Count Felix Nikolayevich Sumarokov-Elston (; 24 January 1820 – 30 October 1877) was the

Ataman Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; ; ) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military commanders of the Cossack armies. The Ukra ...

of the

Kuban Cossacks Kuban Cossacks (; ), or Kubanians (, ''kubantsy''; , ''kubantsi''), are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. Most of the Kuban Cossacks are descendants of different major groups of Cossacks who were re-settled to the western Norther ...

and the Governor of Kuban Oblast (region) in the late 1860s.

Parents

Named Felix at birth, (a common name for illegitimate children) he was brought up by Princess Elisabeth Khitrovo, a famous salon hostess who was a daughter of Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov and the mother of Countess

Dorothea de Ficquelmont Dorothea "Dolly" de Ficquelmont (; ''Daria Fyodorovna Fikelmon''; 14 October 1804, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire10 April 1863, Venice, Austrian Empire), born Countess Dorothea von Tiesenhausen, was a Russian writer and salonist. A granddaughte ...

. It has been widely rumored that Felix Elston was the natural son of Khitrovo's eldest daughter, Countess Ekaterina von Tiesenhausen (a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

to King

Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (; 15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the "romanticist on the th ...

's sister, Empress Alexandra of Russia) and

Prince Augustus of Prussia Prince Frederick William Henry Augustus of Prussia (; 19 September 1779 – 19 July 1843) was a Prussian royal and general. Born on Friedrichsfelde Palace, he was the youngest son of Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, the brother of King Fred ...

. It appears more likely that Felix's parents were Karl Alexander Anselm Freiherr von Hügel (

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

, April 25, 1795 –

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, June 2, 1870) Hügel (Koblenz">Von_Hügel.html" ;"title="imself the son of Johann Aloys Josef Hügel, later 1st Freiherr von Von Hügel">Hügel (Koblenz, November 14, 1753 –

, 1826) and his wife Anna von Holthof, married in 1787] by Countess Jozefa Andrássy, Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (Košice (Kassa), April 8, 1790 – 1868), a relative of Gyula Andrássy, married (in Košice (Kassa), February 7, 1808) to Miklós Graf Forgách de Ghymes et Gács (1784 – Nagyszalánc ( Slanec), January 10, 1857), by whom she had three sons, all of whom died unmarried and without any issue. Recent investigations undertaken by one of his great-granddaughters and an English genealogist practically confirm this late ancestry,"A la Découverte de Leurs Racines" - Joseph Valynseele et Denis Grando - L' Intermediaire des Chercheurs et Curieux - Paris, 1988 not explaining, however, the motives why he didn't use his father's name but Elston, his English

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

's surname.

Career

Felix Elston was prominent during the Siege of Sevastopol and was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1855. After his marriage in 1853 with the Heiress of Counts Sumarokov, he received the title of Count Sumarokov-Elston. By Imperial Decree of September 8, 1859 he was authorized to use the hereditary title of his father-in-law, with the condition of using his surname. From 23 August 1863 to 3 February 1869 he was an

and from 1865 he was a governor of

Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...

. During his military service Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston received numerous awards, including Order of St. Vladimir of 1st degree, Order of St. Stanislav of 1st degree, Order of St. Anna of 1st degree with crown and others. After 1868 he left military service because of poor health and lived abroad. He was a Russian representative at the wedding of Prince Milan of Serbia to Russian noblewoman Natalia Keshko, in 1875 he was attached to King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of Oscar I of Sweden, King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, Queen J ...

during his visitation of Russia. In 1875, he was appointed the head of the

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

military district.

Issue

From his marriage with Countess Elena Sergeievna Sumarokova (September 5, 1829 – April 15, 1901) (daughter of Count Sergei Pavlovich Sumarokov (1791-1875) and wife

Marchesa A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...

Aleksandra Pavlovna Maruzzi (ca 1808–1857)) he had seven children, including Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston, later prince Yusupov, who was the father of Prince

Felix Yusupov Knyaz Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (; – 27 September 1967) was a Russian aristocrat from the House of Yusupov who is best known for participating in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin and for marrying Princess Irina ...

. # Count Sergei Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (6 October 1853 – 8 May 1881), lieutenant in the army, died aged 27 from typhoid fever. # Count Paul Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (8 July 1855 – 17 January 1938), married Alexandra Abaza (mistress to

Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholas Romanov may refer to: * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), third son of Paul I & Tsaritsa Maria Fedorovna; younger brother of Alexander I, ascended 1825 * Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia (1843–1865), eldest son of Emperor ...

) and had two daughters, Catherine (1881) and Zinaida (1886). Later married Nadezda Oznobishina. # Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (17 October 1856 – 10 June 1928), married the noble heiress

Zinaida Yusupova Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova (; 2 September 1861 – 24 November 1939) was a Russian noblewoman, the only heiress of Russia's largest private fortune of her time. Famed for her beauty, the lavishness of her hospitality, and her extensi ...

and had two sons,

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

(1883) and Felix (1887). # Countess Elizabeth Felixovna Sumarokova-Elston (15 March 1858 – 6 March 1940), married the statesman Pyotr Lazarev and had two sons, Mikhail (1881) and Vladimir (1886), and a daughter, Irina (1890). # Count Gabriel Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (1859 – 1879) # Count Nicholas Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (1861 – 16 July 1908), married Sophia Koshula and had one daughter, Elena (1890), and two sons, Nicholas (1891) and Mikhail (1893). # Countess Alexandra Felixovna Sumarokova-Elston (13 July 1863 – 1 April 1936), married the revolutionary politician Yuri Milyutin. Australian conductor Alexander Briger is his great-great-great-grandson. Felix' son Paul Sumarokov Elston (1855) → Zinaida Sumarokov Elston (1886)→ Zinaida Bashkirova (1908)→ Andrew Briger (1922)→ Alexander Briger (1969).

References

* *"A la Découverte de Leurs Racines" - Joseph Valynseele et Denis Grando - L'Intermediaire des Chercheurs et Curieux, Paris, 1988

External links

Atamans of Kuban Cossacks

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumarokov-Elston, Felix Nikolayevich 1820 births 1877 deaths Imperial Russian Army generals Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class House of Yusupov Counts of the Russian Empire