On the last journey Praskovya Sheremetyeva accompanied by actors, musicians, servants of the estate, serfs. The procession was closed by a completely gray-haired, albeit young another man with a small child in his arms. Admiring the voice of the actress, gentlemen from high society did not come to say goodbye to her: they considered it below their dignity to recognize the former serf countess.

Having lost the meaning of existence, Count Sheremetyev chose to escape from the noisy capital, forget about feasts, social evenings. He devoted himself to serving people: he did charity work, built a hospital, created a fund to help the poor. And he himself raised a little son, who knew about his mother only from the stories of his father. “... I had the most tender feelings for her ... I observed reason adorned with virtue, sincerity, philanthropy, constancy, fidelity. These qualities ... made me trample on secular prejudice in reasoning about the nobility of the family and choose her as my wife ... ”Nikolai admitted, describing his beloved woman, so that a beautiful image formed in the memory of the child. Six years after the death of the adored actress, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetyev went in search of her ... to another world.

DATA

“If an angel came down from heaven, if thunder and lightning struck at once, I would be less amazed,” Nikolai wrote in one of his letters to friends after meeting Praskovya.

The serf artist of the Sheremetyevs, Nikolai Argunov, painted a portrait of Praskovya Ivanovna on his master's wedding day: a red shawl, a white wedding veil, a precious medallion around her neck. This is how she remained forever in the memory of her husband.

The countess-peasant, knowing about the hard life of the poor, orphans and the sick, constantly helped them, and her husband In his will, he built a hospitable house with a hospital in Moscow (now the Sklifosovsky Hospital) and put capital into issuing a dowry to poor brides, which undoubtedly testified to the count's tender affection for his chosen one.

About a pair of Sheremetyevs - Zhemchugova there were different stories. For example, someone invented a very romantic legend of the acquaintance of lovers, according to which Nikolai saw Praskovya when she was driving a herd of cows from a pasture. The count liked the young peasant woman so much that he rode up to her on his horse and said: “You are not a couple of a peasant!” Then he took Praskovya Zhemchugova to your homestead.

Updated: April 13, 2019 by: Elena

The count family of the Sheremetevs is one of the most noble and wealthy in Russia in the 18th century. The Sheremetevs were known as statesmen, builders of temples, wealthy patrons who helped the poor and the sick, and encouraged the development of national architecture, art, and music. Their home theater was considered the best private theater in the empire; its owners spared neither money nor labor for staging performances and creating scenery. The Sheremetev Theater was notable not only for its professional, educated and talented actors and singers, but also for its meticulously calculated layout of the hall, luxurious decorations and excellent acoustics. Many who visited Kuskovo in those days noted that the scope of the performances and the professionalism of the actors were in no way inferior to the most famous palace theater in the Hermitage.

Kuskovo

Sheremetevs believed that real actors should be raised, patiently teaching them from childhood. So, Parasha Kovaleva (1768-1803), the daughter of a serf blacksmith, ended up with other children in the count's estate when she was barely eight years old. She was immediately given to the upbringing of the lonely princess Marfa Mikhailovna Dolgoruky. The girl received an education from the princess, was trained in vocals, acting, playing the harp and harpsichord, French and Italian, literature, literacy and some sciences. Famous master actors, singers and teachers came to the estate to prepare children for theatrical life. Increasingly, they noted the wonderful abilities of little Parasha, predicted a great future for her.

Nikolay Ivanovich Argunov

At the same time, the son of the owner of the house - Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev - Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev (1751-1809) traveled around Europe in order to improve his education. Having collected the revolutionary ideas that reigned there, he immediately decided to change the life of Kuskovo and organize it according to European canons. The first thing the young man took up was the premises of his father's theater, which seemed to him old and too cramped.

It was then, watching the progress of construction work, that Nikolai Petrovich saw a shy ten-year-old girl with huge eyes in her pale face, and when he got to know her better, he also felt the extraordinary talent of a little serf.

In the new theater, the girl made her debut in the role of a maid from Gretry's opera The Experience of Friendship. The delightful soprano Parasha conquered all the audience, not leaving the owner's son indifferent. Nikolai was so pleased with the debut of the little actress that in the next opera he gave her the main role and did not doubt her success for a moment. It was then that the theatrical pseudonym of the girl, Zhemchugova, first appeared on the posters. Since then, only the young Parasha got the best roles in the Sheremetev Theater.

