A child of the Age of Enlightenment, he did not regret the paintings of Raphael and Rubens so that every Moscow poor could receive medical care.
The people called Catherine the Great Mother Empress. Indeed, this woman was kind and smart, took care of the country in a fatherly way. In this matter, she was helped by people who were not inferior to the empress in spiritual qualities. Representing a state that many in the West considered barbaric was trusted by the best. Among those was Dmitry Golitsyn.
Childhood
Dima was a late and welcome child. In May 1721 he was born by Tatyana Kurakina, the second wife of Field Marshal Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn. The old warrior immediately enlisted his son in the Leb Guard. He himself reached the heights of his military career, starting his service as a drummer of the Semenovsky regiment, went through the crucible of the bloody campaigns of Peter I. If his heir wants to continue his parent's work, then let him watch the battles from the headquarters.
The boy received his primary education at home. His mother, the daughter of the famous diplomat Prince Boris Kurakin, talked a lot about the visits of foreign ambassadors to their house. I visited my grandson and grandfather. By the way, this statesman began with military service, and then he took up foreign affairs. Mitya was saddened by the death of the old man in 1727 and surprised by his unusual order regarding the inheritance - the prince bequeathed to build a shelter for disabled soldiers at his own expense.
At court
As his father wanted, Dmitry began his service with the rank of captain of the Izmailovsky Life Guards regiment. The unit was stationed in the capital and enjoyed the love of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The young officer did not aim at generals, but the big name of his grandfather and his own talents indicated that he would benefit the Fatherland.
In 1751 Golitsyn was admitted to the service in the diplomatic corps and granted to the chamber-junker. This made him an enviable groom. Former Moldovan ruler Dmitry Cantemir, having left this world, left his daughter Catherine-Smaragda in the care of relatives. The girl grew up at court and was famous for her beauty. True, there were suspicions that she would not be able to give birth. Such a bride was wooed by the Empress herself for Dmitry Golitsyn. He could not refuse marriage, and he did not want to - it was a profitable game.
Paris
The first appointment, which involved going abroad, for the diplomat was the post of ambassador to France. This was a temporary appointment - Elizabeth wanted to see what Dmitry Mikhailovich was capable of in order to find him a permanent place. In 1760 the Golitsyn couple left St. Petersburg for Paris.
At the court of Louis XV, the Russian nobleman was showered with favors. The king's love was explained by the fact that the wife of the diplomat conquered the queen and Madame Pompadour with her playing the harpsichord. The ambassador had to get to know the eccentric nature of her Katenka better - she gave expensive gifts to the artists of the local theater, gave reasons for gossip, shocked Versailles with her unusual actions. Dmitry defended the good name of his life partner, arguing that the personal life of this lady is much more decent than they judge her.
Change
Dmitry Golitsyn's success in Paris was noticed at home. After a year of fruitful work in France, he was invited to Vienna. He could not arrive on time - his wife fell seriously ill. In November 1761, Catherine-Smaragda died. According to her will, her husband received most of her property, and the woman asked to send part of the funds to scholarships for talented medical students of Moscow University for their internship in Strasbourg. Not knowing the happiness of motherhood herself, the deceased asked first of all to help future obstetricians in their studies.
Golitsyn arrived in the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone. He never started a new family and until the end of his days he remembered his wife, who had left him early. The widower was received by the ruler of the state Joseph II and his wife Maria Theresa. In 1762, a palace coup took place in a distant city on the Neva, and the new empress Ekaterina Alekseevna became interested in the personality of the one who represents her at the Austrian court. The prince's biography, clean of sycophancy and intrigue, served him well - he was left in his post.
Vienna courtyard
The royal couple of Austria-Hungary were distinguished by their interest in advanced achievements in the fields of science and arts. Soon Dmitry Mikhailovich became a good friend of their family. Golitsyn got acquainted with the work of European masters of the Renaissance and fell in love with them. The nobleman began to search for and buy up the canvases of those whom we know as painting geniuses - Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens.
Dmitry Mikhailovich also had sympathy for contemporary works of art. So in 1782 he invited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to give several concerts in his house. Knowing that the composer always needs money and is ashamed of their lack for a luxurious life, the kind diplomat ordered to send a carriage for him and take the talented guest back on it.
Recent years and testament
The Russian ambassador spent his last days in his native Vienna. Dmitry Golitsyn died in September 1793 and was buried near his mansion near the capital. Later, his ashes will be transported to Moscow, assessing the contribution of this man to helping his suffering fellow citizens.
According to the will of Prince Golitsyn, his cousins Mikhail and Alexander were to build a hospital for the poor with his savings. This institution should have been maintained by selling paintings from the collection of Dmitry Mikhailovich. He made this decision, remembering his late wife, who was killed by the disease.
