Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (Russian: Еле́на Петро́вна Блава́тская, Ukrainian: Олена Петрівна Блаватська), was born at Dnepropetrovsk (Ekaterinoslav), Ukraine, on August 12, 1831. She was a Theosophist, writer, and traveler. Between 1848 and 1875 Blavatsky went around the world three times. In 1875 Blavatsky, together with Colonel H. S. Olcott, established the Theosophical Society. Blavatsky was the main source of Theosophical teachings and discussed the major themes of Theosophy in many articles and several major works, including Isis Unveiled, The Secret Doctrine, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence. She died in London, on May 8, 1891.
Early years
Born as Helena von Hahn (Russian: Елена Петровна Ган, Ukrainian: Олена Петрівна Ган) she was the daughter of Colonel Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn and novelist Helena Andreyevna (née de Fadeyev).
On July 6, 1842 Helena Andreevna Hahn, Helena’s mother and at that time a well-known writer, died at the age of 28 of galloping consumption.
According to Vera Jelihovsky, Helena's mother, at the time, was worried about the destiny of her elder daughter, “gifted from childhood by outstanding features”.[1] Before her death, her mother said: “Well! Perhaps it is for the better that I am dying: at least, I will not suffer from seeing Helena’s hard lot! I am quite sure that her destiny will be not womanly, that she will suffer much”.[2]
First marriage
Striving for full independence during the winter of 1848/1849 at Tiflis, Helena entered into a sham marriage with vice-governor of Erevan Nikifor Vladimirovich Blavatsky, who was much older than her. In June 7, 1849 their wedding ceremony took place. Soon after their wedding, Helena escaped from the husband and returned to her relatives.[3]
Travels
Shortly after her marriage Helena began more than 20 years of extensive travel, bringing her into contact with mystic traditions the world over. This period of Blavatsy’s life is difficult for her biographers as she did not keep diaries and there was nobody with her to tell about these events. The picture of the route and course of the travels is based mainly on Blavatsky’s own memories, which sometimes contain the chronological contradictions. N. A. Fadeyeva reported that only her father knew where his daughter was, and from time to time would send money to her.
Founding of the Theosophical Society
In 1873 Blavatsky arrived in New York from Paris where, impelled by her teachers, she began her work. At first she attempted to interest the Spiritualists in the philosophy behind phenomena but they resented her refusal to accept their standard explanations. In July 1875 she was urged "to establish a philosophico-religious society," and in the Fall of the same year she became the principal founder, along with H. S. Olcott and W. Q. Judge, of The Theosophical Society. She devoted the rest of her life to its humanitarian and educational objectives.
Additional resources
- H. P. Blavatsky in Theosopedia.