Dyakonova, Elizabeth Alexandrovna

The first of five children was born on August 15 (27), 1874 in the poor merchant family of Alexander Dyakonov and his wife Alexandra, nee Gorshkova, in the city of Nerekhta, Kostroma province . She studied at the Nerekht Mariinsky Gymnasium. Father, a hereditary honorary citizen, died in 1887, and the family moved to Yaroslavl . Lisa got a girl’s gymnasium at the Orphanage. Mother was a strict, capricious woman. Lisa, like her sister Valya and her brothers, read a lot, got acquainted early with the forbidden literature brought by the tutor of her brother, a student of the Demidov Law Lyceum . After the death of the father, the children received their share of the inheritance, upon reaching adulthood, they had the right to manage the money at their discretion.

After graduating from the gymnasium with a silver medal in 1891, Elizaveta Dyakonova decided to enter the Higher Women's Courses . Mother was categorically against it. Only after reaching adulthood and showing "womanly" perseverance, Elizabeth became a student of Bestuzhev women's courses in St. Petersburg. Studying in courses, the girl is actively involved in public life.

After completing the courses in 1899, Dyakonova faces the question of further activities. She decides to devote herself to law , seeks a reception from the Minister of Justice, but is refused: women are not allowed to practice law. In 1899-1900 he worked in the library commission of the Society for the Distribution of Primary Education and other institutions in Yaroslavl. To receive a full-fledged legal education, in December 1900, Elizabeth went to France and entered the Sorbonne Law School.

But life abroad was too difficult: malnutrition, poor living conditions, aggravated illness, in addition to this unrequited love. Doctors recommended that she return to her homeland. On the road to Russia in the mountains of Austrian Tyrol on July 29 (August 11), 1902, her life was cut short. The content of the recent entries in the Diary led some readers to think about suicide, but Dyakonova’s brother categorically denied this. She was buried in Nerekht .

In the 1890s, Dyakonova began to publish journalistic articles in newspapers: "On the education of love for his native country," "Do you need public money to notice surrounding objects", "Isn't it strange?", "Schools and the Brotherhood of Nikolai Neplyuyev " , “Women's Education”, “On the Women's Question”); trying to write stories: “Why?” (“ Magazine for all ”, July 1900; approved by Vladimir Korolenko ), “Shot”, “Charity”, “Matchmaking”, “Under the fragrant branch of lilac” (received a silver medal at the competition of Parisian students) .

From 11 years old to the end of her life, Elizaveta Dyakonova kept a diary. Soon after the death, her brother collected all the notes, letters, poems, articles and published under one cover in 1905 . The book received many favorable comments and was reprinted 3 times before the revolution (the last time in 1912). Vasily Rozanov called the diary “a deeply national, Russian phenomenon,” “one of the most recent Russian books of the late 19th century.” The diary reflects the inner life of the author, and also gives an idea of ​​the life of youth, students of the 1890s. In addition, this is a significant document of the women's movement in Russia and a striking literary work. Critics and readers often contrasted her diary with the artist Maria Bashkirtseva , where the heroine's focus is not on social life, but on art and psychological experiences.

• Dyakonova E.A. Diary (1888-1895), vol. 1. - St. Petersburg: Printing House of M. P. S. (T-va I. N. Kushnerev and Co.), 1905. - 332 p.
  Dyakonova E.A. Diary. At the higher female courses (1896-1899), v. 2. - St. Petersburg: Printing house M. P. S. (T-va I. N. Kushnerev and Co.), 1905. - 300 p.
  Dyakonova E.A. Diary of a Russian woman. Paris (1900-1902), vol. 3. - St. Petersburg: Printing house of M.P.S. (T-va I.N. Kushnerev and Co.), 1905. - 242 p.
• Dyakonova E.A. Diary of Elizabeth Dyakonova. 1886-1902. - Edition of V. M. Sablin, 1912 .-- 838 p. (4th edition, supplemented by editors and introductory articles by A. A. Dyakonov, brother of Elizabeth; the book also contains literary studies, poems, articles and letters.)

• Dyakonova E.A. Diary of a Russian woman. - Zakharov, 2004 .-- 480 p. - (Biographies and memoirs). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-8159-0398-1 .
• Dyakonova E.A. Diary // Photograph of a Woman. - M .: Kirtsideli, 2005 .-- S. 263-601. - 672 p. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 5-87399-121-9 . (with notes; some articles and letters are included in the book; afterword by A. Etkind )
• Dyakonova E.A. Diary of a Russian woman. - M .: Publishing House of the International University in Moscow, 2006. - 672 p. - (Grain of Eternity). - 2000 copies. - ISBN 5-9248-0102-0 . (the book also contains literary studies, poems, articles)

• Astafyev A.V., Astafyeva N.A. E.A.Dyakonova // Writers of the Yaroslavl Territory. - Yaroslavl: Verkhne-Volzhsky book publishing house, 1974. - S. 200-204. - 248 p. - 5,000 copies.
• Basinsky P.V. Look at me: The Secret History of Lisa Dyakonova. - M .: AST: Revision of Elena Shubina, 2018 .-- 448 p. - ISBN 978-5-17-982679-8 .
• Gromova N. A. E. A. Dyakonova and her diaries // Children's Literature. - 1990. - No. 1-2.
• Gromova N., Dubshan L. Poor Liza // Photograph of a woman. - M .: Kirtsideli, 2005 .-- 672 p. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 5-87399-121-9
• Gladun T. A. One of the many ... (reflections on the library profession) // On the land of St. Sergius of Radonezh: sixth local historian. readings "Culture and Education Rus. Provinces 2006: Sat Art. - Rostov the Great, 2007. - P. 114—122.