The center of the new, yet growing Anthroposophical movement was to be created in the small Swiss village of Dornach. The monumental Goetheanum that stands there today is the replacement for the original building that was burnt down on New Year’s Eve in 1922. The construction employed local workers and craftsman, but followers of Rudolf Steiner also participated actively in the physical labor. Among those was a closely knit Russian community that included the writer, Andrei Bely, his spiritual companion and later wife, Asya Bugaeva-Turgenev, her sister Natalya Pozzo-Turgenev and husband Alexander Pozzo, and Margarita Voloshina-Sabashnikova, the translator, artist and later memoirist.

Because Marie Steiner spoke Russian natively, they had special access to the Steiner household and to Doctor Steiner. In fact these Russians as eyewitnesses to the Doctor were in a unique position to describe Doctor Steiner, the construction of the Johannesbau (renamed the Goetheanum in 1918), the people and the turbulent times. Each followed her or his own path, but many of the books in the Swetlana Geier collection came from and lead back to Dornach.

Andrei Bely (1880-1934). Bely who had begun to follow Dr. Steiner along with Asya  in 1912 arrives in Dornach at the end of January, 1914. He will live and work in the community until he is summoned for the Russian war effort in (April) 1916.

Asya Bugaev-Turgenev (1888-1966). Asya joins her life to Andrei Bely in 1909. Together in 1912 they participate in lectures of Dr. Steiner. Arriving at Dornach in 1915, Asya the artist is completed involved in the creative impulse of the Bau. Known to those who study Russian literature merely as Bely’s wife, Asya was a the major creative force behind the extraordinary glass windows inside the cavernous theater of the Goetheanum.  Asya remained true to Steiner’s teachings and witht eh exception of some trips around Europe to listen to lectures or as a member of the Eurythmy troupe, Asya lived and died in her beloved Dornach.

Natalya Pozzo-Turgenev ( 1888 -1941). Natalya who came to her Dornach with her husband Alexander in 1914 would later play a leading role as Eurythmist and leader of the Anthroposophical community in Paris. She vigorously defended Anthroposophy against its critics in the Russian émigré community. In 1939 she returned to Dornach where she passed away in 1941.

Alexander Pozzo (1882-1941). Alexander came and worked on the Bau until he too was summoned back to Russian in 1917. He actually served then made his way back to Switzerland. He would become active in Polish Anthroposphical community until he too returned to Dornach because of World War II.

Margarita Voloshin-Sabashnikov (1882-1973   ), Margarita is a an accomplished artist and translator, married for a time to Maximilian Voloshin. She  too is in Dornach during the early years of theGreat war.  But will return to Russia. When she finals departs for Europe she can no longer enter Switzerland and takes up residence with the strong Anthroposophical communuity in Stuttgart where she will paint and write until her death.

Each of these has books in the collection that either bear their name, were dedicated to them, written by them, or closely connected to their work. It is therefore not strange that the library at the Goetheanum and its archives hold similar tomes.