Olga Stepanovna Levashova (russian: Ольга Степановна Левашова, née (); 1837–1905) was a member of the Russian section of the

International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist groups and trad ...

(IWMA) in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, and financed the journal '' Narodnoye delo''. Levashova was active in the revolutionary Russian émigré community in Geneva.

Nikolai Utin Nikolai Isaakovitch Utin (, French: Nicolas Outine; 8 August 1841 – 1 December 1883) was a Russian socialist and revolutionary. He spent most of his adult life in Switzerland, where he participated in the founding of the Russian section of the ...

and Johann-Philipp Becker sponsored her membership into the Russian section of the

International International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

there.

Kropotkin Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (; russian: link=no, Пётр Алексе́евич Кропо́ткин ; 9 December 1842 – 8 February 1921) was a Russian anarchist, socialist, revolutionary, historian, scientist, philosopher, and activist ...

described her as "a most sympathetic Russian lady, who was known far and wide amongst the workers as Madame Olga. She was the working force in all the committees." Along with Utin, his wife Natalia, Viktor and Yekaterina Bartenev, and Anton Trusov, she took part in the Basel congress of the IWMA. In 1867,

Nikolay Zhukovsky Nikolay Zhukovsky may refer to: * Nikolay Zhukovsky (revolutionary) (1833–1895), Russian revolutionary *Nikolay Zhukovsky (scientist) Nikolay Yegorovich Zhukovsky ( rus, Никола́й Его́рович Жуко́вский, p=ʐʊˈkofsk� ...

, her brother-in-law, convinced her to fund a newspaper he was planning with

Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (; 1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major founder of the revolutionary ...

. Named ''Narodnoye delo'', the first issue was published in September 1868. When conflicts arose in the émigré community about the direction of the paper, Levashova used her financial influence to press Bakunin to resign from the editorial board in favour of Utin. She returned to Russia in 1874, to her estate in Kamenka, in

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...

, where she hosted members of the liberal intelligentsia.

Family

Olga married Valery Nikolayevich Levashov (russian: Валерий Николаевич Левашов), a nobleman from

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

, who died in 1877 at . Her sister, Adélaïda Zinoviev, married Nikolay Zhukovsky in 1865. Their maternal grandfather was

Antoine-Henri Jomini Antoine-Henri Jomini (; 6 March 177922 March 1869) was a Swiss military officer who served as a general in French and later in Russian service, and one of the most celebrated writers on the Napoleonic art of war. Jomini's ideas are a staple at ...

. His eldest daughter, Adelaide (russian: Аделаида Генриховна Жомини), married Stepan Vasilyevich Zinovyev (russian: Степан Васильевич Зиновьев) .

References

{{Authority control Russian expatriates in Switzerland Russian revolutionaries 1837 births 1905 deaths