How the serf girl Parashka became the Countess Sheremeteva and the star of the theater stage

On July 31, 1768, an amazing woman was born - Praskovya Zhemchugova. There are many great actors in the history of the Russian theater. Some of their names have remained for centuries. These include Praskovya Zhemchugova, a serf who, thanks to her talent, became a stage star and a countess. It's hard to believe, but this amazing woman was part of the dowry. She was given as a thing to the father of the future spouse when he got married.

Praskovya Zhemchugova was born in the family of a serf blacksmith Ivan Kovalev. True, then her name was not Praskovya, but simply Parashka. Her father was an excellent craftsman, but he liked to drink hard. Due to hard work, he developed tuberculosis of the spine, which arched his back into a hump.

The blacksmith Kovalev was a stern but kind man, and his daughter adored him. True, as was often the case at that time, the girl was separated from her family. She was given along with the dowry to Count Peter Borisovich Sheremetev when he married Princess Maria Cherkasskaya. Praskovya was lucky - she did not end up in the barnyard or in the hay maids. She was taken to the Kuskovo estate, which belonged to the Sheremetevs, by Princess Marfa Dolgorukaya.

The aristocrat quickly noticed the artistic gift of the girl. Praskovya sang well and quickly learned to play several musical instruments. She also mastered foreign languages on the fly. Fortress theaters were in vogue at that time. The landowners organized troupes in their estates and competed, whose is better.

Parashka began to be taught acting skills in order to make her a star of the serf theater. With her, other peasant children also learned the basics of stagecraft, but not everyone was destined to go upstairs. The girl liked the stage and she tried her best.

Praskovya completely immersed herself in the magic of the theatre. Soon she had her first admirer - the 22-year-old son of Count Peter Sheremetev Nikolai. The guy came from Europe, where he studied at the university and immediately fell in love with a talented serf, who at that time was only ... 6 years old. However, many historians argue that the girl was only interested in the young count as a promising actress, capable of reaching the Russian or even world level.

Praskovya's debut took place at the age of 11. It was Gretry's opera The Experience of Friendship, where she played the minor role of a maid. The young actress was introduced as Praskovya Gorbunova - this pseudonym was given to her because of her father's hump. The girl played her small role perfectly and from that moment on she became a full-fledged actress of the Sheremetev Theater.

A year later, Count Pyotr Sheremetev decided to give the actors of his theater sonorous names. So Praskovya became Zhemchugova. At the age of 13, the actress becomes an All-Russian celebrity. She was glorified by the role of Lisa in Monsigny's comic opera The Deserter. And in 1785, Zhemchugova's finest hour came - she was recognized as the best for the role of Eliana in Grétry's opera The Samnite Marriages.

The glory of Praskovya Zhemchugova thundered throughout the empire, and on June 30, 1787, Empress Catherine the Great herself wished to see the play "Samnite Marriages". The performance was given at the home theater in the Sheremetev Kuskovo estate. The Empress was delighted with Zhemchugova's game and, as a sign of special disposition, gave her a ring with a diamond, from her own hand.

At the age of 19, Praskovya became the lover of her master, Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev. It has long been impossible to recognize a serf girl in her. She turned into a real beauty with exquisite aristocratic manners. At the same time, she possessed an iron will and determination.

In 1788, the old master Pyotr Sheremetev died. His son Nikolai, having inherited, began to drink and abandoned economic affairs and the theater. Zhemchugova took over the management of the theater, while continuing to play the main roles in performances. She also took up the master and managed to get him out of depression and hard drinking.

With this, Praskovya finally conquered the count, and he began to live with her as with his wife, despite gossip and gossip. In high society, no one believed in love between a count and a serf actress. The couple was accused of debauchery and whispered behind their backs. This upset Zhemchugova very much, who often cried. The count himself, as best he could, tried to protect his beloved from the machinations of ill-wishers.

Against the backdrop of turmoil, Praskovya Zhemchugova developed tuberculosis. The actress understood that the disease could quickly put an end to her career and bring her to the grave. Despite her illness, she regularly traveled to Sukharevskaya Square in Moscow and distributed alms there. The woman remembered her roots and always treated those in need with compassion.

Zhemchugova made sure that Count Sheremetev built a hospital for the poor. The first stone of the Hospice House was laid on June 28, 1792. Today we know this hospital as the Sklifosofsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine. For the sake of his beloved, the count also built a theater in the Ostankino Palace. It was there that Zhemchugova played her last roles.

The incurable disease progressed and in 1797 the actress appeared on the stage for the last time in her best role as Eliana in The Samnite Marriages. On this, Zhemchugova's career ended, but the actress got something else - family happiness. Emperor Paul I, who recently ascended the throne, at the request of his longtime friend Sheremetev, blessed the relationship between the rootless actress and the nobleman. After that, the persecution of an unequal couple in high society ceased.

Also, Count Sheremetev was awarded the title of chief marshal, and he and Praskovya moved to live in St. Petersburg. But the damp climate of the capital exacerbated Zhemchugova's tuberculosis. She not only could not play in performances, but also did not have the strength to deal with the affairs of the theater. Therefore, the count made a difficult decision - he closed the theater. At the same time, the dismissed actresses were given a good dowry.

In 1798, Count Nikolai Sheremetev decided to formalize his relationship with Praskovya Zhemchugova. To keep everything legal, the 47-year-old count bought fake documents for the bride. They said that Zhemchugova was a descendant of the Polish noble family of Kovalevsky. Allegedly, Praskovya's ancestor was once captured by Russians and became a serf.

The wedding ceremony took place on November 6, 1801 in Moscow, in the temple of Simeon the Stylite. The ceremony was secret and took place in a very narrow circle. Immediately after the wedding, the couple got into a carriage and left for St. Petersburg. Despite a serious illness, Praskovya Zhemchugova soon became pregnant. A portrait of the countess expecting a child, the work of the artist Nikolai Argunov, has been preserved.

On February 3, 1803, the couple had a son, who was named Dmitry. Emperor Alexander I recognized the child as the legitimate heir to the title of Count Sheremetev. But pregnancy and childbirth finally undermined Zhemchugova's health, and 12 days after the birth of her son, the great actress died. She was only 34 years old. Count Sheremetev outlived his wife by 6 years. He devoted the last years of his life to his son and charity.

On January 1, 1809, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev died at the age of 57. Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev, who at that time was only 6 years old, remained an orphan. He was taken in by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Count Dmitry Sheremetev became a military man, but his career did not work out. He refused to shoot at the Decembrists, because of which he fell out of favor.

In 1838, the count left military service. All his life he was a trustee of the Hospice House built by his parents. Sheremetev also helped shelters and financed universities and gymnasiums. He became so famous for his charity that there was even a saying: "live on the Sheremetyevo account."