Surnames of the noble families of the Russian Empire. Russian noble families originating from the South Baltic Pomerania

Interview with a descendant of the famous noble family Olga Muravyova about how a Russian nobleman was brought up

V modern society interest in noble culture is growing noticeably, people are attracted by the beautiful lifestyle and manners of the aristocracy of the past. But the Russian nobility - this phenomenon is much deeper than just good manners and rich estates. This whole system moral values in which the concepts of duty and honor come first. And they instilled these values ​​in a person from early childhood, which is why, according to researchers, a Russian aristocrat can be distinguished as special type personality, as a person of extraordinary honesty and nobility. This is narrated by the famous book “How a Russian Nobleman Was Raised”, written by Olga Muravyova, a descendant of the famous noble family. She writes that the education of Russian nobles was based on a set of certain ethical norms. - in contrast to the current upbringing, which supposedly reveals individuality. And she told Realnoe Vremya about the concept of noble honor and family traditions of the nobles, as well as what of this can be applied in raising children in current families.

- Olga Sergeevna, what suitable conditions were created in the Russian Empire so that the same Russian nobility with all its values ​​​​and ideals could appear in the country, about which your book is about?

Back in the 18th century, there were very few such people. The average cultural level of the nobility of that time is clearly visible in the works of Fonvizin. But it was then that the cultural leaders of the nobility - Sumarokov, Novikov and their associates - set out to raise from the children of the Prostakovs and Skotinins real refined gentlemen, educated and enlightened people, knights. At first glance, it was one of the typical Russian utopias, but the most amazing thing is that they succeeded. How? This mechanism has not been described by anyone. Of course, educational institutions for boys and girls were created, but basically the process of education took place in families, by one's own efforts.

Of course, then there was something that doesn’t exist now - what is called society, that is, some not very large group of people who share the same ethical standards, ideas about education and life. There was also one important practical circumstance - these people were provided for and, according to Russian concepts, free. Free politically, ideologically and materially, when there is no need to survive all the time and think about daily bread.

All these factors have created the necessary conditions for the emergence of the Russian nobility. But development proceeded, I repeat, mainly due to my personal efforts. The nobles had a belief that you need to shape your personality. Both children and youth, as can be seen from the memoirs and books, had a certain attitude - to develop the necessary qualities in themselves.

Family of noblemen Likhachev

Before moving on to a discussion of the ethical ideals that were inherent in the nobility, let's also discuss what you called the lack of need to think about daily bread. This is exactly what the revolutionaries accused the nobility of: their isolation from the needs of other segments of the population, their elitism.

In fact, the division of society into estates is a natural phenomenon. There is such an old theory that we have never recognized because it contradicted the theory of the class struggle - this is the theory of stratification of society. Society is naturally divided into strata, and someone will still be at the bottom, and someone at the top. But some ideals, knowledge, ideas that are developed by the cultural elite (if you don’t like the word “elite”, you can replace it with “writers, scientists, public figures”), gradually descend lower and lower along the strata and at the same time slightly adapt. This is how the cultural process goes, and gradually people who were lower in terms of living conditions and social status gradually adopt the values ​​developed by the cultural elite.

Our nobles hoped so. Even in Pushkin's time, Prince Vladimir Odoevsky, who belonged to one of the most aristocratic families in Russia - the Rurikovich, invited people from different social strata to his salon and communicated with them on an equal footing. And this phenomenon became ubiquitous. In the middle of the 19th century, when class barriers had already almost fallen, raznochintsy, descendants of serfs, were very willingly invited to aristocratic houses. And in general, we slightly exaggerate the difference that existed then between the estates. The famous actor Shchepkin, who was friends with Pushkin, was from the serfs. Zhukovsky - great poet, educator of the heir - was the illegitimate son of a captive Turkish woman. Pletnev - the rector of Moscow University - was from the serfs. That is, already then people who were distinguished by talents and successes were accepted on equal terms in high society, no one looked down on them.

