Russian surnames with noble roots. Russian surnames with noble roots Surnames of Russian aristocrats

The list of popular genus names is endless, because as many people there are as many opinions. Each person will point out beautiful surnames that he personally likes. They can be short or long, but, according to most, the most popular are aristocratic designations of family names. Let's figure out which surnames are more common and respected, and where they even came from.

List of the most beautiful Russian surnames in the world

The word "surname" is translated from Latin as "family". This means that this indicates that a person belongs to the clan from which he came. The emergence of family nicknames was often associated with the profession that the family practiced from generation to generation or with the name of the area in which the family lived, or the name of the family indicated character traits, specific appearance, and a nickname. It’s not for nothing that there is a saying “not in the eye, but in the eye” - people have always applied labels very precisely.

In Russia, at first there were only first and patronymic names, and the first surnames appeared only in the 14th century. Naturally, noble people received them: princes, boyars, nobles. Peasants received official family names only at the end of the 19th century, when serfdom was abolished. The first names of dynasties came from the names of places of residence, birth or possessions: Tver, Arkhangelsk, Zvenigorod, Moskvin.

Beautiful American family names compare favorably with other foreign ones - they are very consonant, and the owners wear them with pride. If surnames are not inherited, then any citizen of the United States can change his family name to a more harmonious one. So, the 10 most beautiful names of American men:

1. Robinson
2. Harris
3. Evans
4. Gilmore
5. Florence
6. Stone
7. Lambert
8. Newman

As for American women, as throughout the world, girls take their father’s family name at birth, and their husband’s name upon marriage. Even if a girl wants to keep her family name, after marriage she will have a double surname, for example, Maria Goldman Mrs. Roberts (by her husband). Beautiful generic names for American women:

1. Bellows
2. Houston
3. Taylor
4. Davis
5. Foster

Video: the most common surnames in the world

The most common surnames in the world seem beautiful, because their bearers are popular people, and therefore happy. For example, there are about one hundred million people on the planet who have the generic name Li. In second place in terms of polarity is the surname Wang (about 93 million people). In third place is the family name Garcia, common in South America (about 10 million people).

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The most beautiful surnames in the world

The documentary film "Noble families of Russia" is a story about the most famous noble families of Russia - the Gagarins, Golitsins, Apraksins, Yusupovs, Stroganovs. The nobles were initially in the service of the boyars and princes and replaced the warriors. For the first time in history, nobles were mentioned in 1174 and this was associated with the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Already from the 14th century, nobles began to receive ownership of estates for their service. But unlike the boyar layer, they could not pass on the land by inheritance. During the creation and formation of a unified state, the nobles became a reliable support for the great princes. Starting from the 15th century, their influence in the political and economic life of the country grew increasingly stronger. Gradually the nobles merged with the boyars. The concept of “nobles” began to designate the upper class of the Russian population. The final differences between the nobility and the boyars disappeared at the beginning of the 18th century, when estates and estates were equated to each other.

Gagarins
The Russian princely family, whose ancestor, Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Golibesovsky, a descendant of the Starodub princes (XVIII tribe from Rurik), had five sons; of them, the three eldest, Vasily, Yuri and Ivan Mikhailovich, had the nickname Gagara and were the founders of three branches of the Gagarin princes. The older branch, according to some researchers, ceased at the end of the 17th century; representatives of the latter two still exist today. The Gagarin princes are recorded in Part V of the genealogical books of the provinces: Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Saratov, Simbirsk, Tver, Tambov, Vladimir, Moscow, Kherson and Kharkov.

Golitsyns
Russian princely family descended from the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. The immediate ancestor of the family was Mikhail Ivanovich, nicknamed Golitsa, the son of the boyar Prince Ivan Vasilyevich Bulgak. In the 5th generation from the ancestor, the family of princes Golitsyn was divided into four branches, three of which exist to this day. From this family there were 22 boyars, 3 okolnichi, 2 kravchi. According to the genealogy of the Golitsyn princes (see "The Family of the Golitsyn Princes", op. book by N. N. Golitsyn, St. Petersburg, 1892, vol. I) in 1891 there were 90 males, 49 princesses and 87 Golitsyn princesses alive. One branch of the Golitsyns, represented by the Moscow Governor-General, Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn, received the title of lordship in 1841. The family of princes Golitsyn is included in the V part of the genealogical book of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tver, Kursk, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula and Chernigov provinces (Gerbovnik, I, 2).

