THE NETHERLANDS OF THE XVI-XVII CENTURY

What was waiting for des of Fontaneau in the Netherlands? What was life like in those days?
Until the 16th century, the Netherlands as a single state did not exist. Government they were only with the inclusion of the Holy Roman Empire. When in 1556 the Emperor Charles V abdicated, he expressed a desire to his brother Ferdinand ruled the German Empire, and his son Philip, to the other, i.e. Spain, Netherlands, Naples, Sicily, South America, etc. His son Philip II (1527-1598) has become a religious fanatic and threw everything into the fight against heresy. In the Spanish province of the Netherlands lived many Protestants, and he instructed the Inquisition to destroy all heresy there. But he faced persistent resistance from the entire population — the poor and the rich, Protestants and Catholics. They rose against the Spanish crown and against the Catholic Church, which led to an unexpected result-the country of peasants and fishermen turned into a country of financial power and high culture. All the Dutch provinces came together and in 1576 entered into Ghent Peace. In 1581, seven Northern provinces declared themselves independent of the crown. But the final independence of the United Provinces was achieved only after a Thirty-year war with the signing of the Westphalian peace in 1648.
The United provinces opened wide their doors to fugitives from religious persecution, Spanish and Portuguese Jews and French Huguenots. The influx of these artisans, entrepreneurs and financiers played a major role in the future economic prosperity of the Netherlands. With the growth of material prosperity came the Golden age of Dutch art, crowned with the work of Rembrandt (1606-1669). The influence of Calvinists grew, and in some provinces almost half of the population professed Calvinism. At the end of the 16th century, most of the Flemish and Walloon Protestants fled the southern, still Spanish provinces to the North, and they had a significant impact on the development of the country. The flow of refugees increased, and in the 17th century the Netherlands became a shelter for all persecuted for religious beliefs, political views and scientific activities.
By the mid-17th century, most of these refugees were Huguenots. Many of them were opened "French school" where he taught them pleasing to discipline them pleasing methods. Local authorities provided financial assistance to these schools, and they flourished. Huguenot craftsmen continued to ply his trade, the Huguenots-nobles gave lessons in dancing and fencing, became cooks and hairdressers. With a Huguenots brought Gallic integrity, cheerfulness and gracious manners, which had to like quite gloomy by nature to the Dutch. The country took care of its new citizens, and not one Huguenot was not issued back to France at the request of the king. However, the Huguenots were not easy to get used to the new way of life, many could not master the Dutch language, so different from their native French.
We must assume that des Fontaines were quite competent to conduct the correspondence, and diaries to draw up the drafts of his sermons and teaching lesson plans. But nothing has come to us. Perhaps something is still kept in the old archives and in the dusty attics of Holland. It would be interesting to read the sermons of Pierre des Fontaines of which he read from the pulpit Huguenot Church. Or hold it in your hands letters, where Johann Anton des Fontaines said goodbye to friends, floating away to Russia. But we have none of this, and we will have to restore their way of life again according to the information we have about the Netherlands of those times.
Compared with other countries, the standard of living in the Netherlands in the middle of the 16th century was quite high. On the paved city streets there was a stream of horses pulled into carriages and carts, and in the winter — in a sled. You could still see quite a lot of wooden buildings, but all new homes, often single family, consisted of a brick. With the onset of dusk, everyone was ordered to walk with lanterns — urban street lighting began around 1670.
Usually the first floor of a residential building was divided by a partition or a corridor into two halves — the front and the back. A spiral staircase led to the first floor where the bedrooms were located on either side of the corridor. The back staircase led to the attic, where the maids slept, and stored in different Luggage. All trade deals were made in the house, and for that the owner in the cellar had office. The front half served as the front living room, where there was the best furniture, and used this room only on special occasions. The back half of the house served as a living room, dining room and kitchen. In more affluent homes it turned into something like a Museum, and the food was cooked in a niche in the back wall. The furniture was limited to a table, chairs and wardrobes — usually there were two wardrobes, one for linen, the other for utensils.
The beds in the bedrooms on the second floor were built-in, short and tall, so they had to climb the ladder. Under the bed were boxes that were pulled at night and turned into bed for children. Slept between feather quilts and pillows on the mountain, but due to the short size of the bed slept half-sitting — which was considered useful for health. Oven bottom often stoked with peat, and the bed took warmers. The house was lit with oil lamps. And all the houses, almost without exception, were exquisitely clean.
