The painting depicts Daria Sushkova, the sister of Fyodor Tyutchev. After the poet’s family had sold their house in the Armyansky lane in Moscow, Tyutchev often stayed at the house of his sister and her husband Nikolai Sushkov. The building was located in Staropimenovskiy lane and for almost 30 years the famous salon of the Sushkovs was well known in Moscow.
Fyodor Tyutchev liked visiting the Sushkovs a lot and often praised the house of his brother-in-law, telling his wife with enthusiasm, “In Moscow I see more educated people in two weeks than in St. Petersburg in six months. I must admit that the salon of the Sushkovs is definitely pleasant.” The writer and memoirist Tatyana Kuzminskaya, who often spent the evenings at the house of the Sushkovs, confirms the poet’s words, ‘It was a house where you could meet writers, diplomats who came from St. Petersburg, and celebrities from the world of music.’
The founder of the salon was Nikolai Sushkov. A pupil of the Noble Boarding School at Moscow University and its chronicler, he grew up in a family where everyone was very fond of Russian literature. Gavrila Derzhavin and Vasily Kapnist were frequent guests at his house. Sushkov himself had some literary talent and, most importantly, was well versed in poetry. This explains his genuine interest in Tyutchev’s poems, which he wrote down in a special notebook, preparing to publish the first book of the poet’s poems.
He even informed the subscribers of the literary collection ‘Rout for 1852’ about the preparation of Tyutchev’s complete collection of poems for the publication. Later, his work became the basis of the book, which was published as a supplement to the literary journal “Sovremennik”.
The Sushkovs' salon was visited by writers Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy, writers Mikhail Pogodin, Stepan Shevyrev, Sergei Sobolevsky, the Slavophiles brothers Aksakov, Moscow journalists headed by Mikhail Katkov, editor of “Moskovskiye Vedomosti”.
Nikolai Sushkov wrote about Tyutchev, “Of the living poet Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is the closest to Lermontov and not inferior in any respect.” The poet learnt the news of Sushkov’s death with bitter feelings. In a letter to his wife, he wrote,
Fyodor Tyutchev liked visiting the Sushkovs a lot and often praised the house of his brother-in-law, telling his wife with enthusiasm, “In Moscow I see more educated people in two weeks than in St. Petersburg in six months. I must admit that the salon of the Sushkovs is definitely pleasant.” The writer and memoirist Tatyana Kuzminskaya, who often spent the evenings at the house of the Sushkovs, confirms the poet’s words, ‘It was a house where you could meet writers, diplomats who came from St. Petersburg, and celebrities from the world of music.’
The founder of the salon was Nikolai Sushkov. A pupil of the Noble Boarding School at Moscow University and its chronicler, he grew up in a family where everyone was very fond of Russian literature. Gavrila Derzhavin and Vasily Kapnist were frequent guests at his house. Sushkov himself had some literary talent and, most importantly, was well versed in poetry. This explains his genuine interest in Tyutchev’s poems, which he wrote down in a special notebook, preparing to publish the first book of the poet’s poems.
He even informed the subscribers of the literary collection ‘Rout for 1852’ about the preparation of Tyutchev’s complete collection of poems for the publication. Later, his work became the basis of the book, which was published as a supplement to the literary journal “Sovremennik”.
The Sushkovs' salon was visited by writers Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy, writers Mikhail Pogodin, Stepan Shevyrev, Sergei Sobolevsky, the Slavophiles brothers Aksakov, Moscow journalists headed by Mikhail Katkov, editor of “Moskovskiye Vedomosti”.
Nikolai Sushkov wrote about Tyutchev, “Of the living poet Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is the closest to Lermontov and not inferior in any respect.” The poet learnt the news of Sushkov’s death with bitter feelings. In a letter to his wife, he wrote,
