Maria Voinovna Zubova is a famous Russian singer of the 18th century, a lover of folk songs, a representative of the famous Rimsky-Korsakov family.
Biography
The Rimsky-Korsakovs are a Russian naval dynasty whose men devoted their entire lives to serving the Fatherland. The family of Voin Yakovlevich, the founder of the "maritime tradition" of the clan, the famous vice admiral, had four children. Two sons, Alexander and Peter (grandfather of the famous composer) and two daughters, Praskovya and Maria, the youngest and favorite.
Maria was born in 1749, when her father was already 45 years old. She grew up in prosperity and luxury, but was not a spoiled child. She received a traditional noble education, played great music, spoke several languages, wrote poetry and translated French poetry.
Creation
Maria Zubova wrote sentimental poems, collected folk songs and performed with them at high society evenings. The woman did not strive for national adoration, but was very popular among people of art. Mikhail Makarov, a Russian writer and folklorist, highly appreciated Maria's enthusiasm for folk songs, calling her "the most pleasant singer during the reign of Catherine II," and the favorite of Emperor Paul, Fyodor Rostopchin, considered Zubova the most amiable and intelligent woman.
Sensitive romances composed by the educated daughters of the Russian nobility in the style of folk songs, like the everyday and ritual folk tunes themselves, took possession of the minds and souls of the then society. For the first time after schismatic poetry and church cantatas, Russia dared to sing about love and a simple life.
The song "I am going into the desert away from the beautiful local places", which is considered a classic example of folklore of that era, belongs to the pen of Zubova. She did not make a career in anything, remaining a homely and sweet lady, speaking only for her own people, being a welcome guest at noble meetings and balls, but is mentioned in many manuscripts of that time. Some of Maria's works were included in the collection of Chulkov and Novikov "Collections of different songs" in 1770. Unfortunately, the portrait of the singer has survived to this day only in the form of a profile on a cameo.
Personal life and death
Maria married the already middle-aged Zubov Afanasy Mikhailovich, a veteran of the Seven Years and the Prussian Wars, a Penza governor, a senator and secret councilor, a representative of an ancient noble Russian family. In 1780, he bought an estate in the village of Mezhishchi, Murom district, where he lived with his wife after his retirement and was elected the district leader of the nobility. In 1781, Athanasius became the ruler of the Kursk governorship.
Maria Zubova faithfully followed her husband, also attended noble evenings, and at one of them, held at the famous Zagryazhskys, she died of a stroke in the fall of 1799. The woman was buried in the Spassky monastery of Murom. Her husband survived her by 23 years and was buried next to her.
