December 1954 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

December, 1954

December. 1954

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

MADAME ZINAIDA PAVLOVNA SMIKOFF.

"Only a sweet and virtuous soul Like seasoned timber, never gives; But though the whole world turns to coal, Then chiefly I ives."

In sad silence the School heard the announcement of the sudden death of Madame Zinaida Pavlovna Smikoff at her home on Sunday, 5th September. Zinaida Pavlovna Asbeleff , the eldest of four children in the family of a Government Official in Russia, was born 12th June, 1891, in Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia . She was educated in Petrograd at the Demidovsky Young Ladies' Institute and in the last year of her secondary educa- tion there won a Gold Medal for outstanding ability, which was presented to her personally by the Empres·s Maria. In the Pedogogic Diploma Course in Languages to which she proceeded she .also finished first. Enrolled in the Govern- ment Service she was in 1911 appointed Teacher of French at a Boys ' Grammar School in Ostrov, Poland. In 1917 during t he First World War she married Peter Mak.arievich Smik.off, a young cav2lry officer, formerly a barrister. Their only son Vladimir was born in the following year. At the outbre3k of the Revoluti on, Mr . Smikoff joined the Royalist White Army and with hi.3 wife and son retreated from Europe across Siberia to· Vladivostock where the White Arm•; made its l2st stand . When Vladivostock fell in 1922, the Smikoff famil y evacuated to China. During the long re- treat they lost nearly all their worldly poooessions. In 1923 they migrated to Australia where Madame Smi- koff began to learn another language, to teach French to a group at the Alliance Francaise of whi h she was a member, and to m3ke those friends whose numbers and affection for her grew with the years. Madame Smikoff joined the Staff of the Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School in 1930. She was appointed to teach French throughout the School. For twenty-five years her wide and thorough knowledge of the language and literature of France and her power as a linguist and teacher were devoted to the service of the School. I I

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