Madame Melnikoff
Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (preface written 1884)
Identity
Madame Melnikoff was one of Marie Bashkirtseff's early Russian governesses during Marie's childhood in Ukraine, before the family left Russia in 1870. She was specifically responsible for teaching music and dance.
Background
According to Marie's 1884 retrospective preface, Madame Melnikoff was:
- A Russian woman of society ("une femme du monde")
- Educated and well-read
- Romanticized and separated from her husband
- Someone who became a governess "par coup de tête" (on a whim) after reading numerous novels
Role in the Household
Marie describes Madame Melnikoff's unique position in the Bashkirtseff household, which reflected the complex social dynamics of Russian noble families:
"Ce fut une amie pour la maison, on la traita en égale. Tous les hommes lui faisaient la cour et elle s'enfuit un beau matin après je ne sais quelles histoires romanesques."
(She became a friend to the household, treated as an equal. All the men courted her and she fled one fine morning after some kind of romantic stories.)
This was unusual for a governess, who typically occupied an ambiguous social position between servant and family member. However, as a separated woman of noble background taking up employment, she commanded respect.
Teaching Approach
In typical Russian noble household fashion, the family employed multiple governesses with specialized roles:
- Russian governess (Madame Melnikoff): Taught music and dance
- French governess: Taught French language and culture
This division reflected the aristocratic Russian practice of combining Russian cultural education with French refinement.
Relationship with Young Marie
Marie notes that "en femme malheureuse, cette dame a tout de suite adoré la petite fille qui lui était confiée" (as an unhappy woman, this lady immediately adored the little girl entrusted to her care).
Young Marie, already self-aware and performative, admits: "Moi je lui ai rendu son adoration par esprit de pose, déjà" (I returned her adoration out of a spirit of posing, already).
This reveals Marie's early consciousness of her own theatrical tendencies and her ability to manipulate emotional situations even as a young child.
Dramatic Departure
Madame Melnikoff's departure was characteristically romanticized, fitting both her personality and Russian cultural tendencies:
"On est très romanesque en Russie. Elle aurait pu dire adieu et partir naturellement mais le caractère slave, greffé de civilisation française et romans, est une drôle de machine."
(People are very romanticized in Russia. She could have said goodbye and left naturally, but the Slavic character, grafted with French civilization and novels, is a strange contraption.)
Marie's adult perspective (writing in 1884) shows sophisticated cultural analysis: she recognizes how Russian romanticism combined with French cultural influence and novel-reading created exaggerated emotional behaviors.
Family Reaction
The family's dramatic response to the departure reveals their own theatrical tendencies:
- They believed Marie would become ill from the loss
- They looked at her with compassion
- Grand-maman ordered special invalid's soup prepared
Marie notes her own physical reaction: "Je me sentais devenir toute pâle devant ce déploiement de sensibilité" (I felt myself growing quite pale before this display of sensitivity) - though whether this was genuine emotion or performed response remains characteristically ambiguous.
Cultural Significance
Madame Melnikoff's story illustrates several important aspects of 19th-century Russian aristocratic life: 1. Governess culture: Educated women of noble background sometimes took positions when separated from husbands 2. Social ambiguity: Such governesses occupied a complex social position, treated "as equals" yet still employees 3. Russian romanticism: The tendency toward dramatic, novel-inspired behavior 4. French influence: The grafting of French cultural sensibilities onto Russian character 5. Musical education: The importance of music and dance in noble Russian children's education
Linguistic Note
Marie uses "romanesque" (romanticized, novel-like) repeatedly to describe both Madame Melnikoff and Russian character in general. This reflects Marie's sophisticated analysis of how literature influenced behavior in her social class.
Related Entries
- #Grand_maman - Ordered the invalid's soup
- #Russia - Cultural context for romantic behavior
- #Maman - Marie's mother, head of household
Sources
- Marie's 1884 preface (Book 00, paragraph 00.29)
- Historical context about Russian governesses in noble households
%%2025-12-07T14:45:00 RSR: Created based on Book 00 preface. Marie's sophisticated adult analysis (1884) of childhood governess reveals both personal and cultural insights. Note linguistic analysis: "romanesque" as cultural critique.%%