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Countess of SegurFrench writer of Russian origin
Date of Birth: 01.08.1799
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Sofya Segur
Sofya Segur was a French writer of Russian origin. She is best known for her book "Les Malheurs de Sophie" ("Sophie's Misfortunes").
Early Years
Sofya's family came from Mongolia. Her father, Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin, was a lieutenant general and held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sofya's early years were spent in the Voronovo estate, after her father, one of the main favorites of Alexander I, chose to retire. Unlike other nobility children of that time, Sofya's childhood was not characterized by a luxurious and relaxed existence. Rostopchin genuinely believed in the effectiveness of Spartan approaches to upbringing. At the age of three, Sofya already displayed impressive independence.
Moscow Fires and Exile
In 1812, Fyodor Rostopchin became the Governor of Moscow during Napoleon's invasion. The exact cause of the fires in Moscow is still unknown, but many historians believe that the city was set on fire by the Russians, on Rostopchin's orders (against the will of several wealthy citizens) to force Napoleon to flee in fear. In 1814, the Rostopchins were forced to leave Russia due to the destruction of Moscow, and Fyodor Vasilyevich was practically compelled to go into voluntary exile. The Rostopchin family spent some time in Warsaw, then Germany, and finally settled in Italy. They eventually made France their permanent home during the Bourbon Restoration. Count Rostopchin opened a salon in Paris, and Sofya and her mother converted to Roman Catholicism. It was in her father's salon that Sofya met Eugène Henri Raymond, Count de Ségur, and they got married on July 13, 1819.
Marriage and Writing Career
For their wedding, Sofya's father gave them an estate in Normandy, which strongly resembled the estate where she spent her childhood. Rostopchina had high hopes for her father's gift, but unfortunately, it did not become the cozy family nest she had envisioned. The marriage turned out to be highly unsuccessful, as Sofya's husband was fickle and not particularly wealthy. However, during irregular visits to the family estate, de Ségur managed to father eight children, including Anatole de Ségur, the future father of the renowned French historian Pierre de Ségur. Sofya's husband jokingly called her "Mother Gigogne" after a popular theater character, a woman of ample build constantly surrounded by a group of children.
Sofya Rostopchina started writing relatively late in life, and her first story was published when she was 58 years old. Under the pseudonym "Countess de Ségur," she released a series of books, many of which are considered classics of French children's literature. She distanced herself from her other responsibilities and focused on her writing career, which proved successful with the publication of about twenty successful works. While her works were not as well-known in her home country, they were translated into Russian relatively slowly. In 1864, "Mémoires d'un âne" and "Les malheurs de Sophie" were published in Russia, followed by "Les petites filles modèles" in 1869.
Sofya Fyodorovna passed away on February 18, 1874, at the age of 74. She was buried in Morbihan, Brittany, in France.
