[5] Volkonskaya is a member of the Vesta family (401),[3] when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.
[4] In June 1996, a rotational lightcurve of Volkonskaya was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer William Ryan.
[4][6][7] According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Volkonskaya measures 3.729 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.242,[8][9] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the parent body of the Flora family – and calculates a diameter of 4.11 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 14.1.
[4] The photometric observations by William Ryan and collaborators also showed that Volkonskaya is an asynchronous binary asteroid with a minor-planet moon orbiting it every 24 hours at an estimated average distance of 7.8 km.
The mutual occultation events suggest the presence of a satellite with an estimated diameter 1.39 km or 40% the size of its primary.