Apraksins
Russian noble and count family descended from Salkhomir-Murza. In the old days they were written by the Opraksins. Salkhomir had a great-grandson, Andrei Ivanovich, nicknamed Opraks, from whom the family descended, whose representatives were first written as Opraksins, and then as Apraksins. The grandchildren of Andrei Opraksa (Apraksa), Erofey Yarets and Prokofy Matveevich, under the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, moved from Ryazan to serve in Moscow. From Erofey Matveyevich, nicknamed Yarets, a branch emerged, the representatives of which were subsequently elevated to the rank of count. From Erofey’s brother, Ivan Matveevich, nicknamed the Dark, another branch of the Apraksin family came. Stepan Fedorovich (1702-1760) and his son Stepan Stepanovich (1757/47-1827) Apraksins belonged to it.

Yusupov.
Russian extinct princely family, descended from Yusuf-Murza (d. 1556), the son of Musa-Murza, who in the third generation was a descendant of Edigei Mangit (1352-1419), the ruling khan of the Nogai Horde and a military leader who was in the service of Tamerlane. Yusuf-Murza had two sons, Il-Murza and Ibrahim (Abrey), who were sent to Moscow in 1565 by their father’s murderer, Uncle Ishmael. Their descendants in the last years of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich accepted holy baptism and were written as princes Yusupov or Yusupovo-Knyazhevo until the end of the 18th century, and after that they began to be written simply as princes Yusupov.

Stroganovs.
A family of Russian merchants and industrialists, from which came large landowners and statesmen of the 16th-20th centuries. They came from wealthy Pomeranian peasants. Since the 18th century - barons and counts of the Russian Empire. The direction in Russian icon painting of the late 16th - early 17th centuries (Stroganov school of icon painting) and the best school of church facial embroidery of the 17th century (Stroganov facial embroidery), as well as the Stroganov direction of the Moscow Baroque, are named after them. The Stroganov family traces its origins to the Novgorodian Spiridon, a contemporary of Dmitry Donskoy (first mentioned in 1395), whose grandson owned lands in the Dvina region. According to another version, unconfirmed, the surname allegedly comes from a Tatar who adopted the name Spiridon in Christianity.

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Economic differentiation among the nobility clearly shows the heterogeneity of the noble class. An important factor dividing the nobles was also the presence of a title; the division into titled nobility (princes, counts, barons) and untitled nobility (the majority of the class) was always present in the life of noble society.

Family titles appeared in medieval Europe to indicate the degree of vassalage of a lord. In modern times, neither in Russia nor in Europe, the possession of a title did not bring its owner any special legal rights; the title provided an opportunity to join a select circle and was an indicator of either the nobility of the family or special merits before the throne.

Princes

In Rus', until the 18th century, there was only a princely title, which was passed on by inheritance. The title of prince meant belonging to a family that once ruled a certain territory of the country. Among the Slavs, the leaders of the squad, and then the rulers of individual lands - principalities, were called princes.

From the 11th century The princely title belonged only to the descendants of Rurik, who ruled in various lands. In the XIV century. The descendants of the Lithuanian grand ducal dynasty - the Gediminovichs - enter Russian service. In the Moscow state of the 17th century. the princely title was held by the descendants of these two families - the Rurikovichs (Obolensky, Volkonsky, Repnin, Odoevsky, Gagarin, Vyazemsky, etc.), Gediminovich (Kurakins, Golitsyns, Khovanskys, Trubetskoys), as well as some descendants of the Golden Horde nobility and Caucasian families (Urusovs, Yusupovs , Cherkasy). In total there were 47 princely families.

Until the 18th century The princely title was passed on only by inheritance; it could not be received as a royal favor. The award of a princely title first occurred under Peter I, when A. D. Menshikov in 1707 began to be called Prince Izhora.

Under Catherine, there was a whole series of princely grants from the Holy Roman Emperor - to G. A. Potemkin, P. A. Zubov, G. G. Orlov and others.

