Markovych

Markovych [Маркович; Markovyč]. A family of Cossack starshyna of Jewish origin. It originated with Avraam in the early 17th century. His son, Marko (d 1712), was a wealthy rentier in Pryluky in the 1660s and Pyriatyn in 1683–5. Marko's daughter, Anastasiia (Nastia, 1671 to 30 December 1729), married Hetman Ivan Skoropadsky. Marko's sons were Andrii Markovych, a colonel of Lubny regiment (1714–27) and general treasurer (1729–40) of the Hetman state; Ivan (d 30 October 1724), a captain of Pryluky company (1709–19) and judge (1719–24) of Pryluky regiment; and Fedir (d 1737 or 1738), a captain of Pryluky company (1719–24) and a fellow of the standard (1724–7). Andrii's son Yakiv A. Markovych began the Chernihiv branch of the family, which includes his grandsons Yakiv M. Markovych and Oleksander Markovych. Semen, Andrii's other son, was a captain of Romny company in Lubny regiment (1731–8). His descendants are the ethnographer Opanas Markovych and the writer Dmytro Markovych. Fedir's descendants constituted the Pryluky branch of the family, who in the 19th century changed their name to Markevych. They include the historians Mykola Markevych and Oleksii Markevych, and Mykola's son, Andrii Markevych. Andrii's grandsons are the pianist and composer Igor Markevitch (1912–83), who conducted the Montreal Symphony (1956–60) and several Western European orchestras, and his Swiss-born brother, Dmitry (b 1923), a cellist and the founder and director of the Higher Musical Institute in Montreux.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).]