Name/Title
Relic, HistoricEntry/Object ID
2018.002.0001Description
This is a framed rose that was on the gravesite of Nikolai Rezanov in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. It was gathered from his new grave site in about the1950s. This was when they built a monument to him (see attached photo). The frame is 38" x 8.25" x 1.75".
In the late eighteenth century, a young Spanish girl and a Russian explorer fell in love at the Presidio. Though challenged by different languages and cultures, the romance of Maria de la Concepcion Marcela Arguello and Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov spawned a legend that continues to capture the hearts of people today.
Concepcion joined the Dominican sisterhood in Benicia, California, with which she remained until her death in 1857.
Though doctor von Langsdorff's journal documented the infatuation between Concepcion and Rezanov, it also acknowledged that ulterior motives may have been responsible for the union. Indeed, the romance occurred at a time when Russia and Spain were competing for control of the northern Pacific coast. As von Langsdorff wrote, the marriage would ensure "A close bond would be formed for future business intercourse between the Russian American Company and the provincia of Nueva California. [Rezanov] therefore decided to sacrifice himself, by wedding Dona Concepcion, to the welfare of his country and to bind in friendly alliance Spain and Russia."
Though von Langsdorff was not the only person to interpret the romance of Concepcion and Rezanov with a bit of cynicism, their story has nevertheless captured the imaginations of authors, painters, and historians through the centuries. It also inspired a famous Russian rock opera, Juno and Avos, as well as countless visitors to the Presidio today.Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection
