Ponomareva Salon

Categories / Literature. Book Publishing/Salons, Circles, Creative Associations and Unions
PONOMAREVA SALON was hosted by S. D. Ponomareva (nee Poznyak) (1794-1824) who lived on Furshtatskaya Street, near the Tauride Garden (the actual house has not been identified). From the very beginning of its existence (end of the 1810s) her salon possessed the distinct features of a literary circle which took a final shape on 22 June 1821 when the Free Society for Lovers of Wisdom and Philology was formed on its basis, two months later it was renamed the Group of Friends of the Enlightment, the final name gave the initials of Ponomareva herself in the abbreviation. The salon was mostly visited by the writers N. I. Gnedich, A. E. Izmaylov, I. A. Krylov, O. M. Somov, A. A. Delwig, E. A. Baratynsky, V. I. Panaev, K. F. Ryleev, W. K. Kuchelbecker, P. A. Katenin, K. N. Batyushkov. The character of the salon was determined by the personality of Ponomareva in many respects. Contemporaries remembered her as a woman-baby playing with life as an infant with toy. The spirit of literary and psychological play, sometimes with an erotic shade, prevailing in the salon achieved artistic realization in the vast amorous cycle by Baratynsky, in the poems by Delwig, Gnedich and many others, a part of them was published in the journal Blagonamerenny edited by Izmaylov which became a printing organ of the circle. Ponomareva Salon ceased with the death of its mistress.

References: Вацуро В. Э. С. Д. П.: Из истории лит. быта пушкинской поры. М., 1989.

A. Y. Chachba. Baratynsky Evgeny Abramovich
Batyushkov Konstantin Nikolaevich
Delwig Anton Antonovich
Gnedich Nikolay Ivanovich
Izmaylov Alexander Efimovich
Katenin Pavel Alexandrovich
Krylov Ivan Andreevich
Kuchelbecker Wilhelm Karlovich
Panaev Vladimir Ivanovich
Ponomareva Sofia Dmitrievna
Ryleev Kondraty Fedorovich
Somov Orest Mikhailovich
Furshtatskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Вацуро В. Э. С.Д.П.: Из истории лит. быта пушкинской поры. М., 1989