Praskovya Kovaleva-Zhemchugova as Eliana
C. de Chamisso

The Sheremetevs treated the actors respectfully and with respect. They were called by name and patronymic, Count Sheremetev Jr. gave his actors new surnames according to the names of precious stones. The legend says that the Zhemchugovoy Sink was named on the day when a small pearl was found in the manor's pond. All actors and musicians of the theater were paid salaries, they were forbidden any physical labor, they ate the same as the owners of the estate, and the best local doctors were invited to the sick. All this surprised the noble visitors of Kuskovo, and for a long time the order in the "strange" family was one of the most interesting topics at the secular evenings of the capital.

Kuskovo

Rumors about the Sheremetev theater spread throughout all the estates, noble people came to each performance in Kuskovo, and those who did not get to the performance then lamented for a long time and listened to the vivid stories of those who watched the next production.

Kuskovo

The old count decided to build a new theater building, the opening of which was to take place on June 30, 1787, on the day when Catherine II herself intended to visit the Sheremetev estate. The famous theater, and especially the play and voice of the young actress Praskovya Zhemchugova, impressed the queen so much that she decided to present the girl with a diamond ring. From now on, the young serf Parasha became one of the most famous actresses in Russia.

Daria Yurskaya as Praskovya Zhemchugova

On October 30, 1788, Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev died. All estates with serfs of two hundred thousand souls went to his son, Nikolai Petrovich. He, after the death of his father, forgot about the theater, drank and rioted, trying to escape from grief. Only Parasha was able to console the young count and with sympathy and infinite kindness brought him out of the spree. After that, Nikolai Petrovich looked at the girl in a different way: a huge, strong feeling arose in his heart. Zhemchugova became the second person in the theater, the actors now addressed her only as Praskovya Ivanovna.

Soon, the lovers and the entire troupe of the theater moved to the new estate of the count - Ostankino. Suddenly, Parasha developed tuberculosis, and the doctors forbade her to sing forever. The gentle care of the count, his patience and love helped the woman survive this grief, and on December 15, 1798, Count Sheremetev gave freedom to his most beloved serf actress. This bold step caused bewilderment and gossip in noble circles, but the count did not pay attention to slander. He decided to marry his beloved. On the morning of November 6, 1801 in the church of St. Simeon Stolpnik, which is now located in Moscow on Novy Arbat, a scandalous marriage took place. The sacrament was performed in the strictest confidence, only four of the closest and most faithful friends of the young couple were invited to it.

Church of Simeon the Stylite

This marriage lasted two years in respect, mutual understanding and love. Parasha's health worsened every day. On February 3, 1803, Praskovya Ivanovna gave birth to a son. The birth was difficult and painful, and the body, weakened by consumption, did not even allow the woman to get out of bed. Terminally ill, she begged to see the child, but he was immediately taken away from his mother for fear that the baby would become infected and die. The Countess faded away for about a month. In her delirium, she begged to be allowed to hear the baby's voice, and when he was brought to the bedroom door, Parasha calmed down and fell into a heavy sleep.

Realizing that the death of his wife was inevitable, Nikolai Petrovich decided to reveal his secret and tell about his marriage to a former serf. He wrote a letter to Emperor Alexander I, where he begged to forgive him and recognize the newborn as the heir to the Sheremetev family. The emperor gave his highest consent to this.

Alexander I
Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky

The beloved wife of Count Sheremetev died in the St. Petersburg Fountain House on February 23, 1803, on the twentieth day from the birth of her son. She was only thirty-four years old. Nobody from the nobility came to the funeral - the gentlemen did not want to recognize the deceased serf countess. Actors, theater musicians, servants of the estate, serfs and a man who turned gray with grief with a baby in his arms saw off Parasha on his last journey.

Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev
Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky

Now Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova-Sheremeteva rests in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in the family crypt of the Sheremetevs.

She bequeathed all her personal funds and jewelry to orphaned children and poor brides to buy a dowry. Nikolai Petrovich strictly monitored the fulfillment of the will and himself, until the end of his life, constantly helped the crippled and the destitute. In his Moscow palace, he founded the famous Sheremetev Hospital, which is now better known as the Institute of Emergency Medicine. Sklifosovsky. Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev died six years after his wife.

In the Testament Letter to his son, the count wrote about Praskovya Ivanovna: “... I had the most tender feelings for her ... I observed reason adorned with virtue, sincerity, philanthropy, constancy, fidelity. These qualities ... made me trample on secular prejudice in reasoning about the nobility of the family and choose her as my wife ... "

Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev
Orest Adamovich Kiprensky

Text by Anna Sardaryan

Nikolai Sheremetiev and Praskovya Zhemchugova

The love story of the serf Praskovya and her master, the illustrious Count Sheremetyev, is not in vain called the most touching story of the 18th century, and this is true.

