Matilda Kshesinskaya is a ballet star with a scandalous reputation (19 photos). Nicholas II and Matilda Kshesinskaya, historical facts, biography

Not at all a beauty, only 153 centimeters tall, with short, plump legs for a ballerina - this was the main heartbreaker pre-revolutionary Russia, into whose network the two Grand Dukes and Tsarevich Nicholas fell. Ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya captivated her with that special charm that leaves no man indifferent. On August 31, the great dancer turned 145 years old. Let's remember 11 little known facts from the biography of Matilda.

1. Thirteenth child

Kshesinskaya’s mother, Yulia Dominskaya, was also once a ballerina, but left the stage, devoting herself to her family. In two marriages (Yulia’s first husband died), she gave birth to 13 children. Matilda was the youngest - thirteenth.

2. Commanded directors

At the Mariinsky Theater Matilda began as “Kshesinskaya 2nd”. “Kshesinskaya 1st” was the name of her older sister Yulia. But soon Matilda became the most influential ballerina in the country. She herself decided who would go on stage with her, she could easily take someone else’s role for herself, kick out a dancer discharged from abroad with the words: “I won’t give it to you, this is my ballet!”

Once, Matilda, without permission, changed her uncomfortable costume for a performance to her own. Here the management could not stand it - the ballerina was fined. However, it was not possible to find justice for the ballerina.

“Is this really a theater, and is it really me who runs it? - Vladimir Telyakovsky, director of the imperial theaters, wrote in his diary. “Everyone is happy, everyone is happy and glorifying the extraordinary, technically strong, morally impudent, cynical, arrogant ballerina.”

3. Set a record

Matilda was the first among Russian ballerinas to perform 32 fouettés in a row on stage. Before her, only Italian ballerinas Emma Besson and Pierina Legnani, who performed on the stages of St. Petersburg, could spin like this. Since then, 32 fouettés in a row have been considered the hallmark of classical ballet.

4. Emperor Alexander brought him together with Nicholas

The ballerina met Tsarevich Nicholas at her graduation concert. He was 22 years old, she was only 18. Historians believe that it was Nicholas’s father who then pushed the future emperor to become a ballerina. Nicholas at that time suffered from love for the German princess Alix. However Alexander III was against marriage and, in order to somehow distract his son from mental torment, invited Matilda to the table.

“The Emperor turned to me: “And you sit next to me.” He showed the heir a seat nearby and, smiling, told us: “Just be careful not to flirt too much.” I don’t remember what we talked about, but I immediately fell in love...” wrote Matilda. In her diaries, the ballerina called the Tsarevich “Niki” and exclusively on “you”.

However, in 1894, Nikolai’s father still gave the go-ahead for his son’s wedding with German princess, and the romance with Matilda came to an end. However, even after the breakup, the former lovers remained good friends.

5. I had an affair with two people at once

After the break with Nikolai, Matilda was consoled in the arms of Grand Dukes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. At this time she will give birth to a son, Vladimir. The boy was given the patronymic name Sergeevich, but which of the princes was actually the father of the child is not known for certain.

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6. The prince died with a portrait of Matilda

Malya - that’s how Prince Sergei Mikhailovich affectionately called Kshesinskaya. They say that in 1918, during his execution by the Bolsheviks, the Grand Duke clutched in his hand a medallion with a portrait of Matilda.

7. Served by Faberge himself

Kshesinskaya was richest woman Russia. Her lover, Sergei Mikhailovich, having access to the military budget, did not skimp on the ballerina’s outfits and jewelry. Matilda's custom jewelry was made by Faberge himself.

Her treasury also contained a unique comb. According to legend, it is made of 1000-carat gold, which does not exist in nature. Nikolai Gumilyov found the jewelry during one of his expeditions to the White Sea. And soon the thing got to the ballerina. Many believed that it was thanks to the fabulous comb that all of Kshesinskaya’s wishes came true. Unfortunately, during the revolution the decoration disappeared without a trace.

8. Her palace was envied even in the Winter Palace

Obviously not on the ballerina’s salary, in the late 1890s Kshesinskaya bought a country palace in Strelna, where she built her own power plant. But at that time there was no electricity even in the Winter Palace.

9. I lost my money at roulette

While in exile, Kshesinskaya became addicted to gambling. When she sat down at the roulette wheel, she always bet on the number 17. For this, the ballerina was nicknamed “Madame Seventeen.” At first, luck was on Matilda’s side, but soon, having lost considerably, Kshesinskaya decided to give up gambling.

Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya (Maria-Matilda Adamovna-Feliksovna-Valerievna Kshesinskaya, Polish. Matylda Maria Krzesińska). Born on August 19, 1872 in Ligovo (near St. Petersburg) - died on December 6, 1971 in Paris. Russian ballerina, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, Honored Artist of His Majesty the Imperial Theatres, teacher. Mistress of Nicholas II.

Matilda Kshesinskaya was born on August 19, 1872 in Ligovo (near St. Petersburg) into a family of ballet dancers of the Mariinsky Theater.

She is the daughter of the Russian Pole Felix Kshesinsky (1823-1905) and Yulia Dominskaya (the widow of the ballet dancer Lede; she had five children from her first marriage).

Her sister is ballerina Yulia Kshesinskaya (“Kshesinskaya 1st”, married Zeddeler, husband Zeddeler, Alexander Logginovich).

Brother - Joseph Kshesinsky (1868-1942), dancer, choreographer, died during the siege of Leningrad.

According to family legend, Matilda’s great-grandfather, in his youth, lost his fortune, the title of count and the noble surname Krasinsky: having fled to France from assassins hired by his villainous uncle, who dreamed of taking over the title and wealth, having lost the papers certifying his name, the former count became an actor - and subsequently became one of the stars of Polish opera.

The family called Matilda Malechka.

At the age of 8 she entered the ballet school as a visiting student.

In 1890 she graduated from the Imperial Theater School, where her teachers were Lev Ivanov, Christian Ioganson and Ekaterina Vazem. After graduating from school, she was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where at first she danced as Kshesinskaya 2nd - Kshesinskaya 1st was officially called her older sister Julia.

She danced on the imperial stage from 1890 to 1917.

Early in her career she was strongly influenced by the art of Virginia Zucchi. “I even had doubts about the correctness of the career I had chosen. I don’t know where this would have led if the appearance of Tsukki on our stage had not immediately changed my mood, revealing to me the meaning and significance of our art,” she wrote in her memoirs .

She danced in the ballets of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov: the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Paquita in the ballet of the same name, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Nikiya in La Bayadère.

After Carlotta Brianza left for Italy, she took over the role of Princess Aurora in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. On November 18, 1892, on the day of the 50th performance of the ballet, the ballerina wrote in her diary: “Tchaikovsky arrived at the theater, and he was asked to come on stage (and I even took him to the stage) to present him with a wreath.”

In 1896 she received the status of prima ballerina of the imperial theaters- obviously, thanks to her connections at court, since the chief choreographer Petipa did not support her promotion to the very top of the ballet hierarchy.

To complement the soft plasticity and expressive hands characteristic of the Russian ballet school, with a distinct and virtuoso foot technique, which the Italian school mastered perfectly, starting in 1898, she took private lessons from the famous teacher Enrico Cecchetti.

The first among Russian dancers to perform 32 fouettés in a row on stage- a trick with which only Italians, in particular Emma Besson and Pierina Legnani, had previously surprised the Russian public. It is not surprising that, returning his popular ballets to the repertoire, Marius Petipa often modified the choreographic text of the main parts, taking into account the physical abilities of the ballerina and her strong technique.

Although Kshesinskaya's name often occupied the first lines of posters, her name is not associated with productions of the great ballets from the list of classical ballet heritage.

Only a few performances were staged especially for her, and all of them did not leave a special mark on the history of Russian ballet. In “The Awakening of Flora,” shown in 1894 in Peterhof specifically on the occasion of the wedding of Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna and Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, and then remaining in the theater’s repertoire, she was assigned the main role of the goddess Flora. For the ballerina's benefit performance at the Hermitage Theater in 1900, Marius Petipa staged Harlequinade and The Four Seasons.

In the same year, the choreographer revived La Bayadère, which had disappeared from the stage after Vazem’s departure, especially for her. Kshesinskaya was also the main performer in two failed productions - the ballet “The Mikado’s Daughter” by Lev Ivanov and last job Petipa's "The Magic Mirror", where the choreographer staged a magnificent pas d'action for her and Sergei Legat, in which the prima ballerina and the premiere were surrounded by such soloists as Anna Pavlova, Yulia Sedova, Mikhail Fokin and Mikhail Obukhov.

She took part in summer performances of the Krasnoselsky Theater, where, for example, in 1900 she danced the polonaise with Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Alexander Shiryaev and other artists and the classical pas de deux of Lev Ivanov with Nikolai Legat. Kshesinskaya's creative individuality was characterized by deep dramatic elaboration of roles (Aspiccia, Esmeralda).

Being an academic ballerina, she nevertheless participated in the productions of the innovative choreographer Mikhail Fokin “Evnika” (1907), “Butterflies” (1912), “Eros” (1915).

