The House of Razumovsky or Rozumovsky (, Ukrainian: Розумовський, German: Razumofsky) is the name Imperial Russian noble family of Zaporozhian Cossack origin from Siveria. The main family line became extinct in the 19th century, while its Austrian branch exists to this day. The Austrian branch was started by Grigory Razumovsky, who was forced to relocate to the Austrian Empire in 1816, after he received the hereditary title of Prince in 1815 from Francis I, Emperor of Austria.
History
The family traces its origin to a khutir called Lemeshi (today a village in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast).
Yakiv Rozum and his son Hryhoriy were registered Cossacks of the Kiev Regiment. Hryhoriy's son, Oleksiy (Alexei), was the first to use the name Rozumovsky.
Ivan Yakovlevich Rozum was raised to the rank of Count of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Charles VII, but died without children. His brother, Grigoriy Yakovlevich Rozum, had two children — Kirill and Alexey. After Alexey became a favorite of the Russian Empress Elizabeth of Russia, the family name was changed to Razumovsky for all Rozums. Notable representatives of the family include:
Aleksey Grigorievich Razumovsky (1709–1771) - the favorite and possible morganatic husband of Empress Elizabeth. He was made Count of the Holy Roman Empire in Frankfurt in 1742 and Count of the Russian Empire in 1745. Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky (1728–1803) - officially his younger brother, rumored to be a son from an earlier marriage, the last hetman of Left (1750–1764) and Right (1754–1764) Bank Ukraine, last Hetman of Zaporizhian Host (1754–1769), created Count of the Russian Empire in 1745. Aleksey Kirillovich Razumovsky (1748–1822) - the latter's first son, minister of education of the Russian Empire from 1806 to 1816, highly criticised by Pushkin for his reactionary stance; Andrey Kirillovich Razumovsky (1752–1836) - Kirill's second son, was the Ambassador from the Russian Empire to the Congress of Vienna. Andrey was created HSH Prince in 1815 and settled there in the end, converting to Catholicism. It was alleged that he had a role in the murders of Gustav III of Sweden and Paul I of Russia. He was architect of the Second Partition of Poland. He is remembered for his patronage of the arts, especially of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven: Beethoven both wrote the Razumovsky Quartets (Op. 59 Nos. 1, 2, and 3) for Andrey, and dedicated the 5th and 6th Symphonies to him.