Members of the Tereshchenko family have achieved prominence in Ukraine and the world as businessmen, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and landowners, beginning in the 18th century. The family has Cossack roots and comes from the city of Hlukhiv (now Sumy region), the former residence of the Hetmans of Left-bank Ukraine. History First guild merchant Artemy Tereshchenko was elevated to the hereditary nobility of the Russian Empire by a royal decree of May 12, 1870 for special merits and as a reward for charity. His three sons - Nicola, Theodore and Simon – helped run his business. For over half a century, the Tereshchenko family - Nicola, Theodore, and their children - Alexander, Ivan, Varvara, Theodore, Nadezhda and others were engaged in charity activities, giving Ukraine numerous buildings, cultural and educational institutions, as well as art collections, now kept in museums of Kyiv, which were established by members of the family. In the beginning of the 20th century, one of the largest joint-stock sugar companies in the south-western region was a "Sugar and sugar refinery factories' association of Tereshchenko Brothers", founded in 1870 by Nicola, Theodore and Simon Tereshchenko with an initial capital of 3 million rubles. Over time, the family-owned company had an annual turnover of 12 million rubles and independent access to the European market. Some of the factories remained in the individual possession of each of the brothers. Members Members of the family include: Artemy Tereshchenko (1794–1873), Ukrainian entrepreneur, land-owner, establisher of sugar factories Nikola Tereshchenko (1819–1903), Ukrainian philanthropist, son of Artemiy Varvara Tereshchenko (1852–1922), philanthropist, married to Bogdan Khanenko (1848–1922), an art collector, a cofounder of the Kyiv Museum of Western and Oriental Art Ivan Tereshchenko (1854–1903), a painter, son of Nikola Mikhail Tereshchenko (1886–1956), a foreign minister in Russian Provisional Government, son of Ivan Petro Tereshchenko (1919–2004), son of Mikhail Ivanovitch Tereshchenko, chemist. Michel Tereshchenko, (b. 1954; Michel Terestchenko) French-born grandson of Mikhail ,son of Petro Mikhailovitch. He became a Ukrainian citizen in March 2015 after living in Ukraine for over a decade, and was elected mayor of Hlukhiv in October 2015. Ivan Mikhailovitch Tereshenko (1931–1990), son of Mikhail Ivanovitch Tereshchenko. Michel Tereshchenko, (b. 1956; Michel Terestchenko) French and English-born, grandson of Mikhail, son of Ivan Mikhailovitch Tereshenko, philosopher, university professor. Ivan Tereshchenko, (b. 1958; Ivan Terestchenko) French and English-born, grandson of Mikhail, son of Ivan Mikhailovitch Tereshenko, photographer, plastician artist. Alexandra Tereshchenko, French-born, granddaughter of Mikhail, daughter