Lydia Mikhaylovna Koreneva (russian: Лидия Михайловна Ко́ренева, 31 July 1885 - 2 July 1982) was a Russian, Soviet stage actress associated with the
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; russian: Московский Художественный академический театр (МХАТ), ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ)) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was f ...
.
Biography
Born into a
Tambov
Tambov (, ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna and ...
-based noble family, Koreneva moved to Moscow aged 16 and enrolled into the MAT Drama school in 1904 which she graduated from in 1907 to join the
Stanislavski
Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( Alekseyev; russian: Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈgʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Soviet Russian th ...
-led troupe.
[Лидия Михайловна Коренева](_blank)
at the Theatre Encyclopedia Her first roles included Ksenya in ''
Boris Godunov
Borís Fyodorovich Godunóv (; russian: Борис Фёдорович Годунов; 1552 ) ruled the Tsardom of Russia as ''de facto'' regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. After the end of his ...
'' (1907), Water in ''
The Blue Bird'' and Marya Antonovna in ''
Revizor
''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' ( rus, links=no, Ревизор, Revizor, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the pla ...
'' (both 1908), but her breakthrough came on 9 September 1909 when
Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 ( Old Style da ...
's ''
A Month in the Country'' premiered, and Koreneva's performance as Verochka was lauded by, among many others,
Maria Yermolova
Maria Nikolayevna Yermolova (russian: Мария Николаевна Ермолова; in Moscow – 12 March 1928, ''id.'') was a Russian actress, said to be the greatest in the history of the Maly Theatre in Moscow and the first person to ...
.
[Lydia Koreneva](_blank)
Biography at www.peoples.ru Painter and scenic designer of ''A Month in the Country''
Mstislav Dobuzhinsky
Mstislav Valerianovich Dobuzhinsky or Dobujinsky ( lt, Mstislavas Dobužinskis, August 14, 1875, Novgorod – November 20, 1957, New York City) was a Russian and Lithuanian artist noted for his cityscapes conveying the explosive growth and decay ...
, infatuated with both the production and Koreneva, made several portraits of her, as did
Konstantin Somov
Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (russian: Константин Андреевич Сомов; November 30, 1869 – May 6, 1939) was a Russian artist associated with the ''Mir iskusstva''.
Biography Early life
Konstantin Somov was born on ...
. Among her followers at the time were
Léon Bakst
Léon Bakst (russian: Леон (Лев) Николаевич Бакст, Leon (Lev) Nikolaevich Bakst) – born as Leyb-Khaim Izrailevich (later Samoylovich) Rosenberg, Лейб-Хаим Израилевич (Самойлович) Розенбе ...
and
Alexander Blok
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok ( rus, Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бло́к, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈblok, a=Ru-Alyeksandr Alyeksandrovich Blok.oga; 7 August 1921) was a Russian lyrical poet, writer, publ ...
.
[Лидия Коренева](_blank)
«Бесенок» Художественного театра. Журнал "L'Officiel". Русское издание. №36 апрель 2002 Next season the part of Lise in ''
The Karamazov Brothers
''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...
'' endorsed Koreneva as the star of the Moscow theatre and the most popular young actress in MAT.
Her later successes included Anya in ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
'' (1912), Irina in ''
Three Sisters'' (1922-1924, during the theatre's world tour) as well as several parts in the theatre's
Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
repertoire. In 1915-1917 Koreneva was cast in five Russian films, including
Yevgeni Bauer
Yevgeni Franzevich Bauer (russian: Евгений Францевич Бауэр) (1865 – ) was a Russian film director of silent films, a theatre artist and a screenwriter. His work had a great influence on the aesthetics of Russian cinemat ...
-directed ''
The King of Paris'', as Lucienne Marechal.
Filmography
at www.kino-teatr.ru
Koreneva's highly charged, poetic and exalted stage persona proved to be very akin to her real life character, according to theatre historian Inna Solovyova. In 1920s she turned into easily 'the most capricious actress in the history of MAT', as the critic Vadim Shverubovich remembered. Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
portrayed her sarcastically as the hysterical Lyudmila Silvestrovna Pryakhina in his ''Theatrical Novel
''Theatrical Novel'' (''Notes of a Dead Man''), translated as ''Black Snow'' and ''A Dead Man's Memoir'' (russian: Театральный роман (Записки покойника), translit=Teatralnyy roman (Zapiski pokoynika) is an unfinished ...
'', although several critics warned against taking this caricature at face value. Despite behind close curtain conflicts and scandals, Koreneva's work on stage remained inspired and consistent. In 1938 she was honoured with the People’s Artist of the RSFSR
People's Artist of the RSFSR (russian: Народный артист РСФСР, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an Title of honor, honorary title granted to Soviet, Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music ...
title.[Лидия Михайловна Коренева](_blank)
Biography at the Moscow Art Theatre
In 1930s Koreneva became very close to the Stanislavski family. In 1941, as the MAT troupe was evacuated from Moscow, she was the only one who stayed behind, so as to provide care to Stanislavski's widow Maria Lilina
Maria Petrovna Alexeyeva (russian: Мари́я Петро́вна Алексе́ева, Perevoshchikova, Перево́щикова, 21 June 1866 - 24 August 1943) was a Russian stage actress, associated with the Moscow Art Theatre, better kno ...
who was dying of cancer. Koreneva's last major success on stage was Anna Zvezdintseva in Lev Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's ''The Fruits of Enlightenment ''The Fruits of Enlightenment'', aka ''Fruits of Culture'' (1889-90, pub. 1891) is a play by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. It satirizes the persistence of unenlightened attitudes towards the peasants amongst the Russian landed aristocracy. In 1891 ...
'' in 1951. A year later it earned her the Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to:
* The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize
* The Stalin Peace Prize, awarded 1949 to 1955, later known as the Lenin Peace Prize
The Int ...
of the first order. In 1958 Koreneva was forced to retire. Scandalized, she swore never to set foot in this theatre and held her promise. She died in Moscow on 2 July 1982, aged 96, and is interred in Vagankovo Cemetery
Vagankovo Cemetery (russian: Ваганьковское кладбище, Vagan'kovskoye kladbishche), established in 1771, is located in the Presnya district of Moscow. It started in the aftermath of the Moscow plague riot of 1771 outside the cit ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koreneva, Lydia
Russian stage actresses
Russian silent film actresses
Moscow Art Theatre
People from Tambov
1885 births
1982 deaths
Burials at Vagankovo Cemetery