Savva Mamontov is a person with a subtle perception of art and extraordinary generosity. Thanks to him, the visual arts, music and theater developed. He made a huge contribution to the treasury of the most valuable things in the cultural development of his era.
On October 2, 1841, in the distant Siberian city of Yalutorovsk, the future philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov was born into the family of a wealthy merchant. His father Ivan Fyodorovich was a merchant of the first guild and supervised the entire farm farm of the province. When the boy was eight years old, his family moved to live in Moscow. The business of the merchant family went uphill. The Mamontovs lived in a rented mansion on Meshchanskaya Street, where they often held gorgeous balls and parties.
The childhood of Savva Mamontov
Despite the fact that the family was a merchant, the order in it was far from the traditional rules of its environment. Little Savva was brought up in an atmosphere of art, music, theater and literature. His father's manners were more reminiscent of the behavior of noble English lords. This greatly influenced the formation of the teenager, and from early childhood he was very different from other merchant children. If it were not for the tastes of his father and the atmosphere that prevailed in the family, it is not known who Savva would have become in the end. The boy received a good education. From an ordinary gymnasium, in which the future philanthropist studied at first, he was transferred to the Institute of the Corps of Civil Engineers in St. Petersburg.
Growing up of a young man
At the age of nineteen, Savva Mamontov entered the Faculty of Law at Moscow University. It is not known what was the reason for this choice of the young man, because Savva really dreamed of a theater. The theater was his passion. He did not miss a single premiere. His social circle consisted exclusively of the Moscow intelligentsia. In 1862, his father sent him to Baku, where the young man was to deal with the commercial affairs of the Trans-Caspian partnership. A few months later, Mamontov Jr. succeeded in trade and was appointed head of the Moscow department of the Transcaspian society. In 1864, the young businessman left for sunny Italy. There he took up his health and at the same time decided to study the silk market. Lombardy was especially famous for silk weaving and sericulture. Sawa went there. And, of course, his love for the theater made him visit the famous La Scala in Milan.
During his eventful Italian voyage, the young man meets his future wife Elizaveta Sapozhnikova. The girl's father was a major silk merchant, so marriage with Elizabeth brought the Mamontov family a serious social status. Everything went well for the future patron of the arts. It was decided to spend the honeymoon in Italy.
Father's legacy
The father of the young businessman Ivan Fedorovich died in 1869. Savva became the heir to the family business. In 1872, Mamontov became the director of the Moscow-Yaroslavl railway. Along with the ownership of the railway, Savva managed a construction company that was engaged in the supply of building materials. The young man deeply delved into the conduct of business and at the same time led an active social life.
The Abramtsevo estate, where the whole family settled, was bought from the writer Sergei Aksakov. Subsequently, it became generic. The Mamontovs believed that it was better for children (and there were five of them) to grow up outside the city in the fresh air, away from the unnecessary bustle of the capital. Savva decided that the surrounding nature and tranquility properly influence the worldview of children. The estate was rich and prosperous, with its own school, church, garden, greenhouse with exotic plants, a hospital, a bridge and a dam on the Vore River.
The glorious path of the patron
Successfully developing his father's business, Savva continued to be interested in art. A circle of cultural figures was organized in Abramtsevo. All the famous intelligentsia have been here. Mamontov becomes the number one figure after completing the construction of a railway in the Donetsk coal basin. They want to know him. He is famous and rich.
Savva Mamontov has a special love for artists. His talent amazes him. The patron makes friends with A. Vasnetsov, I. Levitan, V. Surikov, V. Serov. He is a real "godfather" for young talents, making an invaluable contribution to the development of their creativity. Savva helps them financially, knowing that sometimes it is difficult for them and that their creativity does not always bring prosperity. Some painters lived with him in the estate for months. Vrubel, Vasnetsov, Korovin and Serov painted their world-famous paintings while living in the house of Savva Mamontov.
In 1880, at the expense of Savva, an album of Itinerant artists was published. It was a huge circulation. Also, the patron constantly organized art exhibitions in Moscow.
Savva Mamontov was fond of not only painting. His passion was theater and music. Creative evenings were often held at the estate, where the music of Schumann, Beethoven, Mozart and Glinka sounded. Sometimes Savva himself performed in front of the guests. The performances that were staged in his house were not uncommon. Young Konstantin Alekseev, later known as director Stanislavsky, took part in one of these home performances.
In 1882, private troupes were legally allowed in Russia. The first to take advantage of this opportunity was Savva Mamontov. He decided to start organizing opera performances.
But the patron did not forget about the work of his whole life. His work consumed him. In 1890 he took on a major project. It consisted in the creation of an association of transport and industrial enterprises. To implement this idea, Mamontov acquires several outdated factories that require serious modernization. These transformations are costly. The family begins to suffer losses. In 1898, finding himself in a difficult financial situation, Savva Mamontov decided on a risky operation with the shares of the Yaroslavl Railroad. As a result of the sale of securities, Savva Mamontov became bankrupt.
To save himself from the final financial collapse, the entrepreneur receives a state concession for the construction of a railway from St. Petersburg to Vyatka. But this did not save the philanthropist, but only made everything worse. In 1899, Mamontov's money ran out, and he was no longer able to pay off creditors. The Ministry of Finance has appointed an audit of the road being prepared. And later there was a trial. He was accused of fraud. Savva Mamontov was put in jail, and all his property was taken away. But later Mamontov was acquitted and released. After that, he moved to live in a small house not far from Butyrskaya Zastava. The philanthropist died on April 6, 1918. He was 76 years old. Buried Savva Mamontov in the village of Abramtsevo.
