Nina

Overview

Mme Nina Sapogenikoff, a Russian lady of the Nice colony, mother of Marie's friends Olga and Marie Sapogenikoff («les Grâces») and the companion of Nicolas Yourkoff («Pâris»). The Mon Journal indexes call her «Sapogenikoff (Mme Nina), [Hélène]» (t.4, t.5) and «Sapogenikoff (Mme Nina)» (t.6); Kernberger (2013, glossary): «Sapogenikoff, Nina: mother of Mary and Olga Sapogenikoff».

Identity

• «Nina (Mme Sapogenikoff) Et Pâris (Yourkoff) surnommé ainsi par les enfants de Nina…», and at Geneva a M. and Mme Laloff called the pair «Ménélas et Hélène» (024.0414, 26 Oct 1874); hence her nickname «Hélène».
• She lives apart from her husband (M. Sapogenikoff, who appears only on visits) with her children and Yourkoff; see YOURKOFF and SAPOGENIKOFF.
• Her household in Nice, 1875: the maid Mélanie and «Louba la petite adoptée par Nina» (045.0021; t.6 index «Louba (adoptée par Nina Sapogenikoff)»).
• In the girls' mouths «Maman» is Nina (tag rulings 1874–76).

Relevance to Marie

From late 1874 to the spring of 1876 she is the chaperone and hostess of Marie's closest circle in Nice: outings to Monaco, the sea baths, music evenings (she plays four hands with Walitsky), the masked visits of autumn 1875. On 3 October 1875 she denounces Saëtone as an «entremetteur» who troubles her daughter (046.0049). Yourkoff's suicide in March 1876 shatters her («Nina est sans doute devenue folle», 056/1876-03-28).

References in Diary

Tagged in about 170 paragraphs, mostly 024–052 (Oct 1874–Jan 1876), then 056–065 (1876) and a few later carnets.