Tula Museum Association
International Scientific and Educational Roundtable
Maria Pavlovna (1877-1955) was only eight years old when she lost her father, Paul Pavlovitch Demidov, 2nd Prince of San Donato. Paul Pavlovitch died, aged only 45, from a liver ailment in 1885 at Villa Demidoff in Pratolino, Italy. Following the passing of her husband, Princess Elena Petrovna Demidova (1853-1917 ) returned to Kiev, bringing her four young children with her. Princess Elena eventually would settle permanently in Odessa.
In late 1896, Prince S.S. Abamelek-Lazarev, was nearly 40 years old and had steadfastly led a life consumed with fulfilling his many public and private work responsibilities. This left little, if any, time for frivolity. However with Christmas approaching in 1896, one of his younger sisters, Countess Elizaveta Semenovna Olsufieva (1866-1934), unexpectedly paid him visit at his mansion in St. Petersburg.[1]
Elizaveta was married to Count Andrei Alekseevich Olusufiev (1870-1933), a lieutenant and member of the Ministry of War. Since her husband that evening was ill, Lisa had arrived to invite Senya, as she called him, to join her at the theatre to see the performance of the highly acclaimed Italian actress ‘Duse’ (Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse (1858-1924)). Lisa and her husband regularly attended the theatre where they maintained a private box.
Lisa convinced her brother to tear himself from his work since, after all, it was the Christmas holiday season. The two arrived at the theatre at 20:30 with the performance already started. Standing at the back of the box, Senya observed the audience below many of whom he recognised as existing acquaintances. Lisa sat at the front of the box to enjoy the performance. At the end of the first act, the two walked down to the stalls where Lisa recognised her distant cousin, Count Vasily Alekseevič Olsufiev (1872-1925).[2] Count Vasily would later serve in the Regiment of the Horse Guards from 1893 to 1906 where he reached the rank of colonel. Lisa walked towards Count Vasily, who smiled in recognition at seeing his cousin and walked towards Lisa bringing his companion.
“Let me introduce you to my fiancée, Princess Maria Pavlovna of San Donato. But only, she does not speak Russian very well because she grew up in Florence….”. S.S Abamelek-Lazarev, who was standing near, looked closely at the twenty-year-old ‘beauty’ with amazing ‘blue-green’ coloured eyes. In French, Senya asked Lisa if he also could be introduced to the princess. Count Vasily was most pleased with the impression his young fiancée was making among his circle of friends. That evening Lisa and Senya were invited to attend the engagement celebration that was to be held on 14 January 1897 at Count Vasily’s father’s mansion on the banks of the Fontana, the left branch of the Neva river.
The prince did not attend the celebration but did read about the engagement announcement that appeared in the St. Petersburg newspapers in January and February. Lisa would also keep him informed. Lisa noted to Senya that the she did not believe that her cousin was the suitable groom for Maria and believed that she was still “a child who does not know life”. On her follow-on visits to see her cousin, Lisa got to know Maria Pavlovna better and better. She updated her brother that “she sings, plays music taught by her teacher Milij Balakirev (1863-1907). She also adores dancing and is taught by a former ballerina of the Imperial Theatre”.
Senya commented that “of course, I am twice as old as Maria Pavlovna, but I am still full of strength! In France, I would be considered in the prime of life”. To Lisa, it was clear that Maria had stirred something in his heart.
Senya now took to more regularly attending the theatre but more to watch Maria sitting in the stall below. In March, 1897, Maria’s grandmother, Aurora Demidova Karamzin, now aged 89, decided to return home to Finland from St. Petersburg and Maria agreed to accompany her on the voyage. For the prince the city of St. Petersburg now seemed empty and he ceased his social engagements.
Meanwhile the engagement was drifting since it appeared that Count Vasily was in no hurry to marry while his superiors were reluctant to release him from military service. On the other hand, Maria was content spending her days relaxing and being pampered at her grandmother’s, ‘Hakasalmi Villa’, that is located near Finlandia Hall near Töölönlahti.
