Maria Matalaev Translates Daughter of Revolution

The pioneering autobiography chronicles Russian author Vera Broido’s life through exile, revolution, and artistic encounters.

We are pleased to announce the publication of Daughter of Revolution, the striking autobiography of Vera Broido, now available in French from Allia.

The daughter of Menshevik revolutionaries, Vera Broido witnessed the upheavals of the 20th century, from her childhood in revolutionary Russia to the avant-garde artistic circles of the Roaring Twenties in Europe. Her account immerses us in her extraordinary journey, navigating between revolutionary émigrés and passionate Dadaists, offering a unique perspective on a tumultuous era.

This book is the result of a meticulous translation by Anne Foucault and Maria Matalaev. Enriched with photographs taken by Raoul Hausmann, co-founder of the Dada movement in Berlin, who shared part of his life with Vera Broido, Daughter of Revolution is a moving book. Vera Broido stands as both a witness and a companion to various remarkable figures.

A book for lovers of history, literature, and extraordinary destinies.

“There can surely be very few still alive who knew Siberian exile under the Tsar, or who lived through the Russian Revolution as a member of a family of revolutionaries. Those who can remember what life was like in Moscow and St Petersburg during the civil war cannot be very numerous either. Even the Berlin and Paris of the twenties now seem remote. In fact, the experiences described here belong to the furthermost reaches of living memory.”

About the Translators

Maria Matalaev, co-founder of MM Editions, is a translator and literature teacher based in Paris. With a rich multilingual background and high-level musical studies, her work focuses on bringing cultural bridges through translation.

Anne Foucault holds a doctorate in contemporary art history and has devoted her research to Surrealism after 1945. She is a research fellow at the Musée national d’art moderne – Centre Pompidou and a lecturer at École du Louvre.

Book Details

• Title: Fille de la Révolution (Daughter of Revolution)
• Author: Vera Broido
• Translators: Maria Matalaev and Anne Foucault
• Publisher: Editions Allia
• Release Date: February 7, 2025
• Language: French
• Features: Includes photographs by Raoul Hausmann

The book is available at all major bookstores and through our website.