The Queen of Spades (story)
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The Queen of Spades is an 1834 novella with supernatural elements by Alexander Pushkin, about human avarice. Written in autumn 1833 in Boldino, it was first published in the literary magazine Bibliote
Obukhov Hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Hermann is committed at the story's conclusion
Count of St. Germain
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The Count of St. Germain, whose real name and origins remain unknown, was a European adventurer who had interests and achievements in science, alchemy, philosophy, and the arts. He rose to prominence
The Queen of Spades (story)
…years ago, in France, she lost a fortune at faro, and then won it back with the secret of the three winning cards, which she learned from the notorious Count of St. Germain. Hermann becomes obsessed with obtaining the secret. The countess (now 87 years old) has a young ward, Lizavyeta Ivanovna. Hermann sends love letters…
Engraving by Nicolas Thomas, 1783 (based on a painting then owned by Jeanne Camus de Pontcarré and now lost), contained at the Louvre