{"id":1303,"date":"2026-08-17T20:43:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T20:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/?p=1303"},"modified":"2026-08-17T21:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:01:36","slug":"sophie-knorrings-diary-october-1841","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/sophie-knorrings-diary-october-1841\/","title":{"rendered":"Sophie Knorring\u2019s Diary. October 1841."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2190 Read September 1841<\/a><\/em><\/strong> | November 1841<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begun around May 1, 1841, at her parents’ estate of Paslep, completed around March 1, 1842, in St. Petersburg *.<\/a><\/em> The discoverer of this document and the author of the detailed commentary on the text is the historian Sergei Gavrilov<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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October 1841<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

* Hover over the bold text to view the commentary.<\/strong> On mobile devices, press and hold your finger on the highlighted text while reading the commentary, then release.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1st, Thursday<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n\n
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The entire morning I was in the shops with Mama to buy Louisa something for her birthday. In the morning it rained a little, but later the weather cleared completely. I ordered a hat for myself from Madame Trombat. We were alone for dinner; after the meal Mama went to visit Grandpapa, and from there to the confectionery, where we drank our chocolate; then the weather improved, and we walked down the Perspective [<\/a>Nevsky Prospect<\/a>]<\/strong> to Richard’s [?]; there is a magnificent shop there where they sell vases, clocks, candelabras, and a thousand trifles, very many things made of malachite. When we returned, we found Uncle Pontus and Carl; they drank tea here and soon departed again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2nd, Friday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the night, at three o’clock, I was awakened by Aunt Minna<\/a><\/strong>, who had arrived from Dorpat with Frau R\u00fcdiger. I gave up my bed to her and arranged it for her, and at 5 o’clock I lay down myself on the large sofa. I must admit that I like Aunt Minna very much; soon after coffee she departed. In the morning there were several visits… I took a singing lesson again. For dinner Aunt and Uncle Ovander were here with all the children, and Aunt Annette; for tea Carl was here; Uncle Ovander was unbearable. On this day I took a singing lesson again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3rd, Saturday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The weather turned bad; we were alone at home all day; in the evening Mama and Louisa went to Aunt Jette’s; I remained at home with Aunt Minna; we had such a wonderful chat all evening. She told me a great deal about her present situation, about her youth, [we had] favorite conversations, etc. Late in the evening I shared what we had discussed with dear Grandpapa.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4th, Sunday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Petrikirche\"
Petrikirche<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The weather was very fine; in the morning I went with Aunt Minna to Frommann’s at the Petrikirche<\/strong> <\/a>[St. Peter’s Lutheran Church]; the sermon was absolutely magnificent, but it did not speak to me overly much, [speaking] of people; after that I waited for Tamburini until 3 o’clock.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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I lost quite a bit of time on this. We dressed to walk to the theater, but Theatre Square was so muddy<\/a><\/strong> that we turned back and were glad to be [finding ourselves] alone at home for dinner again. In the evening, Aunt Jette came with her children.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre Drawing by an unknown artist. 1810s. VMP<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

6th, Monday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weather is chilly…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A magnificent continuation of the 1840s St. Petersburg guidebook.
It has everything: strolls along Nevsky Prospect (the “Perspective”), hot chocolate in confectioneries, admiration for malachite vases, and the autumnal Petersburg mud on Theatre Square.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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19th, Sunday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Smolny
Smolny Convent<\/a> and choir<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Rose early in the morning; there was a very thick fog, which, however, soon dispersed. At 10 o’clock Grandpapa, Aunt Annette, and I went to the Smolny Convent<\/a><\/strong> (Smolnykloster) to see it. The church, as well as the Mass with the magnificent singing of the choir, deeply moved me to tears. From there we toured the entire palace; one can [only] marvel at all that we saw of its purity and splendor. After we wandered there until 3 o’clock, we paid a visit to Madame -skaya [illegible] to thank her for the permission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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At 5 o’clock I had a singing lesson; for dinner we went to Aunt Louisa’s, where we were in the family circle and spent a very pleasant evening. On the way back home, in the evening hour, by Saint Isaac’s Cathedral (Isakskirche), our horses suddenly fell<\/a><\/strong>, and we had to transfer to a droshky.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20th, Monday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The weather is tolerable; at 1 o’clock I took a lesson. Aunt Louisa came here with the young ladies (Demoiselles); in the evening we were… (the entry breaks off)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21st, Tuesday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the morning in the shops [in the Gostiny Dvor], for dinner to Aunt Louisa’s. In the evening a certain Mr. Stenger<\/a><\/strong> arrived; we made quite a bit of music and worked. I conversed much and spoke with Mama about whether I ought not to remain here [in St. Petersburg]<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

