What became of Alexander Pushkin’s wife after the poet’s tragic death?
We’ve already written about the life and work of Alexander Pushkin here. But what do we know about Natalia Goncharova, the woman who shared his life?
Natalia was just 16 years old when she met the famous poet. A year later, he proposed — but her mother refused to give her blessing.
Pushkin had to wait another year before he finally received approval.
Their wedding took place in 1831, when Natalia was almost 19 years old.
The couple’s first daughter was born on May 19, 1832. In total, Pushkin and Natalia had four children: two girls and two boys.
(We’ve written more about the descendants of famous Russian writers in this article.
Sadly, we all know what happened next.
In 1835, Natalia met Georges d’Anthès, a French officer. He immediately fell for her — she was considered one of the most beautiful women in St. Petersburg.
D’Anthès began openly flirting with Natalia, sparking rumors of an affair. This deeply offended Pushkin.
At first, tragedy was avoided: d’Anthès married Natalia’s sister, and things seemed to calm down.
But not for long.
Soon, d’Anthès renewed his advances — and it was this behavior that led to the fatal duel between him and Pushkin.
After Pushkin’s death, Natalia was harshly judged.
Some claimed she encouraged d’Anthès or even had a secret relationship with him.
People whispered that she was to blame for her husband’s death.
But there was no proof — only gossip.
After the duel, Natalia wore mourning for seven years. Because of the cruel rumors, she withdrew from society and focused entirely on raising her children.
She remarried only in 1844, to Major General Nikolai Lanskoy. They had three more children, and Natalia also helped raise three nephews. In total, she raised 11 children.
In 1855, the family moved to the city of Vyatka, where Lanskoy was stationed. There, Natalia helped secure the release of writer Saltykov-Shchedrin from exile, using her personal influence.
She also fought for publication rights to Pushkin’s works on behalf of her sons. In her later years, Natalia’s health began to fail. She suffered from chronic cough, and her husband took her and the children to Europe for treatment. In 1863, they returned to Russia — but Natalia fell seriously ill again. She died of pneumonia on November 26, 1863, at the age of 51.
Natalia Goncharova dedicated her life to her children and considered motherhood her true calling. She was known for her gentle nature and her willingness to help others.
Pushkin himself wrote many poems inspired by her beauty and tenderness. Other Russian writers also used her as a muse in their works.
Though her life was marked by sorrow and scandal, Natalia lived with dignity — and made her own quiet impact on Russian history.
