Requesting his 'certificate of life'. 1842

Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (1783-1852)
Requesting his 'certificate of life'. 1842
Autograph letter signed ('Joukovsky') to [Anton von] Struve, Dusseldorf, 25 April / 7 May 1842.

In French and Russian. Two pages, 252 x 203mm, integral address leaf.

Requesting his 'certificate of life'. Zhukovsky writes to the Russian chargé d'affaires in Frankfurt-am-Main with 'my usual prayer': that he send a 'certificate of life' in duplicate to Zhukovsky's agent in St Petersburg, Rostislav Rodionov. He provides Rodionov's address in the Empress's chancellery in Russian, and notes 'This document must bear the date of 1 / 13 May or later'. He adds a request for von Struve to provide a similar certificat for 'Monsieur de Reutern' (his father-in-law, the artist Gerhardt Wilhelm von Reutern), this latter to be sent to Zhukovsky in Dusseldorf.

Zhukovsky is a key figure in Russian literary history, as a forerunner of Romanticism, translator, sponsor through his influential position at the Imperial court of the careers of Lermontov, his close friend Gogol and others, and the preserver and editor of many of Pushkin's unpublished works after his death. Zhukovsky had retired from court in 1841 and settled near Dusseldorf, marrying the 18-year old Elisabeth von Reutern. He was given permission by Nicholas I to continue residence in the Kingdom of Prussia indefinitely and to receive his pensions and royalty payments, provided he sent a 'certificate of life', as described in the present document, three times a year. Rostlislav Rodionov was Zhukovsky's agent for his Russian affairs after his departure. The recipient, Anton von Struve (1796-1846), was one of an extensive family of Russian diplomats of German origin.

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