Nikolay Kotrelev. To the History of a Murder: From a Commentary on “Autobiographical Letter”

The article presents a transcription of N.V. Kotrelev’s report read in 2016 and dedicated to archival materials revealing the fate of Vyach. Ivanov's first wife, Darya Mikhailovna, and their daughter Alexandra, years after the church dissolution of their marriage in 1896. Over the years, their daughter developed a mental illness. Ivanov was very distressed by descriptions of the course of the disease and accused himself of “murder” of his daughter. In an attempt to help his first wife, who lost her income, Vyach. Ivanov applied for a subsidy and organizational support to the “Literary Fund” and in a letter addressed to the chairman of the fund (F.D. Batyushkov) described in detail the tragic situation. The materials from the archives of the Literary Fund (Manuscript Department of IWL RAS), presented in the appendixes, demonstrate the history of assistance to the Vyach. Ivanov’s daughter.