💖 The Fermor Children: Scottish Roots and Russian Portraits

Part 1: The Fermors: From Scottish Kings to Russian Generals

In the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, you can find two charming children's portraits by the accomplished 18th-century Russian artist Ivan Vishnyakov. The portraits are of Sarah Eleanor and Wilhelm Georg, the children of a prominent Russian military leader and statesman of Scottish origin, William Fermor.

Fermor's career spanned the reigns from Anna Ioannovna to Catherine the Great. He first made his mark with distinguished service in the Russo-Turkish War. Later, during the Russo-Swedish conflict, he commanded troops to several successes, most notably the assault and capture of Wilmanstrand. This victory brought him the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

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📌 Fermor's military career culminated during the Seven Years' War. His appointment as commander-in-chief of the Russian army in 1758 led to a historic achievement: for the first time ever, Russian forces occupied Königsberg and East Prussia. His performance in the arduous Battle of Zorndorf was recognized with the bestowal of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, the preeminent honor of the Russian Empire —an honor fittingly linked to his homeland, as St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.

Fermor's marriage to Dorothea Bruce united two prominent Scottish families in Russian service. She was the niece of James Bruce, a famous associate of Peter the Great who was held in the highest esteem by the Tsar. The Bruce name itself carried immense historical weight, hearkening back to the 14th-century kings of Scotland. The most famous of them, Robert the Bruce, secured his place in history in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn. There, during the First War of Scottish Independence, he defied the odds through brilliant tactics to win a decisive victory over the English—a moment forever cherished in the Scottish national consciousness.

Between 1746 and 1758, Fermor was in charge of the "Chancellery for Construction" (Kantselyariya ot stroeniy), the institution responsible for both the construction and decorative arts of St. Petersburg's buildings. The Chancellery's chief artist, Ivan Vishnyakov, was the natural choice when Count Fermor decided to commission portraits of his children.

Pictured above: Portrait of William Fermor by the Russian artist Alexei Antropov, 1765.

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🇷🇺 Another fascinating view from Russia with ❤️. It’s in the very heart of Altai (in the south of Siberia)
This gorgeous photo was taken and kindly provided by a local resident for our channel.
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"Goal! Goal!!" — a Soviet hand-drawn animated film.

The hockey game between Meteor — the self-assured “masters” — and Vympel, a tight-knit team of rookies.

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🌏Primorsky Krai (in the Far East, Russia)

Photo: olgakruze

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🌏 Briefly about why everyone loves Kaliningrad (the westernmost city in Russia)

Video: zazulinatali
My country is Russia🇷🇺

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🌏🇷🇺 Morning fishing on Kuril Lake

Foreigners really believe that we bathe with bears....
What nonsense! We only fish together 😇
Photo: Giuseppe D'Amico
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