In 1904, Kshesinskaya left the theater due to at will, and after the due farewell benefit performance, a contract was signed with her for one-time performances - at first with a payment of 500 rubles. for each performance, since 1909 - 750.

Kshesinskaya did her best to oppose the invitation of foreign ballerinas to the troupe and intrigued against Legnani, who, nevertheless, danced in the theater for 8 years, until 1901. Under her, the practice of inviting famous touring performers began to fade away. The ballerina was famous for her ability to build a career and defend her positions.

In some way, it was she who served as the reason for Prince Volkonsky’s departure from the theater: having refused to restore the ancient ballet “Katarina, the Robber’s Daughter” for Kshesinskaya, he was forced to resign from his post as director of the Imperial Theaters. According to the memoirs of the ballerina herself, the visible reason for the conflict was the fittings of the costume for Russian dance from the ballet “Camargo”.

During German war, when the troops of the Russian Empire suffered greatly from a shortage of shells, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, argued that he was powerless to do anything with the artillery department, since Matilda Kshesinskaya influenced artillery affairs and was involved in the distribution of orders between various companies.

In the summer of 1917 she left Petrograd forever, initially to Kislovodsk, and in 1919 to Novorossiysk, from where she and her son sailed abroad.

On July 13, 1917, Matilda and her son left St. Petersburg, arriving in Kislovodsk by train on July 16. Andrei, his mother Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and his brother Boris occupied a separate house.

At the beginning of 1918, “the wave of Bolshevism reached Kislovodsk” - “until that time we all lived relatively peacefully and quietly, although there had been searches and robberies under all sorts of pretexts before,” she writes. In Kislovodsk, Vladimir entered the local gymnasium and graduated with success.

After the revolution, he lived with his mother and brother Boris in Kislovodsk (Kshesinskaya and her son Vova also came there). On August 7, 1918, the brothers were arrested and transported to Pyatigorsk, but a day later they were released under house arrest. On the 13th, Boris, Andrei and his adjutant Colonel Kube fled to the mountains, to Kabarda, where they hid until September 23.

Kshesinskaya ended up with her son, her sister’s family and ballerina Zinaida Rashevskaya ( future wife Boris Vladimirovich) and other refugees, of whom there were about a hundred, in Batalpashinskaya (from October 2 to October 19), from where the caravan, under guard, moved to Anapa, where she decided to settle under escort Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.

In Tuapse everyone boarded the Typhoon steamer, which took everyone to Anapa. There Vova fell ill with the Spanish flu, but he was taken out.

In May 1919, everyone returned to Kislovodsk, which was considered liberated, where they remained until the end of 1919, leaving there after the alarming news for Novorossiysk. The refugees traveled on a train of 2 carriages, with Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna traveling in a 1st class carriage with her friends and entourage, and Kshesinskaya and her son in a 3rd class carriage.

In Novorossiysk we lived for 6 weeks right in the carriages, and typhus was raging all around. On February 19 (March 3), we sailed on the steamship Semiramida of the Italian Triestino-Lloyd. In Constantinople they received French visas.

On March 12 (25), 1920, the family arrived in Cap d’Ail, where the then 48-year-old Kshesinskaya owned a villa.

In 1929 she opened her own ballet studio in Paris. Among Kshesinskaya’s students was the “baby ballerina” Tatyana Ryabushinskaya. During lessons, Kshesinskaya was tactful; she never raised her voice to her students.

Matilda Feliksovna's elder brother Joseph Kshesinsky remained in Russia (danced at the Kirov Theater) and died during the siege of Leningrad in 1942.

In exile, with the participation of her husband, she wrote memoirs, originally published in 1960 in Paris on French. The first Russian publication in Russian was published only in 1992.

Matilda Feliksovna lived long life and died on December 5, 1971, a few months before her centenary.

She was buried in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery near Paris in the same grave with her husband and son. The epitaph on the monument: “Your Serene Highness Princess Maria Feliksovna Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya, Honored Artist of the Imperial Theaters Kshesinskaya”.

Matilda Kshesinskaya. Mysteries of life

Matilda Kshesinskaya's height: 153 centimeters.

Personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya:

In 1892-1894 she was the mistress of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich - the future.

Everything happened with the approval of the members royal family, starting from Emperor Alexander III, who organized this acquaintance, and ending with Empress Maria Feodorovna, who still wanted her son to become a man.

After the exam there was dinner, mutual flirting between two young people and years later an entry in Kshesinskaya’s memoirs: “When I said goodbye to the Heir, a feeling of attraction to each other had already crept into his soul, as well as into mine.”