Under Paul, 5 people were elevated to princely dignity, among them A.V. Suvorov, called the Prince of Italy. Suvorov was later granted the title of His Serene Highness. The most serene princes (among them were M.I. Golinishchev-Kutuzov, N.I. Saltykov, A.K. Razumovsky) were called “your lordship”; Hereditary princes, in contrast, had the title “Your Excellency.”

By the end of the 19th century. due to the suppression of some families (Bezborodko, Lopukhins, Razumovskys), the number of princely families who received the title through a grant was about 20.

New princely families arose in the 19th - early 20th centuries. also as a result of morganatic marriages. This was the name given to marriages of members of the imperial family with persons who did not belong to the ruling houses. Such marriages had legal force, with the exception of inheritance rights. If the husband was a member of the imperial family, then the wife and children bore a different surname, being the founders of a new family.

Graphs

The title of count originally existed in Western European monarchies. It appeared in Russia from the time of Peter the Great. In 1706, B.P. Sheremetev became the first Russian count proper. Among the first nobles elevated to the rank of count were G. I. Golovkin, F. M. Apraksin, P. A. Tolstoy.

The first morganatic marriage in the Russian royal dynasty was the union of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich with the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya, who then became known as Her Serene Highness Princess Lovich.

In 1880, the family of princes Yuryevsky appeared, this title was granted to E. M. Dolgorukova, with whom Emperor Alexander II entered into a morganatic marriage. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the title of count to the Razumovsky and Shuvalov brothers, and Catherine - to the Orlov brothers.

Noble names

Some surnames are transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which arrived in Rus' from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the nobles Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the count title to the Razumovsky and Shuvalov brothers, and Catherine - to the Orlov brothers.

Counts at this time often became favorites of emperors and empresses, close relatives of the imperial family, people who distinguished themselves on the battlefield, in diplomatic and public service.

These representatives of the nobility often stood closer to the throne than the descendants of the old fading princely families, therefore in the 18th century. The title of count was sometimes valued higher than that of prince. At the beginning of the 20th century. 320 count families were taken into account.

Barons

The baronial title also came to Russia from Western Europe in the 18th century. Among the first Russian barons were P. P. Shafirov, A. I. Osterman, and the Stroganov brothers. Traditionally, the baronial title was awarded to financiers and industrialists (Fredericks, Stieglitz) and foreigners who distinguished themselves in Russian service (Nikolai, Delvig, Bellingshausen).

Most of the hereditary baronial families were of Baltic origin. Among the most famous Baltic barons are the Wrangels, Richters, and Palens. By the beginning of the 20th century. There were more than 250 baronial families in Russia.

At all times, among the nobility, the antiquity of the family was still valued above any title, therefore the most honorable title was the title of pillar nobles, who traced their noble lineage for more than 100 years.

After all, a title, even a princely one, could be acquired, but noble ancestors, if they do not exist, cannot be given by any government. An illustrative example is the noble family of the Naryshkins, who never possessed any titles, but were among the first among nobles and courtiers.

Noble names

Noble dignity was not expressed in any way in the Russian nominal formula; there were no special prefixes indicating noble origin (for example, von in German or de in French names). The very possession of a first name, patronymic and last name at a certain stage already spoke of a noble title.

Other classes for a long time did not have surnames at all. For nobles, belonging to a certain surname meant tribal self-identification.

The surnames of ancient noble families often came from the names of the places of reign. This is how the surnames of Vyazemsky, Beloselsky, Obolensky, Volkonsky, Trubetskoy appeared, associated with the names of rivers, lakes, cities and villages. Often the surnames of the entire family came from some ancient ancestor who left a mark on history (Golitsyns, Tolstoys, Kurakins).

Some surnames are transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which arrived in Rus' from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the Khomutov nobles had the Scotsman Hamilton as their ancestor.

The German surname Levenshtein eventually turned into the Russian surname Levshin, and the descendants of people from Florence Chicheri began to be called Chicherins in Russia. Many surnames originated from Tatar noble families - Godunovs, Karamzins, Kudashevs.

Usually surnames in Russia were single, but sometimes, especially among the nobility, surnames were doubled. The reasons for this could be different; sometimes the surname of a separate branch was added to the surname of a large family.

