Ol'ga Andreevna Shapir
Ol'ga Andreevna Shapir was a notable Russian writer and intellectual born on September 10, 1850, in Oranienbaum, Russia. Coming from a family with a rich intellectual background, her father had connections to the Decembrist Revolution, while her mother’s heritage included German and Swiss influences. Shapir received a formal education at the prestigious Aleksandr Gymnasium in St. Petersburg, where she cultivated her literary interests. In 1871, she took on the role of head librarian at the Vasilevskii-Island branch of the Charkasov library, during which she penned her first unpublished story.
After marrying physician Lazar' Shapir in 1872, she moved to Saratov province and began to publish her work in various newspapers and journals, marking the beginning of a prolific writing career that spanned over three decades. Her activism for women's political rights also emerged during this time, as she became known for her public speaking engagements. Shapir's contributions to literature and women's rights continued until her death on July 13, 1916, in Petrograd. Her legacy reflects the intersection of literature and social reform in the late Russian Empire.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Ol'ga Andreevna Shapir
Writer
- Born: September 10, 1850
- Birthplace: Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), Russia
- Died: June 13, 1916
- Place of death: Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Russia
Biography
Ol’ga Andreevna Shapir was born on September 10, 1850, in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), Russia. Her father was a clerk who once worked for Pavel Pestel’, one of the famous leaders of the abortive Decembrist Revolution of 1825. Her mother was of German and Swiss descent and brought her own brand of intellectual achievement into the family. From 1863 to 1865, Shapir attended the Aleksandr Gymnasium in St. Petersburg, a leading high school for the Russian elite. In 1871, she became head librarian of the Vasilevskii-Island branch of the Charkasov library. While she was there, she wrote her first story, although it was never published and is primarily of interest to scholars.
During the next several years, Shapir began to correspond with leading female thinkers and writers of the Russian Empire. In 1872, she married Lazar’ Shapir, a physician who had been exiled to Novgorod as a result of his political ties, and two years later she moved with him to Saratov province. There she took a second stab at writing, and this time met she with success. For the next thirty-five years she published steadily in a wide variety of newspapers and journals. In the early 1880’s she and her husband returned to St. Petersburg, and she began to agitate for political rights for women. She developed a fine speaking voice and gave a number of public speeches. She died in Petrograd on July 13, 1916.