22nd, Wednesday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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In the morning Mama again settled some affairs; for dinner Ivan And[reyevich] and Ovander with the children. For tea Aunt Louisa arrived with the young ladies; we worked and chatted, then they departed. We did not go to bed for quite a long time yet, but scarcely had everything grown quiet when we saw a terrible fire on <\/a>Vasilyevsky Island<\/a><\/strong> (Wasily-Ostrof), the flames were perfectly visible on the horizon; we did not sleep until 5 o’clock [in the morning], it was burning on the 14th Line.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

24th, Thursday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

(The 23rd is skipped) The weather is quite fine; Mama went out in the morning, and for dinner Konstantin was with us. In the evening we went to the French Theatre<\/a><\/strong>, where we saw the famous actresses Madame Allan<\/a><\/strong> and Meyer, Madame Vernet, etc. I amused myself extraordinarily; Helene was with us; and meanwhile, when we returned home, we found Aunt Louisa here. They drank tea and departed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

24th, Friday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before the meal, Mama went to Aunt Pisarovius’s, for dinner was Ivan Andreyevich; after dinner came Aunt Jette and Aunt Louisa; we chatted the whole evening.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

25th, Saturday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The weather is quite tolerable. In the morning I had Tamburini; after I had canceled [the lesson?], Cornelius was here. Aunt Louisa came with the young ladies and took us to her place for dinner. Mama and the others went for tea to Aunt Jette’s. After the meal we made a little music, then worked; Aunt Louisa was very welcoming. Carl was at the French Theatre; in the evening Annette came for us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

26th, Sunday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We intended to go to Nielsen [the pastor], but were so exhausted that we stayed at home, especially since Mama was feeling unwell; she conducted a service and read us a sermon; Grandmamma had several visits, we lay down for a couple of hours, for dinner we went to Aunt Louisa’s, Nikolai Knorring was also there, as well as Madame Pesarovius. After the meal came David Knor[ring] with Juliana, and Mr. Stenger. We made music and worked; Stenger drew, Helene flirted with Nikolai<\/a><\/strong>, Fr\u00e4ulein von R. likewise a little with Carl. In short, everyone was occupied in their own way, while I amused myself and found pleasure in observing everyone; I had my own thoughts at the same time. In the evening, when Grandmamma had already left, we made very merry, danced the galop, the polonaise, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sophie’s diary becomes increasingly cinematic. On this page, she describes a visit to the Smolny Convent and being moved to tears by the choir’s singing, as well as a carriage accident near the Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, which was under construction at the time.
We also see that the emotional wounds from her broken engagement prompt Sophie to seriously discuss with her mother the possibility of not returning to Estonia at all and remaining in the capital to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with old diaries sometimes turns into a real historical investigation. In the entry from February 22nd, Sophie mentions in passing a frightening nocturnal sight: “Scarcely had everything grown quiet when we saw a terrible fire on Vasilyevsky Island… we did not sleep until 5 o’clock in the morning, it was burning on the 14th Line.”<\/em> Armed with precise coordinates: the date and the location, we turn to the official chronicle of those days. A search through old periodicals in “Yandex.Archives” yields an astonishing result: in an issue of the newspaper “Russky Invalid,” <\/a>a highly detailed police report concerning this very night is discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind the dry lines of the official protocol, a genuine drama unfolds, the glow of which the baroness’s family watched in horror from the safety of their window. A fire that broke out in the courtyard of the merchant Sokolov, fanned by gale-force winds, instantly engulfed neighboring buildings, requiring the intervention of twelve fire brigades. The newspaper chronicle has forever preserved the human dimension of this tragedy: a student of the Academy of Arts, trapped by the flames, was forced to leap from a second-story window, while police non-commissioned officer Malafeev, risking his own life, carried a woman and her two daughters out of a burning apartment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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27th, Monday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the morning with Mama in the shops [Gostiny Dvor<\/a>]. After breakfast, Aunt Louisa was here with the young ladies; Georg B. was here. For dinner, we had Aunt M…, Madame Lemm<\/a><\/strong> paid Mama a visit. Toward evening came Madame Pesarovius and Fr\u00e4ulein Knorring, Mr. Belekovich [?], we drank excellent tea and chatted… everything was quite amiable and entertaining, we worked, and I sang a little, although not very well, as I had caught a bad cold. Late in the evening Carl dropped in for a moment; I amused myself very well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

