Turgenev, love stories: the Russian estate in literature

The extraordinary romance between Ivan Turgenev and Pauline Viardot remains one of the greatest mysteries of world literature. "My feeling for her is something the world has never known, something that has never existed before and will never be repeated," the writer confessed in his later years.

A true Russian giant, standing almost two metres tall, Ivan Turgenev was not only an avid hunter but also a man of rare intellect, education, and refinement. He spoke several languages, had an exceptional knowledge of European culture and literature, and was acquainted with the most prominent writers and thinkers of his time. Back home, many ladies of societyadmired his romantic appearance and aristocratic manners.

Pauline Viardot, on the other hand, did not conform to traditional standards of beauty. Yet, nature endowed her with magnetic charm, a sharp mind, and extraordinary musical talent. "Coal and bones!" were the sneers of the envious. Yet Turgenev was fascinated: "From the first moment I saw her — from that fateful moment — I belonged to her completely, as a dog belongs to its master. I could no longer live where she did not live; I tore myself away from everything dear to me, even my homeland, and followed this woman".

Lecturer

Nina Shcherbak, Associate Professor in the Department of English Philology and Cultural Linguistics at St Petersburg University, Master of Arts (UK), is a writer and screenwriter. She is also a scriptwriter for science television programmes and the author of fifteen monographs and books on linguistics, literature, philosophy of language and English literature.

The lecture will be held online in Russian with simultaneous translation into Spanish.

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