An example is the princes of Rostov, whose various branches began to be called the Buinosov-Rostov, Lobanov-Rostov, Kasatkin-Rostov. In order not to lose the famous extinct surname, it was added to theirs by female or collateral heirs. This is how the Repnins-Bolkonskys, Vorontsovs-Dashkovs, Golitsyns-Prozorovskys, Orlovs-Denisovs, etc. appeared.

Another group of double surnames arose as a result of the granting of a higher title and the addition of an honorific prefix to the family surname.

Often such prefixes were given for military victories, as a result these famous names became part of Russian history: Orlov-Chesmensky, Rumyantsev-Zadunaysky, Potemkin-Tavrichesky, Suvorov-Rymniksky.

Family ties

The nobleman never lived on his own, he was always a member of the family, he always felt that he belonged to a certain family, he thought of himself as the successor to his many ancestors, and was responsible for his descendants. In this regard, the noble world is very characterized by close attention to family ties and relationships, sometimes very complex.

The ability to understand all the intricacies of kinship was caused by necessity, because the title of nobility, family titles, and, finally, lands and property were inherited according to the kinship principle.

In addition, noble families were, as a rule, numerous; in each generation they entered into kinship relationships with several clans.

The basis of noble family ties was belonging to a certain family; the concept of “clan” implied that people of different generations had one common ancestor - the ancestor.

The figure of the ancestor is rather conventional, because he also had ancestors. Usually the ancestor became the earliest ancestor about whom information has been preserved, who committed some high-profile deeds, had merits to the fatherland, or came to serve in Russia from foreign lands.

Given the overall small number of the noble class, family ties could be an obstacle to marriages, because the church prohibited marriages between close relatives. Therefore, knowledge of one’s own and others’ family circle was the most important part of noble life.

A clan generation, or tribe, consists of descendants who are at an equal distance from a common ancestor. If kinship is transmitted through the male line, and this was precisely the tradition among the Russian nobility, the descendants of the brothers form different branches of the clan.

If one of the representatives of the clan received a title, his descendants represented a special line of the clan - count or prince.

Thus, in the Orlov family tree there were three lines: noble (most of the representatives of the family), count (descendants of the five Orlov brothers who became counts under Catherine II), princely (heirs of A.F. Orlov, whose title was granted in 1856 by Alexander II).

Based on materials from the book “Noble and Merchant Families of Russia” by A. V. Zhukov.

Some surnames are said to be “noble”. Is this really true? And is it possible to determine by surname that a person has noble roots?

How did the nobility appear in Russia?

The word “nobleman” itself means: “courtier” or “person from the princely 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 14th century, nobles received land plots for their service, and family surnames most often came from their names - Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky, Meshchersky, Ryazan, Galitsky, Smolensky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersky, Suzdal, Smolensky, Moscow, Tver...

Other noble surnames came from the nicknames of their bearers: Gagarins, Gorbatye, Glazatye, Lykov. Some princely surnames were a combination of the name of the appanage and a 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 aristocratic origins and moved to Russia.

Such boyar surnames include the Petrovs, Smirnovs, Ignatovs, Yuryevs, Medvedevs, Apukhtins, Gavrilins, Ilyins.

The royal family of the Romanovs is of the same origin. Their ancestor was a boyar from the time of Ivan Kalita, Andrei Kobyla. He had three sons: Semyon Zherebets, Alexander Elka Kobylin and Fedor Koshka. Their descendants received the surnames Zherebtsov, Kobylin and Koshkin, respectively. One of the great-grandsons of Fyodor Koshka, Yakov Zakharovich Koshkin, became the founder of the noble family of the Yakovlevs, and his brother Yuri Zakharovich began to be called Zakharyin-Koshkin. The latter’s son’s name was Roman Zakharyin-Yuryev.

His son Nikita Romanovich and his daughter Anastasia, the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, bore 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 era of Peter the Great, the nobility was replenished by representatives of the non-military classes, who received their titles as a result of promotion in public service. One of them was, for example, an associate of Peter I, Alexander Menshikov, who was of “low” origin from birth, but was awarded the princely title by the tsar. In 1785, by decree of Catherine II, special privileges were established for nobles.

