Maria Pushkina

Maria Alexandrovna was the older daughter of Alexander Sergeevich - she was born on May 19, 1832 in St. Petersburg. A few days before her daughter's christening, Pushkin proudly and slightly coquettishly wrote to her friend Vera Vyazemskaya: “I am in despair, despite all my complacency. My wife has a case where my awkwardness is allowed by a small lithograph with my individual ".

Pushkin's children. Maria is second from the left. Rice. N.I. Friesengoff. 1841

She was the only one of the poet's children who had at least vague memories of her father - when he died, she was in her fifth year, Natasha's brothers and sister were just babies. Maria was educated at home and already at the age of 9 she spoke and read German and French fluently. Later, she studied at the privileged Catherine's Institute, with teachers recommended by her father's friends who were seriously engaged with her and her brothers. And although the mother was very worried that in childhood Masha was ugly, having matured, the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.

In December 1852, after graduating from the institute, Pushkina was granted the highest honor as a lady-in-waiting and was under the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Emperor Alexander II.

Maria Alexandrovna Pushkina. Rice. N.P. Lansky. 1852