For Matilda, the young Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich was simply Niki.

Relations with the Tsarevich ended after Nicholas II's engagement to Alice of Hesse in April 1894. By Kshesinskaya’s own admission, she had a hard time surviving this breakup.

Later she was the mistress of Grand Dukes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich.

Grand Duke he idolized his beloved so much that he forgave her everything - even a stormy romance with another Romanov - the young Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. Soon after the coup, when Sergei Mikhailovich returned from Headquarters and was relieved of his post, he proposed marriage to Kshesinskaya. But, as she writes in her memoirs, she refused because of Andrei.

On June 18, 1902, a son, Vladimir, was born in Strelna, whose family name was “Vova.” According to the Highest Decree of October 15, 1911, he received the surname “Krasinsky” (according to family tradition, the Kshesinskys were descended from the Counts Krasinsky), the patronymic “Sergeevich” and hereditary nobility.

Matilda Kshesinskaya. Ballet and power

In 1917, Kshesinskaya, having lost her dacha and the famous mansion, wandered around other people's apartments. She decided to go to Andrei Vladimirovich, who was in Kislovodsk. “I, of course, expected to return from Kislovodsk to St. Petersburg in the fall, when, as I hoped, my house would be liberated,” she naively believed.

“Wrestling in my soul was a feeling of joy to see Andrei again and a feeling of remorse that I was leaving Sergei alone in the capital, where he was in constant danger. In addition, it was hard for me to take Vova away from him, whom he doted on,” the ballerina recalled.

In 1918, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, along with other Romanovs, was executed by the Bolsheviks in Alapaevsk. The Romanovs were pushed to the bottom of an abandoned mine, doomed to a slow, painful death. When, after the arrival of the White Guards, the bodies were raised to the surface, it turned out that Sergei Mikhailovich was clutching a medallion with a portrait of Matilda in his hand.

On January 17 (30), 1921 in Cannes, in the Archangel Michael Church, she entered into a morganatic marriage with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who adopted her son (he became Vladimir Andreevich).

In 1925 she converted from Catholicism to Orthodoxy with the name Maria.

On November 30, 1926, Kirill Vladimirovich assigned her and her offspring the title and surname of Prince Krasinski, and on July 28, 1935 - His Serene Highness Prince Romanovsky-Krasinski.

Repertoire of Matilda Kshesinskaya:

1892 - Princess Aurora, The Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa
1894 - Flora*, “The Awakening of Flora” by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
1896 - Mlada, “Mlada” to music by Minkus
1896 - goddess Venus, “Astronomical pas” from the ballet “Bluebeard”
1896 - Lisa, “Vain Precaution” by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
1897 - goddess Thetis, “Thetis and Peleus” by Marius Petipa
1897 - Queen Nisia, “King Candaules” by Marius Petipa
1897 - Gotaru-Gime*, “The Mikado’s Daughter” by Lev Ivanov
1898 - Aspiccia, "The Pharaoh's Daughter" by Marius Petipa
1899 - Esmeralda “Esmeralda” by Jules Perrot in a new edition by Marius Petipa
1900 - Kolos, Queen of Summer*, “The Seasons” by Marius Petipa
1900 - Columbine*, Harlequinade by Marius Petipa
1900 - Nikiya, La Bayadère by Marius Petipa
1901 - Rigoletta*, “Rigoletta, the Parisian Milliner” by Enrico Cecchetti
1903 - Princess*, “The Magic Mirror” by Marius Petipa
1907 - Evnika*, “Evnika” by Mikhail Fokin
1915 - Girl*, “Eros” by Mikhail Fokin

* - the first performer of the part.

Bibliography of Matilda Kshesinskaya:

1960 - Matilda Kshessinskaya. Dancing in Petersburg
1960 - S.A.S. la Princesse Romanovsky-Krassinsky. Souvenirs de la Kschessinska: Prima ballerina du Théâtre impérial de Saint-Pétersbourg (Reliure inconnue)
1992 - Memories

The famous Russian ballerina did not live to see her centenary for several months - she died on December 6, 1971 in Paris. Her life was like an unstoppable dance, which to this day is surrounded by legends and intriguing details.