28th, Tuesday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the morning we learned that Aunt Louisa is very unwell, so Mama postponed her trip to the fourth; after much hesitation [back and forth] I became a resolute Petersburger<\/a><\/strong>, and I was very diligent all day. The weather is very unwelcoming; it rained all day. Aunt Minna did all the shopping for Mama, who was still suffering badly from a cold. All day we packed things and sewed. For dinner Annette and Jette B. were with us, for tea came Madame Collins; we spent the evening in pleasant conversation; Grandmamma went to Aunt Louisa, who was quite unwell.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

29th, Wednesday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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In the morning we packed the last things, then rode with Mama to the shops; I bought myself a shawl and a dress made of (mousseline de laine)<\/a><\/strong>. From there I went with Aunt Jette to the English Shop<\/a><\/strong> to buy cigars for Uncle; it was already completely dark when I returned home. After the meal, Aunt Jette, Friedrich, and Annette came to us. The four of us and Aunt Jette went for an hour to Aunt Louisa’s to say goodbye, which greatly exhausted [had a strong effect on] Aunt Louisa. We [stayed] together for quite a long time in the evening.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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During these three days, the family actively prepares for their impending departure: time is spent in endless packing, sewing, and farewell shopping. Due to the inclement weather, her own cold, and Aunt Louisa’s serious illness, Mama even has to postpone her trip by a few days. However, despite the bustle and ailments, our heroine spends her evenings in the warm circle of relatives and acquaintances, enjoying conversations, tea parties, and paying her final visits before the imminent parting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2190 Read September, 1841<\/a><\/em><\/strong> | To be continued<\/a> \u2192<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begun around May 1, 1841, at her parents’ estate of Paslep, completed around March 1, 1842, in St. Petersburg *.<\/a><\/em> The discoverer of this document and the author of the detailed commentary on the text is the historian Sergei Gavrilov<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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October 1841<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

* Hover over the bold text to view the commentary.<\/strong> On mobile devices, press and hold your finger on the highlighted text while reading the commentary, then release.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

30th, Thursday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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When we arose, the weather was quite fine, and dear, welcoming Mama decided to stay for this day after all; I too was glad to begin my new year [celebrate my birthday]<\/a><\/strong> here, with my dear mother. In the morning several people came to congratulate us [wish us happiness]. For dinner Ivan Andr[eyevich] and A[unt] A[nnette] were here; after the meal came Aunt Jette, Louisa, Helene, Frau R\u00fcdiger, and Victor K[ilchen]; we chatted and worked. Late in the evening, when everyone had already left, Aunt Jette, Ivan Andr., and the others drank champagne <\/a><\/strong>to my health and to a safe journey for Mama.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

