Charming, intelligent, and abundantly talented, the beautiful Princess Zinaida Alexandrovna Volkonsky embodied the romantic spirit of an age that her fascinating life epitomized. At the Russian imperial court of Alexander I in the early 1800s, the young Zinaida captured the heart of the czar himself before her marriage to his aide-de-camp Prince Volkonsky took her across Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Afterward, at the peace celebrations, she won wide praise in London and Paris, Vienna and Verona, for her musical performances, while in Moscow her literary salon prompted Alexander Pushkin to dub her the "Queen of the Muses and of Beauty." Following Zinaida across continents, this superbly researched biography also maps the spiritual journey of the princess, who eventually traveled to Rome, there to embrace more fully the Roman Catholic faith she had adopted. There, too, she welcomed artists like Stendhal, Rossini, Donizetti, Sir Walter Scott, and Nikolai Gogol at her salon, though ultimately she took Franciscan vows of poverty and dedicated the last decade of her life to the poor, who gathered in crowds to mourn the death in 1862 of the woman they knew simply as la beata.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
When her husband was the British ambassador to Italy, the author lived in the former Roman home of Princess Zinaida Volkonsky and became intrigued with her complex, extraordinary life. The strength of this biography, however, lies in the prodigious research Fairweather undertook, rather than in the writing, which is somewhat stilted. Zinaida (1789-1862) was born into an aristocratic Russian family and became a highly attractive, intelligent young woman with a beautiful singing voice and a voracious appetite for literature; the princess captivated Russian society. She also fell deeply in love with Tsar Alexander, whose many romantic conquests may have included his sister. Although no firm evidence exists, the correspondence between the tsar and Zinaida points to a sexual relationship, the first of many lengthy love affairs for the princess. To stem gossip, in 1911 she was married to Prince Nikita Volkonsky, whom Fairweather describes as "weak and lazy." After the birth of their son, the princess fell into a severe depression, a condition that afflicted her many times during her life. The princess recovered, traveled widely, hosted famed musical and literary salons in Moscow, Paris and Rome and published several books of poetry and prose. Existing as she did at the center of European intellectual and cultural life, Zinaida became acquainted with many notable individuals, including Pushkin and Gogol, and Fairweather is particularly adept at weaving the major events of the 19th century into her narrative. Later in life, Zinaida settled in Rome, converted to Catholicism (becoming an almost fanatic devotee) and eschewed her privileged lifestyle by dedicating the last years of her life to serving the poor. B&w illus. (Feb.)Forecast: Though fascinating, the Princess Zinaida's life might seem too obscure to have a broad appeal. However, the British publication of the book early in 2000 was the occasion of a full-page story in Time magazine; it's possible that with review attention, a fair number of readers will be captivated by her unorthodox life.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This richly textured biography details the life of a truly remarkable woman. Born in 1789 into the most prestigious ranks of the highly stratified Russian aristocracy, Princess Zinaida was a widely admired member of Czar Alexander's inner circle. Traveling across the continent with the Russian imperial contingent during the long years of the Napoleonic Wars, she observed, at close range, the various military campaigns and came into intimate contact with some of the most politically powerful men in Europe. After the conclusion of the hostilities she returned to Russia, establishing the most famous and influential literary and musical salon of the era. Most intriguing, however, was Zinaida's eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism and her increasing concern with the plight of the poor. Spending the final decades of her life in Rome, she eschewed the life of luxury and privilege into which she had been born, choosing instead to become a Franciscan lay missionary dedicated to easing the burdens of the sick and destitute. A well-researched historical biography that reads like a work of fiction. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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2.0 out of 5 stars
The Lifeless Life of a Russian Princess,
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This review is from: Pilgrim Princess : The Life of Princess Zinaida Volkonsky (Hardcover)
Princess Zinaida Volkonsky was apparently one of those handful of beautiful and charming women who scent the pages of 18th c. histories. Cultured, wealthy, aristocratic and intellectual, they held sway over Tsars and Kings, salons and balls, their glittering jewels and extravagant gowns highlighting their beauty, their wit and learning flavoring their conversation. A talented musician, poet, hostess and political medler, Princess Zinaida was born into the Russian aristocracy, and came to adulthood during a fascinating chapter in that country's history. Russia of the late 18th c. was more open, more Western and more powerful than it would be for centuries. This exotic and connected Princess had the ear (and heart) of the young Alexander I who had just defeated Napoleon after his diasterous attempt to conquer Mother Russia. She was friendly with Gogol, Pushkin, Turgenev and other writers who were at that moment raising Russian literature to glorious heights. She traveled from St. Petersberg to Venice to Paris to Rome to Vienna and back at a time when such travel was rare and arduous. She captivated young men, ignored her too patient husband, and impressed all around her with her many alluring attributes. Pulled toward the Church of Rome, she finally converted to Catholicism, settled in Rome, built a lovely villa with enchanting gardens and worked her charms on Cardinals and Bishops. She died of pneumonia after giving her warm petticoat to an old street woman, but not after establishing a number of religious schools for girls in and around Rome. So why is this book so deadly dull? The ingredients for a delicious biography a la Nancy Mitford's "Pompador" are so readily to hand, but first-time author Maria Fairweather is unable to bring her fairy Princess to life. She remains flat on the pages, alway busy, yes, but also annoyingly neurotic, selfish and, frankly, not very interesting. Her faith and conversion is never convincingly explored, her circle of friends is impressive, but there is no hint of what drew these fascinating men to the lovely Zinaida. The central character of this book is missing. She isn't a mystery, she is a cipher.
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