Filosofova, Anna

(née Diagileva). Born Aug. 5 (17), 1837, in St. Petersburg; died there Mar. 17 (30), 1912. Figure in the women’s movement in Russia.

Filosofova was born into a rich noble family and was educated at home. Together with N. V. Stasova and M. V. Trubnikova, she organized a women’s circle, which was instrumental in the establishment of the first general-education courses for women in St. Petersburg in 1870 and the Bestuzhev Advanced Courses for Women in 1878. Filosofova headed a number of philanthropic societies after 1859. She was active in the international women’s movement, becoming vice-president of the International Council of Women in 1899. During the Revolution of 1905–07 she sided with the Constitutional Democrats (Cadets) and opposed the participation of women in the revolutionary movement. She was chairman of the First All-Russian Women’s Congress in 1908.