She was a grandchild of the Grand Dragoman or Prince of Moldavia Constantine Mourousis; that and her own actions, vision, will and determination made her a prolific advocate of young refugee needs all over Europe.

[3] In 1790, the Sturdza family moved to Iasi (Iași) Moldavia and then in 1800 settled in Saint Petersburg where Roxandra continued her education in Russian and Greek.

She established schools and took a vocal stance on the issues of aid, tender care, sheltering and education during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1832).

As an avid supporter of philhellenism she was further inspired by Ioannis Kapodistrias, the prominent figure of the Greek Revolutions in 1821 and the ensuing years, and the first head of state of the first independent Hellenic Republic (1827–1831).

Noted for her philanthropy, she provided clothing and food from her own family farms in Bessarabia to help the poverty-stricken refugees who had reached Odessa in consequence of the long Greek struggle and rebellion for freedom against the Ottomans.