N.M. Yadrintsev and A.F. Barkov in 1874: «A New Period of Life, Full of Personal Happiness and Major Social Success»

Abstract

This article considers a significant period in the biography of Nikolai Mikhailovich Yadrintsev. In the high summer of 1874 in St. Petersburg the famous publicist got married to Adelaide Fedorovna Barkova. The authors emphasize that with the beginning of his family life N. M. Yadrintsev intensified his creative activity, having a reliable rear and household arrangements.
 Guided by the first biographical information and appealing to sources of personal origin (letters, memoirs, autobiography), the authors have proved that in the surviving materials there are obvious inaccuracies in determining the exact date of marriage. Only with a thorough analysis of extant written sources the correct date of the wedding can be established.
 In general, the authors conclude that the wife played a significant role in the life of Nikolai Mikhailovich. Outstanding, sociable, responsive and intellectually gifted A.F. Barkova wholeheartedly shared any of her husband's endeavors. Analyzing the autobiographical notes the authors state that after the wedding the destiny of N.M. Yadrintsev changed, he felt a burst of energy in his activity.