Bobrinskaya, Anna Vladimirovna

From the Ostseey Germans . She was born in the family of the commandant of the Revel fortress, Baron Voldemar Ungern von Sternberg and Daria Andreevna Tizengauzen , whose house was often visited by Alexei Bobrinsky, the illegitimate son of Catherine II , who was forced to live away from the yard, in Reval , at the behest of her mother.

According to legend, Anna's parents did not agree to marry Bobrinsky for a long time, believing that the empress would be objectionable, as she allegedly plans to give Bobrinsky one of the German princesses. However, on January 16, 1796, a wedding took place, after which Bobrinsky and his wife were allowed to come to St. Petersburg for a short time.

The Empress affectionately received the daughter-in-law, saying: “Et vous n'avez pas eu peur d'épouser ce mauvais sujet” (“And you were not afraid to marry an unworthy husband”), hinting that the young woman should have a fair amount of courage to to marry a man with such a reputation as Bobrinsky had in Russia and Europe, more than once incurring the empress’s serious anger.

Widowed in 1813, Anna Vladimirovna settled in the village, where she took up the task of arranging her vast estates and raising and educating children. She spent the winter in Moscow , where she lived in her own house. Prince Dolgoruky described her life in the throne ^[1] :

“Settled at all costs live fun and amuse the whole city. The whole audience rushed to her. She was no longer young, but healthy and in all physical strength, while extremely rich; she was carried away in all sorts of worldly pleasure; "her theater soon appeared in the house, and immediately I was invited to her community."

According to I. M. Dolgoruky , Countess Bobrinskaya was distinguished by “a cheerful character, kindness in intentions and simplicity in customs”, other contemporaries confirmed that she was a woman of “excellent mind and heart”.

“In her house there were always receptions, amateur performances, masquerades, evening parties. About them, for example, A. Ya. Bulgakov mentions in correspondence with his brother. When the children grew up, she again moved to Petersburg and gave her sons to the then famous Muravyov School. According to M.A. Korf , Countess Bobrinskaya is “one of the most respectable, smartest, and most beloved ladies of the highest circle. Marriage opened her access to the court, and the highest qualities and captivating mind did not slow to tie everyone to her ” ^[2] .

Her position at court was exceptional, as she had no court title, but enjoyed the special favor of the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna , and Emperor Nicholas I often visited her, calling “ma tante” (“my aunt”).

High society flocked to her house on Galernaya , as they said, the only one where the conversation was held without inevitable dances and cards, although balls were given in the presence of the imperial family.

The countess was kind to A. Pushkin , more than once helping him out when he happened to make mistakes against etiquette. On December 18, 1834, Pushkin wrote in his diary how the old Countess Bobrinskaya, who “always lies for me and takes me out of trouble,” noted that the poet had a “triangular hat with a plume (not in shape: they go to Anichkov with round hats). Count Bobrinsky (her son) ordered me to bring a round one - what an idyll: what a wonderful, caring old woman, what a good Death Sign! ^[3] "

She died in St. Petersburg in 1846. She was buried in the village of Bobriki , Tula province .

From marriage with Alexei Grigoryevich Bobrinsky (1762-1813) had children:

1. Maria Alekseevna (1798-1835), married to the coffer, Prince Nikolai Sergeyevich Gagarin (1784-1842). According to reviews of a contemporary, she was smart and educated, she died suddenly in grievous suffering ^[4] .
2. Alexey Alekseevich (1800-1868), a well-known agricultural man and sugar factory. He was married to maid of honor Sofya Alexandrovna Samoilova (1797-1866), daughter of Count A. N. Samoilov .
3. Pavel Alekseevich (1801-1830), staff captain, killed in a duel in Florence . He was married since 1822 to a rich widow and beauty, Julia Stanislavovna Sobakina, nee Young-Belinsky (1804-1892), had 2 sons and 3 daughters. The marriage took place secretly and was met with disapproval by the mother of the groom.
4. Vasily Alekseevich (1804–1874), served in the Life Guards Hussars Regiment, Decembrist.

•  

  Alexey Alekseevich,
  a son

•  

  Sofya Alexandrovna,
  daughter-in-law

•  

  Pavel Alekseevich,
  a son

•  

  Vasily Alekseevich,
  a son

• Russian portraits of the XVIII — XIX centuries . Ed. Led. Prince Nikolai Mikhailovich. SPb. 1906. T. I vol. IV. Number 128.