Maria Zankovets’ka was a prominent Ukrainian actress at the turn of the 20th century. Her original art comprised the greatest achivements of the Ukrainian theatre culture. She was part of the Ukrainian intellectual elite. The best playwrights of that time wrote their plays for her. She gave performances in Ukraine and also achieved popular acclaim and fame on the St. Petersburg and Moscow stage. Leading theatre critics of the day put Zankovets’ka’s name beside such theatre stars as Eleanore Douzet and Sarah Bernhardt. She was called the Ukrainian Douzet for she was among those actors who created psychological theatre. Among the great admirers of herv talent were Chekhov and Tolstoy, Tchaicovski and Repin, Bunin and many others. The museum of Zankovets’ka in Kyiv consists f an exposition dedicated to life and work of the actress, and of her memorial apartment.
Comments