Anna Alekseevna Kapitsa (1903–1996)

On June 1, 1994, a solemn meeting dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Peter Leonidovich Kapitsa was held in the column hall of the House of Unions.

At the end of the meeting, the widow of the scientist, Anna Alekseevna, rose to the rostrum. A fragile gray -haired woman who was 91 years old. She read a speech in memory of her husband, and when she left the rostrum, everyone was standing for her with applause.

For many years, Anna Alekseevna “on a voluntary basis” performed the duties of her husband’s secretary, and after his death she did a huge work on perpetuating the memory of her husband in order to subsequently avoid false layers. "If only to be in time!"

I knew that P.L. Kapitsa was married to Anna Krylova (AA) - the daughter of an amazing person - academician Alexei Nikolayevich Krylov: mathematics, sailor and brilliant engineer. Where did the scientist who worked in Cambridge meet with Anna? How did it happen that the bride did not have Soviet citizenship? After all, her father had citizenship of the USSR.

The answers were found in the publications of E.L. Kapitsa (El) is the grandchildren of Peter Leonidovich. She recorded conversations with AA, with Natalia Semenova (NN), disassembled the archives of AA. The dictaphone records, apparently, were almost not edited and therefore retain the charm of living speech. Below are samples from the notes at eels, allowing you to find out the AA and the circumstances of the happy marriage of two outstanding people. Give the opportunity to see the eyes of the eyes of the person closest to him.

Outside of quotes, as a addition, a few words are given for the connection of excerpts.

I note that Anna was the third daughter, bearing this name: two elders died in childhood.

Complete texts, and not only them, can be found in the 10th edition of the “Memoirs” by A.N. Krylov (Polytechnic, St. Petersburg, 2003) and at the addresses: http://vivovoCo.rsl.ru/vv/journal/bikap/rubikap.htm http://vivovovoco.rsl.ru/vv/journal/nature/05_04/krylov.htm

Viktor Vodkin, fell alto

Aa. “My brothers and my brothers received education in a very interesting private school. It was called a “real school for joint training” ... Even since the learning at the Bestuzhev courses, my mother made friends with the whole clan of single-minded teachers ... They decided to create their own school, where they could conduct their ideas. It was ... a lot of new ones ... The classes are small-8-10 people. There was no Jewish quota, and we had a lot of small Jewish kids with whom we were friends from the very beginning of our lives, and there were never any anti -Semitism ... We were taught excellent teachers, we were especially given mathematics and languages ​​... Mom took a large part in our school, headed the library there and taught history sometimes. We loved school very much, very, and were unusually friendly. ”

AA's story continues her friend at school Natasha Burtseva, later Semenova. Their friendship lasted almost 85 years, until their death. They died in one year, with a difference of only a few months.

NN. “When I was 10 years old, my parents wrote me down in a private school V.P. Kuzmina. And almost immediately I paid attention to a pretty girl with a thick black scythe. Very soon, we made friends with her. The girl's name was Anya Krylova. We were very different in nature. I am rather a little timid, not without reason I then formed the nickname “Baby”, a little naive, a little shy, while Anechka was characterized by a rather decisive character. Despite the fact that she was a year younger than me, our relations, which very quickly moved into real strong friendship, were always based on the fact that Anechka took care of me, dictated me, could criticize me for some kind of act or focus on some action. And I obeyed her. But I must say that this did not have a burden at all. We went to school together. ”

In the spring of 1914, the brothers graduated from school and received certificates of maturity. The event was marked by a large tour of Europe.

Aa. “I was 11 years old, but the memory remained for life ... We returned to the military Petrograd ... The war began to change our lives and our family. Mom finished nurses, and worked all the time in different hospitals, in lasaretes. Yes, and we had constantly visited our house, and sometimes the wounded soldiers lived ... Military events have not yet touched children ...

Around the same time, the dad had a very serious novel ... For mom it was a severe blow - to find out about my father's treason. She was in this regard without any compromises and could not even think that if Alexei Nikolaevich was cheating on her, then there may be at least some forgiveness. Mom instructed us to her sister - Olga Dmitrievna, and he herself left for the front of the sister of mercy. Dad was very puzzled by this, but mom, if something important decided for herself internally, could no longer move away from it. ”

In one of the two preserved letters of the little Anechka to the front, “Sister of E. D. Krylova” said:

“My dear mother, I want to come to you, the weather is very ugly. I tell you two unpleasant news. Firstly, Lyalka, driving on a motorcycle, a bruise of a leg so much that it has been lying for the third day. Secondly, our cottage in Finland was robbed. You see how everything is disgusting, so I want to come to you, I also want to see the war, it is very interested in me. You must come for Christmas certainly, otherwise I will be bored without you.

