Alfred Witte

Helene Dolgoruki, also known as Elena Pavlovna Dolgorukaya, was a Russian noblewoman born in 1789 and passing in 1860. She was the maternal grandmother to Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, and also to Sergei Witte, a prominent Russian statesman. Helene was the daughter of Prince Paul Vassilyevich Dolgorukov and Henrietta Adolfovna de Bandre du Plessis. She married Andrei Mikhailovich Fadeyev in 1813, and they resided in the Kiev Province before moving to Saratov, where Andrei served as Civil Governor. Helene was instrumental in the upbringing and education of her grandchildren, including Sergei Witte, who learned his letters under her tutelage. Her memoirs are described as painting a favorable picture of her.

Helene Dolgoruki possessed a sharp intellect and a wide range of interests unusual for her time. She was fluent in five languages, engaged in painting, and had a significant understanding of scientific matters. Her intellectual curiosity led her to correspond with notable figures in various scientific fields. The English geologist Sir Roderick Murchison even honored her by naming a fossil shell, Venus Fadeef, after her. Her most profound passion, however, was botany. She dedicated a substantial part of her residence to cultivating and displaying an extensive collection of Caucasian flora, meticulously labeling each specimen with its Latin name and scientific description. These botanical pursuits were vividly remembered and documented by her three grandchildren in their writings.

Born into the prominent Dolgorukov family, Helene married Andrei Mikhailovich Fadeyev, with whom she had several children. Her eldest daughter, Helena Fadeyev, became the mother of Helena Blavatsky. After her daughter's untimely death in 1842, Helene took on the responsibility of raising her granddaughters. The family lived in the Governor's palace in Saratov, a city described as semi-Asiatic on the Volga River, which featured a sprawling eighteenth-century castle with underground passages. Later, the family relocated to Tiflis (Tbilisi) when General Fadeyev was appointed Imperial Councillor. During her lifetime, Helene Dolgoruki was a central figure in the lives of her grandchildren, influencing their education and providing a stable, cultured environment.