Zankovsky Family

Overview

A Ukrainian family involved in gambling and what Marie describes as predatory social behavior. The family includes a mother, a younger daughter, and a son ("le frere de la belle"). Marie portrays them as a corrupt clique who ensnare young men for financial exploitation.

Members Mentioned

• Mme Zankovsky (the mother): Described as "une personne tres depravee" who wins at cards constantly, implying she cheats.
• Mlle Zankovsky (younger daughter): "se conduit mal" (behaves badly); procures young men for her mother to fleece at cards.
• The son: "un atroce garnement" (a terrible rogue); serves in a regiment that Paul Bashkirtseff joins to be near the sister.

Relevance to Marie

The Zankovskys are the cause of family distress in August 1875. Paul Bashkirtseff (Marie's half-brother) has fallen for the younger daughter, and the family is pushing him to enlist as a soldier to be in the same regiment as the Zankovsky son. Their previous victim was a neighbor named Doublansky. The news arrives by letter from Russia, causing Maman to have one of her nervous crises.

References in Diary

• First mentioned: 1875-08-17 (letter from Russia about Paul)
• Also: 1876-10-04 (Marie meets M. Zankovsky in person)