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Olga Knipper

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278:. Though both of her parents were of German origin, her father claimed Russia as their family heritage. Around the time of Olga's birth, her father, Leonard, was in charge of a factory in Glazov, a small town northeast of European Russia. Two years after she was born, her family moved to Moscow, where they became accustomed to an upper-middle-class lifestyle. Growing up in between her two brothers, Konstantin and Vladimir, Olga was pampered. She attended a private school for girls, was fluent in French, German and English, and took music and singing lessons after rigorous school days. She showed considerable promise as a painter and was her own accompanist on the piano when she entertained friends and family at dinner parties. Her father, however, who was anxious to conform to the social conventions of his adopted country, made it clear that Olga's aspirations should be confined to marrying well and becoming a housewife. Her mother, a talented singer and pianist, had been forced to give up any hopes of a career in the arts, and felt that Olga should do the same. 323: 338:, Anton Chekhov, then 38. Knipper and Chekhov exchanged telegrams and letters for the next few years, while Olga became more familiar with Chekhov's younger sister, Masha. Random letters of teasing and playfulness became letters of love and deep remorse that they lived so far apart from each other. Olga's true colors shone throughout her letters of correspondence. Her ill-moods, volatile tempers, combined with her sporadic high spirits, kept Chekhov on his toes. In the winter of 1900, Chekhov returned from 350: 1477: 365:, Masha. Knipper was to play the middle of three sisters and one brother. The only married sibling of the foursome and "the most original and talented of the three sisters. To portray a young woman of culture and refinement, who speaks French, German and English, and is a first-class pianist" was no problem for Knipper who already acquired those skills. Knipper received much praise for her portrayal as Masha, much to Chekhov's amusement. 70: 282:
successful stage actress had not yet diminished. Proceeding with her intentions without her mother's approval, and giving up her social circle relations, were sacrifices she was willing to make: "Whenever in my life I really wanted something, and really believed in the possibility of achieving what I wanted and acted energetically, I always succeeded and never regretted going my own way", she wrote.
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In 1894, Olga's father died unexpectedly, leaving the 25-year-old and her mother with debts he left behind from living well beyond their means. They began giving music and singing lessons to make ends meet, dismissed four of their five servants, and moved to a smaller flat. Olga's hopes of becoming a
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Told in strict confidence, Nemirovich confessed to Knipper and Meierhold that he and Stanislavski were planning the creation of a new theatre company. Nemirovich assured the two actors that they would be invited to join this company and to help lead it to greatness. After many weeks, enough capital
372:, in Moscow. It was a spur of the moment, small wedding about which hardly anyone knew, including Chekhov's mother and sister, and Olga's mother. Many close friends and family were hurt by the secrecy. Their marriage ended when Chekhov died of 314:, where Stanislavski addressed Knipper and the other members, telling them that he hoped they had all come to dedicate their lives to creating the "first rational, moral, and universally accessible theatre in Russia." 369: 383:. The conception must have taken place at a time when she and Chekhov were temporarily living apart and he could not have been the father; as Chekhov was a doctor he would have realised this. 1541: 291: 1546: 290:
She enrolled briefly into the Maly Theatre's drama school, although she dropped out one month later. With the help of her reluctant mother, Olga enrolled at the
416: 311: 117: 1521: 1536: 1526: 1556: 1531: 493: 306:(who would later become one of the most prominent figures of Russian theatre after the Revolution) to Constantin Stanislavski. 434: 246:, the author of these plays, in 1901. She played Ranevskaya again in 1943, when the theatre marked the 300th performance of 1516: 342:
and headed to Moscow, with a new play that he had written with a 'dear actress' in mind. "What a part I’ve got for you in
661: 538: 1438: 748: 570: 1037: 346:. Give me ten rubles and you can have it, otherwise I’ll give it to another actress", Chekhov wrote to Olga. 299: 259: 192: 85: 36: 1398: 1258: 1142: 1511: 769: 696: 486: 334:
on 9 September, Olga's 30th birthday, she met Russia's most eligible literary bachelor and playwright of
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Many similarities existed between Olga Knipper and the character Chekhov wrote for her in
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Anton Chekhov and Olga Knipper eventually married on 25 May 1901 at the
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was finally secured to found the new company. The company gathered in
1408: 1314: 1293: 267: 48: 27: 471: 1177: 396: 270:-born Leonhardt August Knipper and his wife, Anna Ivanovna von 263: 113: 91: 69: 466:
Chekhov's Leading Lady: a Portrait of the Actress Olga Knipper
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for the remainder of her life. On 22 March 1959, she died in
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It has been claimed in 1902 she had an operation to abort an
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9 September] 1868 – 22 March 1959) was a
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Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
302:. Nemirovich introduced Knipper and fellow student 391:Olga Leonardovna Knipper-Chekhova worked with the 210:Knipper was among the 39 original members of the 1547:People from the Russian Empire of German descent 1493: 326:Knipper with Chekhov on their honeymoon in 1901 224:(1898), played Elena in the Moscow premiere of 487: 468:. New York and London: Franklin Watts, 1980. 258:Knipper was born on 21 September [ 230:(1899), and was the first to play Masha in 494: 480: 68: 348: 321: 435:"Moscow Art Theater | Encyclopedia.com" 149: 1901; died 1904) 1494: 475: 451:, The Guardian Review, 18 August 2018 417:"A.R.T. - American Repertory Theater" 370:Church of the Exaltation of the Cross 26:For other people named Knipper, see 13: 203:stage actress. She was married to 19:For the Russian-German actor, see 14: 1568: 1522:Actresses from the Russian Empire 539:On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco 501: 458: 185:Olga Leonardovna Knipper-Chekhova 1537:Recipients of the Order of Lenin 1476: 1475: 236:(1901) and Madame Ranevskaya in 218:in 1898. She played Arkadina in 189:Ольга Леонардовна Книппер-Чехова 16:Russian and Soviet stage actress 1557:Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery 749:The Death of a Government Clerk 571:A Tragedian in Spite of Himself 353:Drawing of Knipper as Masha in 146: 1532:Recipients of the Stalin Prize 441: 427: 409: 262:9 September] 1868 in 1: 402: 300:Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko 253: 37:Eastern Slavic naming customs 1527:People's Artists of the USSR 1419:Chekhov Gymnasium and museum 1414:White Dacha, home and museum 1404:Chekov Shop, home and museum 1143:The House with the Mezzanine 7: 1517:People from Glazovsky Uyezd 697:The Story of an Unknown Man 357:in 1923 Broadway production 276:Baltic German noble descent 10: 1573: 1409:Melikhovo, home and museum 317: 88:9 September] 1868 35:In this name that follows 34: 25: 18: 1471: 1389:Mikhail Chekhov (brother) 1371: 1356: 1208: 1117: 1082: 1073:The Teacher of Literature 1024: 989: 947: 905: 849: 730: 723: 672: 653: 522: 509: 285: 191:; 21 September [ 188: 156: 128: 106: 76: 67: 60: 386: 81:Olga Leonardovna Knipper 1384:Maria Chekhova (sister) 1301:A Story Without a Title 216:Konstantin Stanislavski 110:22 March 1959 (aged 90) 84:21 September [ 1399:Birth house and museum 1394:Osip Dymov (character) 449:Scenes From a Marriage 358: 327: 214:when it was formed by 1439:Statue, Rostov-on-Don 1322:The Lady with the Dog 352: 330:While rehearsing for 325: 1231:Sergeant Prishibeyev 917:The Privy Councillor 242:(1904). She married 1379:Olga Knipper (wife) 1217:The Complaints Book 1094:The Man in the Case 1059:Rothschild's Violin 980:A Nervous Breakdown 784:A Living Chronology 742:An Enigmatic Nature 603:A Marriage Proposal 292:Philharmonic School 178:(great-great niece) 1512:People from Glazov 1245:A Gentleman Friend 959:The Cattle-Dealers 662:The Shooting Party 643:The Cherry Orchard 399:, USSR, at age 90 393:Moscow Art Theatre 359: 328: 304:Vsevolod Meyerhold 296:Moscow Art Theatre 248:The Cherry Orchard 239:The Cherry Orchard 212:Moscow Art Theatre 96:Vyatka Governorate 1489: 1488: 1352: 1351: 464:Pitcher, Harvey. 