31st, Friday.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the morning I rose very early; the first snow had fallen during the night. Mama wished to leave at 7 o’clock, but the horses only arrived by 9 o’clock. Aunt Annette and Ivan And. were here; Georg Bacheracht<\/a><\/strong> also came. Finally, at half past nine, my dear, sweet, kind Mama departed, after we bade each other a touching farewell<\/a><\/strong>. Grandmamma was very moved, but soon calmed down. This day seemed very long to me. Grandmamma [and] Aunt Annette remained with us for a few more hours; Aunt Jette also dropped in for an hour. Toward evening we went to Aunt Louisa’s, who was still lying in bed. After tea we left; I was glad when I reached my bed, I was very tired and exhausted. I prayed fervently for Mama and fell asleep.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amidst the trips to the French Theatre, shopping in fashionable boutiques, and dancing, a major life turning point is hidden here: Sophie makes the fateful decision not to return to Estonia with her mother!
She decides to avoid the shame and sidelong glances over her broken engagement to Kursell and remains to live in the capital. She proudly dubs herself a “resolute Petersburger”!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concluding lines of the diary entry show Sophie’s intense emotional exhaustion from the farewells, but at the same time, the beginning of her new, independent life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

All article commentary<\/summary>\n
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1. Shopping on Nevsky (“die Perspective”):<\/strong> The ladies stroll along the Perspective<\/em> (as Germans often called Nevsky Prospect in the French\/German manner). They drink hot chocolate in a fashionable confectionery (perhaps at Wolf & B\u00e9ranger’s), and then go to a “magnificent shop” to admire clocks, candelabras, and malachite items. It was precisely in the 1830s and 1840s that a “malachite fever” raged in St. Petersburg (after Demidov discovered large deposits), making such souvenirs the absolute height of fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Aunt Minna (Wilhelmina) \u2013 <\/strong>another of Sophie’s mother’s sisters. Unmarried.<\/p>\n\n\n

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3. Petrikirche:<\/strong> On Sunday they go to hear a sermon at the Petrikirche, the main Lutheran Church of Saint Peter on Nevsky Prospect, which was the spiritual and secular center of the entire vast German diaspora in St. Petersburg. The building, which survives to this day, had been built very recently, in 1838!<\/p>\n\n\n

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4. The Mud of Theatre Square:<\/strong> A magnificent detail of the real, unvarnished St. Petersburg. The girls dress beautifully to walk to the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre (on the present-day Theatre Square, the site of the conservatory building). But the autumnal Petersburg slush ruins their plans; the square was so schmutzig<\/em> (so muddy\/covered in mud) that the young ladies in their long dresses and delicate slippers had to turn back in frustration and go home.<\/p>\n\n\n

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5. Smolny Convent and choir:<\/strong> The Smolny Convent housed the famous Resurrection Maidens’ Institute (the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens). The church and the singing of the pupils, who sometimes participated in the choir, traditionally attracted the St. Petersburg high-society public. Sophie refers to the monumental Baroque buildings of the convent ensemble designed by Rastrelli as a palace (“Palais”).<\/p>\n\n\n

