Background
Chertkoff was born in Odessa in 1869.
Chertkoff was born in Odessa in 1869.
In 1887, she graduated as a teacher from a school in her hometown. She studied music, theater and dance.
Russian by birth, she became a nationalized Argentine citizen. Because of her political involvements, she was forced into exile with her family. Chertkoff was invited to the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where she specialized in pedagogy between 1897 and 1898, completing her studies at the Sorbonne a year later.
In Argentina, she lived at Santa Clara, a colony established by Eastern European Jews, where she founded a school and developed a library.
She participated in the first strikes of the workers and the trade union organization of workers in different industries, such as telephone, textiles, trade, and factories, contributing to enact laws for making Sunday a day of rest. She also denounced labor exploitation of minors, poor sanitary conditions in factories, and long working hours.
In poor health for her last 20 years, she died in Buenos Aires in 1927, at the age of 59.
Her sister, Mariana, was the first wife of president, Juan B. Justo. And Adela, who married the socialist theorist, Adolfo Dickman. She married the socialist Gabriel Gukovsky, with whom she had a daughter, Victoria Gucovsky, before he died in Europe.
A Socialist, she co-founded the Socialist Women"s Center in 1920, and the Trade Union of Women, with her sisters and Gabriela Laperriere and Rachel Messina.