The Dutch led a secluded way of life they loved solitude, and seldom spoke to each other. From the back half a few steps led down to the garden, with a green lawn, with small "spots" of gray moss, and of course flower beds — all adored flowers: roses, irises, lilies, tulips. Every town had at least one flower garden. And by the middle of the 17th century the Netherlands became the main supplier of tulips across Europe.

At the table under the strict eye of the owner of the house was about the whole family, including children and maids. Before the prayer, none of the food is not touched, and none without prayers did not get up from the table. Ate in silence. Used knives, occasionally spoons, forks still didn't know, plates and bowls were faience. The Dutch were famous for their appetite. They ate four times a day. At five in the morning Breakfast: bread, butter, cheese, the remains of yesterday's dinner, milk and beer. At noon, served two or three dishes: soup and meat dish, or soup, fish dish and meat dish, as well as salad and fruit. Soup, usually vegetable, boiled together with a spike in milk. At three o'clock in the afternoon snack: bread, cheese, herring, almonds, raisins and warm or cold beer. Eventually the beer was replaced by tea, which at first was considered a remedy for colds. Drank tea in prikusku. Only in the 18th century the Dutch met coffee, chocolate and cocoa. At eight or nine in the evening sat down to dinner. Often food was prepared once a week. On other days, eat heated food, greatly facilitates the owner to keep their home spotlessly clean. Favorite dish was " hutspot — - finely chopped lamb or beef stewed with vegetables, parsley, or prunes, with fat and ginger, which was eaten, sprinkling all this with lemon or orange juice. Eggs are mainly prepared sweet food, mostly pancakes, but someone fried them in vegetable oil. Water the Dutch almost never drank, considering it unclean, drinking beer or beer diluted with water. The Dutch loved to play cards-we got a description of more than twenty games. Went to bed right after dinner and they got up with the roosters.
In the second half of the 17th century Reformed (Calvinist) Church was almost the state religion. On Sundays, in the morning and at noon, all went to Church where service sometimes was tightened for two-three hours. Most of the service involved preaching, or" lecture", where the life of individual parishioners or the whole community was discussed, but politics never affected — the Church was supposed to stand aside from public Affairs. (One of these lecturers were Pierre des Fontaines). Sunday was famous for boring boredom-to have fun did not rely on how it was forbidden to trade, conclude, or simply discuss transactions. If someone took on Sunday borrow money, he could not safely return, since such transaction was considered illegal.
French refugees belonged to the Walloon Church, which differed from the Reformed Church only in that the service there was conducted in French. They had their own schools, which were built on the Dutch model. And the system of public education in the Netherlands was as follows: in seven years, the Dutch sent their children to train a teacher who taught at home. The course was five years. Usually, the school had two rooms — one for younger students and one for senior. However, children of the rich were often engaged in one room, and children of the poor in the other. Taught them literacy, arithmetic and the basics of religion. School Huguenots to financially support the municipalities. This school was Pierre des Fontaines and his son Abraham. From the Dutch schools, they are distinguished by the fact that there was also a French teacher. Huguenot schools are well established, and wealthier Dutch began to send their children. At the end of these schools, those who wanted and could afford to send their children to a Latin school, where some rich lucky people went to University, where they studied art, Geology, law or medicine.
In a love relationship, the Dutch were distinguished by coldness and commercial business they prefer the lovemaking, and women preferred tobacco and alcohol. Women before marriage were granted much freedom in love Affairs, than they became so famous that even resulted in a surprisingly sophisticated French. "Making love in Dutch" became a saying in Paris. Tall and blond-haired Dutch women in their youth were very attractive, but quickly lost their freshness and turned into a fat matron.
