When the husband is 20 years younger and wiser for a lifetime: Anna Kern's long-suffering happiness

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Her name became known thanks to Alexander Pushkin, who dedicated his poem "I remember a wonderful moment" to Anna Kern. By the time she met the poet, she was already married, but the young woman's personal happiness was not even discussed. The wife of her Yermolai Kern, Anna, hated. Throughout her family life, she fell in love every now and then, and as a result, the reputation of the general's wife was hopelessly damaged. But Anna Kern found her real happiness at the age of 36 in the person of 16-year-old Alexander Markov-Vinogradsky.

A fleeting vision

Anna Poltoratskaya was not yet 17 years old when her father married her to 52-year-old Yermolai Kern. Pyotr Markovich Poltoratsky firmly decided that only a general would be suitable for Anna's husband, and therefore all the boyfriends who did not have such a rank simply had no chance.

The marriage turned out to be a real nightmare for the young girl. She not only did not love her husband, but did not even have respect for him. And with bitterness she confessed: she almost hates him. However, Yermolai Fedorovich himself did not care too much about the mental torment of the young wife.

Daughters born of a spouse did not evoke warm feelings in Anna. Ekaterina Ermolaevna was brought up in Smolny, Anna lived for only 4 years, and Olga died at the age of seven.

Anna Kern desperately wanted to love and be loved. She followed, as befits a general's wife, her husband from city to city. She found solace by attending infrequent social events, where she caught the admiring glances of men. As you know, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who dedicated his lines to her, fell under the charm of young Kern.

Anna Kern did not attach much importance to this hobby and the poet's ardent confessions: the fame of a womanizer had long been entrenched in him. And his true attitude towards the young ladies whom he was fond of was known. Undoubtedly, Pushkin's attention flattered her, but in the life of Anna Kern there were more serious novels.

In the diaries of a young woman in 1819, there is a mention of a certain man, whom she called Rosehip in her notes. Later she had an affair with the landowner Arkady Rodzianko, and in 1825 she was carried away by her cousin Alexei Wolf.

In 1827, having finally said goodbye to her husband, Anna Kern settled in St. Petersburg. By that time, her reputation was completely ruined, in a decent society she was considered an outcast. However, this did not in the least prevent the young woman from trying again and again to find her happiness.

The age of love is not a hindrance

In 1836, Anna Kern met her true love. Young cadet of the First Petersburg Cadet Corps Alexander Markov-Vinogradsky, her own second cousin, took possession of all the thoughts and feelings of a woman. At the time of his acquaintance he was only 16 years old, she was already 36 years old. But how could age prevent them from becoming happy?

Sasha Markov-Vinogradsky was ready to do anything for the one whom he fell in love with with all his youthful passion. He was wise enough to ignore the condemnation of society. The young man did not care at all how his career would develop further, he was not going to listen to negative statements about his beloved woman from his relatives, and material well-being could not be compared with the happiness of being next to his adored Anna.

A young woman who met her love was instantly transformed. She was no longer interested in balls and male admiring glances. She practically ceased to appear in society and completely devoted herself to her quiet family happiness.

In 1839, the son of lovers was born, whom Anna named Alexander. With him, she understood what real maternal feelings are.

After the death of her lawful spouse in 1841, Anna Kern could count on receiving a very decent pension, but a year later she married a loved one, abandoning all the privileges of a general's widow.

The Markov-Vinogradsky spouses were incredibly happy, despite material difficulties and outright need. Alexander Vasilyevich did not have any special talents, and he was not very good at providing for his family. But with all this, he could not breathe on his wife, endlessly confessed his love to her and thanked God for the happiness given to him to be the husband of “his darling”.

Anna Petrovna echoed her husband and confessed in letters to a relative: even poverty has its own joys if there is a lot of love in the spouses.

For almost 40 years, Anna Petrovna and Alexander Vasilievich Markov-Vinogradsky were happy. They lived very poorly, sometimes in desperate need. After her husband retired, Anna Petrovna was forced to sell Pushkin's letters addressed to her for a pittance.

Alexander Vasilyevich died in January 1879 from cancer, and four months later Anna Petrovna also left this world. The 40-year-old son of the Markov-Vinogradskys committed suicide shortly after the death of his parents. For a life in loneliness, he turned out to be completely unadapted.

One of the most famous works of Mikhail Glinka, in addition to operas and symphonic pieces, is the romance "I remember a wonderful moment" on the verses of A. Pushkin. And the most amazing thing is that both the poet and the composer at different times were inspired by women, between whom there was much more in common than one surname for two.