The House of Somov (), also known as Somoff or Somow, is a

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...

descended from the Khans of the 14th century.

Ancestry

The House of Somov is descendant from Prince ( Mirza) Oslan-Chelebey. Oslan left the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

to lead an army supporting the Prince of Moscow

Dmitry Donskoy Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy (; 12 October 1350 – 19 May 1389) was Prince of Moscow from 1359 and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1363 until his death. He was the heir of Ivan II. He was the first prince of Moscow to openly challenge Mongol ...

during wars with other principalities and against Tartar domination. He was

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

in 1389 and given the name ''Prokofiev''. He went on to marry the daughter of Prince Dimitri's

Stolnik Stolnik (, , , , ) was a court office in Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and Russia, responsible for serving the royal table, then an honorary court title and a district office. It approximately corresponds to English term wikt:pantler, "pantler". S ...

(Zotik Zhitov), Maria Zotikova Zhitova. Together, they had five sons: Lev (nicknamed 'Wide Mouth'), Fiodr, Arseny (founder of the Arseniev family; ), Jacob Kremenetsky (founder of the Kremenetsky and Yanovtsevyh family), and Paul (founder of the Pavlovs family). Their son, Lev Prokofievich, had two sons himself: Zechariah (founder of the Rtishev, , and Zhdanovs families) and Andrey (nicknamed "Som", Catfish, and founder of the Somov family).

Notable members

Fyodor Ivanovich Somov

Fyodor was Voevoda of Verhoturie (1619) and his brother Ivan was Voevoda of Kozelsk and Lihvina (1616-1619). Son of the last Fyodor, he was a Voevoda of Yelets Sviyazhsk and Ufa (1650-1664).

Parfeny Pavlovich Somov

Parfeny was a Voevoda of Vahe (1666) and Lomov (1676) and, later, the clerk of the Russian Council ().

Matvei Petrovich Somov

Matvei was a steward and Voevoda in Viazma (1679).

Feodosia Pavlovna Somova (1650?)

Feodosia was the daughter of Pavel Stepanovich and Maria Verigin (Princess Volkonsky´s daughter) and the mother of Eudoxia Alexeievna Chirikova (d. 1703), wife of the first Count of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Boris Sheremetev Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (; – ) was a Russian diplomat and field marshal (Russian Empire), general field marshal during the Great Northern War. He became the first Russian count in 1706. His children included Pyotr Sheremetev and Nat ...

. She is the ancestor of various nobles and princely Russian families, including: Count Mikhail Borisovich Sheremetev, Princess Sofía Borisovna Urusov (Khanate of Nogai), Countess Ana Borisovna Golovin, the House of Dolgorukov family, the Apraxine family, and the Naryshkin family.

Evsievy Leontievich Somov (1692)

Evsievy was the

of Tsaritsa for

Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (; 1 September 1651 – 4 February 1694) was the Tsaritsa of Russia from 1671–1676 as the second spouse of Tsar of Russia, Tsar Alexis I of Russia, and regent of Russia as the mother of Tsar Peter I of Russia ...

, the second spouse of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Nadiezhda Petrovna Somova (b. 1730)

Nadieshda was Princess Dolgorukova and married to Prince Ivan Aleksievich Dolgorukov () (d. 1783).

Andrey Andreievich Somov (d. 1815)

Andrey was a Major General and hero of the

Battle of Eylau The Battle of Eylau (also known as the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau) was a bloody and strategically inconclusive battle on 7 and 8 February 1807 between Napoleon's and the Imperial Russian Army under the command of General Levin August von Be ...

during the

War of the Fourth Coalition The War of the Fourth Coalition () was a war spanning 1806–1807 that saw a multinational coalition fight against Napoleon's First French Empire, French Empire, subsequently being defeated. The main coalition partners were Kingdom of Prussia, ...

of the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. He served in the infantry during his 1775 military service. In 1790, he received the rank of Second Major. In 1794, he was promoted to Prime Major; and in 1797, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. On October 3rd, 1798, Colonel Somov was the chief of the Kamchatka Garrison Battalion and on June 8th, 1799 received the rank of Major General. On the 21st of January 1803, Somov was appointed chief of the Tula Musketeer Regiment (1806-1807), which fought against the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

in Eastern

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

.At the 1807 Battle of Eylau, he commanded a brigade composed of the

Polotsk Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...

, Tobolsk and Tula

Musketeer A musketeer ( ) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare, particularly in Europe, as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a precursor to the rifl ...

Regiments and pushed the French out of the city. On 8 April 1807, he was awarded the

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

, third degree (No. 149 by Chevalier list) as a, “great reward of bravery and courage, rendered in the battle against the French troops of the 26th and 27th of January at Eylau.”For other actions in the war Somov was awarded a gold sword with the inscription “For Bravery” on December 1, 1807. Somov retired in 1809 and died in 1815.

