Characteristics of the princess from the story of Russian women. The reign of Princess Olga (briefly)

Characteristics of Princess Olga

Made by: 1st year student,
Design: Graf. Design,

Novosibirsk, 2016

Doing
1. Olga's personality
1.1 Image of Olga
1.2 Revenge on the Drevlyans.
1.3 Acceptance of the peasantry
1.4 The last years of life and the death of Princess Olga.
2. Princess Olga as ruler
2.1. Domestic politics
2.2. Foreign policy
Conclusion
List of used literature

Introduction.
I want to talk about the time that left an indelible mark on the history of the Russian state, about the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, the first Russian Christian.
This image of the character immediately catches the eye, because she is considered a multifaceted figure, the first female ruler in Rus', before her there was no Slavic empress. I became interested in the image of such a strong woman.
The origin of Princess Olga is a controversial issue in modern historical science, so this issue is especially relevant.
The object of the study is the sources and literature that illuminates the life and work of Olga, the subject of the study will be her image, illuminated in the sources, and fiction.
The study of the life and work of Princess Olga is closely connected with the emergence and spread of Christianity in Rus', around which there is a lot of controversy and how it influenced all this.
The analysis of Olga's life and work is very interesting from the point of view of the problem of how a woman is the head of state, how a woman's rule differs from a man's rule.

1. Olga's personality
1.1 Image of Olga
Olga was not a Grand Duchess, since in the 10th century there was no such title. There was only one ruler in all of Kievan Rus, who was simply called a prince, and any other impostures were not allowed. Grand dukes will appear in the XII century with the beginning of the feudal fragmentation of Rus'. Each land will have its own prince.
Princess, Olga is called for convention and brevity. According to some sources, she was regent for her son, Prince Svyatoslav. To emphasize this, she took him on a campaign against those who killed his father Igor Drevlyans. He even "participated" in the battle against them. In Rus', before Olga, a woman never ruled.
It is hard to even imagine how hard it was for her to take on this unfeminine business. She felt embarrassed and emphasized in every possible way that she ruled involuntarily and temporarily in order to be able to raise her son.
Her origins are shrouded in mystery, but her Slavic origins are increasingly being held.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the oldest (of the surviving) chronicles of our people and the ancient Russian state. Historians of subsequent times consider her the most objective: she relied on more ancient chronicles, and for 200 years after Olga there was no need to change or add anything to her. Therefore, in this document, Olga appears before readers and researchers, so to speak, in her original form, without myths, legends and traditions.
The first time we meet Olga in the story, when she was brought from Pskov to Igor as a wife. The chronicle does not report her age, but according to the traditions of that time, they married at the age of 13-15. The presence of Igor's other wives only complicated Olga's situation. But she apparently had some advantage, perhaps she was from another Varangian princely family, and his other wives were of a simpler origin. In addition, the head of Igor's squad, Sveneld, was also a Varangian, so he supported the Varangian Olga.
1.2 Revenge on the Drevlyans.
The second time "The Tale of Bygone Years" reports about Olga when her husband was killed
Having learned about the martyrdom of her husband, all this year she takes revenge on the Drevlyans who killed him. The Old Russian chronicler details Olga's revenge for her husband's death:
1st revenge of Princess Olga: matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the people of Kiev carried and threw into a deep pit in the yard of Olga's tower. The matchmakers-ambassadors were buried alive together with the boat...

Conclusion
In each era, there are outstanding figures of their time who leave an indelible imprint on the history of the state. All rulers acted in the interests of their state and brought something new to its development and prosperity. They fought against the nomads, expanded the territory of the state, capturing and uniting various tribes and peoples. The adoption of Christianity strengthened the power and territorial unity of Kievan Rus, which became equal to other Christian countries, which helped to expand the connection between countries.
We owe the emergence and spread of Christianity in Rus' to a great woman. This is Saint Olga of Russia, the great ruler who turned pagan Rus' into a developed Christian country, in no way inferior to the European states of that time. The image of Princess Olga is a perfect example of a strong woman, a ruler.