Despite their piety, the Dutch have preserved some ancient pagan customs. So on the day of the old spring festival — may 1 — on the lawn were set decorated with ribbons and flowers, the pillar around which danced, young people exchanged gifts, and in the evening all gathered for common chants. If the young man liked the girl, he tied flowers to her door. If it is then somewhere appeared with its flowers, it meant that the tendency of his mutual. After that, the young couple was given more freedom. For the day they can together go for a walk, could late sit her or him at home. Usually a young man in the bark of a tree carved out the name of his beloved. Some places still maintained the custom of trial marriage: the girl was allowed to live with different young people until she gets pregnant. Then she married the father of her child, and remained faithf
Betrothal took place in a solemn atmosphere, further rejection of it was considered criminal and punishable by law. Married in a Church, or the marriage was in grad school. The groom wore his wedding ring on the finger of the right hand of his bride, and later she went with two rings on one finger. The betrothal was followed by a feast, often zatyagivaetsya until morning. And then came the working days: honeymoon young did not rely. Families were strong and disintegrated very rarely. Adultery was punishable by law, which is also punished for rape and homosexuality, which is more common among sailors. Guilty of sodomy sailor unceremoniously thrown overboard.
There were far fewer servants in Dutch homes than in other countries. The state was against hiring men for service and their employers were subject to high taxes. The use of corporal punishment against servants was punishable. It was possible to expel the servant only in case of proven theft, but in turn the servant had the right to leave work at any time at her own discretion. Usually in houses, there lived a maid, and she was in the position of member of the family. The work of the maids was well paid, in the case of the disease, she was well cared for, and often did not forget to leave her something in the will. Usually, the maid remained in the same house my whole life.
In his spare time, the Dutch loved to catch fish and have picnics, and in winter ice skating. They loved to celebrate and did not miss the opportunity to have a feast and absorb a fair amount of food and alcohol, and in the latter the Dutch rarely conceded to men. Of course, that the Church is not like she tried to protest and deny but to no avail. And it is worth noting the Dutch passion for reading. They read everything without limiting Themselves to Scripture, and often in the house, in the evenings, you can see someone reading aloud when the rest of the household, each silently engaged in their own business.

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FROM AMSTERDAM TO ARKHANGELSK AND BACK IN THE DISPERSION

The first ten years of Pierre des Fontaines lived in the Hague, where in February 1693, in the Walloon Church, he married a Huguenot Elizabeth Role. They had 11 children, the first four of whom were born in the Hague. Of these four, the last to the light of God appeared on may 30, 1706, Abraham, who was baptized on September 25. Soon the whole family moved to North Brabant, in Hertogenbosh where Pierre des Fontaines opened a French school. By the end of his life he became a "lecturer" (preacher) of The local Huguenot Church. The school took his son Abraham, who in den Bosch on Sunday, February 11, 1727 married Wendeline Nimwegen. Their son, Pierre-Jean, married a young Dutch Hildegunde van Dijk. They lived under Reachable in Oosterhout, and they had three children: Johann Anton was baptized in may 1757; Gilderoy-Theodor-Claudine, born 5 may 1765, and Maria Anna, born on 29 Jun 1769. In 27 years, Johann Anton des Fontaines married in Amsterdam on the young and attractive widow, Eli-Covenant Hall, nee Rosen. By origin, the menonites from Altona, a port city near Hamburg, Rosena about 1715 settled in the young Russian capital, but after a few years left St. Petersburg to Arkhangelsk, where their family, like the Dutch family van Brinen, was one of the first among the "foreign merchants". Over time, the Arkhangelsk settled several dozen foreign families — des Fontaines, Gernamy, Pezi, Hoevelaken, Rotary, Shergold, Lindesy, Claptone, Brandt, Solzi, Lyursy, Stoppy, Schmidt and many others. For a hundred years of life there all reborn, and several times.
So, in 1787 the ship with Johann-Anton and Elizabeth des Fontaines on Board left the dock in Amsterdam and took them to Archangel, where Johann was called simply Ivan. I don't know exactly what kind of commercial activity he was doing. But, I think, get rich quick, because in 1802 donated for the improvement of Arkhangelsk 150 gold rubles — a considerable sum in those days. He died in Arkhangelsk in 1805. He had two children: daughter Katherine and son of Abraham I., and both intermarried with the family of Scottish Calvinists -Cleftones. Catherine married Moses Moiseyevich Clafton, and Abraham married the son — in-law's sister Anna Moiseyevna. In Arkhangelsk Abraham I. des Fontaines was filed by the Russian Empire until the end of his days, successfully engaged in commercial activities.
