Elagin Avdotya (Evdokia) P.

Elagin Avdotya (Evdokiya) Petrovna (nee Yushkova), (1789-1877) - an interpreter, hostess of a literary salon.
Born 11 (22) January 1789. Mother Avdotya Petrovna (VA Yushkova, nee Bunin) was the sister of his father and godmother VA Zhukovsky, who was brought up in their house of Tula, along with her daughters. Early years Avdotya Petrovna were in close and confidential conversation with the poet, friend and mentor to her and her sisters. This proximity is preserved and later. They corresponded for many. Zhukovsky called her 'dear Dunyasha', 'Friend of poetry and all that is good', 'dear sister and friend', confided her deepest secrets, shared his reflections on philosophy and literature and gave the court his works.

At the age of sixteen Avdotya Petrovna was married to VI Kireyevski, educated and faithful man, and bore him sons, who left a deep imprint on ц°цЁц?ц?ц?ц? culture - I.V. and PV. Kireevskys. Widowed in 1812, moved to the estate of her husband Dolbino near Beleva. Here, away from her, in 1814 passed the so-called 'Dolbinskaya autumn' Zhukovsky.

In 1817 she married a second AA Elagina and soon the whole family settled in Moscow in the house at the Red Gate. By 1826 she was the mother of seven children. Home Yelagin becoming one of the centers of intellectual life in Moscow. His regular visits from friends and classmates Elagina children from both marriages (VF Odoevsky, DV Venevitinov, SP Shevyrev, Samarin, MA Bakunin, IS. and KS Aksakovs, etc.), the cream of literary era - VA Zhukovsky, Alexander Pushkin, PA Vyazemsky, Aksakov, EA Boratynsky, MY Lermontov, Tyutchev, Turgenev, Khomiakov, TN Granovsky, Adam Mickiewicz, KK Pavlova, Alexander Herzen and many others. His man in Yelagin was Nikolai Gogol, is here in the comfort of his attacks of melancholy. Her lack of energy and home affairs, . and parenting, . and the active help friends: she tries to ensure the alleviation of the plight of the poet and Decembrist GS Batenkova, . help his son IV Kireevsky in the publication of the journal 'A European', . is concerned about the censorship permission Philosophical Letters PY Chaadaeva, . care of the sick NM Language and many other,
. It deals with transfers, sews image, writes icons and pictures.

In the salon Elagina faced Westernization versus Russification, conservatives and liberals, met people of different generations. She had no sympathy 'negative direction', tending to unbelief and nihilism, but everyone could count on a smooth and good attitude mistress.

In late 1840 - early 1850 Elagina lost her husband, almost all children and close friends. The atmosphere in the house changed. She became more and more time to spend in the village and finally moved there permanently, only for the winter coming to Moscow. In 1876 went to the only son still living in Dorpat (now Tartu), where she died 1 (13) June 1877 88-mi at the age of.

Elagina long waged an extensive correspondence with many wonderful people. Its huge archive, which formed the basis of its heritage, began to publish more in her life, but not fully published until now. One of the frequent visitors to her salon Kavelin had said about her in his obituary: 'Unable to write the history of Russian literature and scientific movement during this period, . not met at every step with the name Avdotya Petrovna: Avdotya Petrovna was not a writer, . but participated in the movement and the development of Russian literature and thought more, . than many writers and scholars of the craft '.,