«Dear Volodumur Ivanovuch! I’m writing this letter in case if I wouldn’t have an opportunity to see you and to tell about the ask of my native person and a friend Maria Mukolaivna Pushkina, to the funeral of whose husband I had comen today, and yesterday I’m going back to Zhytomyr». This is the way how the letter begins written during the terrible 1918 year to the academic Vernadskiy. It was written by Natalia Orzhevska, who was thought almost the saint by some part of people, and the others wanted to kill her. Who was she? What was her blame for the ones, at the same time she was a symbol of kindness and rescue

Natalia Ivanivna Orzhevska comes from a very ancient family. At the times of Peter the 1-st her ancestors, prince Shahovski, were known as favoured and talented governmental activists. The women of the family, a century after century, had a honourable work- charity. Nothing changed the established order if the kind: neither historical troubles, nor the changing generations. Who would ever think that there would be lots of trials on the fate of a kind lady, who was born in 1879 in Tsarske Selo, a future made of a princess…
At those ancient times it was thouht that the life of a young princess is sure to be a happy one: a good bringing up, a fine education and a profitable marriage, which is nowadays desirable by many romantic girls. At first, it seemed really so: a home education by the program of a classical gymnasium, she was involved in life of the emperor’s family by being a very close maiden of a princess Maria Fedorivna, a marriage with a senator Petro Orzhevskiy. After some time after wedding in 1884, a Orzhevski couple bought an estate in Nova Chortoruja. A territory of the home stead and the old master’s house were rebuilt in a wonderful two-storey palace.
In 1893 Natalia’s Ivanivna was appointed to be the general-head Vilenskij, Kovenskij and Grodenskij. Those were the calm and non-troubled years for the family,but suddenly in 1897 Petro Orzhevskij has died. At the place of bury her husband, Natalia Ivanivna has built a church tomb by the project of a famous architect Adrian Prakhov, in the park of their Novochartorijskiy estate. Iconostasis and the icons for it were done by an artist Mukhajlo Nesterov, who also painted the walls and the dome. The most successful was a magical bird, Alconost, drawn at the bell tower. In his memoirs the artist wrote: «The church itself was small, nothing special, but all the inside works were done by Adrian Prakhov. And I was invited to draw tge the images for the iconostasis and to make the sketches for the onwall paintings and on the dome». At that he didn’t know that the fate will bring him with Natalia Orzhevska several times.
After the death of her husband, Natalia even left Saint-Petersburg, settled in Nova Chortoruja, and did work for charity. A newspaper «Volun’» announced: « Recently approved trustee gave money for the refurbishment of the istitutes in Nova Chortoruja and Novohrad-Volunskij. And the institute in Nova Choryoruja was so much widen that it gave an opportunity for the children of all the school ages to study at the same level. Actually, Natalia Orzhevska did a lot for the citizens of Nova Chortoruja- assembled an expemplary outpatient clinic, a post office with a telegraph and a tea café with a library. She gives not only money, but also her personal work and energy.» Mikhajlo Nesterov told, that a princess worked even as a common charity nurse and also in an outpatient clinic. In 1901 for her work princess Orzhevska was awarded a high prize – «A small cross of the medal of Saint Catherine» the second category.
During the Russian-Japanese war in 1904-1905 she helped the injuried in the hospital, gave money for the front, warm clothes and food. Her kindness was given not only to the injured and poor. When a little daughter of an artist Mukhajlo Nesterov got ill, the doctors advised to take her to the South, change the climate. Orzhevska unvited them to Nova Chortoruja.
