The origin and history of the generic name is of interest to many people. The surname reflects the history of the ancestors, their place of residence, status. Each of them has its own unique and amazing story. The article will discuss the meaning and origin of the surname Demidov, about interesting secrets associated with it.
Origin of the surname
After the baptism of Rus, every Orthodox during the ceremony, the clergyman gave a baptismal name that provided the person with a name. Church names corresponded to the names of the great martyrs and saints, but there were very few of them, therefore, to identify a person, a middle name was added to the personal name.
The origin of the surname Demidov refers to the church name Demid or Diomid, which is translated from Greek as “God's advice”.
Patron saint
The origin of the surname Demidov is associated with the name of St. Diomedes, who was a native of Cilician Tarsus. According to legend, Diomede was a doctor, he professed Christianity and healed not only human bodies, but also souls. In his free time, he preached the basics of the Christian religion, and when the emperor Diocletian found out about this, he ordered the death of Diomede. The executioner soldiers cut off the head of the great martyr, but at the same moment lost their sight.
The name became widespread among the Slavs in the 12-14 centuries, but initially it was received by priests. Over time, this naming became popular among other classes, but changed into Demid. That, for example, Demid Makarov, the Kursk coachman, was baptized by this name.
Genus Demidov
The origin of the surname Demidov, namely the richest and most famous family, originates from the blacksmith of the Tula arms factory - Demid Grigoryevich Antufiev. His son Nikita was a gunsmith, as well as a man with a bright and unusual fate. He was personally known by Peter the Great. In 1720, for special services to the Fatherland, he received a noble title and family name as a gift. Does the surname Demidova belong to the Urals, and how? It was Nikita Demidov who was the founder of the dynasty of the Ural miners, it was he who gave birth to the family tree, which has been growing for more than three hundred years.
A significant contribution of Nikita Demidov to the development of metallurgy was made by his development of the Urals. In the shortest possible time, he turned the Nevyansk plant, which was transferred to him into possession, into a high-performance metallurgical enterprise; in addition, he built another 6 plants, which for a long time were the best in Russia and Europe.
Demidov was the main assistant to Peter the Great during the foundation of St. Petersburg, donating money and metal.
The descendants of Nikita Demidov received education and upbringing abroad; they were not only owners of factories, but also military men, philanthropists, scientists, statesmen. They donated huge sums of money to Russian academies and universities, and new educational institutions were built on their contributions. In honor of their merits in Yaroslavl and Barnaul in the 19th century Demidov pillars were erected, in Tula the necropolis of the Demidov clan was created, which includes the clan tomb. In honor of the Demidovs, a bridge was named in St. Petersburg, in the late 90s of the 20th century the Demidov Fund was created.
The heirs of the old surname currently live in England, Canada, Finland, France, Russia.
When it comes to the pedigree of the Demidovs, the image of colorful men traditionally arises before one’s eyes. But the guardians of family traditions and customs that were passed down from generation to generation were women.
Demidov linked their lives with smart, educated, beautiful women. Their attention was sought by many eminent and noble people. Poems were dedicated to these ladies, famous foreign and Russian artists wrote canvases from them, they gave them the most expensive gifts. Among the wives of the Demidovs were: Ekaterina Lopukhina (sister of the favorite of Paul the First), Maria Meshcherskaya (favorite of Alexander III), Princess Elena Trubetskaya, Matilda Bonaparte (Napoleon's niece). Nowadays it is difficult to answer if the Demidovs would have done so many glorious deeds and would glorify their kind if these beautiful and amazing women were not next to them.