Romance with the Tsarevich

The graceful, almost tiny Little Boy, it seemed, was destined by fate itself to devote herself to the service of Art. Her father was a talented dancer. It was from him that the little girl inherited a priceless gift - not just to perform a part, but to live in dance, to fill it with unbridled passion, pain, captivating dreams and hope - everything with which her own destiny would be rich in the future. She adored the theater and could watch the rehearsals go on for hours with a fascinated gaze. Therefore, it was not surprising that the girl entered the Imperial Theater School, and very soon became one of the first students: she studied a lot, grasped it on the fly, charming the audience with true drama and easy ballet technique. Ten years later, on March 23, 1890, after a graduation performance with the participation of a young ballerina, Emperor Alexander III admonished the prominent dancer with the words: “Be the glory and adornment of our ballet!” And then there was a gala dinner for the pupils with the participation of all members of the imperial family.

It was on this day that Matilda met the future Emperor of Russia, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

What's in the novel between the legendary ballerina and heir? Russian throne fact and what is fiction - they argue a lot and greedily. Some argue that their relationship was pure. Others, as if in revenge, immediately remember Nikolai’s visits to the house where his beloved soon moved with her sister. Still others are trying to suggest that if there was love, it came only from Mrs. Kshesinskaya. The love correspondence has not been preserved; in the emperor’s diary entries there are only fleeting mentions of Malechka, but there are many details in the memoirs of the ballerina herself. But should we trust them unquestioningly? A charmed woman can easily become “deluded.” Be that as it may, there was no vulgarity or triviality in these relations, although St. Petersburg gossips competed, setting out the fantastic details of the Tsarevich’s “romance” with the actress.

"Polish Malya"

It seemed that Matilda was enjoying her happiness, while being perfectly aware that her love was doomed. And when in her memoirs she wrote that “priceless Nicky” loved her alone, and the marriage with Princess Alix of Hesse was based only on a sense of duty and determined by the desire of her relatives, she, of course, was cunning. Like a wise woman right moment she left the “scene”, “letting go” of her lover, as soon as she learned of his engagement. Was this move an accurate calculation? Hardly. He most likely allowed the “Pole Mala” to remain a warm memory in the heart of the Russian emperor.

The fate of Matilda Kshesinskaya was generally closely connected with the fate of the imperial family. Her good friend and the patron was Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich.

It was him who Nicholas II allegedly asked to “look after” Malechka after the breakup. The Grand Duke will take care of Matilda for twenty years, who, by the way, will then be blamed for his death - the prince will stay in St. Petersburg for too long, trying to save the ballerina’s property. One of the grandchildren of Alexander II, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, would become her husband and father of her son, His Serene Highness Prince Vladimir Andreevich Romanovsky-Krasinsky. It was precisely the close connection with the imperial family that ill-wishers often explained all of Kshesinskaya’s “successes” in life

Prima ballerina

The prima ballerina of the Imperial Theatre, applauded by the European public, one who knows how to defend her position with the power of charm and passion of talent, supposedly backed by influential patrons - such a woman, of course, had envious people.

She was accused of “tailoring” the repertoire to suit herself, going only on profitable foreign tours, and even specially “ordering” parts for herself.

Thus, in the ballet “Pearl”, which was performed during the coronation celebrations, the part of the Yellow Pearl was introduced especially for Kshesinskaya, allegedly on the Highest instructions and “under pressure” from Matilda Feliksovna. It is difficult, however, to imagine how this impeccably mannered lady, with an innate sense of tact, could disturb ex-lover“theatrical trifles,” and even at such an important moment for him. Meanwhile, the part of the Yellow Pearl became a true decoration of the ballet. Well, after Kshesinskaya persuaded “Corrigan,” presented at the Paris Opera, to insert a variation from her favorite ballet “The Pharaoh’s Daughter,” the ballerina had to encore, which was “for the Opera” exceptional case" So isn’t the creative success of the Russian ballerina based on true talent and dedicated work?

Bitchy character

Perhaps one of the most scandalous and unpleasant episodes in the ballerina’s biography can be considered her “unacceptable behavior,” which led to the resignation of Sergei Volkonsky from the post of Director of the Imperial Theaters. “Unacceptable behavior” was that Kshesinskaya replaced the uncomfortable suit provided by the management with her own. The administration fined the ballerina, and she, without thinking twice, appealed the decision. The case was widely publicized and inflated to an incredible scandal, the consequences of which were the voluntary departure (or resignation?) of Volkonsky.

And again they started talking about the ballerina’s influential patrons and her bitchy character.

It is quite possible that at some stage Matilda simply could not explain to the person she respected that she was not involved in gossip and speculation. Be that as it may, Prince Volkonsky, having met her in Paris, took an enthusiastic part in setting up her ballet school, gave lectures there, and later wrote an excellent article about Kshesinskaya the teacher. She always complained that she could not stay “on an even note,” suffering from prejudice and gossip, which eventually forced her to leave the Mariinsky Theater.

