Maria Ermolova: biography, creativity

Maria N. Ermolova - the star of the theatrical Russian scene is known for her dramatic talent. Her life was subordinated to the service of the theater, her whole path is an example of a selfless love of art.

Childhood of the future star

July 15, 1853, the future star of the scene Maria Ermolova was born. The biography of the actress began in a family related to the theater: her grandfather was once a serf violinist of the Volkonsky princes, for his services he was free and spent the rest of his life in the wardrobe of the Maly Theater, the girl's father served there as a prompter. Therefore, Masha already from a small age plunged into the life of the backstage. Looking at the scene from the prompter's booth, she was convinced that she was going to be the best actress. She has already played various scenes in front of the mirror since 4 years, and the parents welcomed it.

Ermolova's father was a keen and artistic person, he read a lot, painted, wrote poetry and plays. But at the same time he had a difficult nature, he brought up children in extreme rigor, was inclined to violent outbursts of anger over trifles. This affected the nature of her daughter, who for a long time shunned a large society, was very modest and unpretentious.

Study and dreams

The Ermolova family was from among the poor, so the girl did not have much choice where to go to study. Father believed that children should get used to the hardships of life from childhood, and especially did not care about their pleasures. The girl did not even have a primer, she learned to read from plays that were in excess on his father's table. At the age of 9 the child was decided to give up studying at the Moscow Theater School, there was a free, "official" place at the ballet department, where Yermolov was enrolled. And the hardest years of her life began. Maria did not have a dance talent, every lesson for her was a torment, but teachers and classmates noticed her artistic abilities.

At the age of 13, the father was able to arrange the daughter's first exit on the dramatic stage, she was given a role in the vaudeville "Ten Brides and No Bridegroom" at the Maly Theater. The image of Fanchette was not close to Ermolova, and she had no success, in addition, the famous actor Samarin sentenced: "She will never be an actress."

But this did not stop Maria from dreaming about a dramatic scene, he knew all the plays that were going on at the Maly Theater, was confident of her vocation, no matter what. She persevered in mastering the profession of a ballerina.

Successful debut

The rise of Maria Ermolova was not predictable and we expect. By chance, at the age of 16, she had the opportunity to appear on the stage of the Maly Theater in a dramatic role. The prima of the theater N. Medvedev prepared for a benefit and urgently sought the replacement of the sick G. Fedotova in the performance on Lessing "Emilia Galotti", and a classmate Maria advised her candidacy. The success of the debutante surpassed all expectations, the audience was shocked by the sincere and profound experiences of the young actress. She was called to bow 12 times, which was unheard of for the debutante. Ermolova herself will write in her diary: "I'm happy today." But the successful debut did not stop her painful ballet lessons, two more years she had to finish her studies at the school and only after his graduation get out on the coveted path of a dramatic actress.

Theater is destiny

Immediately after leaving the school, Ermolova was enlisted in the troupe of the Maly Theater. But the management of the theater was convinced that for a young actress the comic line is better suited, and at first she was given roles only in vaudeville. She played frivolous young ladies, putting in them more depth and seriousness than the authors intended. However, the role of Mashenka in "Slavery of husbands", Marfa in "The Tsar's Bride", Emma in "The Family of the Culprit", Lidochka in "Krechinsky's Wedding", Marianna in "Tartuffe" became a good start for her. To roles Maria Nikolaevna approached very seriously, long searched for features of character, thought over drawing of an image. The first three years in the theater became for her the time of study, she was gaining mastery, she was aware of her abilities.

Successful debut and the first role greatly complicated the life of Yermolova in the theater, at first it was surrounded by envy and ill-will. It was difficult for her to join the troupe also because of her unsociable nature. She was greatly supported by the family Shchepkin, relatives of the famous actor. In their house intellectuals of Moscow gathered, and Maria managed to reduce many useful acquaintances that will help her in the future.