Some other information about Johann des Fontaines results mentioned in the introduction the article Yevgeny Ovsyankin: "... a Significant portion of foreigners has achieved success thanks to the hard work. So, for example, was part of the big business North of the famous business dynasty Fonteneau. Its founder des-Fontaines Ivan arrived in the city from Holland at the end of the XVTII century and began serving as an ordinary clerk, and then took the place of a stockbroker. But to turn had died in 1805 at the age of 48 years, leaving a widow and six children with minimal means for living".
Some discrepancy of facts is connected, apparently, with the fact that the focus of E. Ovsyankin pays the article Abraham I. des Fontaines. And a few words about his father Johann (Ivan) written only for the sake of accession. Deserves special mention for the part of that article, quoted below.
"The younger son of the Dutchman Abraham Ivanovich was able to achieve great success in trade Affairs. Like his father, he early began service in the most simple positions; first, he worked as a clerk in the trading house of Franz Scholz and Felix Clark, and then a freight forwarder foreign ships.
The last place of service allowed the young entrepreneur to establish ties with foreign merchants and start an independent business: trade edible supplies, supply them with foreign ships.
The first success of the merchant noticed a prominent Nicholas merchant Ilya Gribanov and persuaded Abraham to open a large-scale foreign trade. The negotiations resulted in the creation of the trading house "Gribanov, Fontaines Ko". The formation of the company was facilitated by the marriage of one of Gribanov with the eldest daughter of Fontaines and adopt the latest in 1829 Russian citizenship.
Becoming a Russian citizen, Abraham Ivanovich gained wide access to social activities and left a noticeable mark in the history of the city. For many years he headed the Board of the Arkhangelsk state Bank, held the post of mayor for six years, was at the coronation of Alexander II in 1856, met the Emperor in Arkhangelsk. At different times, Abraham Ivanovich was a member of the Board of Trustees of the reform school, Mariinsky women's gymnasium, orphanage, opened in the latter at his own expense a Department for 8 people.
For impeccable public service, he was awarded the title of Commerce adviser, hereditary honorary citizen, received a number of high awards: three gold medals on Annensky, Vladimir and Andrew's ribbons, had the order of St. Stanislaus 2nd and 3rd degrees, St. Anne 3rd degree and others.
Avaricious on praise the newspaper "Arkhangelsk province news" rightly noted in the obituary dedicated to the memory of a merchant of the 1st Guild: 'Abraham Ivanovich deserved utter respect for citizens, not by obsequiousness and flattery, and unconditional observance of public interests." The author of the publication called the deceased " a worthy citizen of our city."
As noted above, Abraham I. des Fontaines became Hereditary Honorary Citizen of the Russian Empire. It is a hereditary title of the tsarist government introduced instead complained of the nobility, because was concerned about the growth of the last class, especially after the accessions in the Caucasus, the Baltic States and Poland, which added the princes, barons and gentry.
Abraham Ivanovich and Anna Moiseyevna des Fontanes had two sons and five daughters. Their eldest daughter, Anna Abramovna, I married the companion of her father and her brothers, a merchant of Vladimir Y. Gribanova, who owned among many other by the Great Ustyug, Krasavino, flax and linen factory, one of the largest in the Empire. Lived Vladimir and Anna Gribanova in his mansion in St. Petersburg, on the promenade des Anglais, 66. Adjacent to the right of the mansion, almost a Palace, belonged to Braga my Yes Prades, Eduard Egorovich Lindes. And on the left there was the Palace of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, commander of the guards regiments, who in February 1917, with a red bow on his chest, led his regiments on The millionth oath to the Provisional government, and whose son, Dmitry Pavlovich, took part in the murder of Rasputin. In the house lived Gribanova also beloved nephew of Anna Abramovna (she was not), my grandfather Edmund K. Pilatzke, stockbroker, Director of the Board of Krasavino manufactory etc. For death Gribanova he inherited after them almost all, including the mansion where they were born all his children, including my mother.
The second daughter of Abraham I. des of Fontaines, Carolina Abramovna, left Arkhangelsk for the Director of the gymnasium, Konstantin Bogdanovich Palackoho, a native of Courland and a graduate of the University of Tartu. In the early 18th century, his Protestant ancestors fled religious persecution in Bohemia to the Baltic States. Caroline and Konstantin Pilecki had 11 children. The eldest son mentioned above, Edmund Konstantinovich, my grandfather, fled abroad after the revolution and died in Berlin in 1935.
