Nadezhda Stasova

Nadezhda Vasilievna Stasova (; – ) was a Russian educator, activist, and feminist of the 19th century.

Stasova was born into a noble and wealthy family; Tsar Alexander I of Russia was her godfather, and she received extensive private tutoring as a child. After experiencing family tragedy and personal disappointment as a young woman, she dedicated herself to women's education and economic empowerment. Alongside Anna Filosofova and Maria Trubnikova, Stasova was one of the earliest leaders of the Russian women's movement. Together, the three friends and allies were referred to as the "triumvirate".

The triumvirate founded and led several organizations designed to promote women's cultural and economic independence, including a publishing cooperative. Subsequently, the triumvirate pushed government officials to allow higher education for women, although continuing opposition meant that their successes were sometimes limited or reversed. Stasova eventually became the lead organizer of the Bestuzhev Courses in 1878, but a decade later was forced to resign under political pressure. In her final years, she continued her support for the cause of women's rights in Russia. Stasova died in 1895.

Early life Stasova was born at Tsarskoye Selo, an imperial retreat near Saint Petersburg, on . Her parents were members of the Russian nobility. Her father, Vasily Petrovich Stasov, was a prominent architect, while her mother, Mariia Abramovna Suchkova, was from a military family. Stasova, a middle child, had at least five brothers (including Vladimir and Dmitry) and a sister, Sofya. One of her nieces, Elena, became a well-known revolutionary and Bolshevik official.

Stasova's mother died in 1831 of cholera, when Stasova was nine years old.

Career Through Maria Vasilievna Trubnikova's salon, Stasova became connected with a large group of wealthy women concerned with the economic and educational status of women in Russia. The three became leaders of the feminist movement in the Russian Empire, though they did not describe themselves as feminists. The historian Richard Stites describes the triumvirate as "the three major [feminist] figures", who drew on support from wider circles of dozens of women who "moved in and out" of various roles. In contrast with the contemporaneous Russian nihilist movement, the members of the triumvirate were not radical in public style or fashion and were not ostracized by other members of the upper class for their work. Seeking the establishment of a women's university, the triumvirate received support from Kessler to create "regular, serious courses" open to women, in the words of historian Christine Johanson. Tolstoy countered by permitting the classes, but at his own quarters, where he could monitor them.

Later career Despite this setback, Stasova kept working. She helped create the Children's Aid Society in St. Petersburg. Stasova led the organization as chair until her death the same year, and was replaced by Anna Nikolaevna Shabanova.