Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna, Gorky's wife: brief biography

Ekaterina Pavlovna Peshkova-Volzhina - an amazing woman, whose name is most often mentioned when telling a biography or stories from the life of Maxim Gorky. However, not many know that she was one of the founders of an organization known as the Political Red Cross, which from 1918 to 1937 was engaged in providing assistance to prisoners in prisons of Soviet Russia and the USSR.

Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna: biography

Children from noble families in the early 19 th century, as a rule, were hostages of their origin. However, by the end of the century, the situation had changed, since many members of this class were impoverished, and their offspring had no easier time than the children of the petty bourgeoisie or workers barely making ends meet.

Among such noble children from ruined families belonged and Katya Volzhina (after marriage Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna). She was born into a noble family in the city of Sumy. For unknown reasons, documents of different years specify 3 birth dates. However, it is officially accepted that Katya Volzhina was born in July 1876. After a while her family moved to Samara, as the father, deceived by creditors, lost all his fortune. There, the family began to live in furnished rooms for a mother's salary, which was barely enough to pay for an apartment. Already from the 4th grade of the gymnasium, Katya began giving lessons, as her father was seriously ill. In addition, she helped the mother, who was in charge of a free dining room for the hungry.

In 1895, Catherine graduated from the gymnasium with a medal and immediately decided to get a job. She managed to do this very quickly, so a couple of months after receiving the certificate, the girl was already an employee of the Samara newspaper and acted as proof-reader.

Acquaintance with the young Gorky

In the editorial board of the "Samara newspaper" Ekaterina Volzhina met Alexei Peshkov, who from time to time published in this edition. A stormy romance ensued between the young people. Almost a year was required for the girl's parents to accept the choice of their daughter. They even sent her to Kronstadt, hoping that her love for the writer-rebel will not stand a long separation. However, fate decreed otherwise: Pavel Volzhin did not live to see the girl returning from the trip, and the widow did not interfere with her daughter. With her blessing in the summer of 1896, Catherine and Maxim were married. After that, Catherine Volzhina changed her name to Peshkova and did not change her name for the rest of her life.

Married

In 1897 the couple had their son Maxim, and then the daughter Katya, who died of meningitis when she was barely 5 years old.

This sad event happened soon after the young family moved to Nizhny Novgorod. The death of the girl caused a sharp cooling between the spouses, and at the end of 1903 the Peshkovs dispersed by mutual consent, especially since Gorky had another woman. At the same time, they have kept a very warm relationship for life. There is evidence that the official divorce of Alexei Maximovich and Yekaterina Pavlovna Peshkova has not been formalized. In favor of this statement speaks the fact that Gorky no longer entered into any registered marriage, although he often met with women.

Life Abroad

In 1907, together with the 10-year-old son Maxim Peshkov Ekaterina Pavlovna went abroad. There they lived mainly in Paris. Soon Gorky's ex-wife decided to continue her education and began attending French language courses and social science lectures at the Sorbonne University. In parallel, she was attracted to the work of the Circle of Katorga and a link organized by VN Figner. Abroad, Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna (photo in her youth, see above) joined the Socialist Revolutionaries, and also worked in the emigrant box office, which was intended to organize material assistance to Russian political emigrants.

During the First World War

In 1914 Peshkova headed the children's commission "Assistance to Victims of War" and organized a volunteer squad that was engaged in the search for minors who remained behind the front line. She was assisted in this work by I. Sakharov, AD Sakharov's grandfather.

Deciding that she could be of great use at home, Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna returned with her son to Russia. Their path was full of adventure, because because of the political situation that was then created in the world, from Italy they had to go by boat to Constantinople and from there to get to Odessa.

Activities in the Red Cross

Those who knew Ekaterina Peshkova closely, called her a man of philanthropic character, since most of her life was dedicated to people who for one reason or another have fallen into a situation where they can not help themselves. Even during her stay abroad, the young woman began to cooperate with the Red Cross and continued her search for prisoners after returning to her homeland.

During the Bolshevik terror, Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna continued her work in the Red Cross. This organization was not needed for the Bolsheviks, but the authorities of the young Republic could not ignore it, since it included such respected personalities as Korolenko, Kropotkin, Veresayev and Figner. At the same time, a new wave of political prisoners appeared, now disagreeing with the policy of the RSDLP (b).

"Cooperation" with the Cheka and the NKVD

The Moscow Committee of the Red Cross commissioned Peshkova to visit prisons. The Cheka did not resist this and looked at her activities through her fingers. There is even a certificate that Gorky's ex-wife from one of the trips abroad brought F. Dzerzhinsky a gift as a gift. There is an opinion that the reason for such a relationship was the desire of Lenin to hug Gorky in every way in order to enlist his support.

Nevertheless, in 1919, Ekaterina Pavlovna was opened an investigative case. She was charged with belonging to the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. During the investigation, women were searched in the house, but she was not arrested, and in 1922 the case was closed.

Pompolit

In 1922, Ekaterina Peshkova (Gorky's wife) created a new organization. In the people it was called Pompolit, for its employees tried to make life easier in prisons for thousands of people who were victims of political repression. Very often a woman visited prisoners during the search for prisoners, initiated by the Polish Red Cross. In addition, Ekaterina Peshkova (Gorky's wife) has repeatedly traveled abroad to raise funds for the hungry Volga region. Her services are invaluable in the rescue of Jews accused of Zionism, many of whom she helped to leave for Palestine.

Although in 1938 Pompolit was closed by order of the NKVD, Ekaterina Pavlovna continued to help all those who applied to her. In 1941, she was evacuated to Tashkent, where she lived until the end of the war.

In the last years of life

Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna, whose biography you already know, worked for many years as a consultant to the archives of A. Gorky under IMLI. Died after a long illness in 1965. She was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery, next to her son and daughter.

A son

As already mentioned, the first-born Peshkovs - Maxim - was born in 1897. He spent most of his childhood with his mother abroad. Upon his return to his homeland in 1917 he joined the ranks of the RSDLP. Almost immediately after that he began to work in the Cheka, where he dealt with issues of food security of the capital. In 1922 he left for Italy. Lived in Berlin. He often met with M. Gorky. In 1932, together with his father and wife returned to the USSR. It is known that he was often invited to and soldered by the People's Commissar of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs Yagoda. Once, on his return from another feast, in a severe frost, he stayed in the yard of the house, froze heavily and soon died of pneumonia.

Now you know who Peshkova Ekaterina Pavlovna was. The memories of those who witnessed her activities in the Red Cross and in Pompolit characterize her as a person who devoted her life to charity - helping people who find themselves in a difficult life situation.