It was hoped that Russia would follow the path not of revolution, but of cultural evolution. After all, it was the same in other countries. In France in the 30s XIX years century, the third estate had already come to power, it had power, money, but there was no culture, there was no charm and chic with which the Saint-Germain suburb teased and captivated. But it did not occur to the French to destroy this estate and disperse the aristocrats. They were learning. It is very touching to read the memories of this. Some simple French minister also wants to organize a salon, invites guests on Saturday. On Sunday, a newspaper comes out, where they mock him: what his salon was like, how he behaved, how his wife was dressed, what dishes were served. But he does not fire journalists and does not close the newspaper, but, gritting his teeth, he reads all this, and in two weeks invites guests again, trying to take into account all these wishes. As a result, they have adopted this whole culture. Now, when you are talking to some intelligent person - a Frenchman or an Englishman - it is absolutely impossible to understand what his origin is. I saw documentary about Eton, an elite royal college, and, looking at the rector, I decided that this was a fifth-generation duke. And he said that he was the first man in the family who studied after 14 years.

Cadets of the First Russian Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of the Cadet Corps

That is, it is possible. And we would have. And at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, mixing was already beginning. There were very few large landowners, rich landowners. The bulk of the nobles have long been ruined, and they lived like intellectuals, served somewhere, taught, worked, earned their labor. But behind them was a culture brought up by generations. And people from a different environment, who worked and taught with them, adopted it. I think that everything would be fine, but it did not work out. Why is not the topic of our interview.

- It is interesting that the division of society into strata, for example, in India is considered a divine order.

Yes, we didn't invent it. The question is not to mix everyone into a vinaigrette. And that those who, by the will of fate, remain below, have a decent life and the opportunity to rise higher thanks to the social elevator. And so that those who were at the top were worthy of it.

“There was a huge sense of responsibility for the fate of the country”

- In the Kazan province at the beginning In the 20th century, the noble family of the Molostvovs lived, they owned the Dolgaya Polyana estate. It is known that Vladimir Molostov, being the leader of the nobility, during the years of revolutionary events spoke to the workers, trying to explain to them that we are talking not about the sharing of goods, but about qualifications. He said that the nobility had the qualifications to govern the country because they were trained to do so. Then no one heeded his words, moreover, on the way home from the meeting, he died under strange circumstances.

The basic principle in the upbringing and life of a nobleman was this - to whom much is given, much will be asked of him. Now, with some amazement, you read about elite schools, in which it is sometimes not clear what is going on. But even if nothing terrible happens there, they have a completely different attitude - "to whom much is given, he can do whatever he wants, everything is allowed to him." I don't know where they got it from. This was not the case in the Russian cultural tradition. In our country, it has always been different: the nobles strictly raised their children in ethical terms.

The nobles had a very special attitude to the service. Because they believed that they had the right to take part in the government of the state. Despite the fact that there were often not so many admirers of the current king. They criticized both Alexander and Nicholas. But it doesn't matter - one tsar, another tsar, the main thing is: "There is Russia, there is a state for which I am responsible." There was a great sense of responsibility for the fate of the country. This, unfortunately, is also gone.

Smolny Institute

- But we are still talking not about all representatives of the nobility, but about the best of them?

Maybe this is a historical joke, but it was said that what we call the Russian cultural elite was about 200 families. Of course, these are large families. But, nevertheless, this is not much for the whole of Russia, so it was very easy to destroy them. Of course, the nobility was different. There were people who were poorly educated, not very well brought up. Good society - this expression was used by Karamzin, and Pushkin, and Odoevsky, referring to educated, well-mannered and decent people. Pushkin said that a good society can exist not only in the highest circle, but wherever there are honest, educated and decent people.

- There is such a thing as "noble honor." What does it mean?

This is a very broad concept. It can, of course, be interpreted as purely formal things, because of which, unfortunately, duels often occurred. But the main thing is that the nobleman defended his human dignity. And it was even in children. They were taught not to allow themselves to be insulted and not to offend another. Pushkin said: "The limit of meanness is to insult and not to fight." That is, if you offended someone, be prepared to stand under a bullet in a duel. Then people knew that because of an unworthy dishonest act, one could be killed, so they behaved carefully. This was followed by purely domestic habits. Chesterfield teaches his son: if a direct insult is inflicted, then go to an open quarrel. But because of every sideways glance, it was ridiculous and stupid to demand satisfaction. Therefore, the behavior was restrained: a well-bred person, as it were, does not notice what should annoy him.

