THE LEGACY OF NEMYRIV: The Noble Glory and Tragedy of Princess Shcherbatova
The main facade of Princess Shcherbatova’s palace, early 20th century / sergekot.com
What’s interesting about Nemyriv, you ask? Quite a lot. For instance, this town was home to the writer Marko Vovchok, where Ivan Soshenko taught drawing, and where writer Mykola Trublaini studied. The eminent surgeon Mykola Pyrohov, who served as a long-time guardian of the local gymnasium, frequently visited.
Nemyriv also hosted Tadeusz Kościuszko, the leader of the 1794 Polish uprising and a national hero of Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and Belarus, as well as an honorary citizen of France. But, truth be told, what truly captivates us is the opulent palace of Princess Shcherbatova, which still boasts a splendid exterior, along with its associated stories, legends, and tales.
So, Nemyriv—a small town located 45 kilometers from Vinnytsia. For over a century, Nemyriv passed from one Polish magnate to another, whether sold, gifted to relatives, or, more intriguingly, to women. Some even lost the town in card games… We will focus on just a few individuals who played a significant role in Nemyriv’s history.
HOW TO «LOSE» A TOWN AND 16 VILLAGES
In 1802, Nemyriv fell into the hands of a Polish nobleman from the Potocki family, who had owned these lands since the late 18th century. This nobleman was Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki, the owner of Uman and the creator of the famous «Sofiyivka» park, dedicated to his beloved third wife, Sofia. However, Stanisław’s eldest son, Jerzy, received an even grander gift from his father: the town of Nemyriv, along with 16 villages.
Unfortunately, Jerzy proved to be ungrateful and quickly squandered his father’s generous gift. As a result, someone had to return the town to the family estate. Surprisingly, it was Sofia Potocka, the lady of the Uman park, who stepped up. For a hefty sum of 30 million zlotys, she bought back Nemyriv and bequeathed it to her grandson, Bolesław Potocki, the son of the wayward Jerzy, hoping that this time, things would turn out better.
And indeed, the story unfolded like the best of scripts. Bolesław did not disappoint his grandmother. He was an exemplary grandson and behaved like a true steward of the land: he cared not only for the palace but also for the people. He spent significant sums maintaining the estate, building two churches, a school, and industrial facilities. Out of his pocket, Bolesław also funded a free hospital for the poor and an orphanage.
NEMIROFF VODKA AND THE BIRTH OF PRINCESS MARIA
The town of Nemyriv later became part of the dowry of Bolesław’s daughter, Maria. Her husband, Count Hryhorii Serhiyovych Stroganov, made his own contribution to the town’s development by founding its first distillery in 1872. At the time, it was the largest in Podillia. This very distillery, improved and modernized over the years, still operates today and is now globally recognized. Products under the Nemiroff trademark are sold in over 80 countries.
But before this, in 1857, Hryhorii and Maria Stroganov welcomed their daughter Maria into the world. The granddaughter of Bolesław, Maria, went on to truly make Nemyriv famous. After marrying Collegiate Counselor Oleksiy Hryhorovych Shcherbatov, she carried on her father’s work, expanding the distillery business and establishing the export of its products abroad.
To ensure financial stability, Maria also founded a linen factory and workshops for producing carpets, lace, and embroidery in the town. Nemyriv’s textile products were showcased at the All-Russian Exhibition of 1913 in Kyiv, where they achieved great success. Maria also established another free hospital for the poor, a gymnasium, and a convent school for girls.
Nemyriv saw remarkable progress during her tenure. Streets were paved, and electric lanterns appeared. Maria even financed the construction of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and thanks to her support, the most talented local children could study in Kyiv and Odesa.
FORTUNE-TELLING AND A LIFETIME OF CONSTRUCTION
Maria Shcherbatova, the last landowner of Nemyriv, built a new luxurious palace that became the town’s crowning jewel. In 1880, by her order, the old castle was dismantled, and in 1885, construction of a new residence began on its site.
At Maria’s invitation, Czech architect Jiří Stibral arrived from Prague. She had met him back in 1866 in Venice, and he brought her vision to life, designing a palace she had allegedly once seen in England. However, the first version of the project did not satisfy the princess.
According to legend, a fortune-teller once told Maria Shcherbatova that her life would be closely tied to the palace’s construction. She was said to have remarked, «As long as it’s being built, you will live; once it’s completed, your death will come». Perhaps for this reason, the palace in Nemyriv was never fully completed. By 1917, the main construction was finished, but the interior and exterior decorations remained an ongoing process.
The palace was built using local limestone, and its architectural style is neoclassical. The four-column Ionic portico with a balustrade adorns the park facade, while marble lion sculptures grace the grand staircase. Decorative elements from her father’s old palace found their way into the new one, including a white marble fireplace with caryatids and two marble medallions. Remarkably, much of the palace’s decor has survived to this day, delighting visitors and preserving its historical charm.
As for the park, it was established by Vincent Potocki a century earlier, but Maria Shcherbatova succeeded in expanding it to 85 hectares. Today, it is home to over 150 species of trees and shrubs. The park features a French-style section as well as a part typical of an English «natural» park.
There’s a local legend about the park’s «trees of love», which is said to strengthen the bond of young couples. This story owes its origins to Vincent Potocki, who reportedly allowed his serfs to marry only after planting a few trees in the park. Eager to wed, the lovestruck villagers quickly filled the park with these «trees of love».
During World War I, Princess Shcherbatova’s palace was converted into a military hospital, where she worked as a nurse herself. Joining her were three daughters of Pyotr Stolypin, who were related to the princess. Then came the revolution.
For her charitable work, the residents of Nemyriv deeply admired and respected Maria Shcherbatova. Thanks to her high standing among the townsfolk, the estate remained under her control. Christian Rakovsky, who was then head of the Ukrainian Council of People’s Commissars, issued an order to the local revolutionary committee declaring her family, their palace, and the park off-limits to interference.
THE DEATH OF THE PRINCESS
However, the end was tragic. In January 1920, a unit of the Red Army entered Nemyriv. Among them was a man named Andriy Lisovyi, a drunkard and scoundrel who harbored a deep hatred for the Shcherbatov family. On the night of January 20, intoxicated, Lisovyi, accompanied by three Red Army soldiers, executed three women near the palace in the park.
The victims were 62-year-old Princess Maria Shcherbatova, her daughter Oleksandra, and their friend Maria Hudyma-Levkovych. They also fatally wounded 23-year-old Olha Stolypina, the daughter of Russian Empire Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin and the daughter-in-law of Princess Shcherbatova.
The nuns from the local women’s monastery buried the victims in a simple grave near the church rather than in the family crypt. Yet, justice was served — the local residents carried out vigilante justice, executing the perpetrators.
In 1921, the palace was «nationalized» by the Soviet authorities. Initially, it was turned into a vacation home, and later, it became the Avangard sanatorium.
Such was the somber fate of the owner of these magnificent estates and a remarkable woman, Maria Shcherbatova. Yet, one can hope that the fact her creation continues to serve people today would bring her some solace. After all, she fulfilled her dream of building the palace she had envisioned.
