Domna Anisimova

Who is Domna Anisimova?

Domna Anisimovna Anisimova, known as Blind Domna, was a blind and illiterate but accomplished 19th-century Russian poet. Her last name is also sometimes give as Onisimova.

Anisimova was born in the village of Degtyanom in the Spassky District of Ryazan Province, the daughter of a sexton in the local village Orthodox church. According to some sources she was born in 1808, according to other sources in 1812.

At the age of five Anisimova was stricken with smallpox, which left her nearly blind; she could only distinguish day from night and dark colors from bright. Her blindness alienated her from normal society. She loved solitude and old stories about the past, as well as being read books and worship.

From an early age she loved to be read to, but at first had no cause to hear works except church books, sermons, ancient stories, and fairy tales. But when a new young priest, Sergei Ivanov, was assigned to her village, he became friendly with Anisimova and began to read some later works, especially the work of contemporary poets.

She was read "Twelve Sleeping Virgins" by Vasily Zhukovsky; this ballad made such an impression on her that she was deprived of sleep and was inspired with a great desire to compose poetry, which she soon began to do, dictating poems to her brother.