But, of course, they were not humiliated in the way that people were humiliated in subsequent eras. They are not used to being insulted. They were not shouted at, I'm not talking about some terrible things. And, of course, they are not used to being insulted by their superiors. V Soviet time there was a correct saying: nervous is the one who yells at the authorities, and the one who yells at the subordinates is not nervous, but a boor. In a noble society, such subtle things were considered an insult, which today, perhaps, would not have been paid attention to.

I once consulted journalists who filmed a documentary about duels. The authors of the film could not understand in any way: “Natalya cheated on Pushkin with Dantes?” I say "No". "What then?" "Her reputation has been called into question." “Because of this, to a duel? So they could have been killed!” And they killed. This is hard to understand today. And it is impossible to explain why the version that Dantes came to the duel in chain mail is ridiculous. Dantes was an insignificant person. But if he came in chain mail, experienced seconds would notice it, and he would simply be thrown out of society, it would be civil death. But now it is not clear. What does "thrown out of society" mean? People around steal, cheat, cheat, and everyone gives them a hand...

noble family

“These people fought an absolutely hopeless fight, knowing full well that it was hopeless”

- How was such a heightened sense of self-worth reflected in everyday etiquette?

Etiquette was the formal expression of these ethical postulates. Therefore, when they teach some external methods now, it does not help much. After all, all these rules ultimately have a whole worldview under them. Why is it necessary to let the woman go ahead? Why do you have to stand up when a woman is talking to you? Why do you need to get up when an older person speaks to you? - To show respect. Children were taught: do not sit on the best place Don't take the best piece first. In general, a well-mannered person causes very little disturbance to others. And a good upbringing was designed to simplify relations between people. Chichikov and Manilov, who are trampling around in front of the door for a long time, trying to let the other through, are ill-mannered people.

Of course, it is more difficult to live in this world with such self-respect than without it. This is a philosophical question: how to set people up - so that they live as easily as possible or so that they live with dignity? Now, of course, the attitude is more common: do it in such a way that it is as easy and better for you as possible. This is one parenting style. But the nobles were completely different. I'll give you an example. I used to perform at school. A lot of different speakers passed in front of me, and they were talking, in my opinion, all sorts of nonsense. When it was my turn, I was very angry and immediately asked my parents: “Is there anything that is dearer to you than the well-being of your children?” They said no. I said: "But for them it was." And this is the fundamental difference.

This explains why the heads of noble families often went to their death, despite the fact that if they had abandoned their principles and cooperated with the Soviet authorities, their relatives would have lived much easier. Apparently, they were guided by this principle: what will my children grow up if they see how their father or mother betrayed their ideals?

Oh sure. I saw the last film production of Bulgakov's The White Guard. A monstrous production, but I honestly watched it to know what to talk about. It's not just about household items. The authors of the film did not understand the most important thing: that these people fought an absolutely hopeless struggle, knowing full well that it was hopeless, but they could not help but fight it, because for them it was the only worthy behavior. They did not expect to get anything, they did not expect to win, but they continued to fight, because otherwise they could not live.

Smolny Institute. Admission is an examination of good manners. Graduation album of the institute in 1889

- Is such behavior also based on faith in God, in the fact that there is another world where justice will prevail?

Many nobles were religious people. But they didn't write much about it, and they didn't put much emphasis on religious education. Basically, of course, they were Christians, but for many it was just a tribute to tradition. As Pushkin wrote to Chaadaev: “Why don't our priests enter into good society? Because they wear beards." It was a joke. But its meaning is that the priests were of a different cultural level. The situation is different among Catholic priests: we know from European novels that the curate has always been a member of the best local society. In our culture, it was incommensurable. But, as they say, in the 20th century there was a kind of alliance between the intelligentsia and religion, there are such thinkers as Father Pavel Florensky, who was of the highest intellectual level. Much began to change, but… The trouble was that the church was an official part of the state, which is very bad. She carried out largely repressive measures, there was spiritual censorship, from which writers and poets suffered greatly. That is, this gap between educated society and the church was conditioned Russian history, and the reason for this was the innovations of Peter the Great.

The role of religion in the nobility was often played by art, the poetic experience of tradition. The nobles might not be orthodox Orthodox, not go to all church holidays, but they were interested in this area, and through art they came to this.

“They were not spoiled: light clothes, walks in any weather, sports”

Modern people often represent the nobles as pampered creatures. What was physical education nobleman?

