She was the eldest daughter of Sergey Aksakov and his wife Olga Semyonovna Zaplatina (1793—1878).

Her mother was the daughter of Major General Semyon Grigorievich Zaplatina and a captured Turkish woman.

[2] When her father began to write "The History of My Acquaintance with Gogol" she acted as his assistant and as he lost his eyesight she became his amanuensis.

[3] Aksakova is known for her diary which gives an interesting insight into Russian life during the Crimea War.

[4] She later records the loss of national prestige with her country's defeat at the Siege of Sebastopol.