The Pavlovs in Sillamägi: New documentary evidence

Abstract

In 1890 Ivan Pavlov received a professorship, which brought him certain financial rewards. Now, he could rent a large six-room apartment in Saint Petersburg and take the whole family for vacation to Türsel, Sillamägi, Estonia, where the Pavlovs spent every summer from 1891 по 1917. His wife Serafima Pavlova and his nephew Alexander Pavlov wrote about their summer breaks, habits, hobbies, and the slow pace of summer life. This article provides a detailed description of the Pavlovs’ summer holiday routine, traditions of staying at a dacha (a summer house in the country) and Ivan Pavlov’s everyday activities. The article is the first and a very informative account of the memories that Pavlov’s daughter Vera had of summers spent in Türsel. The memories were taken from the three handwritten notebooks from the collection of the Memorial Apartment Museum of I. P. Pavlov. The article is illustrated by numerous photographs from the museum collection, many of which are published for the first time. Besides, the article provides unique details about the establishment and rules of the Türsel Tennis Club, organized at the very beginning of the 20^th century.