Sheremetev

The coat of arms of Count Sheremetev
Crest	Issuant from the coronet of rank an oak tree proper between two mullets of six points argent
Blazon	Or in chief on a torteau surrounded by a wreath of laurel a royal crown and two crosses pattée argent in pale and in base between a boyar's hat fesswise and a crescent charged with a representation of a man's face argent a sword and spear crossed in saltire proper, the whole ensigned by the coronet of a Count of the Russian Empire.
Supporters	Two lions salient guardant Or the dexter one holding in his interior paw a sceptre and in his mouth a laurel branch proper the sinister one holding in his interior paw a globus cruciger and in his mouth an olive branch proper upon a grassy compartment proper
Motto	Deus conservat omnia, Latin for "God preserves all".
Other elements	The mantling, or doubled gules.

The Sheremetev family (Russian: Шереме́тевы) was one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in Russia.[1]

The family held many high commanding ranks in the Russian military, governorships and eventually the rank of Count of the Russian Empire. Notable members of the family include:

Yelena Sheremeteva, third wife of Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich (1554–1581), son of Ivan the Terrible.
Fedor Sheremetev (1570–1650) cousin of Tsar Michael I and head of government in 1613–18 and 1642–46
Vasily Borisovich Sheremetev (1622-1682) fought in Ukraine
Count Boris Sheremetev (1652–1719) military leader and diplomat during the Great Northern War
Count Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev (1713—1788) son of Boris; courtier and noted patron of Russian theater
Princess Natalia Borisovna Dolgorukova, daughter of Boris and wife of Prince Ivan Dolgorukov
Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev (1751–1809) son of Pyotr; noted patron of Russian theater
Praskovia Kovalyova-Zhemchugova, a serf woman belonging to the Sheremetev family, who became an actress in the Sheremetev Serf Theatre and later married Nikolai Sheremetev
Count Aleksandr Dmitriyevich Sheremetev (1859–1931) grandson of Nikolai and son of Dmitri; conductor, composer and entrepreneur
Count Pierre Sheremetev, noted patron of the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff in Paris

The village of Sheremetevo, which in turn gave name to the Sheremetyevo International Airport, is named after the family.[2]

Etymology

Russian surnames are gender sensitive, the masculine form of the name being Sheremetev (Шереметев) and the feminine being rendered as Sheremeteva (Шереметева). Two theories as to the origin of the surname obtain, both of which indicate a Tatar and eastern origin for the family. One theory proposes that the name originated with the Turkic Chuvash language word sheremet (шеремет), meaning "poor man," while the other theory suggests that the name originates with the Tatar/Turkic-Persian shir Akhmat, which literally translates to "Tiger Ahmet" and can be read as both "brave Ahmet" and "Pious Ahmet."

References

Orlando Figes, Natasha's Dance, a cultural history of Russia, pp. 20-27.
Парк Останкино Archived 2009-02-05 at the Wayback Machine

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[1] Orlando Figes, Natasha's Dance, a cultural history of Russia, pp. 20-27.

[2] Парк Останкино Archived 2009-02-05 at the Wayback Machine