Admiring his portrait, you can’t say that our hero was a brave warrior, led the first beauty of his time to the altar and was respected by contemporaries.
Having inherited countless treasures, a man reveals his true essence. It is not difficult to walk what the ancestors accumulated. Respect deserve citizens who invest their capital in the future of the Fatherland.
Childhood
The Demidov clan became rich and famous after the gunsmith Nikita received the task from Peter the Great to begin the search for iron ore in the Urals. The descendants of the master, who became an industrialist and landowner, received a good education and took places in government institutions. The grandson of that same pioneer, Nikolai was a courtier. In 1798, his wife, Baroness Elizabeth Strognanova, gave birth to a son, Paul.
Coat of arms of the noble family Demidov
The family had four children, and all were boys. Parents wanted to give little Pavlush a fashionable French education, so they sent him to study in Paris, at the Lyceum of Napoleon. After the revolution, the state returned to monarchical orders, but students for freedom in reasoning were not punished. A little schoolboy from Russia did not feel like a stranger here, but he was happy to return to his homeland, having received a diploma.
Youth
Unpleasant news awaited Pasha at home - the Tilsit world was short-lived, Alexander I and Napoleon Bonaparte again became sworn enemies. The young man was a patriot, because he could not limit himself only to the refusal to use the French language. In 1812, he enlisted in the army to take a direct part in the struggle against the invaders. In the same year, the cadet Demidov visited the battle of Borodino.
A fragment of the Borodino panorama (1912). Artist Franz Roubaud
After the war, the guy became convinced that he needed to make a military career. Starting his service in the Life Guards Horse Ranger Regiment, in 1822, Pavel transferred to the cavalry guards. He served in Moscow at the headquarters of the military governor-general Dmitry Golitsyn. This glorious grunt devoted his life to the fight against the consequences of the fire, to which the city was betrayed either by Napoleonic soldiers, or by Russian fanatics. The young adjutant watched the work of his boss and came to the conclusion that he was interested in urban planning much more than parade parades.
Pavel Demidov
Fight
In 1826, having received the rank of captain, Demidov resigned. According to the ranking table, in civil service he was considered a college adviser. I had to delve into the affairs of a new field of activity, periodically visiting the capital. At one of the balls, Pavel met Baroness Eva Aurora Charlotte Sherval. This lady won her place in the court with her incomparable beauty, many poets and composers dedicated their work to her. Demidov could offer the beauty only his fortune. The girl was too proud to sell, and refused him.
If personal life has not yet gone well, then our hero has found a place to realize his potential. In 1831, he was awarded the rank of full state councilor and was appointed civil governor in Kursk. Demidov gained three years of experience in managing not the smallest city in the Russian Empire.
The city of Kursk, the governor of which was Pavel Demidov
Victory
Having settled in his new position, Pavel Demidov set about implementing his most ambitious plan. He began by transferring to the Academy of Sciences a large sum of money that should have been spent on supporting talented students. Already in 1832, the first lucky ones received the so-called Demidov Prizes. After success, our rich man invited his brother Anatoly to also take part in some kind and good deed.
Rumors about the generosity of Pavel Nikolaevich surprised the light of St. Petersburg. When the Kursk governor himself came there, he was cordially greeted. He was looking for a meeting with Aurora Sherval. This date ended just like the old one. Then the empress herself intervened. She was enraged by the stubbornness of her court charm, and explained to her that this groom was not at all like those who bought ladies for the collection. After this conversation, the capricious maid of honor abruptly changed her attitude towards Paul. The wedding was played in 1836.
Aurora Demidova with her son Paul. Artist Lor Usse de Leomenil