The prince resolved to take drastic and immediate action. He set off for Helsinki and appeared the next morning at Hakasalmi Villa where he paid his respects to Aurora Demidova Karamzin. During the course of the week, he paid regular visits to Aurora’s mansion where each time he spoke with Maria. On one such visit he asked for her hand in marriage.[3]
At the beginning of April, 1897, the prince requested permission to marry Maria Pavlovna to the Minister of Education, Count Ivan Davidovich Delyanov (1818-1898). On 3 April the permission was immediately granted and with the wedding organised to take place in Helsinki by the end of that same month. This was a hastily arranged engagement and marriage that was sorted in a matter of a few short weeks.[4]
The wedding took place at the Assumption Church in Helsinki, the cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church. To celebrate the wedding, a special train arrived from St. Petersburg filled with high-ranking guests and envoys, among them Prince Sergei Nikitich Troubetzkoy, (1829-1899), state councillor and maternal uncle of the bride. The civil ceremony took place at the Imperial Palace, now the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, and was capped-off with a reception where guests were served champagne, fruit, and tea. In the afternoon, Maria’s grandmother, Aurora, invited the many guests to continue their celebrations at her Hakasalmi Villa. The news of the prince’s sumptuous wedding was reported on 30 April 1897 in the ‘Hufvudstadsbladet', a Swedish-language daily newspaper in Helsinki.
In the evening the bride, groom and guests departed for St. Petersburg and, on their arrival, were greeted at the railway station by a crowd of onlookers. The brief engagement and wedding, that quickly followed, was the only opportunity the prince would have to visit Helsinki.
After the marriage the couple travelled to Italy to honeymoon at Villa Demidoff. Maria wrote on 16 May 1897 to her mother in Kiev to say: “… I want to tell you, dear Maman, that I am very happy and pray to God that this tranquil good fortune lasts forever…”.[5]
Unfortunately, in 1898 Maria needed to take to the thermal waters and treatment at St. Blasien, that is located in the ‘Southern Black Forest’ of Germany, due to a pregnancy that had gone wrong.[6] The couple never did have children although their affection for each other never appeared to have diminished.
In 1903, Maria became owner of Villa Demidoff but without the right to sell the property. In 1904 Demidov family members consecrated the ‘Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ and Saint Nicholas the Thaumaturge’ in Florence where they earlier had donated 85,000 roubles towards its construction. The family further provided icons and other decorations from the Demidoff Chapel that pertained to Villa di San Donato.[7]
However, the prince had other ideas on where to establish roots in Italy. On learning that the villa at the foot of Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) in Rome had been placed for sale by the heirs of Baron Bettino Ricasoli, the prince moved quickly to secure its purchase.[8] From 1903 to 1913, the prince made a series of property purchases to acquire the ancient estate. His initial investment of 50,000 roubles for the purchase of the property was followed by an additional investment of 400,000 roubles to transform the park land, acquire additional adjoining land, and to rebuild and furnish reconstructed buildings. The extensive overhaul of the property was entrusted to to the engineer, Francesco Borruso, and the architect, Vincenzo Moraldi.
In 1913 Moraldi transformed the ‘Dragon Tower’ into the ‘Palace of the Muses’, a theatre fitted with stage where Maria could present her performances. Maria was especially fond of dances in the spirit of classical antiquity. A favourite was the goddess from the Roman religion, ‘Flora’, that Maria would present costumed in a Greek tunic, leather sandals, and with flowers in her hair. The Italian painter Enrico Novelli (1876-1943), known as ‘Yambo’, painted a watercolour of Maria in costume that the prince kept in his office in St. Petersburg. Private concerts and performances for the prince and Maria would also be staged at the ‘Palace of the Muses’.
The buildings themselves were furnished with fine paintings, primarily from the Venetian school, together with Venetian furniture, Flemish tapestries, Roman mosaics, and sculptures from different periods. The landscape was embellished with the addition of new ancient sculptures .
