Zhadovskaya was born disabled; she had no left arm and was missing several fingers on her right hand.

Yulia also lived with and studied French with her aunt, the poet Anna Gotovtsova, who had written an epigram challenging Alexander Pushkin's depiction of women.

Fyodorova, in her memoir of Yulia, presents her as a strong and determined woman who overcame her disabilities to become a successful poet and writer.

Her novel Aloof From the Social Whirl (1857) and her stories are devoted to the problems of love, marriage, and the emancipation of women.

[2] The Contrast [3] Dear, you will soon forget me,You I shall ne'er forget,You'll find new loves for old ones,For me love's sun is set.New faces soon will greet you,You'll choose yourself new friends,New thoughts you'll get and haplyNew joy to make amends:While I in silent sorrowLife's joyless way shall go,And how I love and sufferOnly the grave will know.