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The Benois family was a family of prominent 19th- and 20th-century Russian artists, musicians and architects, descended from French confectioner Louis Jules (Leonty Nikolaevich) Benois (1770/1772?-1822), cook-confectioner to the
Duke of Montmorency
Duke of Montmorency was a title of French nobility that was created several times for members of the Montmorency family, who were lords of Montmorency, near Paris.
History
The first creation was in 1551 for Anne de Montmorency, Constable of ...
, who moved to Russia in 1794 after the French Revolution and became a royal headwaiter.
Famous members of the Benois family include:
* Mikhail Benois (1799-1861), colonel, tutor at the Corps of Pages.
* Leonty Benois (1801-1883), "the first doctor" in St.Petersburg.
*
Nicholas Leontievich Benois (1813–1898), Russian architect. Designed several buildings for the Imperial Family at
Peterhof.
**Nicholas' son
Albert Nikolayevich Benois (1852–1936), Russian water-colourist.
***Albert's dtr. Camille Evgenia Benois (1878-1959), artist, married Gen. Dimitri Leonidovitch Horvath (1859-1937) who was General Manager of the
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER (, russian: Китайско-Восточная железная дорога, or , ''Kitaysko-Vostochnaya Zheleznaya Doroga'' or ''KVZhD''), is the historical name for a railway system in Northeast China (als ...
and a direct descendant of Field Marshal
Mikhail Kutuzov
Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...
(1745-1813).
***Albert's son Nikolai Albertovich Benois married
Maria Nikolayevna Kuznetsova
Maria Nikolaevna Kuznetsova (25 April 1966) (russian: Мария Николаевна Кузнецова, also spelled Maria Kuznetsova-Benois) was a 20th century Russian opera singer and dancer.
Prior to the Revolution, Kuznetsova was one of ...
(1880–1966), a famous Russian opera singer.
***Albert's dtr. Maria Albertovna Benois married Russian composer, pianist, and conductor
Nikolai Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (1873–1945), also spelled Cherepnin. They were the parents of
Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin (1899–1977), composer and pianist whose son
Ivan Alexandrovich Tcherepnin (1943–1998) was also a talented composer.
**Nicholas' son
Leon Nikolayevich "Leonty" Benois (1856–1928), Russian architect. He helped design the St. Petersburg Court Choir Chapel (now the Mikhail Glinka Academic Choir.
***Leon's dtr.
Nadezhda ('Nadia') Leontievna Benois (1895–1975), illustrator and graphic designer, was the mother of British actor
Sir Peter Ustinov
Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...
(1921–2004).
**Nikolai’s dtr. Camilla Nikolayevna Benois married a British immigrant, Matthew Edward Edwards. Their daughter Camilla Matveevna Edwards married
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
architect
Alexander Tamanian
Alexander Tamanian (, March 4, 1878 – February 20, 1936) was a Russian-born Armenian neoclassical architect, well known for his work in the city of Yerevan.
Life and work
Tamanian was born in the city of Yekaterinodar in 1878 in the family ...
(1878–1936), whose sons Georgi Tamanian (1910–1993) and Julius (Yuliy) Tamanian (1922-1993) were also prominent Armenian architects.
**Nicholas' dtr. Ekaterina Nikolayevna "Katherine" Benois (b.1850) married sculptor
Eugene Lanceray
Yevgeny Yevgenyevich Lanceray (russian: Евгений Евгеньевич Лансере; 23 August 1875 – 13 September 1946), also often spelled Eugene Lansere, was a Russian graphic artist, painter, sculptor, mosaicist, and illustrator, a ...
(aka. "Yevgeny Alexandrovich Lansere") (1848–1886).
***Their son
Yevgeny Yevgenievich Lanceray (1875–1946), Russian graphic artist, painter, illustrator.
***Their son
Nikolay Lanceray
Nikolay Evgenievich Lanceray (russian: Николай Евгеньевич Лансере; 26 April 1879 – 6 May 1942) was a Russian architect, preservationist, illustrator of books and historian of neoclassical art, biographer of Charles Came ...
(1879-1942), Russian architect, illustrator and biographer.
***Their dtr.
Zinaida Serebriakova
Zinaida Yevgenyevna Serebriakova (russian: Зинаида Евгеньевна Серебрякова; – 20 September 1967) was a Russian and later French painter.
Family
Zinaida Serebryakova was born on the estate of Neskuchnoye near Kh ...
née Lanceray (1884–1967), Russian portrait painter, was mother of architect Yevgeny Borisovich Serebriakov (1906–) and artists Alexander Borisovich Serebriakov (1907–1994), Tatiana Borisovna Serebriakova (1912–1989), and Ekaterina Borisovna Serebriakova (1913–).
**Nicholas' son
Alexander Nikolayevich Benois (1870–1960), painter, theatrical designer, art
***Alexander's dtr. Yelena Alexandrovna Benois-Clément (1898–1972) was a talented painter whose first husband was composer
Ivan Wyschnegradsky
Ivan Alexandrovich Wyschnegradsky; Is also transliterated as Vïshnegradsky, Wyshnegradsky, Wischnegradsky, Vishnegradsky, or Wishnegradsky (after he emigrated to France, he used "Wyschnegradsky" as spelling for his surname)., group=n ( ; Septe ...
(1893–1979).
***Alexander's son
Nicola Alexandrovich Benois
Nicola Alexandrovich Benois (2 May 1901 – 31 March 1988) was a stage designer, known for his work as principal scenographer and costume designer at La Scala in Milan.
Education and early career
Nicola was the son of Alexandre Benois, an influ ...
(1901–1988) was a principal theatrical designer at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
in Milan.
{{Commons category, House of Benois
External links
Biography of Maria Kuznetsova
Russian artists
Russian people of French descent