The prince further purchased adjoining lands that belonged to the charity group, the ‘Confraternity of the Holy Spirit’, for the purpose to constructing a Russian Orthodox church. The project was entrusted to the Russian architect, V.A. Pokrovsky, and directly approved in 1913 by Tsar Nicholas II who further contributed 10,000 roubles towards its construction.[9] Grand Dukes Sergei Alexandrovich and Mikhail Nikolaevich further donated monies towards the project. Unfortunately, the onset of World War I placed a halt to plans and the project would not recommence until nearly one century later when Villa Abamelek fell under the control of the Embassy of Russia in Rome.[10]
The couple typically spent their winter months in St. Petersburg while spring and summers were spent in Italy or in Biarritz. Until 1910, they initially lived in the prince’s mansion pertaining to the Armenian Church at 40 Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. However, once this property passed to the Armenian parish, the prince was forced to find new accommodation. In 1911 he acquired the site, together with the adjoining houses, on Moika Embankment 21 to 23. Construction of the mansion started in 1913 and under the direction of the architect, Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin (1872-1936). The work lasted until 1914 and involved the transformation of the adjoining properties into one mansion with house number 23 on the Moika embankment.
As a reminder of Villa Demidoff, the wall of one of the halls was decorated with a large painting of the ‘Apennine Colossus’, the nearly eleven meter high stone statue found in Maria’s Tuscan estate. A ‘theater’ was designed and constructed for Maria equipped with mirrors, chandeliers, and special spotlights.[11]
Maria, with her out-going personality, not only appreciated dance, music, and the theatre, but also had an interest to meet directly new talented artists. In 1904 she traveled to Rome specifically to meet and pose for the highly talented ‘rising new star’, Pietro Canonica (1869-1959), who made her marble bust that same year. The bust of Maria is one of Canonica’s finest pieces and can be seen today in the ‘Sala di Canonica’ at the ‘Palazzo dei Congressi’ in Stresa.[12]
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the couple urgently returned to Russia where they generously donated towards the International Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations. During these tumultuous times, Maria also pursued another interest which was the collection of original manuscripts connected to her favourite writers such as those of Ivan Turgenev. Maria also collected original manuscripts pertaining to her Demidov ancestors.[13]
Maria would carefully organise in separate folders original letters by Nicholas Demidoff (1773 -1828), and by his sons, Paul Nikolaievitch (1798 -1840), and Anatole Nikolaivitch (1813-1870) that she would collect. The inside of each folder would show a typed listing of its content of original manuscripts so the author and the year the letter was written. In the mid-1960’s, Paul of Yugoslavia would donate to the ‘Institut français de Florence’ many of Maria’s original Demidov family manuscripts. Paul embellished the contribution to the Institute by adding a separate page detailing the content of each letter transcribed into French with a typewriter.[14]
On 19 September 1916, S.S. Abamelek-Lazarev died suddenly from a massive heart attack while travelling in Kislovodsk, that is located in the North Caucasus region of Russia. He was buried at the Lazarev family sepulchre at the Smolensky Cemetery in St Petersburg.[15]
In the spring of 1917, Maria left Russia for Italy and never to return. In Italy, she donated a Medici villa in Galluzzo in support of permanently disabled veterans of the First World War. This became known as the “S.S. Abamelek-Lazarev National Invalid House”. This is only one of many examples of her many charitable and philanthropic initiatives often undertaken in memory of her much loved and departed husband. The loss of her husband transformed Moina from an out-going, lively personality with far- ranging interests in the arts, fashion, dance, history, and literature into a recluse who locked herself away from the outside world.[16]
It is interesting to read the recollections of Princess Olga of Denmark and Greece (1903-1997 ). In 1923 Princess Olga married Paul of Yugoslavia (1893–1976 ) and the couple honeymooned at Villa Demidoff. In her private, documented writings dating to September 1957, Princes Olga reminisces on Moina writing that “This kind and somewhat original lady had been the only occupant of the large house for close to 40 years, during the last five she lived mostly as a recluse, refusing to see anyone and never leaving her bedroom even for meals….”. Princess Olga goes on to say, “And on each visit it was the same; always that immobile figure, eager for our news, but remote and detached from the noisy outside world, which hardly reached behind those high walls….”.[17]
Maria never did re-marry and out-lived her husband by 39 years. She died at Villa Demidoff on 21 July 1955 and is buried next to the chapel on the grounds of her beloved Villa Demidoff.
