Background
Varvara Nikolaevna Annenkova was born in 1795 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. She was born into the wealthy Annenkov family, daughter of Colonel Nicholas Nikanorovich Annenkov (1764-1839), she was the sister of General Nicholas Annenkov and poet Ivan Annenkov (1796-1829). Varvara was a cousin of Ivan Annenkov, who was exiled to Siberia for his role in the Decembrist Uprising of 1825.