Countess Natalia Kirillovna Zagryazhskaya (''née'' Razumovskaya; 5 September 1747 – 19 May 1837) was a Russian philanthropist,

salonist A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "e ...

and

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

. She was a leading member of Saint Petersburg society from the 1770s until her death in 1837 and is often mentioned in contemporary memoirs and diaries. She was the daughter of Kirill Razumovsky, the last hetman of Ukraine, and Yekaterina Ivanova Narysykina; her brother was the diplomat Andrey Razumovsky. In 1762 she became a lady-in-waiting to Empress

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

, and – in contrast to other ladies-in-waiting – was allowed to live at home. In 1772 she married officer Nikolai Zagryazhsky (1743–1821), but their relationship soon ended and they lived their lives apart. She was a friend of Empress Maria Fyodorovna and in 1798 was given the order of Catherine. A frequent host of members of the Imperial family, she was known as a contact person who could successfully ask them for favours on others' behalf. The poets Vasily Zhukovsky, Pyotr Vyazemsky and Alexander Pushkin were guests at her salon. Her niece and adoptive daughter Maria was the mother of Natalia Goncharova, Pushkin's wife.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zagryazyskaya Natalia 1747 births 1837 deaths Ladies-in-waiting from the Russian Empire Philanthropists from the Russian Empire Salon holders from the Russian Empire Countesses of the Russian Empire Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg) Burials at the Dukhovskaya Church