The formation of the personality of the future Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824–1880). Based on materials from the Hessian State Archive in Darmstadt

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of documents from the Hessian State Archive in Darmstadt concerning the development of Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (1824–1880), the future Empress Maria Alexandrovna. It examines the structure of the relevant archival collections and the specifics of their formation. The documents illustrate Princess Marie’s position within the dynastic relationships and provide insights into the marital trajectories considered for her. The materials allow conclusions to be drawn about the forms and content of Princess Marie’s education and the foundational values of the future Empress’s upbringing program. The collection of surviving documents in the Hessian State Archive in Darmstadt, which describe Princess Marie’s childhood and adolescence, is fragmentary and smaller than the corresponding collections of her brothers. This discrepancy is due to some documents being removed by the sons of the Empress. Fragments of documents, presented in manuscripts in German (Gothic cursive) and French languages, have been deciphered, translated into Russian, and included in the article.