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Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina
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| Countess of Merenberg | |
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| Born | (1836-06-04)4 June 1836 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 23 March 1913(1913-03-23) (aged 76) Cannes, France |
| Spouse(s) | Mikhail Leontievich Dubelt Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau |
| Issue | Natalya Mikhailovna Dubelt Leonty Mikhailovich Dubelt Anna Mikhailovna Dubelt Countess Sophie of Merenberg Alexandra Nikolaevna von Merenberg Georg-Nikolai von Merenberg |
| Father | Alexander Pushkin |
| Mother | Natalia Goncharova |
Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina, later Countess of Merenberg (4 June [O.S. 23 May] 1836, Saint Petersburg – 23 March [O.S. 10 March] 1913,[1] Cannes[2][3]) was the daughter of Alexander Pushkin and the morganatic wife of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau.
Born on 4 June 1836, Kamenny Island, Saint Petersburg. She was baptised in the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist [ru] a month later. Her godparents were Mikhail Vielgorsky and Ekaterina Ivanovna Zagryazhskaya [ru].[4][5] Natalia Alexandrovna did not remember her father, as she was eight months old when he died. However, she inherited his character and looks more so than her other siblings.
Possessing exceptional beauty, Natalia Alexandrovna was a person of passionate disposition, unchanging in her decisions. In her youth, she was in love with Prince Nikolay Alexeyevich Orlov, who returned her feelings and wished to marry her. However, Orlov's father would not allow this, as he considered Pushkina an unsuitable bride for his son,
At the age of seventeen, she accepted a proposal from Mikhail Leontievisch Dubelt. Both her mother and step father Peter Lanskoy were against the marriage. Dubelt was well known as a player and for his violent character. Natalia Alexandrovna insisted on the match, fearing the fate of her older sister who was unmarried.[6] Concerned her mother wrote to Pyotr Vyazemsky:[7]
"The imp Tasha quickly moved from childhood to adulthood, but there is nothing to do - you can't bypass fate. I'ven been fighting it for a year not, finally, thanks to the will of God and Dubelt's impatience. My only fear is her youth, in other words, her childishness."
The marriage took place in 1853. She was noted by contemporaries in society for her intelligence, beauty, and courtesy.[8] In 1862, the marriage fell apart. Natalia moved abroad with her two eldest children to live with her aunt, Alexandra Friesengoff [ru] and mother. Dubelt followed his wife to the estate, her sister, Alexandra [ru] wrote:
"The summer months passed in constant troubles and endless unrest. Dubelt, who was the first to give this idea to his wife [about leaving], soon changed his mind, refused his word, came to Hungary himself, first to confess, when it turned out to be unsuccessful, he gave rein to his unbridled, frantic character. It's hard to even remember the scenes that took place until, at the insistence of Baron Friesengoff, he left the estate, giving his wife temporary peace. Her situation was hopeless. Sister did not lose heart: she was supported by extraordinary fortitude and willpower, but mother suffered for both."[9]
A lengthy divorce process began. Natalia Allexandrovna lived abroad for a long time. At this time, her mother gave her 75 letters written by Pushkin, so that if she fell on difficult time, she could publish them. In 1876, Natalia Alexandrovna, then Countess of Merenberg, turned to Ivan Turgenev for help in editing and publishing these letters.[10] However, the publication was premature, it was received poorly, both by the public, and by her brothers who were not consulted.
After the marriage had finally been dissolved, she married Prince Nikolaus of Nassau.[11] They had first met in Russia at one of the balls during the coronation celebrations of Alexander II. The prince had arrived in Russia, acting as a representative of the Nassau court, and upon meeting Natalia Alexandrovna, had been captivated by her.
In 1882, the original copies of 64 letters from Pushkin to his wife were donated to the Rumyantsev Museum. Natalia Alexandrovna gave the remaining letters to her daughter Sophie.
She died of an embolism in Cannes, France on 23 March 1913. She was cremated, and her ashes were spread on the grave of her second husband in Wiesbaden.
In 1852 she married Mikhail Leontievich Dubelt[12] (1822-1900) and had three children:
The couple divorced in 1868. After which, Leonty and Natalia were raised by their mother's stepfather, Pyotr Petrovich Lanskoy [ru], and Anna was raised by her father's aunt, Bazilevskaya.[4]
Natalia Alexandrovna married Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau morganaticallyinLondon 1 July 1868.[11] Given that her father was an untitled nobleman, she was unable to share her husband's rank and title. In 1868, her sister-in-law's husband, George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont granted her the title 'Countess of Merenberg'. This marriage would produce three children:
