Memories of the Russian Court

ISBN: 9780259751687 出版年：2018 页码：436 Anna Viroubova Forgotten Books

Perhaps it was a common love of music which first drew the Empress and our family into a bond of friendship. All of us children received a thorough musical education. From childhood we were taken regularly to concerts and the opera, and our home, especially on Wednesday evenings, was a rendezvous for all the musicians and composers Of the capital; The great Tschaikovsky was a friend Of my father, and I remember many others of note who were ftc quent guests at tea or dinner. Apart from music we received an education rather more practical than was the average at that time. In the Russia of my childhood a girl of good family was supposed to acquire a few pretty accomplishments and nothing much besides. Accomplishments I and my sister were given, but besides music and painting, for which my sister had considerable talent, we were well grounded in academic studies, and we finished by tak ing examinations leading to teachers' diplomas. I may say also that even in our drawing-room accomplish ments we were obliged to be thorough, and when my father ventured to show some of our work to the Empress She expressed warm approval. Most Rus sian girls, she said, seem to have nothing in their heads but Officers.