Karamzina Ekaterina Andreevna - wife and assistant of the famous historian

Karamzina Ekaterina Andreevna - the second wife of the famous historian, the sister of the poet Peter Vyazemsky. Immediately after the death of N. M. Karamzin, she became the mistress of the literary salon. According to the testimony of contemporaries, "smart people of very different directions" gathered in it. Karamzin had Titov, Mukhanov, Khomyakov, Turgenev, Pushkin, Zhukovsky and many others. This article will describe a brief biography of Ekaterina Andreevna. So, let's get started.

Childhood

Ekaterina Andreevna Karamzina was born in 1780. The girl's father, Andrei Vyazemsky, was a senator and secret adviser. He began his service in Reval. There Vyazemsky and met with the mother of Catherine - Countess Elizabeth Sivers. She was married, so the couple's daughter was considered the fruit of sinful communication. Consequently, Andrei Ivanovich could not give her his last name. The girl became Kolyvanova (from the Russian name of the city of Revel - Kolyvan).

First Vyazemsky gave Catherine for education to her aunt - Princess Obolenskaya. After retiring, he took his daughter to his house. By that time, Andrei Ivanovich had already married and raised a son - Peter Vyazemsky, who in the future will become a poet and friend of Pushkin. Catherine sincerely fell in love with her brother. Together they often walked and spent a lot of time in the library, numbering more than 17,000 books.

Acquaintance with Karamzin

On a visit to Vyazemsky periodically visited the famous historian. Karamzin was struck by the unique erudition and reading of Catherine. Nikolai Mikhailovich was fourteen years older than her and had considerable creative as well as life experience. Nevertheless, he was timid before the young Kolyvanova. Catherine's speech fascinated the historian, and big eyes kindled in the soul hitherto unknown fire.

Kolyvanova also had feelings for Karamzin. But she did not dare to confess, as she was aware of the grief of the historian for the deceased wife recently. After some time, Nikolai Mikhailovich made a proposal to Catherine. The girl gladly agreed, and the newlyweds happily healed together.

"History of Russian Goverment"

Soon a very important event happened. Alexander I instructed Karamzin to write "The History of the Russian State." Before such a printed publication did not exist, and Nikolai Mikhailovich had to start from scratch. Information from all available sources he brought together and presented in understandable language for reading. Ekaterina Andreevna Karamzin became his assistant.

Nikolai Mikhailovich together with his wife created his work for many years. Unfortunately, Karamzin did not manage to finish the chronicle to the end. The historian died in 1826, having barely begun work on the last volume. Karamzin's wife - Ekaterina Andreevna - helped KS Serbinovich and DN Bludov complete the main work of his wife's life. And soon the book was published.

Karamzina Ekaterina Andreevna and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin

The young poet very often stayed with the historian and his wife. Therefore, some researchers believe that Pushkin was passionately carried away by his wife Nikolai Mikhailovich. The very same Karamzin Ekaterina Andreevna treated Alexander as a son. She was older than the poet for the whole nineteen years. Also, the woman took the hottest part in his life. For the poem "Freedom" Pushkin was threatened with exile, and only the intercession of the Karamzins saved him from punishment. At critical moments, Alexander always sought help from the heroine of this article. Karamzin Ekaterina Andreevna became one of the few women whom the poet wished to see before his death.

Literary Salon

After the death of Nikolai Mikhailovich, his friends often visited the depressed widow. Over time, the house of Catherine Andreyevna became a literary salon. She had poets, scientists, historians, etc. Also, Karamzin maintained relations with representatives of the imperial court. But the main circle of communication women were still friends of the deceased spouse. Ekaterina Andreevna Karamzina, whose biography is in any historical encyclopedia, kept the traditional views bequeathed by her husband: religiosity, patriotism, monarchism. But such commitments did not at all deny the independence of judgments and freedom of opinion. Salon Karamzin was the only place in the capital, where they communicated only in Russian (neglecting the then fashionable French) and did not play cards.

In the 1830s, the institution of Ekaterina Andreevna was in the house on Mokhovaya. Then it moved to Mikhailovskaya Square, and then to Gagarinskaya Street. Despite frequent travel, Karamzina always had an atmosphere of cordiality and kindness. The literary salon of Catherine Andreevna existed until her death in 1851.