Countess Varvara Nikolayevna Golovina ''née'' Princess Golitsyna (russian: Варвара Николаевна Головина, княжна Голицына, 1766–11 September 1821) was an artist and memoirist from Russian nobility, maid of honour of the Russian court, a close confidant of
Empress Elizabeth
Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...
, favorite
Ivan Shuvalov
Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (russian: link=no, Ива́н Ива́нович Шува́лов; 1 November 172714 November 1797) was called the Maecenas of the Russian Enlightenment and the first Russian Minister of Education. Russia's first theatre ...
's niece and Dame of
Order of Saint Catherine
The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine (russian: Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины) was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine ...
(1816).
Biography
She was the youngest child of Lieutenant-General
Nikolai Fyodorovich Golitsyn (1728-1780) and Princess
Praskovia Ivanovna Shuvalova (1734-1802). She had two brothers: Fyodor (1751-1827) and Ivan (1759-1777).
Varvara's father was from the
House of Golitsyn
The House of Golitsyn or Galitzine was one of the largest princely of the noble houses in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire. Among them were boyars, warlords, diplomats, generals (the Mikhailovichs), stewards, chamberlains, the richest m ...
. Her mother, Praskovia Ivanovna, was a sister of Ivan Shuvalov (1727-1798), whom she inherited tendency to literature and art.
Varvara grew up on the Petrovsky estate in the Moscow province. Her mother was mild, kind, although indecisive character, who loved art and valued education.
In 1777, Varvara moved with her parents to Saint Petersburg. After the death of her father, she moved with her mother to the house of her uncle,
Ivan Shuvalov
Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (russian: link=no, Ива́н Ива́нович Шува́лов; 1 November 172714 November 1797) was called the Maecenas of the Russian Enlightenment and the first Russian Minister of Education. Russia's first theatre ...
, on the corner of
Nevsky Prospekt
Nevsky Prospect ( rus, Не́вский проспе́кт, r=Nevsky Prospekt (street), Prospekt, p=ˈnʲɛfskʲɪj prɐˈspʲɛkt) is the main street (high street) in the federal city of Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg in Russian Federation, ...
and Malaya Sadovaya.
Varvara was fond of painting and music. She participated in concerts of
Tsarskoe Selo
Tsarskoye Selo ( rus, Ца́рское Село́, p=ˈtsarskəɪ sʲɪˈlo, a=Ru_Tsarskoye_Selo.ogg, "Tsar's Village") was the town containing a former residence of the Russian imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the cen ...
and the
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Emperor of all the Russias, Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The p ...
, where she sang songs of his own composition.
In 1783, she was appointed a maid of honor at the court of
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 ...
.
Marriage
![Varvara Nikolaevna Golovina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Varvara_Nikolaevna_Golovina.jpeg)
At the court, Varvara met a handsome Count
Nikolai Nikolayevich Golovin (1756-1820), a grandson of Generalissimo Field Marshal Count
Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin
Count Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin (russian: Фёдор Алексеевич Головин; 1650 – ) was the last Russian boyar and the first Chancellor of the Russian Empire, he was also a field marshal, and general admiral (1700). He wa ...
.
They liked each other, but Princess Golitsyna opposed an immediate marriage, finding it premature. Golitsyna went on four years of foreign travel, spending much of her time in Paris, but his acquaintances and connections there had nothing to do with literature or the arts.
Upon returning from a trip, Varvara married Count Golovin, on 4 October 1786. The wedding was celebrated at the Winter Palace.
The Golovins were very fond of each other, and gave the impression of a happy couple. Descriptions of Nikolai Golovin by his contemporaries were controversial, most of them unfriendly. Promoted to the rank of colonel, he felt no inclination to any military or the civil service, but his strict honesty was noted.
In 1796, Nikolai Golovin was appointed to the court of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (future
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
).
Conversion and later life
At the same time, the Countess Golovin became closer to the French emigrant Princess de Tarant and under her influence, converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1802, Varvara Golovina went to Paris for several years, returning to Russia in 1805.
A few months later the Countess Golovin with his family followed her. In Paris, they were accepted in the high society of
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a former royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the ''département'' of Yvelines, about 19 km west of Paris, France. Today, it houses the ''musée d'Archéologie nationale'' (Nati ...
, but the beginning of the Napoleonic wars forced them to return to Russia. With scarce resources, Golovina accepted the Tarant's offer and moved to her home. The two friends were inseparable till the Princess's death in 1814.
Thanks to the efforts of her husband, on April 9, 1816 Countess Golovin was granted in chevalier's ladies of the Order of St. Catherine (small cross), and her younger daughter as the maid of honor.
Golovina was close friends with Louise of Baden, later Empress Elizabeth, who was deeply unhappy in Russia. In her memoirs, written with the direction of the empress, she described the life at the courts of Catherine the Great and
Paul I Paul I may refer to:
*Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch
*Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople
*Pope Paul I (700–767)
*Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia
*Paul ...
.
In 1818, for health reasons she made her second trip to France. Returning briefly to Russia in 1820, she again come back to France.
She returned to Paris and died there in 1821, and was buried at the
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...
. Her memoirs were later published in France.
Children
In marriage, Varvara had four children:
* Son (1787, died soon after birth)
* Praskovia Nikolayevna (1790-1869), author of "Memories", converted to Catholicism, since 1819 the wife of Count Jan-Maximilian Fredro (1784-1845).
* Daughter (1792, died soon after birth)
*
Yelizaveta Nikolayevna (1795-1867) — maid of honor, converted to Catholicism, married to diplomat Lev Pototsky, or Potocki (1789-1850).
File:Varvara Nikolaevna Golovina by Rokotov.jpg, Varvara Golovina in her youth
File:Nikolay_Golovin by Isabey.jpg, Husband Nikolai Golovin
File:GolovinFedro.jpg, daughter Praskovia
File:PotockayGolovin.jpg, daughter Yelizaveta
Works
Memoirs of Countess Golovine: a Lady at the Court of Catherine II
Compositions
Varvara Golovina was also an accomplished composer.
# Solitaire sejour
# Le beau Fernand
# Le Montagnard
# Roses d'amour
For Further Listening
Here are links to recordings which includes the compositions mentioned in this article:
Russian Women Composers of the 18th CenturyThe first 3 songs listed in the Composition section can be found in this recording.
Music of the Russian PrincessesThe fourth song listed in the Composition section can be found in this recording.
See also
*
Russian culture
Russian culture (russian: Культура России, Kul'tura Rossii) has been formed by the nation's history, its geographical location and its vast expanse, religious and social traditions, and Western culture, Western influence. Russian ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golovina, Varvara
1766 births
1819 deaths
Former Russian Orthodox Christians
Varvara
Russian memoirists
Russian Roman Catholics
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy
Converts to Roman Catholicism
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Countesses of the Russian Empire
18th-century memoirists
19th-century memoirists
Russian ladies-in-waiting