"Madame Seventeen"

If no one dares to argue about the talent of Kshesinskaya as a ballerina, then their teaching activities are sometimes not very flattering. On February 26, 1920, Matilda Kshesinskaya left Russia forever. They settled as a family in the French city of Cap de Ail in the Alam villa, purchased before the revolution. “The imperial theaters ceased to exist, and I had no desire to dance!” - wrote the ballerina.

For nine years she enjoyed a “quiet” life with people dear to her heart, but her searching soul demanded something new.

After painful thoughts, Matilda Feliksovna goes to Paris, looks for housing for her family and premises for her ballet studio. She worries that she won’t have enough students or will “fail” as a teacher, but the first lesson goes brilliantly, and very soon she will have to expand to accommodate everyone. It’s hard to call Kshesinskaya a secondary teacher; one only has to remember her students, world ballet stars Margot Fonteyn and Alicia Markova.

While living at the Alam villa, Matilda Feliksovna became interested in playing roulette. Together with another famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, they whiled away the evenings at the table in the Monte Carlo casino. For her constant bet on the same number, Kshesinskaya was nicknamed “Madame Seventeen.” The crowd, meanwhile, savored the details of how the “Russian ballerina” squandered the “royal jewels.” They said that Kshesinskaya was made to decide to open a school by the desire to improve financial situation, undermined by the game.

"Actress of Mercy"

The charitable activities that Kshesinskaya was involved in during the First World War usually fade into the background, giving way to scandals and intrigues. In addition to participating in front-line concerts, performances in hospitals and charity evenings, Matilda Feliksovna took active participation in the arrangement of two modern exemplary hospitals-infirmaries for that time. She did not personally bandage the sick and did not work as a nurse, apparently believing that everyone should do what they know how to do well.

And she knew how to give people a holiday, for which she was loved no less than the most sensitive sisters of mercy.

She organized trips for the wounded to her dacha in Strelna, arranged trips for soldiers and doctors to the theater, wrote letters from dictation, decorated the wards with flowers, or, throwing off her shoes, without pointe shoes, simply danced on her fingers. She was applauded, I think, no less than during her legendary performance in London’s Covent Garden, when 64-year-old Matilda Kshesinskaya, in a silver embroidered sundress and a pearl kokoshnik, easily and flawlessly performed her legendary “Russian”. Then she was called 18 times, and this was unthinkable for the prim English public.

Mistress of the House of Romanov

125 years ago, a young ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya completed her first season at the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg. Ahead of her lay a dizzying career and a stormy romance with the future Emperor Nicholas II, which she spoke about very frankly in her Memoirs.

In 1890, for the first time, the royal family headed by Alexander III was supposed to be present at the graduation performance of the ballet school in St. Petersburg. “This exam decided my fate,” Kshesinskaya would later write.

Fateful dinner

After the performance, the graduates watched with excitement as members of the royal family slowly walked along the long corridor leading from the theater stage to the rehearsal hall, where they were gathered: Alexander III with Empress Maria Feodorovna, the sovereign’s four brothers with their spouses, and the still very young Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich. To the surprise of everyone, the emperor loudly asked: “Where is Kshesinskaya?” When the embarrassed student was brought to him, he extended his hand to her and said: “Be the decoration and glory of our ballet.”

Seventeen-year-old Kshesinskaya was stunned by what happened in the rehearsal hall. But the further events of this evening seemed even more incredible. After the official part, a large festive dinner was given at the school. Alexander III took a seat at one of the lavishly served tables and asked Kshesinskaya to sit next to him. Then he pointed to the seat next to the young ballerina to his heir and, smiling, said: “Just be careful not to flirt too much.”

“I don’t remember what we talked about, but I immediately fell in love with the heir. Like now, I see him Blue eyes with this kind expression. I stopped looking at him only as an heir, I forgot about it, everything was like a dream. When I said goodbye to the heir, who sat next to me throughout the dinner, we no longer looked at each other the same way as when we met; a feeling of attraction had already crept into his soul, as well as into mine...”

Later, they accidentally saw each other several times from afar on the streets of St. Petersburg. But the next fateful meeting with Nikolai happened in Krasnoye Selo, where, according to tradition, a camp gathering for practical shooting and maneuvers. A wooden theater was built there, where performances were given to entertain the officers.

Kshesinskaya, who from the moment of the graduation performance dreamed of at least seeing Nikolai up close again, was infinitely happy when he came to talk to her during intermission. However, after getting ready, the heir had to go on a trip around the world for 9 months.