Juliana Fedorovna Somova (1815–1856)

Juliana was Princess Galitzina, married to Prince Nikolai Borisovich

Galitzine Galitzine is an alternative romanization of Golitsyn, a surname chiefly associated with members of the House of Golitsyn of Lithuanian-Russian origin. Notable people with the surname include: House of Golitsyn * Alexandra Pavlovna Galitzine ...

(1802–1876).

Afanasy Nikoaievich Somov (1823–1899)

Afanasy was a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

and

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Tver Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population: The city is ...

Andrey Ivanovich Somov (1830–1909)

Andrey Ivanovich was an

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

worker, and collector. He graduated from Larin's Gymnasium in St. Petersburg, his city of birth, and the Department of

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

St. Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...

(1854). He also attended classes at the Drawing School. After his schooling, he taught physics and mathematics until 1859. That year, he published the first accessible description of the art galleries of the

Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...

. From 1872 to 1886, he issued a catalog of the art gallery of the

Academy of Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. He managed the office of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences from 1863 to 1886 and taught art history at the Higher Women's Courses (Bestuzhev Courses) from 1883 to 1889. From 1883 to 1890, Somov edited the Vestnik Izyaschnykh Iskusstv (Fine Arts Herald) journal. In 1878, he was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. In 1886, he assumed the post of Chief Custodian of the art gallery of the Hermitage; during his tenure, he compiled a scientific catalog of the gallery (Vol. 1–3, 1889–95) and made a considerable contribution to the evolution of domestic

museology Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...

and

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

. Somov gathered a notable collection of art pieces and

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

during his life and lived in his own house at 97 Ekaterininsky Canal Embankment (present-day Griboedova Canal Embankment). He died in 1909 and was buried at Novodevichye Cemetery in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. His son was an artist, K.A. Somov.

Sergey Mikhailovich Somov (1854–1917)

Sergey was Chamberlain of the Imperial Court, and was the last Marshal of Nobility of Saint Petersburg. He was Afanasy Nikolaievich's nephew. His son, Sergey Sergeievich Somov, and his wife, Natalia Vasilievna Naryshkin, hid a valuable treasure in the Naryshkin-Trubetskoy Palace before immigrating to France. In April 2012, the treasure was found by workers who were restoring the palace. Members of the Naryshkin and Somov family claimed it.

Eudoxia Mihailovna Somova (1850–Nice, France 1924)

Eudoxia was born in 1850 in Alexandrovsk-Lugansk. She was 1st Princess of Orbeliani (widow of Alexander Orbeliani) and 2nd Princess of Murat, marrying Prince Louis Napoléon Murat, grandson of

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also ; ; ; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French Army officer and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of the ...

. She was the daughter of

Cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

. Mihail Alexandrovich Somov ( Marshal of Nobility) and Princess Maria Pavlovna Chirinsky-Chikhmatov (of the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

Others

Konstantin Somov Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (; – 6 May 1939) was a Russian artist associated with the ''Mir iskusstva'' ("World of Art") movement that began in the last decade of the 19th century. After the Russian Revolution, he eventually emigrated to Pa ...

(1869–1939), Russian painter. * Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov (1908–1973), Soviet oceanographer. * Orest Somov (1793–1833), Russian writer. * Osip Ivanovich Somov (1815–1876), Russian mathematician. * Iwaniec Ivanovic Somov is written about in the book of the best-thousand nobles and knights (1550). * Three Somovs were killed by the Polish in the

Time of Troubles The Time of Troubles (), also known as Smuta (), was a period of political crisis in Tsardom of Russia, Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Feodor I of Russia, Feodor I, the last of the Rurikids, House of Rurik, and ended in 1613 wit ...

Princes Shekhonskie-Somov

The Shekhonskie-Somov family was an extinct princely family, originating from the Yaroslavl Princes of the

Principality of Yaroslavl The Principality of Yaroslavl () was a principality with its capital in the city of Yaroslavl. It existed from 1218 until 1463 (''de jure'' until 1471) when it became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. History Foundation The Principali ...

branch. According to P.N. Petrov's research, the Somov family descends from Shekhonskie princes, refuting the origins theory related to Prince Oslan-Chelebey.Шехонские князья (Shekhonskie Princes)
/ref> The Somov family is divided into several branches and is listed in genealogical records of the

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

Ekaterinoslav Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...

Kaluga Kaluga (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia. It stands on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Its population was 337,058 at the 2021 census. Kaluga's most famous residen ...

Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

, Orel,

Saratov Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

Tambov Tambov ( , ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna ...

, Tula, and

Kharkov Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

provinces. The Somov heraldry was included in the Armorial General of the Nobility of the Russian Empire (chapter IV, 110).

References

External links

Armorial General of the Nobility of the Russian Empire

Princes Shehonskie-Somov
{{surname Russian-language surnames