This notion is far from reality. Both in training and in military schools there was a very severe training. Even before the revolution, Academician Berg graduated from the naval corps, was a midshipman. And he said that after such training, nothing in life had ever seemed difficult to him. For example, in November in St. Petersburg they were forced to jump into the Neva in full uniform with guns and swim out. All noble boys had to be able to ride, be able to shoot. Often there were wars, and there were many opportunities to get there. There were duels, which meant that you had to be able to defend yourself. It is known that Pushkin took a cane with him for a walk, the cavity of which was filled with lead, while he kept throwing it up and picking it up - this is how he trained his right hand so that it would not tremble when pointing the gun.

In the lyceum - the most privileged educational institution- boys were taught to row, shoot, ride. They had obligatory gymnastics, walks in any weather. It was considered a special chic to dress lightly in the cold. And the emperor Alexander the First himself always went out for his daily walk in St. Petersburg in any weather in one uniform and a triangular hat.

The girls were also brought up strictly. They rode horseback, learned dances, which were very difficult. They were not spoiled: light clothes, walks. They were hardened physically.

Smolny Institute. Rolling down the hill. Photo 1889

In the book, you give the example of the wives of the Decembrists, who followed their husbands into exile, and say that this was not something out of the ordinary at that time.

Physical tests were not the most terrible for them. During the wars in the XVIII and early XIX centuries, very often officers carried the whole family in carts so as not to be separated from her - both wives and children. The conditions in the military camps were far from luxurious, but nevertheless Suvorov and Kutuzov did the same.

Among the nobles it was considered indecent to complain. My aunt had a friend who retained clarity of mind until a very old age. She, in particular, told a story that is an example of noble education. Her daughter was married to a military man, they lived in different cities, moved. And somehow, during one of the moves, the granddaughters were sent to live with their grandmother in Leningrad. The granddaughters were twins, eighth graders. And now, their grandmother recalled, one says: “I'm tired.” Another: "I don't feel well." Grandmother endured this for three days, then sat them down and said: “So, if someone is sick, go to bed, I will call the doctor. And if not, so that I don’t hear any more “tired”.

In your book, you give more terrible examples from the memoirs of Katya Meshcherskaya, who at the age of 12 courageously coped with tears and complaints when she and her mother found themselves in complete poverty.

In heavy, to put it mildly, Soviet life children have been prepared all the time for the fact that in the future their life will be wonderful. But the nobles were prepared for the fact that life would be hard. And really, is there a person who does not have some difficult trials, loss of loved ones, failures, disappointments in his life? They were prepared for the fact that all this would happen and that it was necessary to endure all this courageously, without losing their dignity.

Many survived when the most terrible times came. But not all, of course. I'm not saying that all without exception nobles were like that. We are talking about the best people. But the fact is that if society has an idea of ​​the norm, then, although not everyone falls short of it, society keeps at a certain level. And when there is no idea of ​​the norm, then everything collapses.

- Now this performance is?

No, none. And we see the result.

Smolny Institute. Girls in class.

- Is it possible to trace when this idea of ​​the norm began to collapse?

While working at the Pushkin Foundation, we often turn to magazines and newspapers from the early Soviet era. And everyone notices that even in the most terrible 30s you can still see these faces ... These people still lived. And then ... We had a wonderful professor at the university, he entered the university in 1921 and recalled his student years. Then there was already Soviet power, but the teachers were still those, pre-Soviet. And he talked about the wonderful university traditions, about the style of relations between teachers and students. And at the end of the lecture I attended, he says: “When I talk about it, everyone loves it so much. But now I'm a professor. And I treat my students like that, how did they treat me? No not like this. Can you treat them like that? No". Why? Because they are different. And you can't do that with them.

“For the most part, interest in the nobility is superficial: “Oh, what a dress! Oh, what an estate!”

- It seems that along with the loss of noble culture, family traditions were also lost.

