«Just as if you pay a visit to paradise and forget about everything…» Essay by E. Dyakonova about Abkhazia

About the author:

Marina S. Krutova, DSc in Philology, chief paleographer, The Russian State Library, Vozdvizhenka 3/5, 119019 Moscow, Russia

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Acknowledgements:

This study was carried out at IWL RAS with a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No 20-012-00098А).

Abstract:

The Department of Manuscripts of the RSL contains a little- known essay “On Black Sea Coast” by Yelizaveta D’yakonova, included in the “Diary of a Russian Woman”. The young female writer presents the information she knows about the history of Abkhazia and the New Athos Monastery named after Simon the Canaanean, she shares her impressions of her stay in these places. The facts from the history of Abkhazia cited in the essay may have been gleaned by her from various publications with which she could get acquainted while living in Abkhazia or already upon her arrival in St. Petersburg. This work is only a part of her notes, written in Abkhazia, as there are still more extensive rough notes, which she probably also wanted to include in her “Diary...”.