Derugin family

[1] 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 (1915–1987).

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.

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.

During the Russian Revolution in 1917, Georgy Mikhailovich Derugin[4] was involved in an underground organization that attempted to save the family of Tsar Nicholas II and smuggle them out of the country.

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.