The new book by historian Alla Krasko covers the period when the estate on the Fontanka was owned by the Sheremetev counts, representatives of one of the most ancient Russian families. The presentation goes from owner to owner, but the heroes of the book are not the owners, but their employees who ensured the life of the legendary Sheremetev Palace. Over the course of two centuries, many civilians lived there: architects, doctors, clergy, musicians... Among them were many famous names: Professor A. P. Kunitsyn, Senator I. F. Aprelev, Prince F. M. Kasatkin-Rostovsky, architect Quarenghi... Among the serfs Entire dynasties of managers, office workers, personal servants served in the Fountain House... Archival documents preserve the memory of many servants of the “house of His Excellency Count Sheremetev.” The purpose of the book was to take a close look at people from this world. The serf environment gave birth to great talents, leaders and outsiders, good and evil, opportunists and outcasts. Their destinies are full of events and no less interesting than those of their famous contemporaries. Two centuries of life of the estate under the Sheremetev counts are a thing of the past, but many archival documents have been preserved. For almost forty years, the author has been collecting unique historical materials. There is not a single invented story in the book; it is based on many thousands of documents from the Sheremetev archives, and the vast majority of facts are being published today for the first time. The publication is addressed to local historians, historians and everyone who is interested in the past of the Northern capital.