Talent of the tragic actress

Gradually, the directors discover the power of Ermolova's talent and entrust her with more serious roles. In 1873, she was lucky enough to work on the image of Katerina in "The Storm" by AI Ostrovsky, she perfected and perfected this role for several years, leading to perfection. The talent must mature, and the actor must accumulate certain experience in order to blossom into full force. It took six years before the real new star, Maria Ermolova, shone in her entire power on the stage of the Maly Theater. Actress by 1876 entered into an excellent form and matured for the benefit. Especially for her frequenter of the circle at Shchepkin, Sergei Yuryev translated the play Lope de Vega "The Sheep Source", the role of Lawrence in which was ideally suited for such an event. The play was a resounding success, the enthusiastic audience blocked the road and instead of horses carried her carriage to the house, and then brought the actress to the house on her hands.

Thus began a happy period in the life of Maria Yermolova. It opens a new era in the Maly Theater - an era of romance. Her lyrical gift was fully realized in such roles as Ophelia, Desdemona, Estrell in the "Star of Sevilla", Elizabeth in "Don Carlos".

But the greatest glory of Maria Ermolova was tragic and dramatic, in which her talent was fully revealed. Phaedra, Sappho, Lady Macbeth in the performance of the actress admired the audience and critics. In them, her individuality manifested itself fully.

Touching Modern Drama

In the late 80's and 90's of the 19th century Maria Ermolova turned to the contemporary repertoire, in which the passion and pathos inherent in classical material were not needed. Here the emphasis is on the everyday themes and realism of the characters. New facets of Yermolova's talent are revealed in the plays of Russian playwrights: AN Ostrovsky, VI Nemirovich-Danchenko, AI Sumbatov-Yuzhin, MI Tchaikovsky, AS Suvorin. She not only tries herself in positive images, but also refers to negative characters.

The final years of his career

Since the 1910s, changes have taken place in the professional career of the actress, she no longer wanted to play her usual repertoire because of her age. Maria Ermolova was forced to turn to the roles of mothers and old women. But in this period she also had creative successes, which include the roles of Queen Martha in Ostrovsky's play "Dmitry Pretender and Vasily Shuisky", Mamelfa Dmitrievna in "Posadnik" AK Tolstoy, Fru Alving in Ibsen's "Reduction".

In 1920 the 50th anniversary of her creative activity was magnificently celebrated, the Soviet government appropriated her the title of People's Artist of the Republic, she was the first ever actress to receive such a title. Soviet power in the seventies of the 20th century launched the ship "Maria Ermolova", which gave the name to a whole class of passenger water vessels.

In 1923 she officially left the stage. But continues to give concerts as a reader of poetry, meets with the audience.

The best roles

Actress Ermolova Maria Nikolaevna possessed a powerful tragic talent, for her life she embodied on the scene more than 300 images. But her main role of criticism is called Jeanne d'Arc in the "Orleans Maiden" Schiller. This play she "beat" for many years in censorship, and only in 1884 the permission to stage was received. Then for 18 years the play did not go off the stage, and Ermolov in it only gained strength. The best roles also include: Negina in Talents and admirers of Ostrovsky, Kruchinin in his play "Guilty Without Guilt", Maria Stuart in the play of Schiller, Phaedra Racine, Hermione in Shakespeare's Winter Fairy Tale.

The theater of Maria Yermolova is a theater of experiences and immersions. She embodied the system of Stanislavsky.

The glory of the actress is known today only by the reviews of her contemporaries, Maria Ermolova's photo does not convey all her magical charm, and her films have not been photographed on film. However, it is known that she impressed the viewer with depth and strength of experience, she knew how to express the subtlest spiritual movements and moods.

Private life

All contemporaries claimed that Ermolova in life was a very modest and unpretentious person, she did not seek luxury, did little. So, from the jewelry on it you could see only a string of pearls, from clothes she preferred strict black dresses. In her house there was a very ascetic situation, it was decorated only with flowers, donated by the audience.

Ermolova married Nikolai Shubinsky at a young age for a great love, which very quickly dissipated, and found a significant dissimilarity in the characters and views of the couple. But Maria N. Ermolova all her life continued to live with an unloved person for the sake of her daughter. Contemporaries said that later she was overjoyed with a scientist living in Europe. But Ermolova never decided to dissolve the marriage.

In the last years of her life, Kolya's grandson, with whom she spent a lot of time, gave her a lot of joy. March 12, 1928 the great Russian actress Ermolova Maria Nikolaevna died.