Soumarokoff

Overview

«Le comte Soumarokoff», also written «Elstonn-Soumarokoff» (067.0488), «Elstone-Soumarokoff» (067.0643) and «Somorokoff» (067.0955): a young officer of the Guards sent to the Poltava region in the autumn of 1876 with some fifteen others «à l'occasion de la nouvelle loi sur les chevaux» (067.0396, 067/1876-10-31). The Mon Journal t.9 index has «Elsonn-Soumarokoff (comte)» and «Soumarokoff (comte)».

The name points to the Sumarokov-Elston family, whose head, Count Felix Nikolaevich Sumarokov-Elston (1820–1877), commanded the troops of the Kharkov Military District and died in Kharkov (ru.wikipedia, «Сумароков-Эльстон, Феликс Николаевич»). Which member Marie means is not established (see below).

Relevance to Marie

• He had seen her on the train near St Petersburg in August 1876 («Je l'ai rencontrée dans un wagon près de Pétersbourg et elle nous a positivement frappé, moi et mes camarades», 067.0953, 067/1876-11-11), probably the ride to Peterhof of 9 August with four Guards officers (064.0468–0469) (0.8).
• Papa refuses the officers' request to call at Gavronzi (067.0396, 067.0488–067.0489).
• 3 November 1876: Marie meets him in the hotel corridor in Poltava and remembers seeing him, «il y a longtemps», dance with Grand Duchess Marie at Livadia (067.0643–067.0644).
• 11 November 1876: he praises her to uncle Alexandre without knowing who he is, and says her place is in St Petersburg (067/1876-11-11).

Identity uncertain

We are not sure who this is. Marie calls him «le comte Soumarokoff» / «Elstonn-Soumarokoff», an officer «de la Garde» she had seen among the officers at Peterhof in August 1876 (067.0396, 067.0953). Count Felix Nikolaevich Sumarokov-Elston (1820–1877) had seven children (en.wikipedia, «Felix Sumarokov-Elston»). The best-known son, Felix Felixovich (1856–1928, later Prince Yusupov), fits the age but not the regiment: in 1876 he passed the officer's examination at the Chuguev cadet school and was posted to the 10th Odessa Uhlans, joining the Chevalier Guards only in 1879 (en.wikipedia, «Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston»), so he is an unlikely match (0.3). Of his brothers (ru.wikipedia lists Sergei 1853–1881, Pavel 1855–1938, Gavriil 1859–1879, Nikolai 1861–1908), only the eldest, Count Sergei Felixovich, is recorded as a Guards officer: lieutenant (poruchik) of the Chevalier Guards, died of typhus in 1881 and buried near Yalta (ru.wikipedia, «Сумароков-Эльстон, Феликс Николаевич»). He is the likeliest candidate (0.6), but we found no officer list placing him at Peterhof in August 1876 or on the horse-levy mission in the autumn. If you can identify this officer, we would be glad to hear from you.

References in Diary

• 1876-10-31 (067.0396); 1876-11-01 (067.0488); 1876-11-03 (067.0643–0644); 1876-11-11 (067.0953, 067.0955, 067.0967)

See also #Grand_Duchess_Marie.