The third daughter of Abraham Ivanovich, my other great-grandmother Fanny Abramovna des Fontaines, married Arkhangelsk businessman and entrepreneur Fyodor Yegorovich of Lindes, whose grandfather, a Lutheran pastor Johann Lindes, came from Hamburg to Arkhangelsk in 1783. Short and petite, Fanny Abramovna for 18 years, bore her husband 12 children, but because talked about it (okaya-Arkhangelsk): "Poor Vanushka, only does that gives birth, feeds and again is!»
Two other daughters of Abraham Ivanovich did not want to marry merchants. Pauline Abramovna married math teacher Arkhangelsk gymnasium, certain Fredriksberg, and soon after the wedding they went to Kronstadt, where he continued to teach mathematics. They had a son who lost his eye in the First world war, and their grandson Alexander Friedrichsberg until recently was a Professor of mathematics at LSU. In Kronstadt, Polina Abramovna introduced her sister, Jeannette, with her husband's colleague, teacher of Russian language and literature Nikolai Bazhenov, and they got married. Their daughter, Anna Nikolaevna Bazhenova, was an artist of the Alexandria theater-she played the role of comic old women. But as her role coincides with the role of the party stars Cartagines-Alexander, that did not give Bazhenova stroke, and she is further honored went. Died Anna Nikolayevna Bazhenova from starvation during the blockade.

We have kept an old photograph, which brought together almost the whole family des of Fontaines — not only of Abraham I. and one of his sons. This is a copy from the original of 1860. Involuntarily you are amazed that in those days in far Arkhangelsk were able to take such high-quality photos, and that in fashion this Northern city was not inferior to St. Petersburg or other capitals of Europe.
The youngest son of Abraham I. des Fontaines, Alexander Abramovich, was born in Arkhangelsk in 1839 and died in 1869. He married Amalia Franzone Scholz, daughter of Arkhangelsk lumberman Franz Scholz and Amalia Louise gernert. They lived in one of the best houses on Trinity Avenue, and this house was inherited by their son Edmund. During the British occupation, this house was chosen by the commander of the expedition troops, General Ironside. This house is associated an anecdote. In the beginning of the revolution des Fontanesi put all their silver in a chest, which is buried under the floor of the cellar. With the arrival of the British, they decided to dig this trunk-but did not find it, he plunged forever into the marshy bowels of the earth. House des of Fontaneau long been demolished.
Alexander and Amalia-Luisa had two children. Their son Edmund Alexandrovich was born in 1866 and died in emigration, in Brussels, 1938. He was married to Esther Schmidt, also from a family of Archangel businessmen. They had five children. The eldest son of Edmund Edmundovich also lived in Belgium and after the Second World war he held some position in the Organization for aid to refugees at the UN. Children of Edmund Edmundovich des of Fontaines still live in Belgium. His brother Alexander Edmundovich, lives in Geneva. One daughter of Edmund Edmundovich des Fontaines married Alexander Clifton, their children and grandchildren live in England and Australia. Another daughter married a Dane, which is now live her children and grandchildren. Two of the younger son of Edmund A. and Esther des Fontaines — Franz and Georg was in 1919 brutally executed by the Bolsheviks in Vologda.
Besides the son Alexander Abramovich had a daughter Alice A. des Fontaines, who became the second wife of her cousin Edward E. des Fontaines. Alice sympathized with the revolutionary movement and secretly from her husband, his ships, and helped to smuggle in Arkhangelsk, Lenin's "Spark". Some of her children were also infected by the revolutionary spirit. All this was found out, someone from the forest of Fontaines was temporarily detained by the police, as well as several other revolutionary students. But fontanska money saved all. From Petrograd was discharged the best lawyer, the case was hushed up, and only a few outsiders got off with very mild punishments.
