In 1918 the whole family portrait gallery came to the museum from Karacharov estate of Counts Uvarov. The most famous, iconic figure among the Uvarovs is Sergey Semyonovich Uvarov (1788-1855), Minister of Education of Pushkin’s time. The Murom collection has his portrait painted by V. Golicke, an assistant and student of the famous master George Doe. A similar portrait of S.S. Uvarov is kept in the State Historical Museum (State Catalog No.: 5073257). It is smaller (45×36 cm) and without authorship, painted in Western Europe, Italy, Rome. Apparently, Golicke made an original copy of the work by unknown master.
At the time of the portrait creation, S.S. Uvarov was 45 years old, he was not even a count yet, he would be granted the title for his merits only in 1846, and in 1833 he became an assistant minister of Public Education, the next year he became a minister. The portrait seems to have been ordered in connection with these events. Very rarely there was a single copy of ceremonial portraits. Copies were needed for the family galleries of relatives. Uvarov looks sternly and somewhat haughtily from the portrait. An independent Western master made the image more rigidly. Golike slightly softened his expression.
Uvarov is considered the author of the famous political expression “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationalism”. He was a very controversial personality. By birth, he is not noble and not rich, as a child he lost his father, but was the godson of Empress Catherine, was brought up in the family of Prince A.B. Kurakin and got an excellent education. He succeeded thanks to his personal abilities. He was fluent in eight languages, and wrote poetry in four, had encyclopedic knowledge, wrote scientific works on ancient antiquities. In his youth he was a member of the cheerful literary association “Arzamas”. Having married Countess Ekaterina Alekseevna Razumovskaya, Sergey Semenovich received connections in the highest circles of society and a huge fortune, including the Karacharovo estate near Murom. Uvarov was the permanent president of the Academy of Sciences from 1818 until his death. Thanks to his efforts, in 1819 a university was founded in St. Petersburg, and the Pulkovo Observatory was created. In his estate near Moscow, Porechye, he organized a museum of antique marbles. His activity as the Minister of Education changed the entire education system in Russia. His role in Russian history has not yet been fully understood and appreciated. Once A.S. Pushkin noted that Uvarov dinners are boring. We have to admit that Pushkin’s education was not the same as the Uvarov’s one, and incomprehensible topics seemed to him uninteresting.
At the time of the portrait creation, S.S. Uvarov was 45 years old, he was not even a count yet, he would be granted the title for his merits only in 1846, and in 1833 he became an assistant minister of Public Education, the next year he became a minister. The portrait seems to have been ordered in connection with these events. Very rarely there was a single copy of ceremonial portraits. Copies were needed for the family galleries of relatives. Uvarov looks sternly and somewhat haughtily from the portrait. An independent Western master made the image more rigidly. Golike slightly softened his expression.
Uvarov is considered the author of the famous political expression “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationalism”. He was a very controversial personality. By birth, he is not noble and not rich, as a child he lost his father, but was the godson of Empress Catherine, was brought up in the family of Prince A.B. Kurakin and got an excellent education. He succeeded thanks to his personal abilities. He was fluent in eight languages, and wrote poetry in four, had encyclopedic knowledge, wrote scientific works on ancient antiquities. In his youth he was a member of the cheerful literary association “Arzamas”. Having married Countess Ekaterina Alekseevna Razumovskaya, Sergey Semenovich received connections in the highest circles of society and a huge fortune, including the Karacharovo estate near Murom. Uvarov was the permanent president of the Academy of Sciences from 1818 until his death. Thanks to his efforts, in 1819 a university was founded in St. Petersburg, and the Pulkovo Observatory was created. In his estate near Moscow, Porechye, he organized a museum of antique marbles. His activity as the Minister of Education changed the entire education system in Russia. His role in Russian history has not yet been fully understood and appreciated. Once A.S. Pushkin noted that Uvarov dinners are boring. We have to admit that Pushkin’s education was not the same as the Uvarov’s one, and incomprehensible topics seemed to him uninteresting.