Of course, the noble family was the basis of the life of its members. And from all the memoirs we see that for a noble child, the house is Eden, the abode of happiness. I have preserved photographs of my distant ancestors from before the revolution. A large family, sisters come together in the summer, and it is impossible to understand who is whose child, children sit on their mother's, aunt's, uncle's laps. I remember their stories. All this is gone. It was very difficult to keep it. Many people just died. There was an exhibition in Moscow "500 years of the House of Muravievs", and there I met distant relatives, I saw wonderful family photos: under a lampshade in the living room, in the country. And signatures: died in the 17th year, died in the 18th year. Many died, many left, 200 thousand white officers left alone, their children, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren were not born. I'm not talking about exiles and camps ... And how many people were broken! That is, they had to abandon their principles. We talked about one employee, who is now no longer in the world, that she uprooted her intelligence in herself all her life so as not to stand out.

When a hero appeared in a Soviet film who gave a woman flowers or, God forbid, kissed her hand, they knew for sure that this was an agent of special services. At best, a recidivist thief. Because the good guys were always rude. My dad, who caught all this as a child, conveyed to me a ditty about the style of new relationships, which, apparently, the intellectuals averted their souls: “I jokingly hit you on the back with a shovel. Shouting: "Damn striped!", You smiled at me.

Echoes of an old family tradition have reached me. My parents and my families cousins and the sisters spent a lot of time together. Filmed amateur films, went hiking, played. My second cousin and I sometimes say that it seemed to us that it was a normal life. But these were, it turns out, fragments of a shattered, outgoing nature. I remember when a friend came to my house from the institute, she said: “Your family is like in a movie.” We had dinner together in the evenings, discussed what everyone had during the day, shared, joked, listened to music together, we could watch TV, not everything, but some kind of movie or concert. I didn’t understand at all how it is possible, if you read an interesting book, not to start pulling at the others: “Read it too!”. Mom was a very good housewife, but when a good book came across, dad would say: “Well, guys, there won’t be dinner today, mom is reading.” Of course, she built some kind of dinner anyway, but she read. This gives a generality, there is something to talk about. In the summer at the dacha in the rain they played poetic nonsense, everyone laughed terribly. As an adult, I tried to entertain my friends like that, it didn’t work, because no one knows how to rhyme.

And children could always be present at communication of adults. We were never kicked out. I know that in many families political problems were hidden from children. From me, never. Moreover, I do not remember that someone told me that this should not be told at school. I somehow guessed and knew everything.

Pupils of the cadet school

Today, interest in noble culture is noticeable - this is evidenced by the films that are made about that time, and various balls, and etiquette lessons, and much more. How do you rate it?

In the mass, such interest is very superficial. It is more of an interest beautiful life: “Ah, dress, ah, ball, ah, estate! That's how I would do it!" And few people will like the way the nobles actually lived - such self-restraint, such requirements for conscience, dignity, honor, duty to the state. This does not cause a desire to imitate, because it is very difficult.

Movies are usually terrible. It would be better if they didn't do it. A monstrous film - "The Last Duel" about Pushkin. I watched it only because I promised to give my comments to a journalist. Nightmare. Bulgakov's "White Guard" is impossible. They are not like these people. On the other hand, how would they know? Chesterfield writes: "If you ask how we can assimilate that which neither I nor you can name or define, I will tell you: by observing." And when there is no one to watch, when everyone has already left ... And we see how easy it is for young English actors to play aristocrats, they are absolutely natural, natural. Because they didn't get away with it. real life, sometimes they just came off the portraits. No wonder they staged our War and Peace so well, because it is easy for them to play it, they know how it was and is. And even the best actors can't cope with this task...

“They couldn’t do anything if they stayed”

- Russian nobles are often accused of not fighting, that they left the country and left ...

The main quality of an aristocrat is courage and simplicity. And to say that they did not fight ... You know, there is a saying - there is no reception against scrap. What could they do when they were not played by the rules they lived by? I'm not talking now about the responsibility of the tsarist government, that's another matter. But people who were not part of any government, what could they do?

You know, during perestroika, the well-known economist and journalist Larisa Piyasheva said at a free television discussion about this: “I myself have always blamed the nobility, the intelligentsia for giving up so quickly, leaving and leaving the country. And now I understand them, one thought: to run. They couldn't have done anything if they had stayed. Because there are so many examples of what was done to those who remained. You can't blame them for this.

- What is the Russian nobility today?

