Elena Raevskaya Daughter of General N.N. Raevsky Date of Birth: 24.08.1804 Country: Russia

Biography of Elena Raevskaya

Elena Raevskaya was the beloved and cherished daughter of General N.N. Raevsky. Her father, having learned from his past mistakes, believed that a solitary and independent life would be more suitable for his weak and beloved daughter, rather than a solid marriage with a woman who didn't love or was not loved. And surely, he was right. Through bitter parental experience and a painful separation from his youngest child, he didn't want to repeat his mistakes again. Elena, quiet and contemplative, understood, guessed, and appreciated all of this. She obediently followed her father's wishes, which coincided with her own desires. In her weary heart, she kept her secrets and didn't confide in anyone.

Elena and her mother, Sofia Alekseyevna, were buried together in the southern side of the Italian Cemetery of Testaccio, located forty kilometers from Rome. They found their final resting place far from their homeland. Sofia Alekseyevna, who had led a full and colorful life, may have had no regrets. However, Elena, slowly withering away on unfamiliar soil, filled with the merciless light of the sun and the vibrant fragrance of flowers, may have had many regrets. Or perhaps she had no regrets at all. After all, she had outlived almost everyone who had once loved and cherished her: her father, older brothers Alexander and Nikolay, and her mother, the unwavering granddaughter of Lomonosov. Elena mourned deeply even for the untimely loss of Pushkin's passionate romantic friend and family friend, who had already mourned her in Gurzuf, under the warm southern sun and the splashes of the sea. She buried her "darling dark-eyed" younger sister Maria alive in the Siberian blizzards. She also outlived almost all of her loved ones. So what could she possibly have regretted as she stood in front of her mother's gravestone made of black marble? Perhaps she regretted that the moments of life dragged on too slowly, and that it was too cold and oppressive to be alone on earth. Maybe that was it. Maybe...

Unfortunately, very little is known about Elena Nikolaevna Raevskaya. Her older sister Maria, known as "Masha the dark-eyed," "the dusky maiden of the Ganges," overshadowed her. Maria became a national heroine of Russia, exiled to Siberia by the gray and cruel "December tempest" of 1825. Elena was almost the same age as her curly-haired sister, and they grew up and studied together, playfully and mischievously, sometimes defying the strict supervision of their governesses and nurses, who held unquestionable authority in the family alongside their parents. Elena easily studied French language and art history, unlike her playful sister Maria, who loved Byron's odes and elegies and passionately translated them into Russian at night. Elena did not value her own translations and ruthlessly discarded them, tore them up, and threw them in the trash, even though her English was impeccable. The sisters often playfully rhymed: "Aliona - daughter of Albion" and carefully unfolded and hid her crumpled pages in their desks and closets to read them later.

The dark-haired "English rose - Aliona" loved to make music and sing in the evenings with her sisters, although doctors forbade her to do so because of her weak throat. In the family, Elena was highly cherished and cared for due to her fragility and delicacy. They made every effort to help her resist the harsh and merciless verdict of the doctors: a slowly developing tuberculosis in both lungs. They took her everywhere, every spring and summer to the coast of the Caucasus, Crimea, and Odessa for sea bathing. They fed her warm milk until she was drunk and fed her honeycombs, golem-mogole, and herbal brews prepared by the skilled and somewhat pedantic Miss Maten, who was proud of her modest, quiet, blue-eyed, and slender beauty. Vladimir Romanov, a writer, historian, and researcher of the life and character of Princess Maria Nikolayevna Volkonskaya, and therefore her sister Elena, who was very close to her, wrote in his well-known essay, "I Fly on My Own Wings": "The family was always the main environment for the formation of their personal characters. The influence of parents, older brothers, and sisters was immense. Sofia Alekseyevna Raevskaya grew up in a very educated family, (*Could it have been otherwise, with a granddaughter of Lomonosov and the daughter of Catherine the Great's librarian? - author.) and she passed on the love for comprehensive knowledge to her children. All the Raevskys were well-versed in literature and philosophy, both Russian and foreign."