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Bibliography

1. "The Tale of Bygone Years." (XII century) translated by D. S. Likhachev.
2. Website of Alexander Nevsky Church >3. Website of the Regional Reading Center >4. Orthodoxy and the world. The feat of the Holy Blessed Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga and the historical fate of Russia. >5. "The history of Russia in the faces of the V-XX centuries." M., "Russian Word", 1997

The pathos of the poem by N.A. Nekrasov "Russian Women" is heroic, it is based on the struggle of the individual for the implementation and protection of lofty ideals, the struggle associated with dangers and risks. The heroines of the poem show the will to achieve their goal. Princess Trubetskaya is so passionately convinced of the need to get to Nerchinsk and that her presence will help her husband and other Decembrists sentenced to hard labor, that the governor, inventing new reasons to prevent her from going further, finally recognizes her right to be next to her exiled husband. The strength of the princess's arguments lies in their sincerity, in her confidence in her wife's right to share her husband's fate.

The author treats his heroine with admiration. This is a proud Russian woman, for whom honor and duty are above all conveniences, noble rights and wealth. She does not follow her husband as a slave - this is the choice of her free will. Saying goodbye to her father in Moscow, she says goodbye to the whole life she has led so far: with her usual home, with friends, girlfriends, with the conveniences and brilliant society to which she is accustomed. She asks her father for blessings and begs him not to tear her heart with longing. The woman leaves for Siberia, not knowing if she will ever return, and promises to remember her father's testament. She does not shed unnecessary tears. The princess seems to have a premonition that the Russian people will be proud of this act of hers decades later. For two months she gets to Irkutsk. Near Irkutsk, her companion fell ill, and she arrived alone in the center of the province. The governor, in fulfilling his duties, was forced to put all sorts of obstacles in her way. He frightened her with a dangerous road, the poor condition of her father, a terrible life among convicts, an unbearable climate, a journey in shackles, one stage to Nerchinsk. But the act of the princess was not a momentary impulse. Her goal was to help her unfortunate husband, and the pathos of her words was so convincing that the governor was forced to order: “Hey! harness up now! .. ".

The poem "Russian Women" by N. A. Nekrasov sings of the feat of the wives of the Decembrists. In the lesson materials you will find a brief historical background on the Decembrist uprising and its sad consequences. Attentive, thoughtful reading of the text will help you analyze the images of the main characters of the poem: Ekaterina Trubetskoy and Maria Volkonskaya.

They showed their contemporaries an example worthy of imitation. Before them, only peasant women left for exile with their husbands. They were the first of the noblewomen, and from the most eminent noble families, to follow their husbands into exile, leaving their families, children, friends, their mansions and servants behind. They understood that they were leaving for a place where they would have to become on a par with the same peasant women - to wash, cook, sew themselves. They were not embarrassed by the pleas of their relatives, the misunderstanding of society, the threats of the authorities. They abandoned their titles to fulfill their duty. Their act caused a huge resonance, became an example for many.

The feat of the Decembrists was sung by N. A. Nekrasov in the poem "Russian Women".

There were 11 of them, but Nekrasov in the poem spoke only about the first ones, who were almost the most difficult of all: they "They paved the way for others" - this is Ekaterina Trubetskaya and Maria Volkonskaya.

Rice. 2. Wives of the Decembrists ()

Compositionally, the poem is divided into two parts:

1. Princess M.N. Volkonskaya.

The idea of ​​the poem expressed by Nekrasov in the words:

High and holy is their unforgettable feat!

Like guardian angels they

Were the backbone of the unchanging

Exiles in the days of suffering.

According to contemporaries, Ekaterina Ivanovna Trubetskaya, nee Countess Lavl, was not a beauty - short, plump, but charming, cheerful, with a beautiful voice. In Paris in 1819, Catherine Laval met Prince Sergei Petrovich Trubetskoy and married him a year later.

