Chernysheva, Anna Alexandrovna

One of the two daughters of Guard Lieutenant Alexander Vasilyevich Isleniev , who died in the year of her birth, and Maria Artemyevna (1722-1787), daughter of General-General A. G. Zagryazhsky ^[1] . After the death of her second husband, Baron A. G. Stroganov , in 1754, her mother became one of the richest women in Russia.

In 1757, Anna Islenieva was married to the widowed Count Ivan Chernyshev. After her husband was appointed ambassador to England, she accompanied him to London . Also accompanied him to the congress in Augsburg in 1766.

In the reign of Catherine II, Countess Chernysheva was one of the most fashionable ladies of the high society of St. Petersburg . This was promoted not only by the high position of the spouse, but also by her kinship (according to her mother) with His Excellency Prince Potemkin . She was very friendly with the Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna . And the empress herself was a frequent guest in the Chernyshevs' house. So, in 1766, being at their housewarming party in a new house, Catherine II presented Anna Alexandrovna with a diamond pad . The friendly and gracious countess was very beloved in society and led a social life. Her name appears in the lists of invitees to the performance by Count P. B. Sheremetev , where she acted as "signposts of places."

The Countess received a rainbow reception from foreign diplomats and travelers, many of whom she met during her overseas trips. A certain gentleman de Portalis, who fell in love with her in Paris , even followed her to St. Petersburg, where, however, he was met rather coldly to the surprise of his friends from the French embassy. According to rumors, the French ambassador Marquis Jouignier himself spent a lot of money on paying the debts of the countess in Paris. The most complete and at the same time very unflattering characterization of the countess was left by another representative of French diplomats, her frequent visitor de Corberon , however, who had reasons to consider himself offended by contempt, with which Chernysheva rejected his mediation in a love affair with Portalis ^[2] .

Today I had lunch with Count Ivan Chernyshov and almost died of longing. Although he is not stupid, it’s worse than that: he is in the full sense of the word a courtier and therefore impossible tension reigns in their house. His wife is positively stupid and generally boring. Amiable only with those who she needs at this moment; she is very strict towards others, and she, as the whole city says, was not able to deny anything to her valet.

Corberon, however, hinted that for the monetary reward given to her husband, the countess reported various information to foreign diplomats, and it was knowingly false.

Despite the high position of her husband, the countess never received the position of a lady of state or the Catherine’s ribbon , although both her daughters became maids of honor .

She died in 1794 during a trip to Rome, she was buried in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra .

Since 1757, Anna Alexandrovna Islenieva was married to Ivan Grigoryevich Chernyshev. The spouses had children:

• Grigory Ivanovich (1762–1831), Freemason, Actual Privy Councilor, Ober-Schenk.
• Ekaterina Ivanovna (1766 — after 1826), maid of honor of Catherine II, since 1789 married to Senator F.F. Vadkovsky (1756-1806).
• Anna Ivanovna (1776-1817), maid of honor, married to the writer A. A. Plescheev .

• Russian portraits of the XVIII — XIX centuries . Ed. Led. Prince Nikolai Mikhailovich. SPb. 1906. T. II vol. IV. Number 133.