The eldest son of Abraham I. des of Fontaines name was Edward. In 1837 he married Vilhelmina Petrovna Dreesen. He was the owner of the trading house "E. A. des Fontaines" the co-owner of the company "Gribanov and Co" J 862-1878 G. G. Danish Consul ]z Arkhangelsk, etc. he Lived in his own house in Olonetskaya Avenue — in the house of his father on Troitsky prospect he lived with his parents and then widowed daughter-in-law with the family of his younger brother. Eduard Abramovich had eight children. Here it should be mentioned that in the fourth and fifth generation arkhangelogorodskaya "German" merchants incest was beginning to tell. There were cases of mental disorders, children were born deaf and dumb. Deaf was born and the youngest son of Herman E. des Fontaines, the eldest son of Edward Abramovich. Data on the family of Herman Eduardovich is quite scarce. His eldest son married Seraphim Popova from a well-known family in Arkhangelsk, they had a daughter. Another daughter of Herman E. married Dr. Popova, they also had a daughter. One son, Herman E. died of tuberculosis, he was beautiful and talented daughter. All we know about his brother is that he was married. No one from the family of Herman E. was not abroad. Second son of Edward Abramovich des Fontaines his name was Theodore, he was married, but children they had, and they lived later in revel.
The third son, Eduard Eduardovich, married Berta Scholz in Arkhangelsk. His wife died of childbirth. Their daughter Bertha was married several times and divorced several times; after the revolution she lived in Tallinn. Before the Soviet occupation of Estonia, she went to Hamburg, and after the Second World war — in England, where he still lives with her daughter Carmen.
After the death of his first wife Edward E. des Fontaines married his cousin — Alice Alexandrovna des Fontaines. They had seven children, two of them deaf and dumb. A daughter who married a German and died in Hamburg. And a son from Arkhangelsk in the revolution fled to Rostov-on-don, where he still live with his daughter and granddaughter.
The eldest daughter of Edward E. and Alice Alexandrovna, also Alice is still in Arkhangelsk, married William R. PEC. After the revolution, they lived in Hamburg, where Alice and widowed. In 1950, Alice E. PEC emigrated to Australia, from where he moved to Canada and died at his youngest daughter Renata in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The son of Renata, Heino, does not live in America, not in Germany. The eldest daughter Alisa Eduardovna PEC, Nora moved with her husband to Brazil. Their children are still there.
I will not list the other children of Edward E. and Alice Alexandrovna. I will focus only on their son Alexander Eduardovich, the only family left after the revolution in Arkhangelsk. There he married Lucia R. the PEC, the sister of his son-in-law. She bore him two daughters — and died in childbirth. After his wife's death, Alexander Eduardovich married the widow of another brother of his late wife, who was shot by the Bolsheviks.
So, from the first marriage of the second wife of Alexander Eduardovich had a daughter, and by his second marriage he had a daughter. In the early thirties, when the red terror in Russia gained strength, placidly located him gaewsky warned: "get out of here, Sasha, soon'll come to you". Leaving two young daughters from the first marriage in the care of the relatives of his late wife, Alexander Eduardovich urgently loaded on the train his second wife and daughter and her mother, his daughter from the second marriage, and they all rolled South. In the first big city they went to the Registrar and divorced, and the next major centre again went to the registry office and got married again, but purely Russian under her maiden name. Under the new name, they got to Rostov-on-don, where it remained until the occupation of the city by the Germans. For some reason, the Germans transported the whole family to Vinnitsa, from where they last military winter, on foot, in hunger and cold, reached Hamburg.
In Hamburg Alexander E. rebuilt one room in a large, almost completely destroyed in the bombing of a house belonging to the widow of Alexander Surkov, also a former Arkhangelsk businessman, who among much else was also owned by a large paper mill "Sokol" near Vologda. Fear of persecution drove Alexander Eduardovich climb as far as possible from Russia — because then seriously discussed the possibility of further advancement of Soviet troops in Europe. And he emigrated with his whole family to Australia, where, as soon as it became clear, my cousin and my cousin had settled, who had fled Riga, through Germany. They found each other thanks to a very funny episode. The daughter of Alexander Eduardovich was married in Australia, and of course, local correspondents could not ignore such an interesting event: a native of one of the most Northern cities of the world was married in one of the most southern cities. The newspaper reported that the girl des Fontaines was born in the Arctic, and on the old Russian tradition at the baptism of her three times immersed in the deep snow in the presence of polar bears. My cousin, after reading this note, immediately contacted them, and the kinship was established.
Until the death of Alexander E. knew nothing about the fate of his daughters from his first marriage. Their fate is their half-sister in Australia, the Commission found out by accident a couple of years ago.

