Idalia Poletika - a woman whose name is inextricably linked with the name of A.S. Pushkin. However, she was not at all his muse or lover, "Madame Intrigue, " as she was called in society, became an indirect cause of the death of the poet.
Origin
The future of the most famous intriguer of St. Petersburg was predetermined from birth, her biography is extremely bizarre and shrouded in secrets. It is known that Idalia was the illegitimate daughter of Count G.A. Strogonova. There are several versions regarding mother. The most romantic says that the Count, while traveling in Spain, made close acquaintance with the noble Portuguese Countess d'Oyenhausen. The fruit of love was Idalia, who received her name in honor of one of the Catholic saints. A few years later, the widowed count married Madame d'Oyenhausen and took a common daughter into the family. True, according to the laws of that time, she continued to be considered illegitimate and lived under the surname received at birth - Idalia de Obertei.
The second version is more prosaic - the girl is considered the daughter of an unreborn foreigner: a French maid or a fashionista, met by the count during one of the trips. Later, she was taken to the Stroganovs' house as a pupil. Idalia grew up with the sons of the count and maintained a wonderful relationship with everyone. Friends at home celebrated her pretty appearance, lively character and amazing charm.
The publication
At age 19, the girl was successfully married off to Colonel of the Cavalier Guard regiment Alexander Poletik. The young man had a fortune, was somewhat older than his wife and completely obeyed her. In the light he was maliciously called the "ladybug" for his gentle disposition and non-conflict. Flight has become a very convenient husband for an active, flirty, adventurous Idalia. Unfortunately, she did not love her husband. Eyewitnesses recall many novels, the heroine of which was Poletika, but the family carefully kept up decency and was never involved in scandals.
Having come to light, Idalia enjoyed great success with men, among her fans there were many celebrities. A young woman knew how to make friends with women, to charm and tie to herself.
The evil genius of Pushkin
According to biographers, Idalia is the second cousin of the poet on the maternal side. At the same time, she was also a distant relative of his wife, Natalia Goncharova. Poetics was part of the Pushkin family, and over time became one of Natalie's closest friends. In the light they were called the first beauties, although it is believed that Idalia was slightly inferior in terms of appearance. But in it was what the young and inexperienced Madame Pushkina lacked - secular brilliance, liveliness of mind, the ability to conduct a casual conversation, all-conquering coquetry.
Biographers disagree at what point the friendly relationship between Pushkin and Poletika gave way to hostility. And if the poet simply ridiculed the beauty and did not speak too flattering about her in front of friends and wife, then Idalia hated Pushkin deeply and sincerely. At the same time, she managed to maintain a good relationship with his wife, and Natalie did her best to protect her friend in front of her husband.
It is believed that the reason for such a sharp change in feelings was an unsuccessful flirtation, and it is difficult to understand who was its initiator. However, it was Idalia who considered herself offended and did not miss the opportunity to take revenge. Pushkin’s biographers believe that it was she who wrote the ill-fated letter informing about the betrayal of her wife, she also became the organizer of the meetings with Georges Dantes. Other historians believe that the beautiful, but not too smart Natalie was not at all interested in the Frenchman. He was fascinated by the bright and charming Idal, and Pushkin's wife was only a screen for intimate meetings.
The exact role of Poletiki in the drama of the Pushkin family cannot be determined. As befits an experienced schemer, she carefully confused all the threads and avoided direct accusations. It is known that after the ill-fated duel, she and Haeckern were the only people who visited the house of the disgraced Dantes and his wife.
Personal life and family
In a marriage, Idalia gave birth to three children. The eldest daughter and son died in early childhood, only the youngest daughter Elizabeth survived to adulthood. Little is known about her childhood, in history the girl remained as Natalie’s savior from Dantes. During one of the secret dates in the Poletiki house, the girl ran into the room where Dantes threatened Pushkin's wife with suicide if she did not agree to contact him. Little Lisa interrupted the painful scene, taking advantage of the confusion, Natalie left. The next day, Pushkin received the ill-fated letter, a fateful duel was appointed.
Elizabeth was very similar to her mother, but the relationship between the women was not particularly warm. Eyewitnesses describe the unpleasant scenes that Idalia arranged for her daughter after her marriage. It is possible that they undermined the already fragile health of Elizabeth and caused her early death.