423:on 19 April 2014. 381:ectopic pregnancy 182: 181: 1564: 1552:Soviet actresses 1479: 1478: 1449:Show, don't tell 1434:Statue, Taganrog 1192:On Official Duty 1185:A Doctor's Visit 1129:Anna on the Neck 728: 727: 496: 489: 482: 473: 472: 452: 445: 439: 438: 431: 425: 424: 419:. 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906: 889:A Misfortune 850: 812:A Malefactor 805:The Huntsman 756:Fat and Thin 731: 711: 703: 695: 687: 679: 660: 641: 633: 625: 617: 609: 601: 593: 585: 577: 569: 561: 553: 545: 542:(1886, 1902) 537: 529: 514:Bibliography 465: 448: 443: 429: 421:the original 411: 390: 378: 374:tuberculosis 367: 362: 360: 354: 343: 335: 331: 329: 308: 289: 280: 257: 247: 237: 231: 225: 219: 209: 184: 183: 122:Soviet Union 118:Russian SFSR 62:Olga Knipper 52: 44: 32: 1507:1959 deaths 1502:1868 births 1366:(1893–1895) 1357:Non-fiction 1273:The Runaway 1199:The Darling 1171:In the Cart 1066:The Student 861:The Requiem 705:Three Years 627:Uncle Vanya 619:The Seagull 579:The Wedding 336:The Seagull 332:The Seagull 227:Uncle Vanya 221:The Seagull 171:Marina Ried 166:Lev Knipper 49:family name 45:Leonardovna 1496:Categories 1462:Wild Honey 1336:The Bishop 1108:About Love 1015:Ward No. 6 991:Ward No. 6 882:Easter Eve 681:The Steppe 403:References 254:Early life 187:(Russian: 41:patronymic 1455:Fragments 1343:Betrothed 1315:Whitebrow 1294:Kashtanka 1280:The Siren 1266:First Aid 938:Happiness 868:The Witch 791:Small Fry 376:in 1904. 157:Relatives 1481:Category 1345:" (1903) 1338:" (1902) 1331:" (1900) 1324:" (1899) 1317:" (1895) 1310:" (1889) 1303:" (1888) 1296:" (1887) 1289:" (1887) 1282:" (1887) 1275:" (1887) 1268:" (1887) 1261:" (1886) 1254:" (1886) 1247:" (1886) 1240:" (1886) 1233:" (1885) 1226:" (1885) 1219:" (1884) 1201:" (1899) 1194:" (1899) 1187:" (1898) 1180:" (1898) 1173:" (1897) 1166:" (1897) 1159:" (1897) 1152:" (1897) 1150:Peasants 1145:" (1895) 1138:" (1895) 1131:" (1895) 1110:" (1898) 1103:" (1898) 1096:" (1898) 1075:" (1894) 1068:" (1894) 1061:" (1894) 1054:" (1894) 1047:" (1892) 1045:In Exile 1040:" (1892) 1017:" (1892) 1010:" (1891) 1003:" (1890) 982:" (1889) 975:" (1889) 968:" (1888) 961:" (1887) 940:" (1887) 933:" (1886) 926:" (1886) 919:" (1886) 898:" (1887) 891:" (1886) 884:" (1886) 877:" (1886) 870:" (1886) 863:" (1886) 842:" (1886) 835:" (1886) 828:" (1886) 821:" (1886) 819:Children 814:" (1885) 807:" (1885) 800:" (1885) 798:The Fish 793:" (1885) 786:" (1885) 779:" (1884) 765:" (1884) 758:" (1883) 751:" (1883) 744:" (1883) 689:The Duel 673:Novellas 563:The Bear 547:Swansong 531:Platonov 312:Pushkino 268:Austrian 168:(nephew) 1372:Related 1308:The Bet 1164:At Home 1136:Ariadne 1119:Stories 1028:Stories 907:Stories 777:Oysters 763:Surgery 713:My Life 318:Chekhov 197:Russian 163:(niece) 151:​ 143:​ 139:​ 28:Knipper 1238:Grisha 1178:Ionych 1121:(1901) 1086:(1898) 1030:(1894) 993:(1893) 966:Sleepy 951:(1890) 909:(1888) 875:Agafya 853:(1887) 833:Anyuta 826:Misery 772:(1884) 734:(1886) 716:(1896) 708:(1895) 700:(1893) 692:(1891) 684:(1888) 665:(1884) 646:(1904) 638:(1901) 630:(1897) 622:(1896) 614:(1891) 606:(1890) 598:(1889) 590:(1889) 582:(1889) 574:(1889) 566:(1888) 558:(1887) 555:Ivanov 550:(1887) 534:(1881) 397:Moscow 286:Career 272:Saltza 264:Glazov 201:Soviet 129:Spouse 114:Moscow 92:Glazov 39:, the 1001:Gusev 931:Vanka 654:Novel 523:Plays 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Index

Olga Chekhova
Knipper
Eastern Slavic naming customs
patronymic
family name

O.S.
Glazov
Vyatka Governorate
Russian Empire
Moscow
Russian SFSR
Soviet Union
Anton Chekhov
Olga Chekhova
Lev Knipper
Marina Ried
Vera Tschechowa
O.S.
Russian
Soviet
Anton Chekhov
Moscow Art Theatre
Konstantin Stanislavski
The Seagull
Uncle Vanya
Three Sisters
The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov
O.S.

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