From Olga Shor’s Letters to Vyacheslav Ivanov

Specialists in biography and work of Vyach. Ivanov are well acquainted with the significant role that Olga Alexandrovna Shor (1894–1978) played in the life of Vyach. Ivanov since 1924. A young Muscovite with a deep interest in German philosophy and Italian art, particularly Michelangelo, Olga Alexandrovna initially assisted the poet’s family in their preparations for leaving Soviet Russia. Subsequently, she effectively managed all matters related to Ivanov, linking him to Moscow. The beginning of their correspondence, preserved in Ivanov’s Roman archive, is almost exclusively associated with practical matters. Olga Alexandrovna herself ended up in Rome and spent the rest of her life within Ivanov’s family, evolving into an indispensable aide, attentive listener, engaging conversationalist, and eventually becoming the foremost biographer of her elder friend. In 2001, the “Russian-Italian Archive” published Ivanov's letters to Shor, along with a small part of Shor’s responses. The ongoing publication now introduces another eight letters from Shor, intertwined with underlying narratives. The final letter belongs to the Italian period of the author's life.