Alexandra Illarionovna Shuvalova is a representative of the brilliant aristocratic family of the Vorontsov-Dashkov-Shuvalov family, whose services to the Fatherland have not faded over time. She not only sacredly honored and preserved the history of her family in her memoirs, but also showed herself a worthy continuation of her parents. Participant of the First World War, holder of the St. George Medal of all degrees, philanthropist and at the same time a mother of many children.
Childhood of Sandra Shuvalova (Vorontsova)
Countess Alexandra Shuvalova was born on August 25 (September 6), 1869 in Gomel, Mogilev province, and died on July 11, 1959 in France. Father - Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov at one time held a high state post, was an outstanding military and public figure.
In 1865 he served in Turkestan. From 1881 to 1897, he was minister of the imperial court. Being a friend of Alexander III, after the assassination of his father in 1881, Vorontsov was the organizer of the so-called "Sacred squad". He headed the Red Cross in 1904, and, starting in 1905, for 11 years served as governor in the Caucasus.
Sandra's mother (that was her name in a close circle), Elizaveta Andreevna, nee Shuvalov. Alexandra Illarionovna was brought up in a large family of 4 sisters and 4 brothers, where she was the second child and the first, eldest of sisters. Due to the closeness of their parents to the emperor, the children spent a lot of time with their peers in the imperial palace.
Who first began to call her Sandra, and then Aunt Sandra, so it went "from the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich" (grandson of Nicholas I) - says Alexander Shuvalova herself in her memoirs. It is clear that all the children of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs received an excellent education. Most of her childhood was spent on the family estate Novo-Temnikovo in the Shatsk district. Children had a lot of fun in nature, mastered horse riding.
From her relationship with her parents, she writes about her father with great respect and warmth. And this is no coincidence. Illarion Ivanovich really loved Alexandra and his son Roman the most of all the children. If the mother was more emotional and could often change her attitude towards her daughter depending on her misdeeds and achievements, then the father, even expressing his dissatisfaction with her behavior, did not change his good attitude.
Alexandra recalled that often between lessons she ran for at least 10 minutes to her father's office to talk, for which her mother reprimanded her husband, counting. that he pampers his daughter. Therefore, the girl grew up fond of her fatherly love, but in constant tension when communicating with her mother, who strove to make her a remark, and often offensive and unfair.
On the eve of 1888, Alexandra successfully passed the exam for a home teacher, soon after which, when meeting with Princess Maria Pavlovna, she had to conduct a long conversation in French. Later, Sandra found out that this was how she was tested for her knowledge of foreign languages. In January 1882, she was assigned as a maid of honor to Empress Maria Feodorovna.
The happiness of marriage
In 1890, at the age of 21, Alexandra Vorontsova married Pavel Pavlovich Shuvalov, who was her relative. The engagement took place on February 6, 1890, and the wedding took place 2 months later, in April. They got married in a modest atmosphere, in the house church of the Vorontsov family, on the English Embankment of St. Petersburg, where it was quite crowded for a large number of people.
Close relatives and the imperial couple were present. Alexander Alexandrovich Polovtsov, being in the post of Secretary of State under Alexander III, recorded this event in the news of public life. He noted that the bride "is not beautiful, but sweet in all respects," and rumors circulate about the groom that "he is callous and on his own mind."
However, this did not make any difference to the newlyweds, who were actually happy. The marriage of Alexandra and Paul turned out to be extremely successful. The future and career of Pavel Shuvalov is not much different from the fate of the aristocratic elite of that time. His father, Pavel Andreevich Shuvalov, a diplomat and military leader, assigned his son to the Mikhailovsky Artillery School.
Even before his marriage, right after college, Pavel Pavlovich went through the Russian-Turkish war. And almost immediately after the wedding, he was appointed to Moscow, adjutant of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. For a short happy family life, which lasted only 15 years, the couple managed to give birth to eight children. Here Sandra repeated her mother: 4 daughters and 4 sons.
Always at the forefront
Despite the fact that the entourage considered the marriage of Vorontsova and Shuvalov a pragmatic idea, in order to unite the already large landholdings of families, the spouses were the best fit for each other. Sandra, as they used to say, went in character to the priest, not like the absurd Elizaveta Andreevna. She was homely, judicious, but decisive when needed.
It is not clear where the rumors about the callousness of Pavel Pavlovich Shuvalov came from, because the count possessed such qualities as decency, justice, loyalty to his duty and compassion. Despite the high government posts of the governor of the imperial court, the mayor of Odessa, and then Moscow, Shuvalov was always easy to communicate.