The nobility in Russia was divided into several categories. The first group included representatives of ancient boyar and princely families who received the title of nobility before 1685. These are the Scriabins, Travins, Eropkins and many others. Titled nobles are counts, princes and barons, whose families were listed in genealogical books. Among them are the Alabyshevs, Urusovs, Zotovs, Sheremetevs, and Golovkins. Hereditary nobility was awarded mainly for service (for example, military merits) and could be inherited. Personal nobility was awarded for special merits in military and civil service to people of the lower and middle class, but it was not inherited and was not entered in genealogical books.

Is it possible to identify a nobleman by his last name?

In 1886, V.V. Rummel and V.V. Golubtsov compiled the “Genealogical Collection of Russian Noble Families,” which included the genealogies of 136 families of the Russian nobility. There are hundreds of noble family surnames in Russia. Among the most famous are the Aksenovs, Anichkovs, Arakcheevs, Bestuzhevs, Velyaminovs, Vorontsovs, Golenishchevs, Demidovs, Derzhavins, Dolgorukys, Durovs, Kurbatovs, Kutuzovs, Nekrasovs, Pozharskys, Razumovskys, Saburovs, Saltykovs, Trubetskoys, Uvarovs, Cherkasovs, Chernyshevs, Shcherbatovs.

Meanwhile, it is very difficult to determine for sure the noble origin of this or that surname these days. The fact is that surnames from names or nicknames could be given not only to representatives of the nobility. Also, serf peasants of one or another landowner often received surnames based on the name of the land ownership that belonged to this landowner, or bore the master’s own surname. With the exception of some particularly rare surnames, only an official pedigree can confirm noble roots.

Since ancient times, a surname could change a person’s life; it carried the entire history of the family and gave many privileges. People spent a lot of effort and finances to have a good title, and sometimes even sacrificed their lives for this. It was almost impossible for an ordinary resident to be included in the list of nobles.

Types of titles

There were many titles in Tsarist Russia, each of them had its own history and carried its own capabilities. All noble families followed the family tree and very carefully selected pairs for their family members. The marriage of two noble families was more of a calculated calculation than a love relationship. Russian noble families stayed together and did not allow members without a title into their families.

Among these genera could be:

1. Princes.
2. Graphs.
3. Barons.
4. Kings.
5. Dukes.
6. Marquises.

Each of these clans had its own history and led its own family tree. It was strictly forbidden for a nobleman to create a family with a commoner. Thus, it was almost impossible for an ordinary ordinary resident of Tsarist Russia to become a nobleman, except for very great achievements before the country.

Princes Rurikovich

Princes are one of the highest noble titles. Members of such a family always had a lot of land, finances and slaves. It was a great honor for a representative of the family to be at court and help the ruler. Having proven himself, a member of the princely family could become a trusted person of the ruler. The famous noble families of Russia in most cases had a princely title. But titles could be divided according to the methods of obtaining them.

One of the most famous princely families in Russia were the Rurikovichs. The list of noble families begins with her. The Rurikovichs are immigrants from Ukraine and descendants of Igor’s great Rus'. The roots of many European rulers come from This is a strong dynasty that brought the world many famous rulers who were in power for a long time throughout Europe. But a number of historical events that took place in those days divided the family into many branches. Russian noble families, such as Pototsky, Peremyshl, Chernigov, Ryazan, Galician, Smolensky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Belozersky, Suzdal, Smolensky, Moscow, Tver, Starodubsky, belong specifically to the Rurik family.

Other princely titles

In addition to the descendants of the Rurikovich family, noble families in Russia can be such as the Otyaevs. This family received its title thanks to the good warrior Khvostov, who had the nickname Otyay in the army, and dates back to one thousand five hundred and forty-three.

The Ofrosmovs are an example of a strong will and a great desire to achieve a goal. The founder of the family was a strong and courageous warrior.

The Pogozhevs come from Lithuania. The founder of the family was helped to obtain the princely title by his oratory and the ability to conduct military negotiations.

The list of noble families also includes the Pozharskys, Polevys, Pronchishchevs, Protopopovs, Tolstoys, and Uvarovs.

Count's titles

But surnames of noble origin are not only princes. Count dynasties also had high titles and powers at court. This title was also considered very high and gave a lot of powers.

Receiving the title of count was a great achievement for any member of royal society. Such a title, first of all, made it possible to have power and be closer to the ruling dynasty. The noble families of Russia mostly consist of counts. The easiest way to achieve this title was through successful military operations.