The nobility as an estate has been destroyed. There are some people left. This is absolutely not the same. Many in the West, some here. But they shouldn't be called nobles, and smart people never call themselves that. Descendants of nobles - yes. Once I met Prince Gagarin, who was the leader of the St. Petersburg nobility. In perestroika, talk began that everything could return to pre-revolutionary order. But he was very ironic smart man and said: “Well, what kind of prince am I? This is funny!" After all, he got his last name after perestroika, because he was hiding all his life. And he said that he remembers his childhood, some suspicions, that something is wrong with them, that you need to hide, be afraid. Of course, in his behavior something like that was preserved, he was a charming, witty, well-mannered person. But these are individual people, who are less and less. And to say that this is the Russian nobility is impossible. Descendants.

If we move away from such designations as “nobility”, “aristocracy” and simply look at the qualities that we value so much in the best representatives of this class, then the question arises: is it possible in modern conditions to bring up such a person, or the environment is not suitable?

Perhaps you can, if you set yourself such a goal and try. I sometimes give lectures to children, they really like to hear about noble education. Those of our Russian aristocrats said that they did not imitate anyone, because there was no one to imitate them. I tell the children: “You also have no one to imitate. Those who are today called the nobility do not need to imitate in any case. You just have to be yourself." Of course, the emphasis needs to be changed a bit. Develop self-esteem. I always tell children: if you develop a sense of dignity in yourself, no one can humiliate you.

Of course, you don't just have to indulge in nostalgia. What can we do now? It all depends on specific people, if they set goals for themselves. Especially if there is such a happy situation that the husband and wife think alike and want to raise their children accordingly. Of course, many things are gone. But some things that relate to moral principles and behavior can be revived. It is hard work. Climbing up is generally more difficult, of course, than going down. But I think that people who want can achieve a lot, at least for their children and friends. And on a national scale, I'm afraid that nothing can be done, because for this it would be necessary to unite the efforts of many, many people. But on a personal scale, you can try. In the end, it depends on you what you are guided by in your choice.

- Olga Sergeevna, for our readers, please tell us how you are connected with the Russian nobility.

Through dad. I still found some of my relatives alive. I was a late child for my father. My aunt was much older than him, and she graduated from the gymnasium in 1917, she remembered everything. My other aunt graduated from Smolny, suffered a lot - both prisons and exile, but retained amazing qualities in herself. I just loved listening to their stories. The people were educated, they spoke well. Then I became a philologist. If Soviet power had not collapsed, I would hardly have been allowed to publish a book about the upbringing of a nobleman. My friend persuaded me: “What are you talking about? Write a book."

Natalia Fedorova, photos provided by the author

reference

Olga Sergeevna Muravieva- a descendant of the famous noble family. Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) Russian Academy Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Pushkin Commission of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Philological Sciences. Author of the book "How a Russian Nobleman Was Raised" (Moscow, 1995).

Actors who preferred not to talk about their noble roots

Nowadays, stars do not miss the opportunity to mention their eminent ancestors and try to find noble roots even where they did not exist, and in the days of the USSR, the truth about aristocratic origin had to be hushed up. Many Soviet actors played the roles of natives of the people not only in the cinema, but also in life, in order to avoid tragic consequences.

Pyotr Velyaminov in the film *Eternal Call*, 1973-1983

Actor Pyotr Velyaminov, known for the films “Shadows Disappear at Noon”, “Eternal Call”, “Pirates of the 20th Century”, was born in 1926 in the family of a hereditary military man from the oldest noble family of the Velyaminovs, descended from a Moscow thousand, an associate of Prince Ivan I Kalita. The actor's ancestors participated in all wars, from the Battle of Kulikovo to the First World War. The portrait of the actor's grandfather, Ivan Alexandrovich Velyaminov, can be seen in the Hermitage, in the hall of heroes of the war of 1812. The actor's father, Sergei Petrovich Velyaminov, graduated cadet corps and the cadet school, fought on the fronts of the First World War, and in 1918 joined the Red Army. In 1930 he was arrested and given 10 years in the camps. After 5 years, he was released early, and later he took part in the Great Patriotic war.


