Varvara Schroders (nee Lomonosova), was born on March 30th, 1852, on the family’s ancestral estate in the village of Yekaterinovka. She graduated with honors from the Moscow Catherine Institute and continued her studies at the Higher Women’s Courses. Based on the results of her exams, which she passed with flying colors, she was offered a position as a teacher in the Sushchevsky First Women’s Municipal Elementary School.
One year later, Varvara Grigoryevna became the wife of justice of the peace Vladislav Schroders and moved with him to Vladikavkaz. She quickly became the head of a two-grade municipal school, and later became the director of the Vladikavkaz women’s progymnasium. It was in Vladikavkaz that Varvara Grigoryevna met the poet Kosta Khetagurov.
In 1890, 20 representatives of Vladikavkaz’s intellectuals, including the Schroders and the Khetagurovy, organized a Russian society for poverty relief. It’s main goals were to give help to migrants from the central governates and open schools in new settlements.
Later, Varvara Schroders rented the second floor of one of the houses on Alexandrovsky Avenue (across the street from the Alexandrovsky hotel today) and put all of her books from her collection there. She asked her many of her friends to do the same, and it soon became a proper library, which quickly became a popular cultural center in Vladikavkaz. The library held meetings for societal organizations, public lectures, and poetry readings. People came to the library from different parts of the city, nearby villages, and even mountain villages to learn the latest news.
Varvara Schroders and Kosta Khetagurov had a long and warm friendship. According to her contemporaries, she was the poet’s muse; Kosta dedicated many of his poems to her, autograph, one of which is presented in the museum’s exhibit, and once presented the painting ‘Goryanka’ with a memorial inscription: ‘You were the first to plant a ray of light in our dark villages, you were the first to call our Goryanka to study’.
Varvara was a big fan of the poet’s work. She memorized his poems and often read them at meetings and parties. Kosta was a welcome guest at the Schroders', and when the poet was ill, the couple helped him with housing and took him to the doctors.
Varvara Schroders died in January of 1902. It was very hard for Kosta to say goodbye to his friend. At the funeral, he wept bitterly, and from then on went to Varvara Pavlovna’s grave almost daily with flowers and sat there for hours.
One year later, Varvara Grigoryevna became the wife of justice of the peace Vladislav Schroders and moved with him to Vladikavkaz. She quickly became the head of a two-grade municipal school, and later became the director of the Vladikavkaz women’s progymnasium. It was in Vladikavkaz that Varvara Grigoryevna met the poet Kosta Khetagurov.
In 1890, 20 representatives of Vladikavkaz’s intellectuals, including the Schroders and the Khetagurovy, organized a Russian society for poverty relief. It’s main goals were to give help to migrants from the central governates and open schools in new settlements.
Later, Varvara Schroders rented the second floor of one of the houses on Alexandrovsky Avenue (across the street from the Alexandrovsky hotel today) and put all of her books from her collection there. She asked her many of her friends to do the same, and it soon became a proper library, which quickly became a popular cultural center in Vladikavkaz. The library held meetings for societal organizations, public lectures, and poetry readings. People came to the library from different parts of the city, nearby villages, and even mountain villages to learn the latest news.
Varvara Schroders and Kosta Khetagurov had a long and warm friendship. According to her contemporaries, she was the poet’s muse; Kosta dedicated many of his poems to her, autograph, one of which is presented in the museum’s exhibit, and once presented the painting ‘Goryanka’ with a memorial inscription: ‘You were the first to plant a ray of light in our dark villages, you were the first to call our Goryanka to study’.
Varvara was a big fan of the poet’s work. She memorized his poems and often read them at meetings and parties. Kosta was a welcome guest at the Schroders', and when the poet was ill, the couple helped him with housing and took him to the doctors.
Varvara Schroders died in January of 1902. It was very hard for Kosta to say goodbye to his friend. At the funeral, he wept bitterly, and from then on went to Varvara Pavlovna’s grave almost daily with flowers and sat there for hours.
