RAGOZIN, Zenaide Alekseevna (born Zenaida Alekseevna Verderevskaja, then Ragozina). Rjazan govt. 16.6.1838 (1834/35?) — Leningrad 18.5.1924. Russian Traveller and Authoress of Popular Histories in the U.S.A. Born in a noble family, spent some time in imperial court in St.Petersburg. Travelled much in Europe, in 1874 emigrated to the U.S.A. (naturalized 1894). Living in New York with her last husband tutoring young women in French, German, Italian, and music. In the 1880s she began writing history and won some fame in it. In 1901 she returned to Russia and began translating American writings into Russian. Also wrote about Russia for American press. In later years suffered of health problems. She was four times married, with singer Agrenev, Alexander Herzen, Vasilij Kel’siev (d. 1872) and soon with physician Ragozin.
Publications: The story of Vedic India as embodied principally in the Rig-Veda. 457 p. Story of Nations. N.Y. 1895, 5th ed. 1923.
– Also in the series Story of Nations: The story of Chaldea. From the Earliest Times to the Rise of Assyria. 20+381 p. N.Y. 1887, 4th ed. 1893; The story of Assyria. From the Rise of the Empire to the Fall of Ninive. 1891; The story of Media, Babylon and Persia. 18+447 p. N.Y. 1888
– History of the World. N.Y. 1899; other books on European history, on mythical heroes, etc., translations from English to Russian.
Sources: N.E. Saul, “Zenaida Ragozin and Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood: Two Remarkable Russian American Women”, Russian/Soviet Studies in the United States, Amerikanistika in Russia. L. 2016, 30ff.; briefly in Buckland, Dictionary; briefly Wikipedia, with photo.
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