Unsuccessful in family life, Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov transferred all his tenderness to his only daughter, but his son was raised by his wife, Princess Varvara Prozorovskaya. Natalya Alexandrovna remained under the care of her father until his death.
Daughter of Alexander Suvorov
The only daughter of Field Marshal Suvorov, whom his father affectionately called Suvorochka, was born on the first of August 1775. Barbara (nee Prozorovskaya) gave birth to a girl prematurely due to constant relocations. Alexander Vasilvich saw Natasha infrequently seen: his wife left for Moscow, and he led a camp life and constantly participated in wars, which succumbed to the age of Suvorov.
Institute of Noble Maidens
When the girl was six years old, Alexander Vasilievich seriously quarreled with his wife. The case almost ended in a divorce. Then Suvorov identified Natalia in the Smolny Institute of noble maidens.
In the first Russian women's educational institution, the daughters of noblemen could study. Girls lived according to a strict daily routine, and they could see their relatives only on weekends or holidays, and even then in the presence of a teacher. From the age of six, Natalya Suvorova studied three foreign languages, history, literature, religion, arithmetic, and drawing. The girl was taught secular manners, dancing, music, economics and needlework.
After adulthood (it was impossible to leave the institute of their own free will or by the decision of the family until the age of 18, this was agreed upon upon admission), noble maidens became maids of honor at the palace or remained cool ladies in Smolny. At first, Natalia Suvorova expected the same life.
The daughter of the field marshal studied at the Smolny Institute for twelve years along with other girls. Natalia was not distinguished by outstanding abilities, but gained a reputation as a "virtuous person."
Suvorov's letters to his daughter
A huge number of letters have survived, which Suvorov wrote to his daughter Natalia. The commander simply adored the girl. In each letter he finds new affectionate words for Suvorochka, all of them are a little edifying and filled with truly sincere fatherly love. When Alexander Suovorov received two wounds, he described the battle with the Turks in such a way as not to injure his twelve-year-old daughter:
... there was a cannon buckshot in the side, a hole in the left hand of the bullet, but under my horses they shot a muzzle ...
Empress Catherine II in 1791 granted Natalia Suvorov maids of honor, but the girl was not so long at court. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Alexander Vasilievich took the girl from the palace to settle her with the husband of his niece Agrafena Ivanovna Gorchakova.
Grooms Natalia Suvorova
The fame of his father made Natalia the object of close attention of many enviable suitors. The empress herself took part in the fate of the girl. At first, Alexander Suvorov thought of giving his daughter for officer Zolotukhin, but the young man died tragically near Ishmael.
One of the suitors of Natalya Alexandrovna Suvorova, who was already in her twentieth year, was Prince D.N. Saltykov. The father of the young man, Field Marshal Prince Nikolai Ivanovich Saltykov, sought to attract Suvorov to his side through marriage. Nikolai Ivanovich wanted to weaken Potemkin’s influence at court, but the intrigue failed. Salytkov postponed the engagement of his son for two years.
Another candidate for the hand of Suvorov’s daughter was Prince Sergei Nikolayevich Dolgorukov. But when Alexander Vasilyevich found out that Sergey was related to the Saltykovs, he abandoned this venture. The commander chose his daughters as husbands of Count Philip Elmpt, but he did not like Natalya herself. The young man did not like the relatives. The reason was his Lutheran religion. But Suvorov stood his ground.
Marriage of a beloved daughter
The marriage of the maid of honor required the consent of the empress, which Catherine did not give. The Empress wanted to strengthen the situation of the Zubovs, so she proposed to her husband Natalya Suvorova Count Nikolai Zubov, the elder brother of his last favorite. Zubov received consent from Natalia herself and her father. The solemn betrothal, and then the wedding took place in 1795 in the Tauride Palace.
The marriage was unhappy. Natalia Suvorova (Zubova) was a loving wife, but her husband was rude, did not find a common language with his father-in-law, was fond of hunting and drinking.
Alexander Vasilyevich died in 1800, leaving all the estates and condition of his daughter. The following year, Nikolai Zubov took an active part in the conspiracy against the ruling Emperor Paul I (portrait below). Perhaps it was he who inflicted a fatal blow on the emperor, which took his life. All this fundamentally changed the life of Natalia Alexandrovna. She moved to Moscow and for some time lived separately from her husband.
In 1805, Count Nikolai Zubov died. Her husband Natalia Suvorova got a huge fortune: several villages in the Moscow, Kazan, Vladimir, St. Petersburg and Orenburg provinces with almost ten thousand serfs.
Life after the death of a spouse
At thirty, Natalya Aleksandrovna Suvorova (Zubova) was widowed. At that time, she devoted herself entirely to raising children. Suvorov's daughter lived modestly, not participating in social life. She raised children in simplicity. In the tenths of the 19th century, sons were enrolled in the Page Corps, and the girls remained with their mother. In winter, residents of the capital could see how the daughters of Count Zubov and his mother raked snow in their yard with shovels.
In 1812, when Napoleon’s army came close to Moscow, Natalia and her children did not manage to leave the war inland. The convoy was detained by the French. But those, having learned that it was Suvorov’s daughter, freely let the countess and children through the front, and even gave military honors.
Death and funeral
Natalia Suvorova (Zubova) died in 1844 at the age of 68 years. The whole capital gathered for the funeral of the daughter of Alexander Vasilyevich. Natalya was buried in the Zubov family tomb near St. Petersburg.
Children of Natalia Suvorova (Tooth)
Suvorov's daughter had seven children in marriage. Parents named the first-born in both grandfathers, Alexander. Then Plato was born, daughters Nadezhda (died in infancy), Vera and Lyubov, Olga. The last son, Valerian, was born in 1804.
Olga Nikolaevna Zubova, the granddaughter of Alexander Suvorov, has been a guardian of the Mariinsky Institute and chairman of the Ladies Society for the Guardianship of the Poor. Her business was continued by the daughter Maria, the granddaughter of Natalia Alexandrovna.
Lyubov Nikolaevna Zubova was married to Major General I. S. Leontyev. She spent most of her life in an estate in the Yaroslavl province, and after the death of her only child, Mikhail lived for nine years in the Novodevichy Convent.
Valerian Nikolayevich served in the College of Foreign Affairs, did not leave offspring, and the estate inherited from his mother bequeathed to his sister.
Plato Zubov served in the Ministry of Finance, was engaged in collecting art objects. He never married, had no children.
Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov was a state adviser. He married Princess Natalia Shcherbatova. Their grandson, Valentin Platonovich Zubov, founded the Gatchina Museum.