Trubetskoy was ten years older than her and was considered an enviable groom: noble, rich, smart, educated, went through the war with Napoleon and rose to the rank of colonel. His career went uphill, and Catherine had a chance to become a general.

Five years after the wedding, it suddenly became clear that Sergei Trubetskoy, together with his friends, was preparing an uprising.

Trubetskaya was the first of the wives of the Decembrists to make a decision to leave for Siberia. The path was very long. The authorities were obstructing. For example, Trubetskaya spent 5 months in Irkutsk, because. Governor Zeidler received an order from Petersburg to persuade her to return back. However, Ekaterina Ivanovna was firm in her decision.

Rice. 3. Princess Trubetskaya ()

The image of Princess Trubetskoy in the poem.

In the poem, N. A. Nekrasov tells about the difficult journey of Princess Trubetskoy to Siberia and her heroic opposition to the Irkutsk governor.

The story is told in 3rd person. Thus, the main task of the author is not only to tell about the events, but also to assess the actions of the heroine, her female feat.

The poem begins with the scene of farewell to the father:

The count himself corrected the pillows,

I made a bear cavity at my feet,

Making a prayer, scapular

Hung in the right corner

And - sobbed ... Princess-daughter ...

Goes somewhere tonight...

Nekrasov emphasizes how father and daughter love each other. But, having married, having given a vow of fidelity before God to be with her husband both in sorrow and in joy, Trubetskaya makes a decision:

Oh, God knows! ... But the duty is different,

And higher and harder

Calling me... Forgive me, my dear!

Do not cry in vain!

Far is my way, hard is my way,

My fate is terrible

But I dressed my chest with steel ...

Be proud - I'm your daughter!

Thus, from the first lines of the poem, Nekrasov highlights in the character of the heroine such features as courage, determination, fortitude.

Catherine says goodbye to the past, to the cheerful and rich life of an aristocrat. Says goodbye to his native Petersburg, to his stepfather's house:

Happy my youth

Passed within your walls

I loved your balls

Catania from the steep mountains,

I loved the splash of your Neva

In the evening silence

And this square in front of her

With a hero on horseback...

We see that Catherine from childhood was very cheerful.

In the memories of the youth of the heroine, the following lines may be incomprehensible:

And you be damned, gloomy house,

Where is the first quadrille

I danced... That hand

So far it's burning my hand...

Rejoice. . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?

Whose hand are you talking about? Who is the heroine cursing?

Ekaterina Trubetskaya recalls her first ball, where she danced her very first dance with Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the future Emperor Nicholas I, who began his reign with the massacre of the Decembrists. In the poem, he acts as an executioner.

Rice. 4. Russian Emperor Nicholas I (1796-1855) ()

childhood memories

Wealth, shine! high house

On the banks of the Neva

Staircase upholstered with carpet

Lions in front of the entrance

The magnificent hall is elegantly decorated,

The lights are all on fire.

O joy! now a children's ball,

Chu! the music is booming!

Memories of meeting my husband and a happy life with him

Another time, another ball

She dreams: in front of her

A handsome young man is standing

He whispers something to her...

Then again balls, balls ...

She is their mistress

They have dignitaries, ambassadors,

They have all the fashionable light ...

Memories of a trip with her husband to Italy

And so she left

With your chosen one.

Before her is a wonderful country,

Before her is eternal Rome...

But the princess feels happy only in a dream. Upon awakening reality strikes her with tragedy and bitterness:

Chu, heard ahead

Sad ringing - shackled ringing!

Hey coachman, wait!

Then the exiled party is coming,

Painful chest,

The princess gives them money,

Thanks, have a good trip!

She long, long their faces

Dreaming later,

And do not drive away her thoughts,

Don't forget sleep!

Here, to the qualities of the main character, we, of course, must add such features as mercy, kindness.