“After the summer season, when I could meet and talk with him, my feeling filled my entire soul, and all I could think about was him. It seemed to me that although he was not in love, he still felt attracted to me, and I involuntarily gave myself up to dreams. We had never been able to talk alone, and I didn’t know how he felt about me. I found out this only later, when we became close...”

Matilda Kshesinskaya. Mysteries of life. Documentary

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Matilda Kshesinskaya is a famous Russian ballerina, a person who went down in history not only thanks to her talent, but also to her public affairs. Of course, there were always some intrigues around the ballerina, connections with famous personalities, but she always remained a professional in her field. The biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya deserves special attention, since she was familiar with the Romanov imperial family and even had close relations with the emperor.

Kshesinskaya was born in August. She was born in 1872. In this creative family all were related to art. My father studied dancing and was Nicholas I’s favorite mazurka performer. That is why the latter discharged Felix from Poland. He lived in this country, although he was Russian by nationality. The mother was not directly involved in creativity. However, she was the widow of a former ballet dancer.

My own sister also became a ballerina, and brother Joseph studied dancing and became a choreographer. Everyone, absolutely all of Matilda’s relatives, were connected with creativity. Some were directly involved in ballet - dancing, participating in tours. Others were connected to art indirectly, for example, Matilda's mother.

At all young girl does not change the direction of the family and also goes into creativity. She goes to the Imperial Theater School and enrolls in a ballet dancing course. There she studied until 1880 and successfully completed the course. The school was organized graduation party, which included a dinner in a formal atmosphere. young girl, resplendent with the beauty of her youth, sat very close to a very influential person. This man was the heir to the throne himself, the future monarch of the empire, Nicholas II.

That same evening, Alexander the Third said wonderful words. He carefully watched all the girl’s movements and, admiring them, uttered a prophecy, which later became a reality. He said that Matilda would become not only a brilliant decoration, but also a brilliant glory for Russian ballet.

However, such delight is not surprising. This aspiring ballerina truly amazed the imagination with her beauty, incredible grace and skill.

Upon completion of her studies, Matilda was immediately accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. She will work as part of this ballet troupe for a very long time. She devoted 27 years of her long life to the imperial stage. Over the years, she will have time to show her talents and win the hearts of many. Of course, the biography, personal life, photos of Matilda Kshesinskaya have all been preserved, since the ballerina made a huge contribution to the development of Russian art.

Matilda Kshesinskaya was an amazing ballerina. She was a leader in her time and had incredible superiority over the people of her time. Kshesinskaya would be a leader among talents of all centuries. In addition, Matilda is one of the most influential crossroads girls of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

She was a very significant figure of that time. This is confirmed by the way he himself spoke about her. great emperor Nikolai Nikolaevich! Russian Empire experienced great difficulties in the First world war. Many units experienced supply problems, and the artillery had an acute shortage of ammunition.

At the same time, the prince himself made statements that it was simply impossible to take any measures. After all, Ballerina Matilda has excessive influence on artillery affairs and takes part in the redistribution of government orders between different enterprises. In fact, the artillery department was under her control.

Career at the Mariinsky Theater

Matilda participated in many major government events. She danced a wide variety of ballets, both under the direction of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The ballerina’s very first roles came in such works as “Swan Lake”, “The Nutcracker” and “La Bayadère”. She successfully coped with all the work that was assigned to her.

Then the ballerina went to Italy for a short period. Working abroad was not to Kshesinskaya’s liking. She didn't really want to stay for a long time in Italy, language barrier, love for her homeland all this bothered her. Therefore, she did not spend a long time in foreign theaters, and then happily returned home. Upon her return, she got the role of Princess Aurora, in which the girl showed herself especially well. It was an incredible comeback that many fans had been waiting for.

6 years of daily work have already passed, which includes both the need to reflect on the creative component and exhaust oneself with dance movements that require a fair amount of effort. physical training and dexterity. During this period, Matilda achieved a lot on the creative battlefield. Among the achievements there were also the most important. So, highest value had the status of “prima ballerina of the imperial theaters.” In this regard, not everything was smooth, because the chief choreographer was against issuing such a title.

However, he resisted in vain - even in those days there were rumors that Matilda’s rapid advancement up the ladder of the theatrical hierarchy was directly related to the presence of connections in the courtyard. Modern historians have disputes related to this issue. However, a considerable part of people are of the opinion that everything was exactly like that.

