Maria Andreeva
Encyclopedia
Maria Fyodorovna Andreyeva was the stage name
of Maria Fyodorovna Yurkovskaya (July 4, 1868 – December 8, 1953), a Russian
/Soviet
actress and Bolshevik
administrator.
Between 1918 and 1921, she was Commissar of Theaters and Public Shows in Petrograd
. Between 1931 and 1948, she was Director of the House of Scientists in Moscow
.
She had been the common law wife
of writer Maxim Gorky
since 1903.
She had been characterized as one of the two most powerful people in Soviet theatre, if only for a short time.
Her father, Fyodor Alexandrovich Fyodorov-Yurkovsky was the director of the Alexandrinsky Theater
, and her mother was an actress. She followed into the steps of her parents. After drama school she went to Kazan
, aged 18. She married her elder by 18 years, Andrey Zhelyabuzhsky, controller of the Kursk
and Nizhny Novgorod
railroads, but who was also involved in theatre. The couple had two children, Yuri (1888–1955) and Yekaterina (born 1894). Yuri went on to become a film director
.
After Zhelyabuzhsky received a new post, the family moved to Tbilisi
, where she had success as an actress. They next moved to Moscow, where Andreyeva worked with Konstantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theatre
. She made her Moscow debut on December 15, 1894. She enjoyed great success.
Andreyeva took an interest in Marxist literature and she secretly joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
. In 1902, she decided to leave acting. In 1900, she had met for the first time Maxim Gorky in Sevastopol
.
Gorky and Andreyeva travelled to the United States
, then moved to Capri
in Italy
.
Already by 1914, she was active in attempts to promote classical theatre to the masses. Only after the October Revolution
did these endeavours bear fruits. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Bolshoi Drama Theater
, which opened in 1919. In January that year, Anatoly Lunacharsky nominated her as his deputy in his role of head of art section of the Narkompros in Petrograd. The Petrograd Soviet
refused to confirm her nomination, but Vladimir Lenin
intervened in her favour and the appointment went ahead.
In 1920, Lunacharsky offered her the position of head of TEO, the theatre department of Narkompros, in Moscow, but she refused.
In the 1920s she separated from Gorky.
It is thought that she was the model for the character of Margherita in Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margherita.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Maria Fyodorovna Yurkovskaya (July 4, 1868 – December 8, 1953), a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
/Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
actress and Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
administrator.
Between 1918 and 1921, she was Commissar of Theaters and Public Shows in Petrograd
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Between 1931 and 1948, she was Director of the House of Scientists in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
She had been the common law wife
Common-law marriage
Common-law marriage, sometimes called sui juris marriage, informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute, is a form of interpersonal status that is legally recognized in limited jurisdictions as a marriage even though no legally recognized marriage ceremony is performed or civil marriage...
of writer Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
since 1903.
She had been characterized as one of the two most powerful people in Soviet theatre, if only for a short time.
Her father, Fyodor Alexandrovich Fyodorov-Yurkovsky was the director of the Alexandrinsky Theater
Alexandrinsky Theater
The Alexandrinsky Theatre or Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater is a theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia....
, and her mother was an actress. She followed into the steps of her parents. After drama school she went to Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, aged 18. She married her elder by 18 years, Andrey Zhelyabuzhsky, controller of the Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
and Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
railroads, but who was also involved in theatre. The couple had two children, Yuri (1888–1955) and Yekaterina (born 1894). Yuri went on to become a film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
After Zhelyabuzhsky received a new post, the family moved to Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, where she had success as an actress. They next moved to Moscow, where Andreyeva worked with Konstantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theatre
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow that the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Constantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright and director Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, founded in 1898. It was conceived as a venue for naturalistic theatre, in contrast to the melodramas...
. She made her Moscow debut on December 15, 1894. She enjoyed great success.
Andreyeva took an interest in Marxist literature and she secretly joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
. In 1902, she decided to leave acting. In 1900, she had met for the first time Maxim Gorky in Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
.
Gorky and Andreyeva travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, then moved to Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Already by 1914, she was active in attempts to promote classical theatre to the masses. Only after the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
did these endeavours bear fruits. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Bolshoi Drama Theater
Tovstonogov Theater
Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater , formerly known as Gorky Bolshoi Drama Theater , often referred to as the Bolshoi Drama Theater and by the acronym BDT , is a theater in Saint Petersburg, that is considered one of the best Russian theaters...
, which opened in 1919. In January that year, Anatoly Lunacharsky nominated her as his deputy in his role of head of art section of the Narkompros in Petrograd. The Petrograd Soviet
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
refused to confirm her nomination, but Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
intervened in her favour and the appointment went ahead.
In 1920, Lunacharsky offered her the position of head of TEO, the theatre department of Narkompros, in Moscow, but she refused.
In the 1920s she separated from Gorky.
It is thought that she was the model for the character of Margherita in Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margherita.