Nadezhda Durova

Nadezhda Andrejewna Durowa (Russian Надежда Андреевна Дурова; born September 17, 1783 in Kiev, .. † 21 Märzjul / April 2 1866greg in Jelabuga ) was a Russian Kavalleristin and author. She was the first woman who served as an officer in the Russian army.

Life

Nadezhda Durowa was the daughter of a Russian officer and grew up as a boy. Disguised as a man, she joined in 1806 under the name Alexander Durov in the Russian army, and one year later at the Battle of Friedland. When her father was doing research on their whereabouts, their identity was discovered. The Russian Tsar Alexander I offered her personally then an honorable discharge to; However, she opted for the Army and received a commission from the Tsar.

In 1812 they fought in the Battle of Borodino. After the retreat from Moscow, she became ill and had to leave the army. After she was fit for duty again, she took part in the wars of liberation and was involved in the containment of Hamburg. In 1816, she took her leave, because her father had asked her to take care of him. She left the Army as a staff captain Champion and Knight of the Order of St. George.

Biographical contradictions

Her autobiography was translated into German by Rainer Schwarz. The book contains some of the contradictions. Nadezhda Durowa wrote that she was entering the army 16 years old, but it would have actually have been already 23. Viktor Afanasyev mentioned in his biographical note that it was married in 1801 and in 1803 had a son. You even mentioned that with no word, according to information they would have been at the time also only 11 and 13 years old. Because of these contradictions, there is the possibility that it is a novel, not an autobiography in her book.

Comments

Works

• The officer. The unusual life of Kavalleristin Nadezhda Durowa tells of her own With a biographical note by Viktor Afanasyev, Leipzig, Gustav Kiepenheuer Verlag 1994; ISBN 3-378-00557-2