Pyotr Velyaminov in the film *Shadows Disappear at Noon*, 1973, and his famous grandfather, Lieutenant General Ivan Alexandrovich Velyaminov

Peter Velyaminov was going to follow in the footsteps of his glorious ancestors and was preparing to enter naval school, but because of his origin and repressed father, he was arrested and accused of participating in the "anti-Soviet organization" Revival of Russia ". He spent 10 months in the Lubyanka prison, and then was sentenced under Article 58 to 10 years of corrective labor. His parents were also arrested. It was in prison that Petr Velyaminov began to participate in amateur theatrical performances, and after his release in 1952, he played in theaters and began acting in films. He himself tried not to mention his eminent ancestors, but the authorities did not forget about them: in 1979 he was not allowed to go to France with a delegation representing the film Shadows Disappear at Noon. The actor was rehabilitated only in 1983, and after the collapse of the USSR, he became a member of the Russian Noble Assembly.

Vladislav Dvorzhetsky in the film *Sannikov Land*, 1973

Vladislav Dvorzhetsky in the film *Captain Nemo*, 1975

Actor Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, known for the films "Running", "Sannikov Land" and "Captain Nemo", came from an ancient family of Polish nobles. His father, Vatslav Dvorzhetsky, was convicted as a member of the Personality Liberation Group and from 1926 to 1937. was in the camps. Because of this for a long time he could not get a job in any theater - the former prisoner was not taken anywhere. In the autumn of 1941, he was arrested again and released only in 1946. Nevertheless, he played 122 theater roles and 92 film roles. Son Vladislav followed in his father's footsteps and became an equally outstanding actor. The acting dynasty of the Dvorzhetskys was continued by his brother Evgeny and niece Anna.

Alexander Zbruev in the film *Battalions ask for fire*, 1985

Alexander Zbruev in the film *You are my only one*, 1993

The mother of Alexander Zbruev, Tatyana Alexandrovna Fedorova, came from a noble family, which was known even under Peter I. His father served as Deputy People's Commissar for Communications of the USSR, and then - Chairman of the Construction Department of the People's Commissariat for Communications. Even before the birth of Alexander, his father was arrested and sentenced to death, and when he was 1.5 months old, they were sent from Moscow to Rybinsk with their mother and older brother. But the fate of Alexander Zbruev was successful: he became one of the leading actors of Lenkom and the most popular film actor.

Ludmila Gurchenko

Ludmila Gurchenko

The noblewoman was Lyudmila Gurchenko's maternal grandmother, Tatyana Ivanovna Simonova. After the revolution, she moved with her children from Moscow to Kharkov and got a job as a cleaner at a factory. She never remembered her origin and raised her children in strictness.

On the left are Lyubov Orlova's parents. On the right - Lyubov Orlova with her mother, Evgenia Nikolaevna

Actress Lyubov Orlova

Lyubov Orlova also had to keep her origin secret. In public, she claimed that she came from a simple intelligent family, although in fact her ancestors were nobles. As the author of the book about the actress A. Hort writes, “her father, Pyotr Fedorovich Orlov, belonged to the nobility of the Poltava province and was included in the third part of the genealogy book, which indicated the nobility served by civil rank or order.” My paternal grandmother and great-grandmother were also noblewomen. Accurate information about other ancestors has not been preserved, since the surname of the Orlovs was very common and it is extremely difficult to document earlier family ties.


Lyubov Orlova

Actress Lyubov Orlova

This is far from full list Soviet actors from noble roots. Most viewers did not even know about the secrets of their origin, and Lyubov Orlova even managed to become Stalin's favorite actress.

If we take the Russian nobility, then there is a special collection of genera compiled back in late XIX century, where 136 surnames are mentioned. Of course, time has made its own adjustments in terms of adding to the list based on the results. various studies, but the underlying data is still up to date. When it becomes necessary to establish the authenticity of one or another noble family, one must turn to this collection.

The nobility in Russia appeared around the XII - XIII centuries as a military class, belonging to which could be obtained through diligence in the service of a prince or boyar. Hence the meaning of the word "nobleman" - a person "court", "from the princely court." This lower stratum of the nobility was different from the boyars, who were considered the aristocracy, and the title was inherited. In a couple of centuries, the two estates will be equal in rights, including the right of succession of titles and regalia.

When the nobles began to receive land plots under the condition of service (a semblance of a feudal militia was formed), it became necessary to designate them in the lists as independent units, and not attached to princes and boyars. We decided that it would be more convenient to do this on the basis of reference to the location of his lands. This is how the first noble families appeared: Arkhangelsk, Ukhtomsk, Suzdal, Shuisky, Belozersky.

