Mariya Svistunova

Mariya Alekseevna Svistunova, née Rzhevskaya (June 26, 1778, St Petersburg - September 1, 1866, Paris) was a lady-in-waiting at the Russian Court and a convert to Roman Catholicism.

Mariya Aleksevna was born to the writer and poet, Senator Alexei A. Rzhevsky, and Glafira Ivanovna Alymova, his second wife and a lady-in-waiting.

Beautiful, slim and young, Mariya Rzhevskaya appeared at the court at the beginning of the reign of Paul I and was appointed lady-in-waiting.

In 1812 at the urging of his friend Vyazmitinov, Nikolai Svistunov returned to the service and worked as a director of the department in the Ministry of Police.

Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky called Mariya Alexeyevna a "famous pilgrim";[2] that did not stop her, however, holding balls for young daughters in Lent, which was very embarrassing at the time to St Petersburg society.

Her mother died, and her eldest son Peter was convicted and sentenced to penal labour for his involvement in the Decembrist conspiracy.

She died in Paris on September 1, 1866, at age 88, in a Catholic convent, Du St Coeur de Marie.