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6. The Accident near Saint Isaac’s Cathedral:<\/strong> The horses of their carriage suddenly fell near the “Isakskirche”. In 1841, the cathedral was in the midst of its grandiose and protracted construction (being built by Auguste de Montferrand). All around was a massive construction site, with heavy blocks, scaffolding, and a road battered by carts, which likely caused the carriage horses to fall in the evening darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Stenger<\/strong> – <\/strong>One of the elder sons of Friedrich Wilhelm (Fyodor Andreyevich) von Stenger, a Major General (1828), commandant of the city of Gatchina (from 1821 until Gatchina was transferred to the Ministry of the Imperial Court), and Baroness Juliane Sophie Helene von Taube. Incidentally, the father of Fyodor Trepov<\/a>, the St. Petersburg Chief of Police. Most likely, this is the son Wilhelm Theodor (Vasily Fyodorovich) von Stenger (1813 – 1865) \u2013<\/strong> at this time a captain (Rittmeister) of the Gatchina Cuirassiers (the so-called “Blue” Cuirassiers). Later a Colonel, an Official for Special Assignments under the St. Petersburg Chief of Police. Policemaster of the 3rd division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Plans for life:<\/strong> The mention “I conversed much and spoke with Mama about whether I ought not to remain here [in St. Petersburg]”<\/em> shows the turmoil Sophie is in. After the broken engagement with Kursell, the prospect of returning to provincial Estonian Paslep, where everyone would be discussing the scandal, clearly frightens her, and she seriously considers the option of moving in with her capital relatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Fire on Vasilyevsky Island:<\/strong> A fantastic documentary detail of real St. Petersburg! Sophie and her family stay awake until 5 in the morning, watching in horror from across the Neva as the glow of a fire burns on the 14th Line of Vasilyevsky Island (Wasily-Ostrof<\/em>). A documentary account of this fire<\/a> has been found: “St. Petersburg incidents. On the 22nd, at the 12th hour of the night, in the Vasilyevsky District of the 5th precinct, between the 13th and 14th lines, along the Bolshoy Prospect, inside the courtyard of the merchant Sokolov’s house, intense flames and smoke appeared from a wooden shed. Upon the arrival of the fire brigades from 12 Precincts and 2 reserves, the raging fire was found to have already spread to the adjacent two-story wooden house on the 14th line, to the stone courtyard wing, and to another two-story wooden house on the Bolshoy Prospect, also belonging to Sokolov; such intense flames from three sides threatened great danger to the dilapidated wooden structures adjacent to Sokolov’s house, belonging to the House of Industry\u2014a large firewood storage of the Naval Cadet Corps, the wooden house of the official’s wife Voloshina, and Sokolov’s own two-story stone house on the 14th line. \u2014 Through the actions of the fire brigades, the spread of the fire, which was fiercely fanned by the gusty wind and the densely packed wooden structures in the courtyard, was halted by two o’clock in the morning. The two-story wooden house on the 14th line, which contained a tavern and its outbuildings with a considerable stock of grain, burned to the ground; the rafters and ceilings in the stone courtyard wing burned; roofs were removed from the stone house on the 14th line, the wooden house on the Bolshoy Prospect, and the wooden outbuildings adjoining the garden of the House of Industry, and several burning planks were torn from the wooden house of the official’s wife Voloshina; all other neighboring buildings and houses remained unharmed, except for the palisade of the House of Industry, which was dismantled in several places to allow passage for firefighting equipment. \u2014 A pensioner of the Academy of Arts, N. P., living in Sokolov’s house, finding no exit down the burning wooden staircase, leaped from a 2nd-story window, fractured his right shin, and was immediately sent for treatment to the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalene. The senior police non-commissioned officer of the 5th precinct, Stepan Malafeev, with two firemen, putting himself in danger, rushed up the staircase, already engulfed in flames, into the apartment occupied by the Official Gusev, and saved his wife and two daughters. \u2014 During the operation, two fire chiefs and three rank-and-file firemen were injured. (Police Gaz.)”<\/em> – The Russian Invalid. 1841 No. 252.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. The French Theatre and Superstars:<\/strong> Sophie mentions the actresses “Mme Allan” and “Mme Vernet”. The French Theatre was, in fact, the Mikhailovsky Theatre, opened in 1833, whose repertoire consisted mainly of French vaudevilles performed by French actors. Sophie, among others, mentions Louise-Rosalie Allan-Despr\u00e9aux<\/strong><\/a> – an absolute superstar of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in the 1830s\u20131840s. Portrait of French actress Louise-Rosalie Despr\u00e9aux, 1833? Lithograph by L\u00e9on No\u00ebl<\/a>. Collection of prints | British Museum<\/a>. The French troupe was incredibly fashionable, and a visit there was a mandatory part of the high-society program.<\/p>\n\n\n

