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.
281:
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
309:
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
1433:
1100:
804:
688:
578:
513:
1551:
1272:
1198:
1072:
1065:
860:
1388:
1335:
1107:
881:
420:
1342:
1300:
1279:
1265:
937:
867:
790:
215:
1480:
1362:
1058:
1044:
818:
797:
479:
275:
1428:
1321:
1307:
1163:
1135:
776:
762:
594:
1506:
1501:
1454:
1237:
1230:
965:
916:
874:
832:
825:
680:
634:
232:
361:
Many similarities existed between Olga
Knipper and the character Chekhov wrote for her in
8:
1448:
1216:
1184:
1093:
1000:
979:
930:
783:
741:
602:
1286:
1244:
1149:
958:
923:
895:
642:
392:
322:
303:
295:
238:
211:
95:
1461:
1418:
712:
380:
1443:
1191:
1128:
1423:
1251:
610:
562:
546:
530:
175:
1383:
1051:
972:
839:
586:
196:
99:
1495:
1328:
1223:
1156:
1007:
554:
502:
243:
204:
160:
134:
20:
1403:
888:
811:
755:
373:
200:
121:
1413:
1170:
704:
626:
618:
226:
220:
170:
165:
368:
Anton
Chekhov and Olga Knipper eventually married on 25 May 1901 at the
349:
1393:
1014:
271:
40:
310:
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
395:
for the remainder of her life. On 22 March 1959, she died in
379:
It has been claimed in 1902 she had an operation to abort an
339:
195:
9 September] 1868 – 22 March 1959) was a
294:, where she was taught by the future co-founder of the
1542:
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:. Archived from
413:
190:
150:
148:
72:
58:
57:
53:Knipper-Chekhova
1572:
1571:
1567:
1566:
1565:
1563:
1562:
1561:
1492:
1491:
1490:
1485:
1467:
1424:Chekhov Library
1367:
1363:Sakhalin Island
1348:
1252:The Chorus Girl
1204:
1113:
1078:
1038:The Grasshopper
1027:
1020:
985:
943:
901:
851:In the Twilight
845:
719:
668:
649:
611:The Festivities
518:
505:
500:
461:
456:
455:
446:
442:
433:
432:
428:
415:
414:
410:
405:
389:
320:
288:
256:
176:Vera Tschechowa
174:
169:
164:
152:
144:
140:
137:
124:
111:
102:
89:
83:
82:
63:
56:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1570:
1560:
1559:
1554:
1549:
1544:
1539:
1534:
1529:
1524:
1519:
1514:
1509:
1504:
1487:
1486:
1484:
1483:
1472:
1469:
1468:
1466:
1465:
1458:
1451:
1446:
1441:
1436:
1431:
1429:Bust, Taganrog
1426:
1421:
1416:
1411:
1406:
1401:
1396:
1391:
1386:
1381:
1375:
1373:
1369:
1368:
1360:
1358:
1354:
1353:
1350:
1349:
1347:
1346:
1339:
1332:
1325:
1318:
1311:
1304:
1297:
1290:
1283:
1276:
1269:
1262:
1259:Shrove Tuesday
1255:
1248:
1241:
1234:
1227:
1220:
1212:
1210:
1206:
1205:
1203:
1202:
1195:
1188:
1181:
1174:
1167:
1160:
1153:
1146:
1139:
1132:
1124:
1122:
1115:
1114:
1112:
1111:
1104:
1097:
1089:
1087:
1084:Little Trilogy
1080:
1079:
1077:
1076:
1069:
1062:
1055:
1052:The Black Monk
1048:
1041:
1033:
1031:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1018:
1011:
1004:
996:
994:
987:
986:
984:
983:
976:
973:A Dreary Story
969:
962:
954:
952:
945:
944:
942:
941:
934:
927:
920:
912:
910:
903:
902:
900:
899:
892:
885:
878:
871:
864:
856:
854:
847:
846:
844:
843:
840:Ivan Matveyich
836:
829:
822:
815:
808:
801:
794:
787:
780:
773:
766:
759:
752:
745:
737:
735:
732:Motley Stories
725:
721:
720:
718:
717:
709:
701:
693:
685:
676:
674:
670:
669:
667:
666:
657:
655:
651:
650:
648:
647:
639:
631:
623:
615:
607:
599:
595:The Wood Demon
591:
587:Tatiana Repina
583:
575:
567:
559:
551:
543:
535:
526:
524:
520:
519:
517:
516:
510:
507:
506:
499:
498:
491:
484:
476:
470:
469:
460:
459:External links
457:
454:
453:
447:Boyd, William
440:
426:
407:
406:
404:
401:
388:
385:
319:
316:
287:
284:
255:
252:
180:
179:
158:
154:
153:
142:
138:
133:
132:
130:
126:
125:
112:
108:
104:
103:
100:Russian Empire
90:
80:
78:
74:
73:
65:
64:
61:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1569:
1558:
1555:
1553:
1550:
1548:
1545:
1543:
1540:
1538:
1535:
1533:
1530:
1528:
1525:
1523:
1520:
1518:
1515:
1513:
1510:
1508:
1505:
1503:
1500:
1499:
1497:
1482:
1474:
1473:
1470:
1464:
1463:
1459:
1457:
1456:
1452:
1450:
1447:
1445:
1444:Chekhov's gun
1442:
1440:
1437:
1435:
1432:
1430:
1427:
1425:
1422:
1420:
1417:
1415:
1412:
1410:
1407:
1405:
1402:
1400:
1397:
1395:
1392:
1390:
1387:
1385:
1382:
1380:
1377:
1376:
1374:
1370:
1365:
1364:
1359:
1355:
1344:
1340:
1337:
1333:
1330:
1329:In the Ravine
1326:
1323:
1319:
1316:
1312:
1309:
1305:
1302:
1298:
1295:
1291:
1288:
1284:
1281:
1277:
1274:
1270:
1267:
1263:
1260:
1256:
1253:
1249:
1246:
1242:
1239:
1235:
1232:
1228:
1225:
1224:A Horsey Name
1221:
1218:
1214:
1213:
1211:
1209:Other stories
1207:
1200:
1196:
1193:
1189:
1186:
1182:
1179:
1175:
1172:
1168:
1165:
1161:
1158:
1157:The Petcheneg
1154:
1151:
1147:
1144:
1140:
1137:
1133:
1130:
1126:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1116:
1109:
1105:
1102:
1098:
1095:
1091:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1081:
1074:
1070:
1067:
1063:
1060:
1056:
1053:
1049:
1046:
1042:
1039:
1035:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1023:
1016:
1012:
1009:
1008:Peasant Wives
1005:
1002:
998:
997:
995:
992:
988:
981:
977:
974:
970:
967:
963:
960:
956:
955:
953:
950:
949:Gloomy People
946:
939:
935:
932:
928:
925:
921:
918:
914:
913:
911:
908:
904:
897:
893:
890:
886:
883:
879:
876:
872:
869:
865:
862:
858:
857:
855:
852:
848:
841:
837:
834:
830:
827:
823:
820:
816:
813:
809:
806:
802:
799:
795:
792:
788:
785:
781:
778:
774:
771:
770:The Chameleon
767:
764:
760:
757:
753:
750:
746:
743:
739:
738:
736:
733:
729:
726:
724:Short stories
722:
715:
714:
710:
707:
706:
702:
699:
698:
694:
691:
690:
686:
683:
682:
678:
677:
675:
671:
664:
663:
659:
658:
656:
652:
645:
644:
640:
637:
636:
635:Three Sisters
632:
629:
628:
624:
621:
620:
616:
613:
612:
608:
605:
604:
600:
597:
596:
592:
589:
588:
584:
581:
580:
576:
573:
572:
568:
565:
564:
560:
557:
556:
552:
549:
548:
544:
541:
540:
536:
533:
532:
528:
527:
525:
521:
515:
512:
511:
508:
504:
503:Anton Chekhov
497:
492:
490:
485:
483:
478:
477:
474:
467:
463:
462:
450:
444:
436:
430:
422:
418:
412:
408:
400:
398:
394:
384:
382:
377:
375:
371:
366:
364:
363:Three Sisters
356:
355:Three Sisters
351:
347:
345:
344:Three Sisters
341:
337:
333:
324:
315:
313:
307:
305:
301:
297:
293:
283:
279:
277:
274:, who was of
273:
269:
265:
261:
251:
249:
245:
244:Anton Chekhov
241:
240:
235:
234:
233:Three Sisters
229:
228:
223:
222:
217:
213:
208:
206:
205:Anton Chekhov
202:
198:
194:
186:
177:
173:(great-niece)
172:
167:
162:
161:Olga Chekhova
159:
155:
136:
135:Anton Chekhov
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
87:
79:
75:
71:
66:
59:
54:
50:
47: and the
46:
42:
38:
33:
29:
22:
21:Olga Chekhova
1460:
1453:
1378:
1361:
1118:
1101:Gooseberries
1083:
1026:Novellas and
1025:
990:
948:
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
387:Death
340:Yalta
145:(
141:
1287:Boys
924:Mire
896:Home
260:O.S.
199:and
193:O.S.
107:Died
86:O.S.
77:Born
266:to
51:is
43:is
1498::
298:,
250:.
207:.
147:m.
120:,
116:,
98:,
94:,
1341:"
1334:"
1327:"
1320:"
1313:"
1306:"
1299:"
1292:"
1285:"
1278:"
1271:"
1264:"
1257:"
1250:"
1243:"
1236:"
1229:"
1222:"
1215:"
1197:"
1190:"
1183:"
1176:"
1169:"
1162:"
1155:"
1148:"
1141:"
1134:"
1127:"
1106:"
1099:"
1092:"
1071:"
1064:"
1057:"
1050:"
1043:"
1036:"
1013:"
1006:"
999:"
978:"
971:"
964:"
957:"
936:"
929:"
922:"
915:"
894:"
887:"
880:"
873:"
866:"
859:"
838:"
831:"
824:"
817:"
810:"
803:"
796:"
789:"
782:"
775:"
768:"
761:"
754:"
747:"
740:"
495:e
488:t
481:v
437:.
55:.
30:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.