Sonia Orbeliani

[1] Born into the Georgian House of Orbeliani, Sophia was the middle child and the only daughter of Prince Ivane Jambakurian-Orbeliani, general and governor of Kutaisi, and Princess Maria Svyatopolk-Mirska (1855-1889).

Orbeliani was given a typical education for an aristocratic woman of the time with a focus on accomplishments, and described as a confident, amusing blonde and as an able pianist, painter, dancer and singer.

Because of her extrovert nature and charm, she was thought to be able to make the introvert and reserved empress to participate more in social life, and she arranged small gatherings of noblewomen where she and the empress played the piano, in an unsuccessful attempt to make Alexandra more sociable.

In 1903, she was affected by a spinal illness, and given a diagnosis in which she was to become gradually paralyzed and finally die.

Uncommonly, she continued as lady-in-waiting; first as before, eventually only tending to secretarial tasks and finally confined to bed, nursed by the empress.