Tomilov, Aleksey Romanovich (1779- 1848), landlord

Subject / Art/Personnel
TOMILOV, Aleksey Romanovich (1779–1848, Uspenskoye Village , Novaya Ladoga Uyezd), artillery officer, amateur painter, patron of the arts. In 1799 he supervised fortification works in Kronshtadt Town. In 1808 he resigned. During the 1812 War with Napoleon Tomilov took part in formation of voluntary detachments on the territory of Novaya Ladoga Uyezd , he worked in the Province Committee on formation of St.Petersburg people’s voluntary corps, as a citizen soldier he took part in the battles with the French. In 1813 he was badly wounded. After his recovery Tomilov settled in Uspenskoye estate (modern Staraya Ladoga Village), one of his three estates. In 1815, 1821 and 1827 he was elected a master of the nobility in Novaya Ladoga Province. Tomilov had loved painting since his youth, he painted in oils and drew pictures. He was elected a full member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1820 he became one of the initiators of foundation of Association for Artists’ Promotion. He had tight links with artists. In his youth Tomilov started to collect drawings, etchings, prints, paintings and became one of the greatest Russian collectors. His collection of Rembrandt’s etchings was considered the biggest in Russia. He was especially keen on Russian painting and, first of all, modern painting. Tomilov supported poor artists, helped to sell their pictures and made out orders for pictures himself. His house in Uspenskoye Village was transformed into a museum. His estate became one of the biggest centres of culture in the North-West of Russia, artists called it “Tomilovskaya Mekka” (“Tomilov’s Mecca”). Architects and artists often stayed there, some of them stayed for a long time (О.А. Кiprensky, А.О. Оrlovsky, К.А. Тоn, etc.). Kiprensky painted three Tomilov’s portraits in different years (1808, 1813 and 1828). In the summer 1820 Dolengo-Khodakovsky stayed in the estate, together with Tomilov he observed Oleg’s Grave Hill in Uspenskoye Village neighbourhood. Tomilov was buried in the cemetery of Staraya Ladoga Monastery (the grave doesn’t exist). In 1924 Tomilov’s collection was passed to the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. Kruzhnov, Yuri Nikolayevich
Dolengo-Khodakovsky, Zorian (Adam Charnotsky)
Kiprensky, Orest Adamovich
Orlovsky, Aleksandr Osipovich
Rembrandt van Rijn
Tomilov, Aleksey Romanovich
Ton, Konstantin Andreyevich
Saint-Petersburg City/Kronshtadt Town
Leningrad Oblast, the/Volkhov District/Staraya Ladoga Village
Historical Toponyms/Novgorod Gubernia (Province)/Novoya Ladoga Uyezd/Uspenskoye Village
Аронов А.А. Золотой век русского меценатства. М., 1995
А.Р. Томилов – коллекционер и ценитель прекрасного. URL: http://www.oldladoga.ru
Игнатенко В.Ф. Усадьба Успенское. Люди судьбы. Генеалогия дворянских родов: Томиловы и Шварцы. Ст. Ладога – СПб., 2003., С. 20-69
Коробова Е.В. А.Р.Томилов – коллекционер и ценитель прекрасного. URL: http://oldladoga.ru/708.html, С. 20-69
Oleg's grave, a tumulus
Staraya Ladoga Dormition Convent, the
Uspenskoye, a country estate