Despite the fact that because of the language barrier and lack of best-selling specialty Alexander E. des Fontaines in Australia made a living in heavy physical labor (and in the heat and cold painted roof), he was happy in his fate, happy that he can live peacefully and freely. His daughter had a ballet school. She complains that someone considered her an impostor, assuming the name of the famous ballerina Margot Fonteyn. "But I was born Fontaines.  she says, — of Course, as a dancer, I'm up to it as far as to the heavens, but she was born Peggy Hookham, the fountain of her stage name. It turns out the impostor it is, but not me." Alexander Eduardovich's daughter has two daughters and two granddaughters, all live in Australia.
We now return to the remaining children of Edward Abramovich des of Fontaines, grandfather of Alexander E., of whom we have spoken above. Eduard Abramovich had four more daughters and one son.
Daughter Fanny married Arkhangelsk timber merchant Adolf F. Scholz. After the revolution, lived first in the Baltic States, and later in Italy, in Harborne, where she died in 1944, leaving behind five children.
Another daughter of Edward Abramovich, Dagmar, married the brother of my grandfather Alfred K. Piratskogo. They had five daughters, two of them deaf and dumb. Dagmara E. Pilatka died early from tuberculosis, she was buried at the Smolensk Lutheran cemetery, in the crypt, where he later buried her husband and my little sister, who died from encephalitis. Fortunately, they had a very good governess who taught deaf and dumb girls to speak lips and somehow, let them speak deaf. In gratitude, Alfred K. married her. She died in the blockade. He had a dacha in Terijoki, now Zelenogorsk. There he found the revolution, and there he remained after 1917. But Russian doctor without the knowledge of the Finnish language and the right to practice it was almost impossible to feed a large family. And in the early twenties he returned to Petrograd with the whole family. In Finland, there was only his eldest married daughter, who later left for Morocco. Their (her?) son, fighting in the ranks of the French army, fell in Vietnam.
In Leningrad, Alfred K. was a Professor at the Military Medical Academy. His youngest daughter, a Professor at the Pedagogical Institute named after Herzen, died in the siege. Another daughter, also a doctor, was called during the war, which she graduated from the Colonel of medical service.
Another daughter of Edward Abramovich, Edith E., married Professor rudnicki and lived in Dnepropetrovsk. Her sister Clara married Professor Medvedev and lived in Odessa. Nothing is known about their fates.
The youngest son of Edward Abramovich des Fontaines, Peter E., was born in 1865 in Arkhangelsk, but the greater part of his life in Vologda and the surrounding area. As he himself wrote:"on October 2, 1885, at a very early age, living in Vologda, I married the maiden Ann Vasilyevna Petrova." But the marriage was unsuccessful: "... since 1887, life together with his wife became completely unthinkable ...". In September 1889 Peter E. went to St. Petersburg and entered the service, and then moved to the position of factory Manager of the "Association of the heirs of Jacob Gribanova Sons" in the village of Krasavino great-Ustupski uyezd, Vologda province.
At that time, his brother, Fyodor Eduardovich, found himself in Vienna and there in 1890 introduced Peter Eduardovich to the charming woman Karolina Frieze, with whom he tied his fate. Unfortunately, now we have only a few meager facts about Jenny (Eugenia) Frieze. This is a wonderful and decent woman deserves better from posterity to her biography. I know that Jenny was born in a noble family Nicolaus (Nicholas) Friese and Caroline Elizabeth (nee Clapton) February 21, 1867 and was baptized in the Arkhangelsk evangelists of the Church. Her godparents were: Abraham des Fontaines, Constantine and Adele Clifton and Anna Gribanova.
In 1895 Peter Serdyukov and Yevgenia began to live together. In Vologda they had 5 children:
Evgeny (1897), Nicholas (1899), Elena (1901), Anatoly (1904), Vladimir (1909g.).
But since the first wife of Peter E. was Orthodox, the Church does not allow divorce, a second marriage is not recognized. Children of Peter E. and Jenny (Evgenia Nikolaevna), not to be illegitimate, was recorded as the children of his brother Theodore, retaining, however, a patronymic of the father — so there was Petrovich. Repeated petitions, including "At the Highest of His Imperial Majesty's Name" to nothing lead. Yevhen Nikolaevna worried not so much about his position as the fate of the children. As she wrote: "... to grant these children the right to take the patronymic and surname of their father and the right to use his title, I not only agree, but also mail for special happiness for myself and my children."Only after February revolution it was succeeded to correct this Church bookbinding which lasted 27 years.
