Diary Marie Bashkirtseff
“I am the most interesting book of all.”
Je suis le livre le plus intéressant de tous.
Marie Bashkirtseff (1858–1884) was a Ukrainian noblewoman from Poltava who kept one of the most remarkable diaries in history from age thirteen until her premature death from tuberculosis. She was also a gifted painter — see her paintings.
For a hundred years, her diary was read only in a heavily censored version. The complete edition was published recently in a small print run and is nearly impossible to obtain.
This project makes the full diary accessible with historical research, linguistic annotations, and translations into Ukrainian, Czech, English, and modern French.
October 10
This Day in Marie's Life
Read the full entryDo not think I am working miracles because Monsieur Julian is astonished. He is astonished because he expected the whims of a wealthy young woman playing at art. Experience I lack — but what I...
What you'll find here
Original text
The complete, unabridged diary in French with the original mix of languages Marie wrote in.
Research & annotations
Historical context, glossary of people and places, linguistic notes on the text.
In four languages
Ukrainian, Czech, English, and a modern French edition — now being refined paragraph by paragraph to read as literature.
“I want to live, and live brilliantly.”
Je veux vivre, et vivre avec éclat. — Marie Bashkirtseff
Start reading the diary