The Russian Family of the Discoverer of Troy: How Dreams of Excavation Ruined the Marriage of Heinrich Schliemann

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

All over the world, Heinrich Schliemann is known as the archaeologist who found Troy. However, before this happened, he had lived in Russia for almost 20 years, and the general public knows almost nothing about this period of his life. But it was at this time that events took place that predetermined his further path, and the daughter of a Petersburg lawyer, Ekaterina Lyzhina, played an important role in them.

In scientific circles, the attitude towards him has always been ambiguous - someone considered him a legendary discoverer, and someone - a great adventurer, charlatan and hoaxer. But before digging, Schliemann managed to build a very successful career in the field of trade. He came to Russia in early 1846 as a representative of a Dutch trading company. At that time he was only 24 years old, but he established himself as an enterprising businessman. Convinced that in St. Petersburg there are many opportunities for him in the field of trade operations, Henry decided to stay here for a longer time.

A year after his arrival in St. Petersburg, Schliemann accepted Russian citizenship, and then enrolled in the second merchant guild. His business here was so successful that by the age of 30 he was already a millionaire. However, in Russia, he was engaged not only in trading, but also in search of a bride. It is known that Heinrich was engaged to his compatriot, German Sophia Gacker, but the engagement was canceled. And soon Schliemann met the family of the famous Petersburg lawyer Pyotr Lyzhin, for whose daughter he had feelings.

From the surviving letters of Ekaterina Lyzhina, it follows that even before his departure from Russia, he made her an offer - she ended her messages with the words "". In 1850 Schliemann left for America, where he spent a year and a half, and then returned to St. Petersburg. It is difficult to judge what motives he was guided by when, after his arrival, he made an offer in writing to two women at once - Sophia and Ekaterina. Who knows how this ambiguous situation would have been resolved if Sophia had not suddenly died of typhus.

In 1852 Heinrich Schliemann married Ekaterina Lyzhina. Knowing about his entrepreneurial spirit and pragmatism, biographers suggest that the fact that both the father and the brother of his wife were famous lawyers, whose advice could be very useful to Schliemann, played an important role in this decision. In addition, the status of a decent family man strengthened his position in society as a major businessman. During this period, he was able to multiply his fortune several times, selling blue dye for uniforms, sulfur, saltpeter, lead, tin, iron and gunpowder to the War Ministry during the Crimean War.

In this marriage, Schliemann had three children, but this family union could hardly be called happy. Henry by that time was already obsessed with the idea of going in search of Troy - a city described by Homer and until then considered mythical. The wife did not share her husband's hobbies and passion for travel, was completely absorbed in caring for family and children and did not want to accompany Schliemann on his expeditions. Perhaps this was the main reason that their marriage broke up 14 years later.

In 1866 Heinrich Schliemann left Russia, this time for good. The most painful part for him was parting with his son Sergei, with whom they were especially close. His son idolized and sincerely worried about him, as evidenced by his letters: ""; "". After leaving St. Petersburg, Schliemann wrote: "".

However, Heinrich Schliemann did not yearn for "sweet unforgettable Petersburg" and his first family for long - 3 years after leaving Russia, he remarried - with the Greek woman Sofia Engastromenos, and became an American citizen. At the same time, according to Russian laws, his first marriage was not dissolved, and since then he was banned from entering Russia, since here he was considered a bigamist.

What made Schliemann, who became a merchant of the first guild in Russia and amassed a millionth fortune, to leave the country? Judging by the fact that even during his stay there, he learned the ancient Greek language, the dream of Troy appeared in him long before his departure. At first, he did not even lose hope of persuading Catherine to move to him in Paris, where he planned to engage in scientific activities. Heinrich wrote to one of his Petersburg acquaintances: "". Nevertheless, Ekaterina Petrovna was adamant in her choice - the decision of her husband in adulthood to change her occupation and take up science seemed reckless to her, and even after his ultimatum: either she and her children moved to Paris, or he considered their marriage dissolved - Catherine remained in Petersburg.

After Schliemann married a second time, their correspondence with Ekaterina Petrovna ceased, but he continued to write to children, without losing hope that his son Sergei would become his successor. He even invited him to the excavations, but he chose a different path, becoming an investigator and settling in the provinces. His father bequeathed to him two houses in Paris and a solid fortune, but Sergei could not take advantage of these benefits while remaining in Russia. He passed away at the age of 84 after spending his last years in poverty. His mother, Ekaterina Petrovna, devoted her whole life to children and passed away in 1896.

And Heinrich Schliemann was ahead of world fame and controversy over his place and role in history, which have not ceased to this day: What Heinrich Schliemann actually found on the excavations.