Bachmakoff (M. Bachmakoff)
Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (1884 preface)
Identity
M. Bachmakoff was a Russian official who had served as vice-governor of Poltava, Ukraine, during the time when Marie's mother (Maria Stepanovna Babanina) was a young woman there. The family encountered him in Geneva in 1870 during their flight from Baden-Baden when the Franco-Prussian War was declared.
Encounter in Geneva (1870)
Marie describes the reunion in Book 00 (paragraph 00.46):
"Maman rencontra un M. Bachmakoff qui était venu placer le petit Chtcherbine dans un pensionnat célèbre de Genève, celui du docteur Hactius. Le petit garçon était le fils de sa bonne amie qui l'a épousé, sitôt son veuvage. On s'est rencontré à l'église et M. Bachmakoff, avec sa grâce d'homme de cour, fut très aimable, se souvenant de maman jeune fille à Poltava où il avait été vice-gouverneur."
(Maman encountered a M. Bachmakoff who had come to place young Chtcherbine in a famous boarding school in Geneva, that of Dr. Hactius. The little boy was the son of his good friend who married him as soon as she was widowed. They met at church and M. Bachmakoff, with his courtly grace, was very amiable, remembering maman as a young girl in Poltava where he had been vice-governor.)
Key Details
Background:
- Former vice-governor of Poltava (Ukrainian city in the Russian Empire)
- Knew Marie's mother when she was a young unmarried woman in Poltava
- Described as having "grâce d'homme de cour" (courtly grace)
Personal Life:
- Had a "good friend" (une bonne amie) who was widowed
- Married this woman after her widowhood
- Stepfather to young Chtcherbine (his wife's son from her first marriage)
In Geneva (1870):
- Came to Geneva to enroll his stepson in Dr. Hactius's famous boarding school
- Encountered the Bashkirtseff family at church
- Graciously renewed acquaintance with Marie's mother
- Displayed the polished manners of a former imperial administrator
Historical Context
Poltava as Administrative Center
Poltava was the capital of Poltava Governorate in the Russian Empire, serving as an important administrative and cultural center in Ukraine. As vice-governor, Bachmakoff would have been part of the imperial bureaucracy governing the region, second in authority only to the governor.
The position of vice-governor required:
- Noble status or equivalent rank
- Imperial appointment
- Administrative experience
- Social connections in St. Petersburg
Russian Officials and European Education
It was common for Russian officials and nobility to:
- Send their children (especially stepsons) to prestigious European schools
- Maintain connections with Swiss boarding schools known for quality education
- Use Geneva as a educational center for Russian expatriate families
- Travel between Russia and Western Europe for family matters
Courtly Grace
Marie's description of Bachmakoff's "grâce d'homme de cour" suggests he was:
- Well-versed in aristocratic manners
- Comfortable in high society
- Polished in social interactions
- Perhaps had connections to the imperial court in St. Petersburg
Significance
The chance meeting demonstrates:
- The interconnected world of Russian nobility and officials in Europe
- Geneva's role as a meeting point for Russian families
- The enduring social connections from Poltava to European exile
- The small world of Russian elite society across continents
Related Entries
- #Poltava - City where Bachmakoff served as vice-governor
- #Maman - Marie's mother, whom Bachmakoff remembered
- #Chtcherbine - His stepson enrolled in Geneva school
- #Dr_Hactius - Director of the famous Geneva boarding school
- #Geneva - Where the encounter took place
- #Franco_Prussian_War - Reason the families were in Geneva
%%2025-12-07T16:45:00 RSR: Created entry based on Book 00, paragraph 00.46. Bachmakoff represents the interconnected world of Russian imperial officials across continents.%%