Praskovya Zhemchugova. Nikolai Argunov

Praskovya Kovaleva was born into the family of a serf blacksmith. However, the girl lived in her father's house only until she was six years old - then she was taken to Kuskovo and given to Marfa Dolgoruky to be raised. The girl was taken away from her parents with a long-range view: contemporaries wrote that the future star of the Sheremetyev fortress theater from early childhood had an amazing, bewitching voice. Having heard this voice once, the twenty-two-year-old Count Nikolai Sheremetyev could never forget it.

The talented daughter of a blacksmith was raised as a future prima. Praskovya perfectly mastered musical notation, playing the harp and harpsichord, spoke and sang in both French and Italian. Not every noblewoman of that time can boast of such a versatile education!

However, the girl was not prepared for a happy marriage at all - Praskovya began performing on the stage of the famous Sheremetev serf theater, which thundered throughout Russia, from the age of eleven. At first, Parashenka performed under the pseudonym Gorbunova, but then the count himself began to invent harmonious surnames for his serf actresses: Yakhontova, Granatova, Biryuzova ... So Praskovya became Zhemchugova.

History has brought us many versions of the first date of Parasha and Nikolai, but it can only be considered reliable that the count noticed the gifted girl as a very young child and then followed her fate from afar. Praskovya's talent was so outstanding that Empress Catherine the Great herself, who was present at the play "Samnite Marriages" to the music of Gretry, in which Praskovya Zhemchugova sang the part of Eliana, was shocked by the performance of the young artist and granted her a diamond ring from her own hand.

A fragile, seemingly sickly girl, having stepped on the stage, was completely transformed. In addition to the stunning soprano, bewitching the audience, Zhemchugova also had undoubted stage talent. In addition, the young actress was characterized by a meek disposition, modesty and selflessness.

Nikolai Sheremetyev did not even have to dream of calling Praskovya his own before God: serf girls taken as mistresses, whether they were laundresses or actresses, were intended only for one thing - to bring carnal pleasure. However, the sublime nature of Nicholas did not find any pleasure in corrupt or forced caresses.

The sudden death of his beloved father had such an effect on the young Count Sheremetyev that he drank heavily and fell into depression. The same Praskovya returned him to normal life, and then, feeling great gratitude to the girl, the count decided to commit an act unprecedented at that time - to marry a serf.

Praskovya Zhemchugova, with whom her talent and the decision of the count played a cruel joke, found herself between two fires: high society did not accept the “girl” and “slave”, and her former village environment also rejected the young actress, who had gone far from the peasant way of life. In addition, Catherine II, who patronized the actress, died, and Paul I, who ascended the throne, did not want to give permission for the marriage of a serf and a count.

Nikolai Sheremetyev was distinguished by enviable persistence, and the emperor's refusal did not bother him: he decided to achieve his goal, if not by perseverance, then by cunning. The count invited the sovereign to his palace to listen to the serf choir. Paul I, who had never seen or heard Zhemchugova before, but had only heard from the courtiers about the “impudent girl”, was so shocked by both the voice and the appearance of this extraordinary artist that he immediately gave Count Nikolai Petrovich consent to marriage.

Praskovya Zhemchugova and Count Nikolai Sheremetyev got married only 17 long years after the beginning of their romance, in 1801, in Moscow, in the church of Simeon the Stylite on Povarskaya. The wedding was almost a secret - only two obligatory witnesses were present at the wedding.

The count took the love of his life to St. Petersburg, but the damp climate of the capital did not benefit the singer: Praskovya, prone to tuberculosis, fell seriously ill. The newly minted Countess Sheremetyeva herself considered her illness a punishment for the years spent in adultery, but, as if wanting to dissuade her of this, God gave her unexpected joy - she became pregnant. The pregnancy was difficult, but Praskovya herself and Nikolai Petrovich were in seventh heaven with happiness, dreaming of a long-awaited heir. It was during Praskovya's pregnancy that the artist Ivan Argunov painted her famous "Portrait of Zhemchugova in a Striped Hood".

Fairy tales do not always have a happy ending: the love story of a serf singer and a count ended on a tragic note. Praskovya died on the twentieth day after giving birth, leaving her son Dmitry to her inconsolable husband. In memory of his untimely deceased wife, the count built a hospitable house on Sukharevka, which today houses the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after. N. V. Sklifosovsky.

Count Sheremetiev was never able to find consolation from other women, and he did not seek it. He survived his beloved Pashenka by only six years ...

Nicholas II In essence, I always felt sorry for Nicholas II. No doubt he was a deeply unhappy man. He could not impress anyone, and his personality did not cause either fear or respect. He was an ordinary person. But justice still requires confirmation that at the first