Thus, the story about the heroine is built on the antithesis: the opposition of a beautiful dream and a terrible reality.

A long way, a lot of time for memories. The princess recalls the tragic day of the uprising and its terrible consequences, recalls how she came to the casemate to meet her husband. It is known that Trubetskaya knew about the impending uprising. In the poem, she is shown by Nekrasov as not just a loving and faithful wife. This person is independent, thinking, analyzing. Returning from a trip to Italy, Trubetskaya compares this beautiful, free country with a miserable and unhappy Russia:

In front of her are a number of paintings.

Downtrodden, driven country:

Severe lord

And a miserable worker-man

With a bowed head...

As the first to rule,

How slaves the second!

Catherine turns to her husband with a question:

Tell me, is the whole region like this?

There is no shade contentment? ..

You are in the kingdom of beggars and slaves! -

The short answer was...

Here we must add the following features to the characterization of the heroine: independence; observation; inquisitive mind; love of freedom.

Nekrasov emphasizes that Trubetskaya shares her husband's views. Her decision to follow him is dictated not only by love, but also by a bold civic position. That's why the climax of the poem was the episode "Trubetskoy's meeting with the Irkutsk governor."

The princess overcame almost five thousand miles and suddenly runs into an obstacle: the Irkutsk governor does not allow her to go further. The forces are unequal. On the one hand - Princess Trubetskaya, a young, fragile, defenseless woman. On the other hand, the Irkutsk governor, a representative of state power (“ Princess, here I am the king”), wise by life and service experience, already a middle-aged man.

And Princess Trubetskaya wins this duel. This brave, young, defenseless, powerless woman. How much determination she has! What courage! What a character!

No! I'm not a pitiful slave

I am a woman, wife!

Let my fate be bitter

I will be faithful to her!

Oh if he forgot me

For a different woman

I would have enough strength in my soul

Don't be his slave!

But I know: love for the motherland

my rival,

And if it were necessary, again

I would forgive him!

Carefully reading the poem, the reader understands what is the weakness of the Irkutsk governor. He tries to return Trubetskaya, following the order of the tsar, intimidates her with terrible trials, but in his heart he sympathizes with her and admires her courage:

How I tormented you... My God!...

(From under the arm of a gray-haired mustache

A tear rolled down.)

Sorry! yes, I tormented you,

But he himself suffered

But I had a strict order

Barriers to put up for you!

It is this moment that explains why the authorities were so opposed to the decision of the wives of the Decembrists. It meant the moral support of the prisoners, aroused sympathy among many. The authorities in the person of Tsar Nicholas I did not want anyone to sympathize with the Decembrists.

Nekrasov admires his heroine, her willpower, self-esteem and fearlessness.

In the poem, Trubetskaya was detained in Irkutsk for only 2 weeks. In fact, she stayed there for 5 months. It was here that the second Decembrist, M.N. Volkonskaya, to whom the second part of the poem "Russian Women" is dedicated.

1. Didactic materials on literature Grade 7. Author - Korovina V.Ya. - 2008
2. Homework in literature for grade 7 (Korovina). Author - Tishchenko O.A. - year 2012
3. Literature lessons in grade 7. Author - Kuteynikova N.E. - year 2009
4. Textbook on literature grade 7. Part 1. Author - Korovina V.Ya. - year 2012
5. Textbook on literature grade 7. Part 2. Author - Korovina V.Ya. - year 2009
6. Textbook-reader on literature Grade 7. Authors: Ladygin M.B., Zaitseva O.N. - year 2012
7. Textbook-reader on literature Grade 7. Part 1. Author - Kurdyumova T.F. - 2011
8. Phonochrestomathy in literature for the 7th grade to the textbook by Korovina.

1. FEB: Dictionary of literary terms ().
2. Dictionaries. Literary terms and concepts ().
3. N. A. Nekrasov. Russian women ().
4. Nekrasov N. A. Biography, life history, creativity ().
5. N. A. Nekrasov. Biography pages ().
6. History of the Russian Empire. Wives of the Decembrists ().
7. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language ().