Another version of the origin of noble surnames is from nicknames: Toothed, Persian.

Sometimes, for clarification, they made a double surname, taking as a basis the place of the allotment and the nickname: Nemirovichi-Danchenko.

Gradually, the penetration of representatives of foreign powers into the territory of Russia was also reflected in the family noble families: Matskevichi, von Plehve, Lukomsky.

The era of the reign of Peter I was marked by many changes in the structure of the Russian state, including the strengthening of the role of the nobility. It was possible to obtain the title through diligent service to the sovereign, which was used by many active and landless people of the lower classes. So the noble family of the Menshikovs appeared on the list, by the name of the tsar's associate - Alexander Menshikov. Unfortunately, the ancient family has died out in the male line, and it is this factor that is decisive in the transfer of hereditary rights.

Based on the origin and antiquity of the family, the existing wealth and proximity to the highest power, as well as the trace left in the history of the state, the nobility was divided into several categories. These are: pillar, titled, foreign, hereditary and personal. They can also be identified by their last names. For example, the descendants of noble princely and boyar families Scriabins, Travins made up the branches of the ancient nobility, or pillar.

The weakening of the positions of this estate in the 19th century was due to changes in political structure state, as well as ongoing reforms. The abolition of serfdom in 1861 had a great impact, after which the dominant role of the nobility weakened. And after 1917, all estates were completely abolished.

But the names are still there! True, it is possible to determine their belonging to a particular genus only after a thorough study of the documents, because over the past centuries too many events have happened. Also, for clarification, you can refer to the "List of noble families included in the general coat of arms of the Russian Empire" (there is one). And only the owners of rare surnames need not worry - they are known even without reference literature. All they have to do is meet the high rank.

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The very word "nobleman" means: "court" or "a man from the prince's court." The nobility was the highest class of society.
In Russia, the nobility was formed in the XII-XIII centuries, mainly from representatives of the military service class. Starting from the XIV century, the nobles received land allotments for their service, and their names most often gave rise to family surnames - Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky, Meshchersky, Ryazansky, Galician, Smolensky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersky, Suzdal, Smolensky, Moscow, Tver ... Other noble families came from the nicknames of their bearers: Gagarins, Humpbacked, Eyed, Lykovs. Some princely surnames were a combination of the name of the inheritance and the nickname: for example, Lobanov-Rostovsky.
At the end of the 15th century, surnames of foreign origin began to appear in the lists of the Russian nobility - they belonged to immigrants from Greece, Poland, Lithuania, Asia and Western Europe who had an aristocratic origin and moved to Russia. Here we can mention such names as the Fonvizins, Lermontovs, Yusupovs, Akhmatovs, Kara-Murza, Karamzins, Kudinovs.
The boyars often received surnames by the baptismal name or nickname of the ancestor and had possessive suffixes in their composition. Such boyar surnames include Petrovs, Smirnovs, Ignatovs, Yurievs, Medvedevs, Apukhtins, Gavrilins, Ilyins.
The royal family of the Romanovs is of the same origin. Their ancestor was the boyar of the time of Ivan Kalita Andrei Kobyla. He had three sons: Semyon Zherebets, Alexander Elka
Kobylin and Fedor Koshka. Their descendants received respectively the names Zherebtsov, Kobylin and Koshkin. One of the great-grandchildren of Fyodor Koshka, Yakov Zakharovich Koshkin, became the founder of the noble family of the Yakovlevs, and his brother Yuri Zakharovich became known as Zakharyin-Koshkin. The son of the latter was named Roman Zakharyin-Yuriev. His son Nikita Romanovich and his daughter Anastasia, the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, had the same surname. However, the children and grandchildren of Nikita Romanovich became the Romanovs after their grandfather. This surname was borne by his son Fyodor Nikitich (Patriarch Filaret) and the founder of the last Russian royal dynasty Mikhail Fedorovich.
In the Petrine era, the nobility was replenished with representatives of non-military estates, who received their titles as a result of promotion along public service. One of them was, for example, an associate of Peter I, Alexander Menshikov, who from birth had a “low” origin, but was awarded the princely title by the tsar. In 1785, by decree of Catherine II, special privileges were established for the nobles.