Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal
Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal was a prominent Russian novelist and a significant figure in the Symbolist movement, born on February 17, 1866, in St. Petersburg. She received a non-traditional education, initially being homeschooled before attending private schools, where her rebellious nature led to her expulsion. In 1884, she married her history tutor, Konstantin Semenovich Shvarsalon, with whom she had three children, but their relationship deteriorated due to intellectual incompatibility. In the early 1890s, she left Russia, traveling across Europe, where she met the poet Viacheslav Ivanov in Rome. This meeting inspired her first published work in 1894, marking her entry into the Symbolist literary scene. By 1905, after a tumultuous marriage with Shvarsalon, she married Ivanov and returned to St. Petersburg, establishing "The Tower," a well-known salon for Symbolist writers. Known for her unconventional dress and dedication to her craft, Zinovieva-Annibal's life was tragically cut short when she died from scarlet fever on October 17, 1907. Her work and contributions remain significant in the context of Russian literature and the Symbolist movement.
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Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal
Writer
- Born: February 17, 1866
- Birthplace: Russia
- Died: October 17, 1907
Biography
Russian novelist Lydia Dmitrievna Zinovieva-Annibal, known for her 1907 work Tragicheskii zverinets (The Tragic Menagerie, 1999), was born in Russia on February 17, 1866. She spent her early years in St. Petersburg, where she was initially homeschooled, before being sent to private schools. However, she was soon expelled for rebellious and disrespectful behavior toward her teachers. In 1884, she married her history tutor, Konstantin Semenovich Shvarsalon, by whom she had two sons and one daughter. However, he soon proved intellectually unequal to her intense drive, and they drifted apart.
In the early 1890’s, Zinovieva-Annibal left Russia with her children to travel throughout Europe. While in Rome in 1893, she met Viacheslav Ivanov. The following year, she published her first work, which appears to have been inspired by their acquaintance. From that point, she was active in the Symbolist movement, producing both plays and prose works. By 1899, her marriage to Shvarsalon had failed entirely, and she married Ivanov, by whom she had one daughter.
In 1905, Zinovieva-Annibal returned to St. Petersburg with Ivanov and set up a famous Wednesday salon known as “The Tower,” because it was held in an apartment building of that name. This weekly gathering became an important meeting place for Symbolist writers and thinkers to share their ideas and critique one another’s work. She was particularly notable for her unconventional manner of dress, preferring comfort and utility over stylishness, as well as her intense dedication to her art. Zinovieva-Annibal died of scarlet fever on October 17, 1907.