1. Prepare an expressive reading of excerpts from N. A. Nekrasov’s poem “Russian Women” “Trubetskoy’s Conversation with the Irkutsk Governor”
2. Think about why Nekrasov called the poem not "Decembrists", but "Russian Women".

He keeps the diaries of his mother, who went to Siberia with her husband, he began to ask him for permission to get acquainted with the papers. For three evenings, Mikhail Sergeevich and Nikolai Alekseevich read the notes. During the reading, the poet repeatedly jumped up, clutched his head and began to cry. These documentary evidence formed the basis of the poem "Russian Women". The description of Princess Trubetskoy (Part 1) and Princess Volkonskaya (Part 2) is the plot basis of the famous work, first read by the poet in the summer of 1871.

Historical reference

Ekaterina Ivanovna Laval married Sergei Trubetskoy for love. She became his true friend and like-minded person, was aware of her husband's political views. Having learned about the events at the twenty-five-year-old Catherine, she immediately decided for herself that she would share his fate with her husband, no matter how terrible it was. The princess became the first of eleven women who set off after the verdict was announced on July 23, and the very next day she set off on the road. She was accompanied by her father's secretary, Karl Voshe (on the way, he would fall ill and return back, as Nekrasov writes about in a poem). "Russian Women" is a poem that tells about a difficult journey from St. Petersburg to Irkutsk, showing the heroine's resilience, tolerance, her devotion to her husband and readiness for self-sacrifice.

Description of the road

The sobs of a father seeing off his daughter, who is "going somewhere this night." Farewell words of the heroine, who understands that she will never see her relatives again. The full confidence of the princess that her duty is to be close to her husband. Memories of serene youth and the person who became the culprit of her misfortunes (referring to the dance at the ball in 1818 with the future Emperor Nicholas I). This is how the poem begins (Nekrasov attached great importance to it in his work) “Russian Women”.

Princess Trubetskaya is the central image of the first part. The author does not give the heroine, because something else is important for him - to show her inner world, to trace the formation of essential character traits. From the very beginning of the poem, Ekaterina Ivanovna is full of determination and has no doubts about her act. She knows how terrible her future fate will be. In order to obtain permission to travel, she deliberately renounced the title, the opportunity to communicate with relatives, welfare - her father's house was the best in St. Petersburg. “I dressed my chest with steel,” she admits when parting with her father, and in these words one can hear the readiness to follow her beloved at all costs, the ability to overcome any obstacles for the sake of being able to fulfill her sacred duty and be close to her husband.

The role of memories and dreams

The road to Siberia is very long and difficult, but there is no time for rest. Approaching the station, the princess demands to change horses as soon as possible and goes on. In doing so, the author uses a very successful technique, describing the pictures that her imagination draws in this endless journey. Either dreams, or just memories that arise in her head - this is the best characteristic of Princess Trubetskoy from the poem "Russian Women". At first she sees a magnificent secular life with fun and balls, a trip abroad with her young husband, all that has now become insignificant and unimportant for her. These vivid pictures are suddenly replaced by a painful sight: working men in the field, barge haulers groaning by the river. Her husband attracted her attention to this side of Russian life.

Along the way, there is a party of exiles, which reminds of the hard fate of the Decembrists. The consciousness of the heroine brings her back to the tragic events of six months ago. A condensed but accurate picture of the uprising. Ekaterina Ivanovna not only knew about its preparation, but also kept a printing press. And then there was a meeting with her husband in prison, during which he gave her complete freedom. However, a loving woman, even at the moment of Sergei Petrovich's arrest, decided that she would support him in everything. It is from such details that the poem “Russian Women” is formed. The author shows the heroine's sympathy for the common people, hatred for the tsar and his regime. And also the desire to fight and prove their right to independence.