... Come to us and take me to war with you. I don't want to study, but I want to fight. Well, goodbye, my mommy. You will come and take me, right, right? Everyone kisses you. Your Anya loving you is very. ”

Aa. “At the front, my mother stayed for about six months, and when she returned home, outwardly in our family everything remained as before. But the war continued, and it became more complicated and more difficult to live ... The brothers had to leave the institute, and they entered the Junker schools ...

The 16th year ended. I well remember the excitement in the house - the murder of Rasputin, joy, conversations, the details of the murder ... They talked about what was being done at the front, what a collapse.

After the New Year, 1917, violent events began. The end of February is the revolution, the renunciation of the king, the general joy, everyone sighed freely. The intelligentsia met the February revolution very well ...

In the summer of the 17th, it became difficult with food, and it was decided that the senior classes of our school, together with some parents, would move south to Anapa. In the south you could survive better.

Since that time, our family broke up completely ... Dad remained in Petrograd, the brothers went to the front ... After a while, Alyosha left the Western Front and joined the white movement. Kolya also went into the White Army, although he was absolutely not a military man ... But, as an officer, he could not help but enter this army. Alyosha with his temperament was more approaching war ... Very soon, my mother and I received the news that Kolya was killed near Stavropol.

In 1919, Alyosha drove to our Anapa for a short time and went on to Novorossiysk. There he soon entered the armored train, fought and was also killed near Kharkov.

These terrible deaths, the death of both sons shocked mom. She was in a terrible state ... She became a very religious person and found reassurance in this. Mom decided that I could not be left in Russia - and look, I would also go to the front, then it was a mood. And my mother loved me passionately. But I appreciated this much later and, probably, often delivered her if not grief, then pain. But I was completely independent in my tastes, my connections, friendship and in general in life. I also loved my mother very much, but we did not have the proximity that she would like.

Mom decided to emigrate, and we went abroad along with our friends by the Skrichitsyn. In Novorossiysk, they sat on some French half-loading steamer, where they slept and lived in the hold. The ship, apparently, brought us to Constantinople. There I got sick ... But, in spite of everything, I managed to see St. Sofia.

In the end, we got to the Geneva and settled there for some time ... From that time on, you want, I didn’t want to become serious, to take up my mind. I began to learn English, because I knew French quite well. I was interested in art, and I entered the Esola des Arts et Metiers (School of Arts and Crafts). It was a school where painting and various applied things were studied.

After some time, we decided to move to Paris. Life in Switzerland was very expensive. When we moved to France, Dad was already on a business trip there. We met, and before that, when we lived in Switzerland, we only corresponded with him. In France, after the tragedy experienced - the deaths of sons - the parents made peace quite well. Mom realized that they could not have family life, but friendship and love remained. I existed - both for one and the other ... They were connected by a common grief and love for me, the only remaining child out of five! Dad always looked so that my mother and I did not need anything, so that we had enough money. ”

There was a friendly company, bicycle walks and even climbing Mont Blanc.

Aa. “In Paris, I ran to engage in painting on Monparnas, it was next to our house, just ten minutes of walking. There were such free ateliers where the nature stood, you paid 1-2 franca and could do it. In addition, I began to seriously study archeology in Ekol de Louvre. I was especially fascinated by archaeological excavations in Syria and Palestine, and I was about to write a diploma work on ceramics. I knew the Louvre and his collection very well, but I also wanted to work in the British Museum in London. At the English consulate in Paris, I was politely, but firmly refused a visa with the words: "Mademoiselle, why do you need to go to London, because the Louvre is such a good museum." I was an emigrant - a citizen with a Nansen passport.