The author wishes to thank the ‘Center for Russian Culture in Rome’ and personally, Wanda Gasperowicz, for her important support. This article would not have been possible without her invaluable contribution. This article also makes extensive use of the paper presented by Galina Ippolitavo: (Archivio storico statale russo, S. Petersburgo), ‘Marija Demidova e Semen Abamelek-Lazarev’ in L.Tonini (a cura di) ‘I Demidoff fra Russia e Italia’, No. 50 (2013) pp 285-297. Lastly, the author wishes to warmly thank his close friend and relations, HRH Princess Elizabeth Karageorgevitch, who kindly and generously shared a copy of her mother’s unpublished, private and personal, ‘The Pratolino Journal’ by Princess Olga dated September, 1957.
[1] Savinova, E. (2010). Last Abamelek. historytagil_ru, Accessed 1 October 2022, https://historyntagil-ru.
[2] Jatta, A. (personal communication to author on 22 November 2022 confirming engagement of great-grandfather’s, Count Vasily Alekseevič Olsufiev, engagement to Maria Pavlovna).
[3] Savinova, The last Abamelek
[4] Ippolitavo, G. (Archivio storico statale russo, S. Petersburgo), ‘Marija Demidova e Semen Abamelek-Lazarev’ in L.Tonini (a cura di) ‘I Demidoff fra Russia e Italia’, No. 50 (2013) p 292.
[5] Letter in French from Maria Demidova to Elena Troubetzkaya Demidova, from Pratolino, dated 16 May 1897, RGIA, f. 880, op.5, d.27.
[6] Ippolitavo: (Archivio storico statale russo, S. Petersburgo), ‘Marija Demidova e Semen Abamelek-Lazarev’ p. 292.
[7] Zherdev, V. (2018). The Demidoff Church in the San Donato Estate in Florence. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Arts, 8(4), 605–625. https://doi.org/10.21638/SPBU15.2018.405
[8] Piccolo, L. (2020). Luoghi russi in Italia_Roma, Villa Abamelek. Russiinitalia, Accessed 1 October 2022, http://www.russinitalia.it/luoghidettaglio.php
[9] THE ORTHODOX CUPOLA FOR 10 YEARS IN FRONT OF ST. PETER’S. (2021, December 13), Accessed 1 October 2022, Planet360.info. https://www.planet360.info/en/the-orthodox-cupola-for-10-years-in-front-of-st-peters/
[10] Borisovich, I.D. (2022). Russian Villa Abamelek and its Owners. Russian Villa Abamelek and its Owners, Accessed 1 October 2022, https://dereksiz-org.translate.goog/russkaya-villa-abamelek-iee-vladeleci.html
[11] Nesterova, K. (2021). Houses of abamelek lazarev. Excursion to the Abamelek-Lazarevs' mansion. step: book tickets for the excursion or tour. Bravo Planner, Accessed 1 October 2022, https://bravoplanner.ru/en/strany/doma-abamelek-lazareva-ekskursiya-v-osobnyak-abamelek-lazarevyh-shag-zabronirovat-bilety-na-ekskurs/
[12] Пьетро Каноника и Петербург // Невский архив: Историко-краеведческий сборник. Вып. VI. СПб.: Лики России, 2003. C. 556—570.
[13] Demidova, M. (circa 1914). ‘Lettres de mes Chers Aieux 1823-1868’, Folder for 82 original letters written by Prince Anatole Demidoff with typewritten table attached to front cover citing each letter organised chronologically. Original folder in possession of author.
[14] Maria Pavlovna Demidova collection of original Demidoff family manuscripts, then to Paul of Yugoslavia, who, in the early 1960’s, added typewritten transcriptions in French for each manuscript. All manuscripts dating to 19th Century. Collection in possession of author.
[15] (2022). Abamelek-Lazarev, Semyon Semyonovich-Wikipedia. Wikipedia, Accessed 1 October 2022, https://ru-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/
[16] Larocca, G. (n.d.). Marija Pavlovna Demidova_Russi in Italia. Russi in Italia, Accessed 1 October 2022, http://www.russinitalia.it/dettaglio.php?id=355
[17] Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark, "The Pratolino Journal" (unpublished manuscript, September 1957), handwritten in blue ink.