Proshchay, Rossiya—Hallo, Deutschland.

Privet! It is me, Sonya, once again. As I was saying in my last post, I was very fond of my mathematics, and might I say, I was very advanced as well. In fact, I taught myself trigonometry with a book borrowed from the neighbor after I had displayed such gusto for algebra and geometry. With my older sister by my side, we tried to show our father that we could flourish into scholars with the right education. We aspired to become chemists or doctors— something that could put honor into our family. We begged him to let us go abroad— to Germany or Switzerland— but he would not allow it! 

     "Unaccompanied women traveling to foreign lands is scandalous and unorthodox! I won't allow it, " he would say. We were at a stalemate! So, Anya and I devised a plan. We couldn't leave Russia unaccompanied, but we could leave with men to accompany us. These men that would accompany us couldn't be just any men, however. These men needed to either be our father or our husbands. Now, our father would sooner die than join us, so what better way to solve our problem than with marriage? So, in 1868, Anya arranged fictitious marriages with young men who were also in favor of our nihilistic views. So, with our convenient husbands at our sides, she was off to Paris and I was off to university in Heidelberg, Germany! But until next time, do svidaniya!