Meeting with the Governor

The second chapter is a dialogue. It is he who helps to fully understand the character of the heroine, her determination and confidence in the correctness of the choice made. It must be said that the scene described by Nekrasov actually took place, and Zeidler actually received an order from the emperor to stop Ekaterina Ivanovna at any cost. The arguments of the heroine during the conversation can also be perceived as a characteristic of Princess Trubetskoy from the poem "Russian Women". She is not afraid of the details of how convicts live, or the harsh climate, where the sun shines only three months a year, or the fact that the princess and her children will be equated with ordinary peasants. Ekaterina Ivanovna, who has signed a waiver of all her rights, is ready to move forward even as part of a convict party. The firm character, enormous willpower, Trubetskoy's incomparable courage and steadfastness forced the governor to retreat. “I did everything I could ...”, - these words of Zeidler became an acknowledgment of the moral victory won by a decisive, ready-for-everything woman.

Instead of an afterword

“She captivated others to a feat,” N. Nekrasov said about Ekaterina Ivanovna. Russian women, Princess Trubetskaya in particular, who wished to share the fate of their husbands, to fulfill their duty to God and themselves to the end, forever became a symbol of inexhaustible heroism, self-sacrifice, great human love and devotion.

Ekaterina Ivanovna fully experienced hunger, prison life, and the debilitating Siberian cold. The first of the Decembrists did not live up to the amnesty for only two years and died in Irkutsk. But although she never saw her relatives or the capital again, according to contemporaries, she never regretted what she had done.

Such is the characterization of Princess Trubetskoy from the poem "Russian Women" by N. Nekrasov.

A special place in the work of N. Nekrasov is occupied by a gallery of female images. In his poems, the poet described not only women of noble origin, but also ordinary peasant women. Nekrasov was especially interested in the fate of the Decembrists' wives. Below is a description of Princess Trubetskoy.

The history of the creation of the poem

Before proceeding with the characterization of Princess Trubetskoy, the reader should learn about the history of writing the poem "Russian Women". It consists of two parts. The central character of the first part is Ekaterina Ivanovna. The first poem was written in 1871 and published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1872.

Prior to this, Nekrasov met Mikhail, the son of Maria Volkonskaya, the heroine of the second part of the poem. His memoirs, as well as "Notes of the Decembrist", written by Andrei Rosen, served as material for the poem "Grandfather". The release of this work did not weaken Nekrasov's interest in the fate of the wives of the Decembrists.

In the winter of 1871, he began to collect material for the poem "Russian Women". While writing, the poet faced several difficulties - censorship and the virtual absence of facts about the life of Ekaterina Ivanovna. Because of this, according to some contemporaries, the characterization of Princess Trubetskoy did not coincide with the real image. But the lack of facts was compensated by the imagination of the poet, who imagined her departure.

The first part of the poem "Russian Women. Princess Trubetskaya" begins with Ekaterina Ivanovna's farewell to her father. The brave woman followed her husband to Siberia. On the way to Irkutsk, the heroine recalls her childhood, carefree youth, balls, how she got married, traveled with her husband.

The following is a description of the meeting between the princess and the governor of Irkutsk. There is a confrontation between Trubetskoy and the governor. He tries to scare the woman with the hardships of the path, the conditions of hard labor. He says that she will have to give up everything she has. But nothing stops a brave woman. Then the governor, admiring her courage and loyalty, gives permission to leave the city.

The act of Princess Trubetskoy

The key moment of the poem is the confrontation with the governor, which reveals the character of a woman. Knowing that her husband was sentenced to indefinite hard labor for participating in the Decembrist uprising, she decides to go after him. In "Princess Trubetskoy" Nekrasov told how the governor tried by all means to dissuade Ekaterina Ivanovna from this decision.

To do this, he tries to play on her kindred feelings, saying that the decision to go to Siberia is disastrous for her father. But the princess replies that despite all her love for her father, the wife's duty is more important for her. Then the governor begins to describe to her all the hardships of the journey, warning her that the road is so difficult that it could undermine her health. But even this does not frighten the purposeful Ekaterina Trubetskaya.

