sentences:  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 Kiev, which were established by members of the family.