One of these surnames is Sheremetv. This is a count family that still exists in our time. The army general received this title for his achievements in military operations and service to the royal family.

Ivan Golovkin is the founder of another family of noble origin. According to many sources, this is a count who appeared in Russia after the wedding of his only daughter. One of the few count families that ended with a single representative of the dynasty.

The noble surname Minich had many branches, and the main reason for this was the large number of women in this family. When marrying, Milikh women took a double surname and mixed titles.

Courtiers received many count titles during the reign of Catherine Petrovna. She was a very generous queen and awarded titles to many of her military leaders. Thanks to her, such names as Efimovsky, Gendrikov, Chernyshev, Razumovsky, Ushakov and many others appeared on the list of nobles.

Barons at court

Many holders of baronial titles also had famous noble families. Among them are family families and granted barons. This, like all other titles, could be obtained with good service. And of course, the simplest and most effective way was to carry out military operations for the homeland.

This title was very popular in the Middle Ages. The family title could be received by wealthy families who sponsored the royal family. This title appeared in the fifteenth century in Germany and, like everything new, gained great popularity. The royal family practically sold it to all rich families who had the opportunity to help and sponsor all the royal endeavors.

To bring rich families closer to him, he introduced a new title - baron. One of the first owners of this title was the banker De Smith. Thanks to banking and trading, this family earned its finances and was elevated to the rank of baron by Peter.

Russian noble families with the title of baron also added the surname Fridriks. Like de Smith, Yuri Fridriks was a good banker who lived and worked at the royal court for a long time. Born into a titled family, Yuri also received a title under Tsarist Russia.

In addition to them, there were a number of surnames with the title of baron, information about which was stored in military documents. These are warriors who earned their titles by actively participating in hostilities. Thus, the noble families of Russia were replenished with such members as: Baron Plotto, Baron von Rummel, Baron von Malama, Baron Ustinov and the family of Baron Schmidt brothers. Most of them came from European countries and came to Russia on work matters.

Royal families

But not only titled families are included in the list of noble families. Russian noble families headed the royal families for many years.

One of the most ancient royal families of Russia were the Godunovs. This is the royal family, which was in power for many years. The first of this family was Tsarina Godunova, who formally ruled the country for only a few days. She renounced the throne and decided to spend her life in a monastery.

The next, no less famous surname of the royal Russian family is the Shuiskys. This dynasty spent little time in power, but was included in the list of noble families of Russia.

The Great Queen Skavronskaya, better known as Catherine the First, also became the founder of the royal family dynasty. We should not forget about such a royal dynasty as Biron.

Dukes at court

Russian noble families also have the title of dukes. Receiving the title of Duke was not so easy. Basically, these families included very rich and ancient families of Tsarist Russia.

The owners of the title of Duke in Russia were the Chertozhansky family. The family existed for many centuries and was engaged in agriculture. This was a very rich family that had a lot of land.

The Duke of Nesvizh is the founder of the city of the same name Nesvizh. There are many versions of the origin of this family. The Duke was a great connoisseur of art. His castles were the most remarkable and beautiful buildings of that time. Owning large lands, the duke had the opportunity to help tsarist Russia.

Menshikov is another of the famous ducal families in Russia. Menshikov was not just a duke, he was a famous military leader, army general and governor of St. Petersburg. He received his title for his achievements and service to the royal crown.

Title of Marquis

The title of marquis in Tsarist Russia was mainly given to wealthy families with foreign origins. This was an opportunity to bring foreign capital into the country. One of the most famous families was the Traversi. This is an ancient French family, whose representatives were at the royal court.

Among the Italian marquises was the Paulluci family. Having received the title of marquis, the family remained in Russia. Another Italian family received the title of marquis at the royal court of Russia - Albizzi. This is one of the richest Tuscan families. They earned all their income from entrepreneurial activities in the production of fabrics.

Meaning and privileges of title

For courtiers, having a title provided many opportunities and wealth. When receiving a title, it often brought with it generous gifts from the crown. Often these gifts were lands and wealth. The royal family gave such gifts for special achievements.

For wealthy families who earned their wealth on the generous Russian soil, it was very important to have a good title, for this they financed the royal endeavors, thereby buying their family a high title and good attitude. In addition, only titled families could be close to the royal family and participate in ruling the country.