Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Teffi Papers, 1900-1953

Collection context

Creator:
Tėffi, N. A. (Nadezhda Aleksandrovna), 1872-1952
Abstract:
Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs, drawings, sheet-music and printed material of Teffi (Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Lokhvitskaia, married name Buchinskaia; 1872-1952. Тэффи, Надежда Александровна Лохвицкая, в замужестве Бучинская), a Russian émigré writer.
Extent:
5 Linear Feet (11 manuscript boxes; 2 copies of oversized books shelved with collection; 2 glass negatives)
Language:
Russian , French , English .
Scope and content:

The collection contains Teffi's correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs, drawings, sheet music, and printed material. The correspondence, primarily from the period 1928-1952, includes a large body of letters from Teffi to her daughter Valerii︠a︡ Grabovskai︠a︡ and numerous letters to Teffi from many prominent persons, including Mark Aldanov, Ivan Bunin, Boris Panteleĭmonov, Grigoriĭ Aleksinskiĭ, Aleksandr Amfiteatrov, and Konstantin Simonov. The manuscripts consist primarily of handwritten and typescript copies of Teffi's essays and humorous sketches. Also included are several of her lyrics, as well as original poems by the writers Lolliĭ Lv́ov, Aleksandr Ot︠s︡up, Sergeĭ Potresov and others.

The collection also includes around 100 photographs, mainly of Teffi, but also of others, including Boris Panteleĭmonov and Ekaterina Kuskova. The printed material consists almost exclusively of books and clippings. Included are books by Teffi published between 1910 and 1952, and a large collection of clippings of her writings from the Russian émigré press as well as translations of her works published in non-Russian newspapers, journals and magazines.

Biographical / historical:

Teffi, pseudonym of Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Lokhvitskaia, married name Buchinskaia (Тэффи, Надежда Александровна Лохвицкая, в замужестве Бучинская; 1872-1952), was a prominent Russian writer and poet best known for her humorous sketches. Born in St. Petersburg, she lived in Paris for the majority of her career, from 1919 until her death.

Her father was a prominent professor of law and a well-known lawyer, publisher and editor of the newspaper Sudebnyi vestnik; her older sister, Mirra Lokhvitskaia-Zhiber, was an accomplished poet.

Nadezhda Lokhvitskaia married the lawyer Vladislav Buchinsky, her father's student, in 1892. The couple had two daughters and a son before they separated in 1900. One daughter, Helena Buczynska, pursued an acting career in Poland; and the other, Valeriia Grabovskaia, was a translator who resided in England. Their son, Janek, died during World War I.

Teffi began her literary career in pre-revolutionary Russia as a regular contributor of stories, essays, poems and plays to the daily Russkoe slovo and to the literary journal Satirikon. The first collection of her works, entitled Sem' ognei, was published in St. Petersburg in 1910. In 1919, Teffi emigrated to Paris, where she pursued a prolific writing career publishing a continuous stream of essays, poems, songs, plays and the humorous sketches for which she became best known. Her pieces appeared regularly in the Russian émigré press, and frequently also in translation in non-Russian newspapers, magazines and journals. Her literary output has been estimated to include approximately 700 stories and 26 plays, collected in about 30 volumes, published over the course of 52 years.

Teffi died in Paris on October 6, 1952.

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Teffi Papers; Box and Folder (if known); Bakhmeteff Archive, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
rbml@library.columbia.edu