There are only a few ballets staged for the sake of Matilda, which did not become a significant element in the heritage of Russian culture. The most a shining example there will be a ballet staged on the occasion of the wedding of Ksenia Alexandrovna and Alexander Mikhailovich. At this solemn event, a performance was presented, the most significant party which was performed by Matilda. In fact, if we talk about the personal life and biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya, then many facts can be mentioned, but not all of them have official confirmation.

Matilda in the ballet production "Pharaoh's Daughter"

Kshesinskaya had a very strong position in the theater. Especially considering what level of the hierarchy she was at.

However, the ballerina did not want to stop there and continued to develop. She regularly attended Enrico Cecchetti's classes. This famous teacher helped Matilda improve her skills to higher and higher levels.

The level of development of her skill at that time was perfectly demonstrated by the new record. Kshesinskaya became a kind of pioneer of Russian ballet. She was able to perform as many as 32 fouettés in a row at once - until that moment, none of the Russians had been capable of this.

However, at the same time, Kshesinskaya decided to leave the theater stage. When it was 1904, she left the Mariinsky Theater. The dismissal occurred at my own request and there was a very logical explanation for this. Benefissa knew perfectly well what she was doing. She switched to another form of work - performing on a contract basis. It was much more profitable than working full-time. For just going on stage she received five hundred rubles. However, this was not the limit.

After some period of time, she began to earn one and a half times more and received seven and a half hundred for a single performance. Her incredible talent and the fame and popularity she had already acquired by that time helped her earn money, which was quite good for Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

One could often hear the phrase from Matilda that artists are capable of much. We were talking about people of academic endurance. The ballerina claimed that they were able to dance anything. She attached such statements to very real actions. For this reason, Matilda participated in many performances, some of which were staged by M. Fokin. For example, "Eros", which was played in 1915.

The intrigues of Matilda Kshesinskaya

The girl resisted with all her might when it came to invitations to foreign troupes. Her opinion was that Russian artists should on our own to prove their abilities - that they are worthy of playing the main and most significant roles. However, not all of her contemporaries agreed with this opinion. Most ballerinas happily accepted foreign offers, playing even the most unpromising roles in ballets of foreign troupes. At that time, the biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya was discussed only in certain circles. Thus, little is known with certainty.

The most frequent subject of intrigue is Pierina Legnarni. This ballerina was a foreigner, originally from Italy. She was able to work with Matilda for eight whole years, despite the latter's negative attitude and attitude. True, this could not last longer. Kshesinskaya already had incredible influence, at least in the theater itself. Even the director himself could not withstand such pressure and had to make concessions.

The artist had one dream that she had been dreaming about for many years. It came true in 1899, when Marius Petipa offered her the role of Esmeralda. For Matilda, this was not only a professional, but also an ideological victory. After all, until this moment the role was performed only by Italians.

And now she, a Russian, has won the right to play this game! Matilda performed so well that this game was not her last.

From that moment on, she had a complete takeover. Since then, she has been the sole owner of this role, playing it from time to time. No one else had a chance to play Esmeralda, which was the reason for many indignations from other ballerinas.

If you fully disclose the personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya, you can find out many hidden facts about her relationships with men. Since she communicated in high circles, she knew a lot of information about political structure country, state problems. By by and large she remained part of history. But, like for anyone famous person there comes a moment when you gradually lose interest in everything and want to coexist in a quiet and peaceful life. Matilda Kshesinskaya retired from ballet and lived to be 99 years old.

Matilda Kshesinskaya: Wikipedia, photo, height, weight, her children

The biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya deserves a separate discussion. There was even more fighting on Matilda’s personal front than on the creative one. After all, her fate was intertwined with one of the most significant families- Romanov dynasty. For two whole years she was in a very close relationship with Nikolai Alexandrovich. Having met a young, ardent girl, he regularly becomes a visitor to her performances.

The expansion of their relationship is happening extremely rapidly, however, each side understands that this intensity of passions will not have a happy ending.

Their relationship ended immediately after the engagement of the Tsarevich to the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, which occurred in April 1894. However, Matilda did not lose her influence on the life of the royal family even after this.

She had good relationship with Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich will subsequently adopt the ballerina’s son and marry her, and four years later Matilda (from now on Feliksovna) will convert from Catholicism to Orthodoxy, taking the name Maria. Her decision was determined by many factors that took shape at that time. She also loved her husband very much and valued the relationship.

The biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya interests many fans of her talent. The woman made a huge contribution to the history of our state. In fact, today few people remember the ballerina as she was before.

This woman, who became a prominent figure in the history of Russia and Russian ballet, lived for almost a hundred years. The ballerina died in 1971. She became an icon of style and ballet art. Many fans from all over the world are interested in the fate that befell her.