Just at that time, at the end of the summer of 1926, my closest school friend, Natasha Burtseva, suddenly arrived in Paris. She was already married to a young talented physicist Nikolai Nikolayevich Semenov. She came to Paris from Russia with her husband, who was sent abroad to get acquainted with the works of different laboratories. ”

Natalia Nikolaevna loved to remember this trip:

NN. “We were abroad for three whole months: first a month in Germany, then a month in England, and then in France. When I married Nikolai Nikolaevich, I quickly found out that he has a great friend, a Russian physicist who lives and works in Cambridge - P.L. Kapitsa. When we arrived in Cambridge, I remember, Peter Leonidovich immediately arranged me with his simplicity, a sense of humor, cheerfulness and openness. He took care of us, cared and arranged everything well for us ... Kapitsa showed Nikolai Nikolaevich the laboratory, introduced to the scientists. And then he drove us in his car throughout England. After England, we left for France. Arriving in Paris, of course, I immediately began to look for Anechka Krylov, my favorite school friend. All the time we spent in Paris, we talked with her every day. And then Pyotr Leonidovich came from England to stay with us for some time, to see one more time. Here was the acquaintance of Peter Leonidovich with Anechka, with my help, which I am very proud of.

Their communication immediately became very relaxed, mischievous, with jokes and draws. I felt that they were very suitable for each other. ... It turned out one interesting detail - (their mother. - V.V. ) were students of one release of the highest female (Bestuzhev) courses. "

Aa. “I was pleased to show them Paris, which by that time had managed to study well. I have not heard anything about Kapitsa before, although he had been familiar with my father for a long time, and A.N. He treated him very well. We were very happy all together and had a lot of fun. We went to small restaurants and zucchini, to the cinema and museums. Pl was cheerful, mischievous, loved to make all sorts of nonsense, all sorts of things. For example, he could, quite calmly for entertainment, climb a lamppost in the middle of Paris and look at my reaction. He liked that his antics did not shock me, and I accept challenges with the same mischief. ”

NN. “I was very worried about the fate of their relationship. But she knew that with Anechka I needed to keep my ear in the same way: if I at least once hint about some of my matrimonial designs, then everything will be over. One circumstance reassured me - Anechka really wants to get to England, work in the British Museum, and Kapitsa readily offered her her help in this enterprise.

Returning to Leningrad, I began to receive letters from France: “... I wrote a kapitsa bird. He is a physicist, an amazing person. I received a letter from Cambridge from him. I found me an archaeologist to come to England. Now I believed that I would get a visa when it would be necessary, for sure ... ”In a letter dated January 17, 1927, she wrote:“ ... for about ten days, Pyotr Leonidovich visited Paris. We spent well time with him, went to the theater together. He decided to form me, I never go to the theater here. We were in museums, dined together, you were remembered a lot and for your health all the time they drank and regretted that you were not. It was impossible to fight: there are no witnesses, but without them it is impossible. True, they fought verbally, scoffed at each other in every possible way, and parted with friends after all the battles. True, they talked more about serious things. Once until late at night in a restaurant, they sat down, returned home only at three o’clock. He calls to England, he says, will patronize me there. Well, I'm not averse. He took care of you well. I am satisfied that you bequeathed to me ... glorious small. It’s positive for me to be very free. When I go to London, I don't know yet ... "

“What else do you need to write about Peter Leonidovich? He is mocking me, I answer him the same, otherwise we will have a serious conversation, then his eyes are completely round, and looks aside with sad round eyes ... "

Aa. “In the early spring of 1927, I finally received a visa and ended up in London. I didn’t have a lot of money, and I settled in the hostel of Ywca (Young Women Christian Association) is a very cheap ... hostel where the girls who came to England stopped and work ... I immediately wrote a plow in Cambridge, and he arrived very quickly. We spent a lot of time together. On Saturdays and Sundays, he certainly visited London, and sometimes I came to Cambridge. Pyotr Leonidovich loved art, especially painting, perfectly versed in it. Together we examined museums and galleries, went to the theater and cinema, walked around the city. And they talked a lot. ”

El gives several notes of that time from Anna Alekseevna's notebook.

“March 9. I am leaving for London ... I say and understand.

March 10. I walked all day on British Museum.

March 12. Kapitsa. They dined with the bird and were on detectives in the theater. At first I did not understand anything, then it went well.

March 13. With a bird on a car ...

March 19. Cambridge. Dinner. Then they walked in silence, as if they had lost their tongue. Stupid, but it will come.

