Portrait of a family on the background of the epoch (A.I. Dobryansky, Grabars, Gerovskys)

Abstract

The article examines the history of the family of prominent figures of the Carpathian-Russian Renaissance. The head of the family, A. I. Dobryansky, played a significant role in the formation of the national identity of the East Slavic population of the Habsburg monarchy. He was one of the first to put forward the idea of creating a separate East Slavic (“Rus'”) province within the empire during the revolutionary events of 1848–1849. Later, he took an active part in the cultural and national life of the Russian population of the empire. His children were loyal followers of their father. The eldest daughter Olga, who became the wife of the Rusyn politician E. Grabar, together with her father, was accused of high treason and brought to trial in 1882. Another daughter, Alexia Gerovskaya, led a women's Russophile society in Chernivtsi. Other daughters and sons of Dobryansky were also active in the Russophile movement. The third generation of this family also left a mark on history. The Gerovsky brothers are also active participants in the Russophile movement, and were imprisoned on charges of anti-state activities, from where they fled to Russia. Olga Grabar's son Igor became an outstanding Russian artist, restorer, and art critic.