Alexandra Goncharova: biography and photos

The family of NA and NI Goncharov are known mainly because of the marriage of their youngest daughter Natalia with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. A lot of evidence has survived and about the scandalous marriage of his sister-in-law Catherine with Georges Dantes. At the same time, it is not well known what kind of life Alexander Goncharova lived, and meanwhile, at one time she assumed the burden of caring for the large family of the poet and witnessed all the events that preceded the fateful duel that deprived Russia of her most talented son.

Childhood and youth

Alexandra Goncharova was born in 1811 on the estate of Princess Baryatinskaya near St. Petersburg. Thanks to an active mother, she, like the rest of the children in the family, received an excellent home education. Because of the grandfather who squandered the family's money, the Goncharovs were constantly in a difficult financial situation, so they were forced to live mostly away from the capitals, mainly in the estates "Polotnyany Zavod" and "Yaropolets". There they constantly had to be bored, and Pushkin's marriage to his younger sister Natalia brought a great stir in the life of the girls.

Alexandra Goncharova: youth

In 1831, A. Yu. Polivanov wooed to the girl with the active assistance of Pushkin. The young man was the owner of a neighboring estate and a good party for a homeless woman. However, for unknown reasons, the mother of Alexandra refused to give consent, and the marriage did not take place.

After Natalia's departure together with her husband to the northern capital, Alexander Goncharova and her sister Ekaterina lived for three years in the estate "Polotnyany Zavod" together, and their only entertainment was riding and playing the piano.

Moving to St. Petersburg

Natalia Goncharova-Pushkin was preoccupied with the fate of older sisters, who every day had less chance to arrange a personal life. She persuaded her husband to receive her sister-in-law, in the hope that they would be able to find a maid of honor in the palace and find husbands.

Her plans for Catherine were fully implemented, but less attractive, Alexandra could not get a job, and she devoted herself to farming in the Pushkin house and raising their children.

In 1836, she had a short-lived affair with Arkady Rosset. However, before the matchmaking the case never came.

Relations with A. S. Pushkin

After the poet's death, many rumors and speculations about his relationship with the three sisters Goncharov appeared. They even suspected that Alexandra was in love with her sister's husband. However, studies have shown that at the heart of these rumors lay the words of Idalya Poletika, who was a famous hater of Pushkin and after the poet's death did everything to discredit his memory.

Marriage

After the death of Alexander Pushkin Alexander Goncharova continued to live with Natalia, helping her sister raise children. In the autumn of 1838 she returned with her family to St. Petersburg and, thanks to the patronage of her relative E. Zagryazhskaya, became a maid of honor at the imperial court.

When Alexandra was about 40, a pupil of her aunt Sophia de Maistre, NI Ivanova, who was married to Austrian diplomat Baron Gustav Vogel von Friesengoff, returned from St. Petersburg to Petersburg. Women have been friends since childhood and have met repeatedly since.

It turned out that Baroness Friesenhoff was seriously ill, and Alexandra Nikolayevna devoted a lot of time to her care, surrounded by attention and care.

In 1850, the Baron was widowed, but continued to see Goncharova often. Soon Frizengof made her an offer, which she gladly accepted. The marriage was quite happy, and the couple lived together for 37 years.

After the wedding of the Baroness, Frisengof and her husband left for Austria-Hungary, to his estate of Brodzyany (now in the territory of Slovenia). There, Alexander Goncharova, whose childhood spent most of the time in the countryside, felt very happy and very rarely left her new home. At the same time, his doors were always open to relatives. In particular, she repeatedly visited Natalia with children from both marriages, as well as brothers and nephews.

Alexandra Goncharova: children

Although Baroness Friesenhof married at the age of 40, who at that time was considered more than solid, she knew the joy of motherhood. In 1854, she had a daughter, Natalia Gustavovna Frisengof. At the age of 22 years, the girl married Elimar Duke of Oldenburg, the youngest son of the ruling dynasty of Sweden. This unequal marriage was recognized as morganatic, and it was negatively perceived not only by the groom's parents, but also by Alexander Nikolaevna, who understood that her daughters would have to endure all her life with arrogant antics of a new kindred. Nevertheless, in marriage Natalia Gustavovna was happy and gave birth to two children, who were awarded the title of counts von Welsburg.

Now you know who was Alexandra Goncharova (the biography is presented above). After many years of life as a poor relative in the house of her sister, thanks to a successful tank, she became the owner of a huge fortune and the title of Baroness, and also became related to one of the most powerful families in Europe.