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 younger 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)