Draft:Astafiev family

The Astafyev family ( Russian: Астáфьевы, Остáфьевы) is the name of several Russian noble and boyar families known since the 14th century. According to the Russian Genealogical Book ("Русская Родословная Книга") published by the prince Pyotr Dolgorukov, there are four ancient Asyafyev noble families, originally spelled as "Ostafyevs". The first is derived from the medieval boyar family of Novrogod Republic and the second is believed to be the descendants of the prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov Mstislav and the prince of the Circassian tribe of the Kassogians. In the Primary Chronicle, ancient Russian chronilce, is written that Mstislav seized Rededia's "wife and children". Afterwards, this Astafyev family was mentioned as one of the branches of the Sorokoumov-Glebov family being related to the Lopukhin family.The third family of swedish origins claims that its founder was a swedish nobleman Jagan Ostoff who went to the Novgorod Republic in 1452.

More than 16 members of these families had lands in 1699.

Novgorod boyars

 * Eustathius Dvoryaninetz (дворянинец), was a boyar in Novgorod. He was one of the creators of the Treaty of Novgorod in 1326. Later, he served as tysiatskii (тысяцкий) in 1330 and became the first official on this duty to be eleсеed as a posadnik (посадник). Eustathius was khown as a supporter of pro-Lithuanian policy in Novgorod and was executed by the citizens in 1346 after the Lithuanian invasion in Novgorod. His brother, Alexander, also served as a Novgorod's tysiatskii .
 * Bartholomew Ostafyev, a son of Eustathius, escorted the embassy of the Novgorod Archbishop Gregor in 1331.
 * Yaakov Ostafyev, was on the duty of the Ivan the Terrible. He enforced the tax collection from the conquered Khanate of Kazan in 1552.

The later evidences of this family cannot be found. However, historians claimes that at least three members of the Ostafyev (Astafyev) family participated in the Oprichnik forces in 1573: Sergei, Malotheus and Vasily Ostafyev. It might be that in the later centuries none of the members of this family has held high positions on the official servises.

Noble family related to the Mstislav of Chernigov
The most notable Ostafyev (Astafyev) family originates from the boyar Michael Sorokoumov-Glebov, who was the descendant of the prince Rededia killed by Mstislav of Chernigov in 1022. Michael is mentioned as a boyar of the Prince of Moscow Ivan I Danilovich Kalita.

After the mestnichestvo was cancelled during the reign of the Feodor III (1676-1682), ancient boyar families had to prove their inherited rights. After ten years the Velvet Book (Бархатная книга) was created. In this book there is a family tree of Astafyevs beginning with the Yemelyan Ostafyev, who was a landlord in Tula in 1575. His sons were granted estates by the Tsar Vasily IV of Russia in 1606.

Noble family originated from Sweden
Descendants of Jagan Ostof, who left the Kingdom of Sweden and took the name Ivan when converting in orthodoxy. His grandson, boyar scion Jakob Ostafyev, collected taxes from captured Kazan Khanate in 1552.

Cadet branch
The cadet branch of the third noble family (from Jagan Ostoff) is originated from the boyar scion Ivan Tabaievich Ostafyev, who was a gentry in the city of Galich in the beginning of the 17th century and was granted an estate by the Tsar Michael I for his military duty during the Smolensk War (1632-1634).Ostafyevs who are the descendants of him has known from the 17th century. Many of them surved military service in different parts of the state. Ivan had several sons. One of them Pyata Ivanovich, born in 1624, took part in the Russo-Polish war or the Thirteen years war. He was mentioned to "fight furiously". Another son, Bogdan Ivanovich, was a galichian pomeschchik. His sons Ivan and Moses were fighting against Ottoman forces during the siege of Chigirin in 1676-1677.

Heraldy and Etymology
There are three types of coat of arms of Astafyev families with similar heraldic elements. The figure of unicorn is represented on the shields and as a supporter on the most recent coat of arms. Another symbol is a cresent and a star.

All of these coat of arms were enlisted in the general armorial of the nobility of Russian Empire under the numbers: 69 (volume IV), 73 and 113 (volume IX), 12 (volume XIV).

The surename "Astafyev" (Russian: Астáфьев) is an evolutionised form of the orthodox and greek name Eustathius (Russian: Евстáфий) which was was common among the clergy since the XI century in the terriroty inhabited by East slavs.

Since the middle of the 19th century, the tradition of spelling the surname with the letter "O" has ended and the new form began appearing in public documents.