He helped the needy a lot, accepted everyone who turned to him for help and refused to take a refund. Probably this attitude towards people united the spouses. During the 5 years that they lived in Odessa (1898-1903), the city has changed significantly, according to eyewitnesses it has become "capital". First, Shuvalov gave up his city governor's salary and organized insurance for the police with these funds.
Secondly, he agreed with the owners of enterprises, factories, factories, so that they made contributions for the construction of a hospital and the maintenance of several beds according to the number of employees in their enterprises. Part of the expenses was covered by the treasury, and part by the Shuvalovs themselves from their own funds. The streets were kept clean. During the service of Pavel Pavlovich, there was not a single discontent of residents, except for a single pogrom of Jews.
But in this case, Shuvalov himself traveled around the city, pacifying the people. It all ended in peace, without sacrifice. Thanks to the efforts of Alexandra Illarionovna herself, a Red Cross committee was created in the city, which helped to cope with the plague that raged in Odessa for two springs in a row, brought in by rodents from steamers. The Shuvalovs visited the sick, attracted experienced doctors.
Tramps lived in crowds on the territory of the Vorontsov Palace (the estate of Alexandra's great-grandfather), which was uninhabited before the arrival of the Shuvalovs. Sandra told the guards not to drive them out of the garden and generally refused security services. The family could not lock the doors, leave anything on the terrace, and during their stay in Odessa there was not a single case of theft or damage.
The Shuvalov family left the city in 1903, as the spouse received an order from the ministry to introduce some agents in the factories and plants of Odessa, who would hunt down the "left elements" for subsequent arrest. Pavel was outraged by the unworthy methods of leadership and went to St. Petersburg with a written request. It was not satisfied and Shuvalov resigned.
Alexandra supported her husband's decision, although they were sorry to leave. The husband honored his work, and Sandra was also active in charity work here. Odessans bitterly said goodbye to the Shuvalovs. Taking the post of Moscow mayor in 1905, Pavel Pavlovich understood perfectly well that his predecessor had been killed.
Despite this, Pavel Pavlovich every Tuesday at the residence of the mayor arranged an open reception for everyone. He wanted to help everyone, did not refuse anyone, although terrorist attacks by extremists took place in the city one after another. The fate of the previous mayor befell him after only five months. Sandra became a widow when she still carried her last, eighth child under her heart.
Having coped with her grief, the 35-year-old widow took upon herself all the worries about the Shuvalovs' estate in Vartemyagi. She supported the church and school with her. The children grew up and from 1910 Alexandra began to appear. But, as before, she read a lot, was always aware of social and political events, was a member of the leadership of the Society for Aid to the Poor, and led the Society for the Charity of Children Who Perished in Public Service.
Alexandra did not stop her charitable work and during the First World War she headed the Committee of the Red Cross. On the countess's personal funds, military field hospitals were organized, she herself, together with her older daughters, participated in the provision of first aid at the head of the vanguard of the Red Cross.
How many soldiers were saved from death and captivity thanks to the sisters of mercy. Alexandra Illarionovna, together with others, carried out the wounded under bullets, helped to ferry them to the rear. During this difficult time, Alexandra lost her 18-year-old son, who died in battle.
In emigration. Life goes on
The Shuvalovs firmly believed that with their openness, honesty, example of courage and self-sacrifice, they could change the situation in the country as a whole. Alexandra Illarionovna outlived her husband by more than 50 years. This sweet, nondescript countess was a caring mother, a devoted life companion for her husband and a selfless warrior of her state.
Sandra Shuvalova proudly, on top of even the most elegant dress, wore her awards for participation in the First World War, after which new life tests still awaited her. In 1916, his beloved father passed away. In 1917, the daughter's husband was killed by a bullet in Petrograd. Alexandra Illarovna, like most of her class, moved to the Crimea.
In 1919, the British government sent military boats to Alupka to take out members of the imperial family. Maria Feodorovna agreed to leave if the Crimea and other families close to the imperial court left with her. Among them, Alexandra Illarionovna left Russia. First they arrived in Constantinople, then to Athens, and from there to France, where the Countess remained until her death.
In a foreign land, Shuvalova lived very modestly, in a small apartment in the center of Paris. Here she was a member of the board of the Russian Red Cross, which was abolished in the homeland. In 1931 she became the head of the Society for Aid Tuberculosis Patients. In 1948 she was the chairman of the Red Cross, and in the last years of her life, Alexandra Illarionovna was engaged in the creation of a home for elderly emigrants.
This house began to function and receive the first elderly people in need of medical attention and care in the spring of 1959, just a few weeks before the death of the Countess. She passed away at the age of 90. Alexandra Shuvalova carried her cross with dignity and even after the death of her sons, she said that she was grateful to God for such children and was proud of them.
