Zinaida Zhitomirskaya (1918–1980) was a Soviet librarian, translator and bibliographer who researched German literature.

Soon after the birth of her only child, Konstantin Erastov, Zhitomirskaya moved to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where her father worked as a microbiologist.

Later, he became one of the first microbiologists in Tajikistan and helped prevent the spread of epidemics in the region during World War II.

Zinaida was named after her late paternal grandmother, Konstantin's wife, Tzina Zhitomirskaya (née Vikteshmayer).

Emilia's maternal grandfather, Moisei Zlatkin, was a rabbi in Rostov-on-Don and father to the early Hebrew bibliographer Menahem Mendel Slatkine.