Mariya Meshcherskaya
Princess Mariya Elimovna Meshcherskaya (russian: Мария Элимовна Мещерская; 1844–1868), was a Russian lady in waiting. She is known for her love affair with the future Alexander III of Russia, who attempted to renounce his place as heir to the throne in order to marry her, a plan he was forced to abandon. She married Pavel Pavlovich Demidov, 2nd Prince of San Donato in 1866. Early life Princess Maria Elimovna Meshcherskaya was born into the family of the diplomat and poet Prince Elim Meshchersky, Elim Petrovich Meshchersky and his wife Varvara Stepanovna Zhikhareva (1819–1879), the daughter of the writer S. P. Zhikharev. In 1844, when Maria was not yet a year old, her father died. Maria Elimovna spent her childhood in Paris and Nice, constantly moving between her mother and grandmother. Abroad, Varvara Stepanovna, who was known for her lovers, later marrying Count Borbon del Monte, lead such an eccentric lifestyle that Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of ...
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Pavel Pavlovich Demidov
Count Pavel Pavlovich Demidov, 2nd Prince of San Donato (russian: Павел Павлович Демидов; 9 October 1839, Frankfurt am Main / Bad Kissingen – 26 January 1885, Pratolino, Florence) was a Russian industrialist, jurist, philanthropist and nobleman of the House of Demidov. He was the only child of Finnish philanthropist Aurora Karamzin and Prince Pavel Nikolaievich Demidov. Life Early life Paul Pavlovich was six months old when his father died. Paul was a sensitive, beautiful, lively and versatile young man with a varied and short-tempered character. His education was planned by his mother and supervised by a governor. Experts were hired to teach individual subjects. Paul became interested in horses as a child and he took riding lessons, having the privilege of riding the horse of Grand Duchess Maria, due to his mother's close relations to the Imperial family. He succeeded in obtaining a law degree in St. Petersburg in 1860. He worked for the state for ...
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