Princess Natalya Petrovna Galitzine, née

NEE

NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...

 Chernysheva or Chernyshyova (17 January 1741, St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

20 December 1837), was a Russian lady in waiting

Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...

, socialite

Socialite

A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....

 and noble

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

 and Dame

Dame

A Dame may be:* Dame , a female title of rank, equivalent to 'Sir' used as the title of a knight* A title of respect for certain Benedictine nuns equivalent to the male "Dom"* A pantomime dame...

 of the Order of St. Catherine's first degree. She was the sister of the lady in waiting Princess Darya Petrovna Saltykova

Darya Petrovna Saltykova

Darya Petrovna Saltykova, née Chernysheva , was a Russian lady in waiting, socialite and noble and Dame of the Order of St. Catherine's first degree...

, and in 1766 married Prince Vladimir Borisovich Golitsyn. She was known in society as "Princesse Moustache" ("Whiskered Princess") (from fr. Moustache - mustache) or "Fée Moustachine" ("bearded fairy"). She was a prototype of the main heroine of Alexander Pushkin's The Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades (story)

"The Queen of Spades" is a short story by Alexander Pushkin about human avarice. Pushkin wrote the story in autumn 1833 in Boldino and it was first published in the literary magazine Biblioteka dlya chteniya in March 1834...

.

Biography

The second daughter of a diplomat, Count Pyotr Grigoryevich Chernyshyov, godson of Peter the Great, and many believed to be for his son, and Catherine Andreevna, daughter of a famous chief of the secret office in Biron, Count Andrei Ivanovich Ushakov. She spent her early life abroad with her father, and upon her return in 1762, she and her sister became known as two of the most learned women in Russia. In 1762 she was appointed maid of honor to Empress Catherine the Great. She was awarded with a gold medal by the empress for her dance in the masquerade of 1766. In 1783 she left for Europe with her family, and until 1789 she participated in the French court life where she was known for her skillful dance at balls. She visited London in 1789-90 and then returned to Russia when Catherine, upon the French revolution, summoned all Russians to Russia. She was appointed lady in waiting in 1806.

Along with successes at court, Natalya Petrovna zealously engaged in farming. In 1824 Princess Golitsyn became an honorary member of the Scientific and economic society.

Sources