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Zina Rachevsky

1930 – 1973

Russian-born French-American socialite, film actress, and Gelug Tibetan Buddhist nun

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About Zina Rachevsky

Lived 1930 – 1973 (aged 42). Zina Rachevsky was an American socialite, nun and actor.

Zina Rachevsky, also Zenaïde Rachewski or Zina Rachewsky (; 1 September 1930 – 20 August 1973) was a Russian-born French-American socialite, film actress, and Gelug Tibetan Buddhist nun. Her Buddhist name is Thubten Changchub Palmo.

Biography Zina Rachevsky was born on 1 September 1930 to an American mother of German-Jewish descent and a Russian emigrant Vladimir Rachevski, the son of Sergei Rachevski, a Russian colonel killed at Port Arthur in 1904. She was born in New York City at the Ambassador Hotel, owned by SW Straus & Co. Zina's mother, Harriet Straus Rachevsky, was the daughter of American millionaire Simon W. Straus, for whom the company was named. Vladimir Rachevski was the brother of Zinaida Rachevskaya, who had married the exiled Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia.

Zina would spend her childhood in France, living through the Second World War and married on 4 November 1948 French aristocrat Count Bernard d'Harcourt (1925-1958) whom she divorced in 1950, then moving to the United States of America.

While in Hollywood, Rachevsky took a course in drama and theater.

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Important facts

Birth century
Also known as
Zénaïde Rachewski

Family & relationships

Spouse
Conrad Rooks

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Zina Rachevsky's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Zina Rachevsky?

Russian-born French-American socialite, film actress, and Gelug Tibetan Buddhist nun (1930-1973)

When was Zina Rachevsky born?

Zina Rachevsky was born on 1 September 1930 in New York City.

When did Zina Rachevsky die?

Zina Rachevsky died on 20 August 1973 in Nepal.

What was Zina Rachevsky's occupation?

Zina Rachevsky was a socialite, nun and actor.

What nationality was Zina Rachevsky?

Zina Rachevsky was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Zina Rachevsky

· Wikidata: Q21153749

· DBpedia: Zina Rachevsky

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Zina Rachevsky. https://biography.guide/zina-rachevsky/

MLA: "Zina Rachevsky." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/zina-rachevsky/.

Chicago: "Zina Rachevsky." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/zina-rachevsky/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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