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12. The Flirting Scene:<\/strong> The Sunday evening of October 26th is described simply brilliantly. While some draw and others play music, the cousins and acquaintances flirt unabashedly with the gentlemen. Sophie, acting as a girl wizened by her recent romantic drama, does not participate in this, but sits ironically on the sidelines: “everyone was occupied in their own way, while I amused myself and found pleasure in observing everyone; I had my own thoughts at the same time.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Madame Lemm<\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>possibly Louise Dorothea, n\u00e9e von Hirschheydt, wife of Eduard Lemm, and mother of the prominent Russian orientalist Oscar Lemm<\/a>, the founder of Russian Coptology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. 1840s Fashion:<\/strong> In the Gostiny Dvor (“in the shops”), Sophie buys herself a dress made of wool muslin<\/strong> (mousseline de laine) – this is a very fine woolen or wool-blend fabric that was the absolute height of European and St. Petersburg fashion in that era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. The English Shop:<\/strong> Heading to the “English Shop” (Englische Magazin) on Nevsky Prospect to buy imported cigars for an uncle is a sign of luxury. The English Shop was famous for having the most expensive and highest-quality foreign goods in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15.1 “A Resolute Petersburger”:<\/strong> The entry of October 28th is a crucial moment in the entire diary. Sophie writes: “nach langem hin u. wieder war ich eine entschlo\u00dfne Petersburgerin”<\/em> (after much hesitation back and forth I became a resolute Petersburger). While her mother packs her trunks to return to Estonia, Sophie makes the bold decision to stay in the capital! Evidently, the prospect of returning to the provinces, where all the neighbors would be gossiping about her broken engagement to Kursell, frightened her more than living far from her parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Sophie’s Birthday:<\/strong> The phrase “mein neues Jahr hier zu beginnen”<\/em> (literally: to begin my new year here) confirms that October 30th is Sophie’s birthday<\/strong>. She turned 21. Guests arrive “to wish happiness,” and in the evening, her closest relatives drink champagne to her health (meine Gesundheit<\/em>). It is a very warm and joyful family celebration before a long parting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. Champagne:<\/strong> The mention of champagne (Champagner<\/em>) underscores the family’s aristocratic status. In the 1840s in St. Petersburg, French champagne (most often Veuve Clicquot or Roederer) was an expensive luxury and an attribute of special celebrations – such as birthdays and farewells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. First Snow and Parting:<\/strong> October 31st brings the first snow (der erste Schnee<\/em>) to St. Petersburg. This creates an incredibly cinematic farewell scene: fresh snow, a two-hour delay for the post-horses, and the touching tears of the whole family. Mother leaves (presumably back to Estonia, to her stern husband), while Sophie remains to live in the capital under the guardianship of her numerous aunts and grandfather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. Georg Bacheracht \u2013 <\/strong>Sophie’s mother’s cousin, nephew of her grandmother, n\u00e9e Bacheracht. The Bacherachts were a St. Petersburg merchant dynasty of Dutch origin. Russian historiography knows her grandmother’s uncle – Andrei Gavrilovich Bacheracht<\/a> (1726, St. Petersburg \u2013 1806, ibid.), Chief Physician of the Baltic Fleet and Privy Councilor, as well as Sophie’s second cousin Wilhelm Bacheracht<\/a>, the Russian ambassador to Switzerland. Regarding Therese Bacheracht-L\u00fctzow, n\u00e9e Struve, who played a dramatic role in Lermontov’s fate, see separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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National Archives of Estonia (EAA). F. 1334. Inv. 1. F. 78.<\/strong> EAA.1334.1.78<\/a> Tagebuch der Sophie von Knorring. [Diary of Sophie von Knorring. Volume II] (1841\u20131842).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2190 Read September 1841<\/a><\/em><\/strong> | November 1841<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2190 Read September 1841 | November 1841 \u2192 Begun around May 1, 1841, at her parents’ estate of Paslep, completed around March 1, 1842, in St. Petersburg *. The discoverer of this document and the… <\/p>\n

Read full entry »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"This isn't a costume drama; it\u2019s a real time machine. Step into the opulent yet suffocating world of the 1840s aristocracy through the secret diary of a young noblewoman. Fleeing a forced engagement, she dives headfirst into the glittering high society of the Imperial capital. ","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[36,1],"tags":[18,35,33,13],"class_list":["post-1303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary","category-uncategorized","tag-diary","tag-history","tag-libraries","tag-pushkin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/sophie-45.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1303"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1321,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1303\/revisions\/1321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfoart.com\/derionzini-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}