Isabella Grinevskaya
Encyclopedia
Isabella Grinevskaya was the pen name of Berta Friedberg, daughter of the author Abraham Shalom Friedberg and the first wife of Mordechai Spector.
She was born in Grodno in 1864 which at various times was part of Lithuania
, Poland
and Belarus
though at the time was within the Russian Empire
. In the 1880s she lived in St. Petersburg where she frequented Jewish literary circles and from the 1880s and 1890s she was published several times .
Her first novel The Orphan was published in Hans Freind in 1888; the story "It Did Not Work" was published in an edition of the Juedisch Bibliothek. The story "From Happiness to the Grave" was published in Warsaw
in 1894. In her books, she tried to depict the life of the Jewish middle class and mainly the situation of enlightened Jewish young girls.
In the 1890s, she settled in Odessa
, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire
and undertook to write in Russian. As a playwright Grinevskaya wrote the play "Báb" based on the life an events of the founder of the Bábí
religion which was performed in St. Petersburg in 1904 and again in 1916/7, translated into French and Tatar
, and lauded by Leo Tolstoy
and other reviewers at the time. Grikor Suni
won the first prize in a contest based on the play before it and the music were confiscated. In 1910 she settled in Constantinople where there was a substantial Bahá'í population. In 1910-11 she met `Abdu'l-Bahá
, then head of the Bahá'í Faith
, when he traveled to Egypt and she became a Bahá'í. .
Grinevskaya had several other writings published: an essay of meeting `Abdu'l-Bahá
, a poem and a play entitled Bahá'u'lláh, each about founder of the Bahá'í Faith
, published though the play was never performed partly from the turmoil of World War I
and the October Revolution
, and she carried on correspondence with Russian intellectuals, Bahá'ís both in the East and to a lesser extent in the West (Martha Root
, Star of the West
) as well as traveling to Egypt, France, and Baku
, Azerbaijan
where there was a substantial Bahá'í population. Through her life she was in several Bahá'í communities and in touch with many others.
Grinevskaya died in Istanbul
in 1944.
Some claim she was Polish, others Belarusian, but most people regard her as Russian.
She was born in Grodno in 1864 which at various times was part of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
though at the time was within the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. In the 1880s she lived in St. Petersburg where she frequented Jewish literary circles and from the 1880s and 1890s she was published several times .
Her first novel The Orphan was published in Hans Freind in 1888; the story "It Did Not Work" was published in an edition of the Juedisch Bibliothek. The story "From Happiness to the Grave" was published in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1894. In her books, she tried to depict the life of the Jewish middle class and mainly the situation of enlightened Jewish young girls.
In the 1890s, she settled in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and undertook to write in Russian. As a playwright Grinevskaya wrote the play "Báb" based on the life an events of the founder of the Bábí
Babi
Babi may refer to:* Babı, a municipality in Azerbaijan* Babi Dynasty, founded in 1735 by Muhammed Sher Khan Babi , Nawabs of this dynasty went on to rule over Junagadh in Gujarat, from the 18th to the 20th century....
religion which was performed in St. Petersburg in 1904 and again in 1916/7, translated into French and Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
, and lauded by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
and other reviewers at the time. Grikor Suni
Grikor Suni
Grikor Mirzaian Suni was an Armenian composer.The music he wrote—choral works, songs, several operas, and...
won the first prize in a contest based on the play before it and the music were confiscated. In 1910 she settled in Constantinople where there was a substantial Bahá'í population. In 1910-11 she met `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, then head of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, when he traveled to Egypt and she became a Bahá'í. .
Grinevskaya had several other writings published: an essay of meeting `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, a poem and a play entitled Bahá'u'lláh, each about founder of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, published though the play was never performed partly from the turmoil of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, and she carried on correspondence with Russian intellectuals, Bahá'ís both in the East and to a lesser extent in the West (Martha Root
Martha Root
Martha Louise Root was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously...
, Star of the West
Star of the West
The Star of the West was a civilian steamship hired by the United States government to transport military supplies and reinforcements to the garrison of Fort Sumter, but was fired on by Confederates in its effort to do so at the dawning of the American Civil War...
) as well as traveling to Egypt, France, and Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
where there was a substantial Bahá'í population. Through her life she was in several Bahá'í communities and in touch with many others.
Grinevskaya died in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1944.
Some claim she was Polish, others Belarusian, but most people regard her as Russian.
See also
- Bahá'í Faith in UkraineBahá'í Faith in UkraineThe Bahá'í Faith in Ukraine began during the policy of oppression of religion in the former Soviet Union. Before that time, Ukraine, as part of the Russian Empire, would have had indirect contact with the Bahá'í Faith as far back as 1847...
- Bahá'í Faith in PolandBahá'í Faith in PolandThe Bahá'í Faith in Poland begins in the 1870s when Polish writer Walerian Jablonowski wrote several articles covering its early history in Persia. There was a polish language translation of Paris Talks published in 1915. After becoming a Bahá'í in 1925 Poland's Lidia Zamenhof returned to Poland in...
- Bahá'í Faith in TurkeyBahá'í Faith in TurkeyThe Bahá'í faith bears a strong bond to the nation of Turkey as Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, was exiled to Constantinople, current-day Istanbul, by the Ottoman authorities during the formative days of the religion...
- Bahá'í Faith in AzerbaijanBahá'í Faith in AzerbaijanThe Bahá'í Faith in Azerbaijan crosses a complex history of regional changes. Through that series of changes the thread of the Bahá'í Faith traces its history in the region from the earliest moments of the Bábism religion, accepted by Bahá'ís as a predecessor religion, in that one of its most...