Later a thankful father wrote: « From the early morning she went to her hospital and dud there all the hard work by herself, usually not a pleasant work by looking after the ill. The evenings passed in reading, interesting talks. The attitude of Natalia Ivanivna to my family was very wonderful, sincere and the accommodation – very comfortable.» After the death of her brother, Natalia Ivanivna takes her niece, brings her up and educates her in the Institute of Noble girls and then takes her to study art the Parisian Academy of Arts. Natalia Orzhevska supports the new youngsters Christian movement , was one of the trustees, gives money to this movement in Kyiv and supports it by lots of means. Her work in charity gave her a special treatment from the representatives of the Orthodox church. While she was in Paris, the princess was engaged in the students’ everyday life- organizes a chummery, which despite a low price had normal accomodations and the possibility to use a canteen, salon for a spare time and a library.
In September 1911 Orzhevska was chosen as a Head of the Red Cross, which she was leading till 1918. In the first years of the First World War Natalia Ivanivna had organised a lazarette in her own house at the Pushkinska street, and held it due to her own money. Archbishop Volunskij and Zhytomyrskij Evlogij( Vasul Semenovuch Georgievskij) supported Orzhevska,in his memoirs he wrote: « It was a saint woman,she managed to hold her lazarette that way so if someone appered there he was treated as if in the Kingdom of Heaven». It is known for sure that she was a member of the delegation if the Red Cross,which checked the state of treatment of the prisoners of war in Austria ana Germany,took part in debates about their liberation. In «Memorable Book of the Volunska province» in 1917 were named all Natalia’s Orzhevska positions – there were ten of them. Simultaneously she did lots of tasks, due to her honourable position among the compatriots: the clergy, the young people and the damaged militaries. But this all made no sense for the Red Army during the retreat in August 1919, to take hostages a lady with her niece and twenty more famous citizens of Zhytomyr and then send them into a special camp. She could only rescue due to her family ties: she has got a certificate that she is a great-grand-daughter of a great dekabrist Fedir Shakhovskij. After the release from a specil camp, by the order of the central board of the Red Cross, Natalia Ivanivna had to come back to Zhytomyr and continue her work, but on her way, a tyred lady got imprisoned once more, now by the Polish militaries. Under the guise of the refugees, lots of people managed to escape, and Orzhevska was among them, who went to her acquaintances to Rivne and only in three months managed to get home, wholy occupied by the Polish army. And in six months the village was occupied by the Red Army.
In summer 1920 the estate was nationalised and there was organised an Agri- Cultural technical college. Natalia Ivanivna was evicted, but she was let to work as a teacher of German language. In spring 1921, guided by the decision of the Volunskij province executive committee, a new soviet government evicted Natalia Orzhevska from her own estate, as the past landowner, firing her from job, despite all her charity work. It must be mentioned, that it didn’t break a brave woman, and the following four months she worked as a sister of mercy in Slavytskij sanatorium for the patients with dryness. Later Natalia Ivanivna was invited to teach again, but in two years she will leave her home forever. Her arrive to Zhytomyr in April 1925 was marked by an important event: she became a head of Svjato-Mukolaivske brotherhood which worked in the city. At the times of needing and Holodomor her acquaintances gave her money as they understood how hard was her position. The woman was supported by an artist Mukhajlo Nesterov, academics Vernadskij and Mukola Priorov etc. For the given money Natalia Ivanivna bought food,the majority of which she gave to the poor, and left for herself just a small amount. In December 1934 the woman got arrested again for so-called «anti-revolutional activity» and was sent to the far away Kazakhstan. The last years of her life princess Orzhevska spent with her niece in exile. Here, in a small village, she taught German and French in a local school, sometimes sending requests for the release. The last princesse’s letter which she had written to his brother’s wife dated November 1935. In the end of the 1930-th Natalia Ivanivna Orzhevska died. The place of her bury is unknown.
An estate in Nova Chortoruja exists by now, a memory of this wonderful woman. Now there is an Agricultural technical college. All the thoughts, desires and belifes were given to the people, especially to those who needed them. The main achievements of this strong woman were the strength of her unbreakable spirit, true nobility, brought through the terrible times, and humanity, which would always be a model to follow.
The editorial board expresses its gratitude for preparing the material to S.Sobchyk and A.Sobchyk.