Countess Sofia de Segur, nee Sophia F. Rostopchin, was the daughter of Fyodor Rostopchin, one of the most influential in the Russian Empire government officials, and Catherine Protassova, pupils of Catherine the Great. Godfather girl was the Emperor Paul I, in which her father began his career. After the death of the emperor, Rostopchin was forced to retire to his family estate Raven, where his childhood Sofia.
In 1810, on the eve of the war with Napoleon, Rostopchina called to the court. In 1812 he was appointed Governor-General of Moscow, but after the burning of the capital, fell out of favor again, and this time decided to leave Russia forever. The family settled in Paris in a large mansion on the Avenue Gabriel, near the Champs Elysées.
Sofia has received an excellent education: free talk and write in three languages, masterfully played the piano and loved to read books. In addition, she considered a good match. This fact prompted the Count Eugene de Segur, a descendant of a noble but ruined family, make the girl's marriage proposal.
The newlyweds settled in Normandy, the estate Nuet that in July 1819 Count Rostopchin gave his daughter as a wedding gift. To realize his childhood dream of a big happy family Sofia could only partly. For 36 years she was the mother of eight children. Sons Louis-Gaston, Reno, Anatole, Edgar and daughters - Natalie, Sabine, Henriette and Olga. But the husband of the countess, quickly bored in the province, he went to Paris to squander the state of his wife, and only occasionally came to visit family. Countess never complained about his fate, finding solace in children. With their help, she discovered her talent narrator. They were her first audience, and, in the future, and their friends who came to visit the estate. The publication of tales Sofia gave the famous writer Eugene Sue, a friend of the eldest son of the Countess, who became a famous artist. So in September 1855, at the age of 56 years old countess entered into a contract with the Parisian publisher.
Her books have had great success. Over the last seventeen years of his life Comtesse de Segur wrote more than twenty novels, hundreds of short stories and fairy tales: "New Tales of fairies," "Bright, a lovely deer and a cat", "good girl", "Vacation," "Sophie's Misfortunes", "Memories donkey "," Evil Genius "," Destiny Gaspar "and others. Many of her works were later filmed in France and other countries.
In "good girl" and "Tricks of Sophie" follows the adventures of 6-year-old Sophia, who lives with a wicked stepmother, and her friends, Camille and Madeleine. The heroine of the story "The Little Hunchback" - Christina girl, whose parents, busy social life, almost do not pay attention to it. Christina is a good friend - neighbor boy François, and without noticing his physical injuries, becomes a faithful companion.
Their works Sofia invariably signed not only the "Comtesse de Segur," but always adds "nee Sofia Rostopchina." The disappearance of the registry in the future has led the French believe the Countess of their national pride. Her name is worn by many French schools and streets, in the Luxembourg Gardens, among the monuments of other celebrities, it is worth her bust. On the 200th anniversary of her birth in 1999 was issued a postage stamp dedicated to her.