Admiring his portrait, you cannot say that our hero was a brave warrior, led the first beauty of his time to the altar and was respected by his contemporaries.
Having inherited countless treasures, a person reveals his true essence. It is not difficult to skip what the ancestors saved up. Respect deserves citizens who invest their capital in the future of the Fatherland.
Childhood
The Demidov family became rich and famous after the gunsmith Nikita received the task from Peter the Great himself to start searching for iron ore in the Urals. The descendants of the master, who became an industrialist and landowner, received a good education and took positions in government institutions. The grandson of that very pioneer, Nikolai, was a courtier. In 1798, his wife, Baroness Elizaveta Strognanova, gave birth to a son, Paul.
The family had four children, and all were boys. Parents wanted to give little Pavlusha a fashionable French education, so they sent him to study in Paris, to the Napoleon Lyceum. After the revolution, the state returned to the monarchical order, but students for freedom in reasoning were not punished. A small schoolboy from Russia did not feel like a stranger here, but happily returned to his homeland, having received a diploma.
Youth
At home, unpleasant news awaited Pasha - the Tilsit world was short-lived, Alexander I and Napoleon Bonaparte again became sworn enemies. The young man was a patriot, therefore he could not limit himself only to refusing to use the French language. In 1812 he enlisted in the army in order to take a direct part in the struggle against the invaders. In the same year, the cadet Demidov visited the battle of Borodino.
After the war, the guy was convinced that he needed to pursue a military career. Having started his service in the Life Guards Horse Ranger Regiment, in 1822 Pavel was transferred to the Horse Guards. He served in Moscow at the headquarters of the military governor-general Dmitry Golitsyn. This glorious swashbuckler devoted his life to fighting the consequences of the fire, to which the city was betrayed by either Napoleonic soldiers or 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 parades.
Fight
In 1826, having received the rank of captain, Demidov retired. According to the table of ranks, he was considered a collegiate counselor in the civil service. I had to delve into the affairs of the new field of activity, periodically visiting the capital. At one of the balls, Pavel met Baroness Eva Aurora Charlotte Shernval. This person with her incomparable beauty won a place at the court, 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 things have not gone well with his personal life, then our hero has found a place to realize his potential. In 1831 he was promoted to the rank of actual state councilor and appointed civil governor in Kursk. Demidov received three years of experience in managing not the smallest city of the Russian Empire.
Victory
Having settled down in a new position, Pavel Demidov began to implement his most ambitious plan. He began by donating a large sum of money to the Academy of Sciences, which was to be spent on supporting talented students. Already in 1832, the first lucky ones received the so-called Demidov Prizes. After the success, our rich man invited his brother Anatoly to also take part in some kind and useful deed.
Rumors about the generosity of Pavel Nikolaevich surprised the light of St. Petersburg. When the governor of Kursk himself came there, he was warmly welcomed. He was looking for a meeting with Aurora Shernval. This date ended in the same way as the previous one. Here the Empress herself intervened. She was angered by the stubbornness of her courtier, and explained to her that this groom is not at all like those who buy ladies for the collection. After this conversation, the capricious maid of honor abruptly changed her attitude towards Paul. The wedding took place in 1836.
Heritage
Knowing her husband better, Aurora fell in love with him. In 1839, the family was replenished with another Paul - this is how the couple named their son. He will also manage the improvement of cities and help the Red Cross. Only now he learns the biography of his parent from the words of his mother.
A couple of Demidovs donated substantial sums to charity. The Baroness learned more about the life of workers at the Demidov factories and ordered the establishment of maternity hospitals for workers' wives and orphanages for children. Pavel Nikolayevich himself was involved in the arrangement of a children's hospital in St. Petersburg, took care of the wards of the Committee of Veterans and a shelter for the poor. The desire to help domestic science prompted the patron to invest in the Society of Gardeners. The brothers supported his endeavors and also helped as far as possible. Tsar Nicholas I himself respected Pavel Demidov and celebrated his work for the good of the Fatherland with awards.
Our hero did not complain about his health, but doctors diagnosed him with heart failure. Being not at all an old man, Paul paid little attention to their recommendations. In March 1840 he died of this disease. It came as a shock to everyone who knew him. The second blow for the noble family will be the new marriage of the inconsolable widow of Pavel Demidov. She will meet her love in the person of the hussar officer Andrei Karamzin.