March 20. We walked everywhere. Kapitsa is very sweet and caring. Were in the laboratory. Very smart, it is difficult to compete. They had dinner and talked a lot, talked about himself. I love it. The evening ended at Khariton. "

Aa. “Once, at the end of my stay in London, Peter Leonidovich said:“ Want to travel around England? View the country, your favorite castles and cathedrals? " I immediately agreed. And who will not agree to go on a trip to England in an open car! Only I did not have money at all. But Peter Leonidovich said: "I invite you." And we went. "

AA. “We traveled with complete pleasure, we had a very good relationship, quite friendly. Pyotr Leonidovich loved to joke, loved to push, but I was a very independent and energetic person. For the night, we stayed in large hotels. And one morning he asks me: “What did you do tonight? The administration complained that Miss is very noisy. ” “Very simple,” I answered, “the closet stood in front of the window and prevented me from looking at the magnificent landscape.” I just moved him and rearranged him to another place. ”

And now Peter Leonidovich is already seeing me off at the Victoria station.

I clearly remember how, leaving, I looked out the window and saw, as it seemed to me, a small figure, lonely standing on the platform. And then I felt that this person is very dear to me.

Pyotr Leonidovich arrived in Paris almost the next day. And I realized that he, as they say, would make me an offer that I should do it. And then I told him: "I believe that we must get married." He was terribly happy, and after a few days we got married. Mom wanted us to certainly get married in the church, which we did. In addition, it was necessary to register our marriage at the Soviet Consulate, and for this I needed to receive an Soviet passport in return for the emigrant. My father came to our ambassador and told him: “My daughter sniffed with Kapitsa. She needs a Soviet passport. ” “It is very difficult and will take a lot of time,” the ambassador answered. “We will do it easier: we will ask the Persian embassy to give her a Persian passport, and then it will be easy for us to change it to Soviet.” For some reason, Alexei Nikolayevich did not like the prospect of turning his daughter into a Persian woman at all, he was terribly angry and raised such a buch at the embassy that very soon all the formalities were settled. ”

I will give a funny excerpt from the letter of my father’s father:

July 23, 1927 Paris

Honey Anya!

Yesterday I was called by our Consul General ... Passport ... It is allowed to give me out. Для этого необходимо: … [что бы ты] 2) Прислала 4 фотографических карточки… 4) Перечислила свои приметы: … Можешь писать и так: Рост — дылдоватый. Волоса — карие. Глаза -когти. Нос — луковицей.

И снова АА: «При регистрации нашего брака в советском консульстве произошла чудная история. Нас приняла там строгая дама, которая, как было видно сразу, абсолютно не понимала шуток. А Петр Леонидович всегда шутил и если видел, что у человека отсутствует чувство юмора, тут-то его особенно и разбирало. Строгая дама нас записала, а Петр Леонидович ей и говорит таким веселым тоном: «Ну, теперь вы нас три раза вокруг стола обведете?» (Он имел в виду — по аналогии с церковным венчанием.) Дама безумно обиделась, рассердилась и сказала сурово: «Ничего подобного. Но я должна сказать несколько слов вашей жене». И, обращаясь ко мне, добавила: «Если ваш муж будет принуждать вас к проституции, приходите к нам жаловаться». Даже Петр Леонидович был озадачен. Зато мы запомнили такое благословение на всю жизнь.

Решив, что надо устроить что-то вроде медового месяца, мы поехали в Довиль — очень модный и симпатичный курорт на Ла-Манше. Но не прошло и нескольких дней, как ПЛ сказал мне: «Знаешь, мне очень хочется ехать в Кембридж, работать. Поедем». And we went.

Довольно скоро я поняла, что первое и основное у него — работа. Так что мне нужно было с самого начала решить, что его работа — это самое главное. А все остальное к ней прилагается. И не надо мне по этому поводу делать ему никаких скандалов, хотя можно иногда сердиться…»

С этого момента начинается новая страница в жизни и Анны Алексеевны, и Петра Леонидовича. Почти шестьдесят лет переживали они вместе все радостные и драматические события, головокружительные взлеты и следующие за ними потери.

И будто подводя итог, Анна Алексеевна как-то сказала: «У нас с Петром Леонидовичем были совершенно особые отношения. Мы были мужем и женой, но связывала нас не только любовь. У нас были необыкновенно дружеские отношения, полное понимание того, что мы делаем, и абсолютное доверие друг к другу, совершенное. Он знал, что я его не подведу никогда. Я знала, что он мне всегда скажет всю правду о том, что происходит. И вот это, я думаю, было основное, что помогло нам победить жизненные невзгоды — полное доверие друг к другу, полная поддержка и взаимопонимание. Оказывается, дружба в супружестве гораздо важнее любви. Дружба — это самое основное».

Июль 2007 — июнь 2013