The governor tries to intimidate her with stories about the dangers of life with convicts, reminds her of the prosperous life she led. The princess remains adamant. Then he reports that, having followed her husband, she is deprived of all rights and no longer belongs to the nobility, and the princess will be under escort to get to the Nerchinsk mines. But Trubetskaya is ready to sign all the papers, if only she could see her husband.

Struck and admired by her fortitude, masculinity, devotion to her husband and sense of duty, the governor tells her the truth. He was instructed to stop her by any means necessary. Finally, he gives her permission to leave Irkutsk for her husband.

The image of the princess in the poem

Among the criticisms of the work were those concerning the image of the main character. Many noted that the characterization of Princess Trubetskoy given in the poem did not quite correspond to the real image of Ekaterina Ivanovna. But, perhaps, the poet did not strive to accurately convey the character of Trubetskoy. He managed to show the courage of her act.

The image of Princess Trubetskoy in the poem "Russian Women" turned out to be bright and expressive. Ekaterina Ivanovna is shown as brave and resolute, ready to overcome all obstacles. She is a faithful and loving wife, for whom the marriage bond is most important.

For her, society is just a bunch of hypocritical people, cowards who were afraid to join the Decembrists. Readiness for difficulties, the belief that with her husband they can overcome everything, the desire to be his support - this is how we see the image of Princess Trubetskoy, who struck Nekrasov.

Decoration

The poem "Russian Women. Princess Trubetskaya" consists of two parts, written in iambic. This adds dynamism and tension to the story. At the beginning, the scene of the heroine's farewell to her father and her memories of childhood, youth, and marriage are shown. The second part describes the meeting between Trubetskoy and the governor of Irkutsk, during which she shows her will and fortitude.

A feature of the first part of the poem "Russian Women. Princess Trubetskaya" is a mixture of "sleep and reality." The heroine looks at the winter road, then suddenly falls into a dream, in which she remembers important moments in her life. According to some literary critics, the poet built the first part on purpose. This shows that the princess is seized with an emotional outburst, a desire to meet her husband as soon as possible. When writing this poem, Nekrasov relied on the memories of people who knew Ekaterina Ivanovna, and on A. Rosen's Notes of the Decembrist.

Before the Decembrist uprising

Princess Trubetskaya was born Countess Laval, the daughter of a French emigrant and heiress of capital I.S. Myasnikov. Parents provided Ekaterina and her sisters with a carefree childhood. They knew no refusal in anything, received an excellent education and could live with their parents in Europe for a long time.

According to the descriptions of her contemporaries, Ekaterina Laval was not known as a beauty, but she had a unique charm. In 1819, in Paris, she met Prince Sergei Petrovich Trubetskoy. In 1820, the couple got married. Everyone considered the prince an enviable groom. He was of noble birth, rich, fought with Napoleon, smart, had the rank of colonel. Ekaterina Ivanovna had every chance of becoming a general. After 5 years of family life, she learns about her husband's participation in the Decembrist uprising.

The decision of the princess to go for her husband

Ekaterina Ivanovna was one of the first wives who managed to obtain permission to follow their husbands to Siberia. In 1826, she reached Irkutsk, where for some time she remained in the dark about where her husband was. Governor Zeidler was ordered to dissuade Trubetskaya from her decision.

The woman stayed in Irkutsk for 5 months before she was allowed to go to her husband in the Nerchinsk mines. In 1845, the Trubetskoy family received permission to settle in Irkutsk. The main centers of the Irkutsk Decembrists were the houses of Trubetskoy and Volkonsky. Ekaterina Ivanovna, according to the memoirs of her contemporaries, was smart, educated, charming and unusually cordial.

The poem "Princess Trubetskaya" by Nekrasov showed all the strength and firmness of the spirit of Russian women.