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Nabokov and His Beloved Blues Butterflies

© Naomi Mathews

Vladimir Nabokov's deep love of pine forested regions of America and Europe was rooted in cherished moments of his boyhood home near St. Petersburg, Russia. The alpine forests near Montreux, Switzerland, where he lived from 1959 until his death in 1977, were his favorite collecting grounds.

Nabokov, August 1971, collecting above Gstaad, Switzerland. Photo by Dmitri Nabokov courtesy of Estate of Vladimir Nabokov.

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NABOKOV: A BRIEF BIO OF HIS LIFE

Vladimir Nabokov was born one hundred years ago in his parents' home on April 23, 1899 in St. Petersburg, Russia. His family were Russian aristocrats and possessed significant political influence, wealth, and intellectual distinction. He became independently wealthy at age sixteen, when he inherited Rozhdestveno, his uncle's estate. However, his life of leisure and phenomenal wealth was short-lived, as he and his family fled from Russia when the Bolsheviks seized power during the 1917 revolution. Not only was Nabokov forced to leave behind his inherited estate, but also his cherished collections of books and butterflies.

His next twenty years were spent in exile in Western Europe in the countries of France, Germany, and England. For Nabokov and his family, those years were filled with poverty and much uncertainty about his future. It was during this tumultuous time that he wrote The Gift, a novel many believe is the most eminent Russian novel of the century.

In 1923 Nabokov met the love of his life, Vera Slonim. Following their marriage in 1925, Vera dedicated her life to her husband's work. She became not only his constant companion, but served as his entomological assistant, teaching aide, and often his secretary. Dmitri Nabokov, their son, was born in 1934 in Berlin where they had stayed longer than most of their fellow exiles. Although Nabokov received some money from his literary pursuits, it was never a sufficient amount to support his family. To earn extra money he combined his writing with giving language lessons, while seeking academic work abroad.

In 1939, Nabokov received an offer from Stanford University to teach a summer course in Russian literature. At this time, war with Germany had already been declared, and since Vera was a Jew, Nabokov decided to escape from Europe with his family. With the help of friends and HIAS, a New York Jewish rescue organization, the Nabokovs were able to leave France and sail to America in May of 1940. Just three weeks later, German bombs destroyed the apartment building where the Nabokov family had been living.