Derugin family


The Derugin family is a Russian noble family descended from boyar scions.
One branch of the family also holds matrilineal descent from the Rurik dynasty through Irina Borisovna née princess Shakhovskaya, wife of George Georgievich von Derjugin.
In the 19th Century, and especially after the abolition of serfdom, the "Derugin" surname began to appear among peasants who adopted their employers' name but were not themselves descendants of the noble family.

Family History

One of the earliest mentions of the Derugin family is found in the Historical Chronicles of Kursk Nobility, which refers to members of the family as nobles and boyar scions residing and performing military service in the Rylsk region in the 16th Century. The manuscripts indicate that members of the Derugin family fought in the Smolensk War of 1632.
In the 19th Century, the Derugin family invested in industry and founded numerous businesses, including a textile factory, sawmill, and a massive steam-powered mill that continues to operate to this day in Rylsk.
Meanwhile, a branch of the family relocated to the Pskov region, where the Derugins became known for their social and political leadership. Members of the family served in local government, as well as the Senate and the State Duma of the Russian Empire. Among the family's extensive land holdings, the most famous was the family estate :ru:Колосовка |Kolosovka, which, according to descendants of the family, was visited by notable persons such as Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who was acquainted with Dmitri Andreevich Derugin and spent time in the Pskov region.
During the Russian Revolution in 1917, Georgy Mikhailovich Derugin was involved in an underground organization that attempted to save the family of Tsar Nicholas II and smuggle them out of the country. After the failure, he proceeded to take on leadership roles in various anti-bolshevik initiatives of the White Movement. His brother Anatoly Mikhailovich Derugin served as an officer in the White Army. Eventually the family was forced to flee the country. Most members of the Derugin family settled in Europe and the U.S.A.. Of those who remained in Russia, most were stripped of their property and exiled from their homes, and forced to hide their ancestry among peasants of the same surname.

Notable Family Members

List of former Derugin family holdings and current toponyms:
Derjugin's lizard — named in honor of Konstantin Mikhailovich Derjugin