Antonoff

Overview

A Russian parvenu in Nice in 1875–1876, as Marie tells it from his own account: a clerk in a shop in St Petersburg who married a dowry with «une femme excessivement laide», became a marchand de nouveautés with a boutique where ladies bought hats (049.0069), left his wife and came to Nice with the singer Mme Kronneberg (KRONNEBERG), who «passait pour sa femme» and sang at the Opera. After she left him he bought land on the route de Villefranche and built a house, villa no. 121 (048.0009–048.0011, 049.0026). Marie's portrait on 24 October 1875: «Petit, brun, paraissant rond, avec des yeux de poisson, âgé de quarante-cinq ans, en paraissant trente au plus. Ne parle que le russe, aucune éducation». He is a widower of two years and looks for a wife (048.0012). The Mon Journal t.6 index lists «Antonoff (M.), [de] [Antonelli Cardinal] [Bibi] [Choufleury], 102, 111, 144–148… 258», and t.7 and t.8 add pp. 323–349 and 240; his nicknames are «Bibi-Antonoff», «le général de Antonoff» and «le cardinal Antonelli» (marginal note, 050.0487: «C'est Antonoff qu'on a surnommé cardinal Antonelli»).

Relevance to Marie

• Autumn 1875. The house-warming of 7 November 1875, «M. de Antonoff inaugure sa maison» (049.0022), is a comic social event: guests, the Bashkirtseffs «par honneur», Marie's own mock newspaper report of the party («le général de Antonoff recevait avec la courtoisie… qu'il a apprise lorsqu'il voyait tant de dames qui venaient acheter des chapeaux dans sa boutique», 049.0069). La Vie mondaine printed a report of the party (049.0294). Antonoff admires Marie's feet and offers a franc to see one (049.0044).
• Matchmaking. Marie's friends tease that Marie Sapogenikoff might marry him (048.0012, 059.0910), and on 4 November a lady «épouserait Antonoff mais à condition d'avoir "des petits maris à côté"» (048.0518); on 11 November «Les Sapogenikoff sont chez Antonoff. Je voudrais que ce mariage se fit» (049.0251).
• Winter 1875–76. He is part of the Nice circle: Marie tells a gloomy Audiffret at Antonoff's to cheer up (050.0073), he comes to her opera box (050.0871) and stops with the others in front of the public garden (050.1200); Marie suspects that Audiffret was repelled by «un animal comme Antonoff» (050.0880).
• Yourkoff's suicide (April 1876). With the doctor Tchernichoff he goes to the morgue at Monaco with Nina (059.0621) and brings flowers on 7 May (059.0863).
• 1 July 1876. Marie sings a Russian romance for him; he shouts with enthusiasm (062.0836–0837). Mme Antonoff and Mme Pelikan are among those who missed seeing her on 12 December 1876 (068.0010); the t.9 index has «Antonoff (Mme) : 225», so a wife is mentioned there although he was a widower in 1875.

References in Diary

• First mentioned: 1875-10-24 (048.0009). 44 tagged paragraphs in carnets 048–050, 059, 062, 068.