Belosselsky-Belozersky family

The family of Belosselsky-Belozersky claims the descendance directly from the first Russian Princes,[citation needed] from the "Kiev Rus" period and specifically from Prince Rurik (of Swedish roots), who created their seat in Kiev around the years 870–890. The family traces its patronymic, father-to-son roots throughout the ruling houses of Russia until the mid 16th century, to Yuri Dolgoruky (founder of Moscow) and his grandsons who were grand-dukes/princes of Kiev as well as of Rostov, Vladimir-Suzdal principality. After the ascendance of Ivan Kalita ("Moneybags") and the Romanov dynasty, the family were rulers of the Belozersk (White Lake) principality, north of Moscow. Gleb Vasilkovich was the first Belozersky prince to rule there. While on one of the required annual visits to Sarai, the headquarters of the Golden Horde, near today's Astrakhan, to renew his patent (yarlik) received from the reigning Khan and ruler of the Golden Horde Sartak Khan, allowing thus Gleb to rule and tax his lands for another year. On this visit, Gleb married Feodora, Sartak's daughter Feodora Sartakovna, also granddaughter of the Mongol ruler Batu Khan and great-great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan. Gleb Vasilkovich thus consolidated the power of the dominant Tatar-Mongol rulers and the Belozersky clan.

The Belosselsky-Belozersky princes owned the island of Krestovsky after it was purchased by Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Belosselsky-Belozersky [ru] around 1800, then used mainly as a summer residence. Around 1885, they moved there from their Nevsky Prospect No. 41 "Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace", by the Fontanka canal and Anichkov Bridge, having sold their palace to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Two of the last Belosselsky-Belozersky Princes to reside on Krestovsky Island were the sons of Konstantin Esperovich, Sergei Konstantinovich and Esper Konstantinovich Belosselsky-Belozersky. The "Krestovsky" was their estate in St. Petersburg until the Russian Revolution in 1917 forced them to leave Russia and all their possessions behind, including the Krestovsky Island and their estate on it. The two young Belosselsky-Belozersky Princes were successful sportsmen and promoters of equestrian and sailing sports. Sergei Konstantinovich was the second representative of Russia on the International Olympic Committee and worked closely with Baron de Coubertin, who launched the modern Olympic movement. Sergei was invited to be a member of the Organizing committee of the Paris Olympics of 1900 and took part in the equestrian competitions. His younger brother, Esper Konstantinovich was an avid sailor who won a bronze medal for Russia in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the 10 meter class.

The Belosselsky-Belozersky family was forced to flee to the West during the 1917 revolution, leaving no one in Russia. Prince Konstantin (1847–1920) and his wife Nadezhda Dimitrievna (died 1920; née Skobeleva; sister of General Mikhail Skobelev) had three daughters and two sons. The Russian Revolution split the family and their lives apart. Prince Konstantin Esperovich and Princess Nadezhda Dimitrievna fled to Vyborg (Viipuri) in Finland during the late spring/summer of 1917. They had acquired a private multi-storey building by the Vyborg railway station where the family and their close relatives fled to from the unrest of Petrograd. Eventually, as it became obvious that the events in Petrograd were not "temporary" and as the Finnish Civil War had commenced as well, between the Reds and the Whites, they gave up hope in returning to Petrograd and moved to London and then to Paris. They never returned to Russia.