Correspondence from Alexander graf von Keyserling, 1868 - 1891

Series — Box: 4

Call Number: MS 30:I

Scope and Contents

This series includes 201 letters, mostly in French (some Russian, German, and English phrases intermixed). Keyserling met Novikova in 1866 in St. Petersburg and appears to have taken Novikova as an intellectual protege. The topics contained in his letters cover a broad range of subjects, including Russian, European, and British foreign relations; political, religious, and educational philosophy; literature and culture; natural history; social and political gossip; family news; and the daily life of a retired nobleman.

Dates

Creation: 1868 - 1891

Biography of Alexander Friedrich Michael Leberecht Nikolaus Arthur graf von Keyserling (1815-1891)

Alexander von Keyserling was born at the Kabillen Manor, Kabillen, Courland Governorate (now Kabile in Latvia), which was then part of the Russian empire. Of noble blood, Keyserling studied at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Considered one of the founders of Russian geology, he made expeditions to Estonia, northern Russian, and the Urals. He was also a botanist and zoologist and was curator of the University of Dorpat from 1862-1869.