Rahden Edita Feodorovna

1825 - 1885
The versatility of its deep education helped many frequent stay in the cultural centers of Western Europe, personal communication and correspondence with prominent figures of science, art and public administration. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna appreciated bright mind, high moral order and the noble character of Baroness Rahden and chose it as their maid of honor. In this rank Rahden became not only a truth-devotee and her friend, but the nearest and her staff for all non-profit endeavors, and living intermediate link between it and the wonderful people that are closer to a grand duchess. In the late forties and early fifties, "Thursday" the grand duchess were the moral center, . around which these people are warming up, . finding sympathy and support among the then social atmosphere, . extremely unfavorable for the independent development of personality,
. With the accession of Alexander II, there began to gather figures, . during which a sincere desire, . serious work and fervent faith in the spiritual forces of favorite people prepared for the leading role in the implementation of the Great Reforms, . welcoming support and sympathy of the Grand Duchess (cm,
. XI, 600). Baroness Rahden played a significant role this time, strongly supporting the aspirations of its high and encouraging other people who, in the words of one of the dying to her letters YU.F. Samarin, learned from the experience of the price of its "faithful, reliable hands". In a modest apartment of Baroness Rahden, . where she lived for 30 years, . in one of the wings of the Mikhailovsky Palace, . converge with their plans and hopes, . anxieties and doubts, . in various phases of work, . prior to the fall of serfdom, . Nicholas Milutin, . Prince Cherkassky, . Yury Samarin; came here for a lively exchange of ideas IS,
. Aksakov F.M. Dmitriev, BN. Chicherin K.D. Cavelin, here sat night Turgenev, glittering sarcastic humor and most diverse knowledge Eichwald, gazed and listened attentively to the surrounding Mackenzie-Wallace (cm. V, 423). In a cozy room a welcoming hostess, . its clear, . attributive and always deeply meaningful speech, . with its irregular features, . bright and lively yet rigorous, . as all its ethos, . gaze, . came to rest from work and gain experience elevating outstanding scientists, . Writers, . artists and statesmen: Rubinstein, . Prince Odoevsky, . Pirogov, . owe Baroness Rahden in moments of hardship, . and many,
. Until the very end it from morning to night was available to people, . in need of material, . for someone else the trouble, . Poverty and sickness are always welcomed in her hot and reasonable response, . to the most extreme limits of its modest means, . and for those in need as a moral Councilor and head of,
. The stubborn haters all false, insincere and selfish, she was always true to the motto: "Wahrheit gegen Feind und Freund" and has remained unchanged and just another of those whose good moral side, she came to believe. Her extensive correspondence, varied in content, and superior even stylistically, at whatever language it may be written, contains a lot of references to such of its relevance to her wonderful friends. "One of the divine properties, . I was always just a touch, . - Wrote it, . - Is steadfast; the foundation of relations between friends should it be shown such unswerving, . otherwise the friendship would have lost his high value, I can not change in relation to a Friend, . because my feeling is rooted in the, . that in them is true and, . hence, . true; the complex nature of some of them, . their lofty gusts and falls dale, . must be regarded and judged with the justice, . which is inspired by a sincere sense, . able to distinguish accidental from the essential in man ",
. Correspondence with Rahden YU.F. Samarin (ed. Moscow, 1893) represents a valuable exchange of thoughts, feelings and beliefs between two strong and high spiritual organizations. The old argument about their importance, especially the social system of the Baltic region to the rights of the Russian state was resolved the emergence of "border regions of Russia", . Rahden very excited and showed her, . standing at a considerable distance from the local reality, . "Meeting worthless arguments, . bold hypotheses and even slander,
. In her letters, there was the note break, but when she learned of the embarrassingly-punitive measures against the book and its author, . she hastened to write to him: "I will not deny you in your hour of sorrow and trials, you can count on my friendship" - and all eight years, . elapsed before the death Samarin (1876), . full implementation of this promise,
. High credibility Rahden made it on the basis of personal experience, admit that Samarin was in some of his views is absolutely right. Practical activities Rahden, in which it has consistently been first assistant, then the continuer of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, differed a great variety. After the death of Grand Duchess she was oberegatelnitsey based its non-profit, health and educational institutions and blyustitelnitsey in them the spirit that they owe their existence. For example, she took active part in the organization and development of Krestovozdvizhenskaia community, Elizabeth Children's Hospital, Elininskogo female school, which was a constant guardian of. She has been working hard to implement the thoughts of the Grand Duchess of the establishment of a higher educational institution in order to complete the medical education of doctors have already completed the course (he was subsequently named Vatutinska Clinical Institute). Designated in 1875. board member institutions of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, Rahden his sympathetic attitude to the needs of these institutions and bright, energetic mind and guarded them, and most advice from bureaucratic formalism. During the same period, Svay life she had straining forces take on the organization of sanitary units and a variety of activities to help the wounded during the war 1877 - 1878 period, . with indisputable respect, . which it enjoyed in society, . gave her a chance to rally in this case the most diverse and sometimes very difficult to lift items,
. After the death of Prince PG. Oldenburg, she was instructed to supervise a matter of women's higher education. The new work took all her time and effort, it continued unabated for a moment in the quest for the formulation given to it by the case to show off her moral and practical high, . unabashed displeasure, . excited by her bluntness in demand on all its debt, . she understood him - and often experiencing difficult times,
. Activities in this regard, it was too short to give a strong and systematic results, but the loftiness of its goals can not be doubted. "In education, . - She wrote, . - The main concern should be not only in, . to bring the children to order and introduce a certain degree, one should exert care to, . life to be grown and developed, . obezobrazhivayas not deprived of the flexibility of the framework and not obesplozhivayas in a fixed routine - these nemudrenyh management tools, . so friendly and devoted natures inert formalism of rulers ... ",
. At the height of its activities, the death had sent her their precursors, but, conscious of his fatal illness, she continued to live and work as though there is no death, not caring that it is suitable. Double transferred from the heroic patience, warmth faithful soul tormented operation is not saved for the Russian society this remarkable woman, who had deserved the right to the name of "public rights". October 9, 1885, Mr.. she died. Cool-looking and proud in its relations with the secular crowd, . warm and accessible for those, . in whom they see the road to her universal spiritual characteristics, . She thoughtfully understood and appreciated features of the Russian people, . good which she unselfishly and relentlessly, . despite the often difficult aspects of their environment, . served life,
. As the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, Baroness Rahden could say Russian society, looking at his life, burning and extinguished, as a moral beacon, in the words of the poet: "I was more Russian than many of your blood relatives". A. Kony.