It should be noted that the Russian language was easily mastered by the daughters of the general. They not only spoke it fluently, but also wrote letters in it, although they preferred to write in lively and refined French on paper and in the albums of young ladies - it was easier to joke and sharpen their wit in French! Later, as the girls grew up, they also learned the soft, juicy, and sunny Italian language, which they chattered away in, according to their father, "like two magpies." In the large and united Raevsky family, there was an unwritten rule to honor the Father, to whom Sofia Alekseyevna, from a young age, devoted all her thoughts, desires, and every minute of her life. Having left behind forever "the frivolity of carefree society and the conversation of fashionable salons," where her family's position and upbringing would have allowed her to call upon, Sofia Alekseyevna fearlessly accompanied her beloved warrior in all bivouacs, battles, and movements, experiencing all the bitterness and sweetness of a Russian soldier's wife. After all, Nikolay Raevsky only became a general after overcoming many hardships and challenges.

Many "literary psychologists," historians, novelists, and common people often say and write that Sofia Alekseyevna Raevskaya was more of a wife than a mother, if not more bluntly, a "mistress." However, the four Raevsky daughters were generously sprinkled with the traits of their mother: a passionate, proud, powerful, deep, and unyielding nature, which did not submit to anyone or anything, not even to the pains of her suffering heart!

She was equal to her hero husband in the nobility of her mind and the strength of her character. She herself raised her daughters to place family above all else, to prioritize duty to their husbands, and to keep their loved ones at a slight distance. These principles became the foundation of their true "Raevsky" concept of Family, Home, and Family Honor.

And now, quite unexpectedly, their beloved Maria, the singer and prankster, the youngest of them all, understood her duty somewhat differently and chose to be with her rebellious husband rather than with her son. For the first time in the family, everything turned upside down. It seemed that young Princess Maria was more of a wife than a mother. More of a friend than an educator. It was strange and wonderful to have this "reversed" perception of the holy sanctities of a loving mother's heart, but no matter how difficult it was for Sofia Alekseyevna, she, with her soul, tried to understand her headstrong daughter. After all, she was, in essence, her mirror reflection, the product of her spirit and proud nature. The mystery of their "mutual family rebellion" was resolved so simply. Maria undoubtedly knew how to read between the lines. She was a skilled writer. She wrote long letters to Sofia, Ekaterina, and Elena, knowing that they would definitely read everything. For example, in these lines about her dead son on the anniversary of his death: "My dear Elena, I am so sad today. It seems to me that I feel the loss of my son more and more every day..."

Yes, Elena shared all these bitter exclamations in her soul. But in one of her letters to her imprisoned daughter, she angrily and passionately wrote: "You write in your letters to your sisters that I seem to have died for you. Whose fault is that? Your beloved husband's fault. It took a little virtue to not marry when a person belonged to this accursed conspiracy. Do not reply to me, I command you!" Maria sighed, cried, and... did not reply. She understood and respected her mother's pride. After all, she was also simply a reflection of her, a product of her spirit and proud nature. The entire mystery of their "mutual family rebellion" was resolved so simply. Maria undoubtedly knew how to read between the lines. She was a skilled writer. She wrote long letters to Sofia, Ekaterina, and Elena, knowing that they would definitely read everything. For example, in these lines about her dead son on the anniversary of his death: "My dear Elena, I am so sad today. It seems to me that I feel the loss of my son more and more every day..."

Yes, Elena shared all these bitter exclamations in her soul. But in one of her letters to her imprisoned daughter, she angrily and passionately wrote: "You write in your letters to your sisters that I seem to have died for you. Whose fault is that? Your beloved husband's fault. It took a little virtue to not marry when a person belonged to this accursed conspiracy. Do not reply to me, I command you!" Maria sighed, cried, and... did not reply. She understood and respected her mother's pride. After all, she was also simply a reflection of her, a product of her spirit and proud nature.