After Krasavinsky factory Peter E. des Fontaines began to serve, but apparently preserved the card, the Manager "of the Vologda Department of Russian for foreign trade Bank". The revolution, of course, changed everything dramatically. New authorities granted to Peter E. workbook to the citizen Peter, Tanes, stating that all "ten" and "backgrounds" are canceled (worse had known the doctor Osten-Saken, who, for the same reason turned into a Saken). Piotr Eduardovich was appointed Chairman of the liquidation Commission for private banks. He died in 1919 at the age of 54, and his death raises many questions.

At that time the family lived in Vologda on the street, Salle, d. 15, sq 1. In 1924 Yevhen Nikolaevna and her children moved to Leningrad. Some time later, Desfontaines (so was written with the name in the Soviet era) settled on the embankment of the Moika river, d. 14. In this house stayed A. Pushchin, and in the next, he lived and died Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. It was rumored that the apartment in which they began to live Desfontaines, once intended for Rasputin. So this or not, but the apartment was really unusual: some of the arches resting on twisted columns, some kind of pseudo-Eastern-painted walls and ceiling. (As far as we know, this style was in fashion in the pre-revolutionary years).
The photo below was taken after the revolution in Leningrad. It depicts Eugene Nikolaevna with children. Their descendants live in Russia in St. Petersburg, only one family in the Urals in the city of Tchaikovsky, near Votkinsk.
The eldest son was an engineer — gidroelektrik, one of the closest collaborators of father's plan GOERLO Akademika Graftio. In the yezhovshchina, during the construction of the Svir hydroelectric power station, Graftio was arrested. Behind him in ankeveen the dungeons went a and; its staff, including ten of Fontaines, which by whim of fate, was arrested the same day as my father. Graftio soon issued, fully reabilitarea whether even his name was called the lower Svir hydroelectric station. Employees not released, and des Fontaines died in prison.
Another son, Peter E. was the head of one of the shops Putilovskogo (Kirov) plant, think tank, or as it was officially called, tractor. Although non-partisan, with "misty" on those concepts in the past, it remained highly secret work, he was awarded the order had at their disposal a car with driver and enjoyed other benefits of the Soviet dignitaries.
The other two brothers were also engineers. The daughter was married, but she had no children.
On it is written the history of the family of noblemen, Huguenots, traders and merchants, the Russian and international intellectuals until the end.
I want to tell you about Eugene G. Fraser, nee Scholz, great-granddaughter of des Fontaines, who left his native and beloved Arkhangelsk 15 year old girl in 1920 — he went home to his mother in Scotland. There, at the age of 82, she wrote her first book" house on Dvina " about her young years in Arkhangelsk. This fascinating book is translated into Russian in Arkhangelsk, and hopefully we will be able to get acquainted with it.
I would like to say a few words about the situation of Russians who found themselves abroad after the revolution, but this topic is too big. I can only say that left without a penny and often without a degree, most often without knowledge of the language and customs of their new country, remaining almost powerless, they are, for the most part, has experienced a lot of ordeals. Descendants des of Fontaneto was a little easier. Most of them knew the language of the country in which they settled, and they often professed the religion of that country. As a rule, they were taught from youth to commercial business, and therefore they could work as small office or Bank employees. Some people still have old business connections, which helped them get a job. Most of them fled by sea, and although almost all of the property was left behind, they managed to bring some of their personal belongings with them. To pray they went to local Protestant churches and thus avoided the fate of the majority of Russian emigrants, for whom the Russian Orthodox Church remained the only part of their former homeland. Only there, in complete isolation from the rest of the world, did they feel at home. And their children and grandchildren, often after losing their native language of their ancestors, mechanically repeating the prayers of the Russians. And in the Church, many of them believed that all by the Will of God would change, that they would return to their old homeland, would live the way they lived before, would again occupy those posts that they thought they were supposed to occupy.
The descendants of des Fontaines were different. From their ancestors they inherited the ability to quickly adapt to new conditions, inherited their Protestant work ethic. Like their ancestors, they no one could expect to help, did not expect that someone, even God or the king would save them. They relied on themselves and built a new life, albeit very modest, but also comfortable. Their children quickly assimilated the new culture, and often completely lost the Russian customs and traditions.
Allow me to finish the story of a family that has come such a difficult and unusual way in nine centuries.