Galina Ulanova

Ulánova was remarkably private about her personal life. She reportedly married several times. Among her husbands were noted actor and director Yuri Zavadsky and designer Vadim Rindin. Toward the end of her life, she had a female companion to attend to her needs.

She died on March 21, 1998, in Moscow. Her apartment has now become a memorial museum.

Galina Sergéyevna Ulánova was born on January 8, 1910, in Saint Petersburg. Her parents were both employed at the ‘Imperial Russian Ballet,’ where her father, Sergei Ulanov, was a regisseur, and her mother, Maria Romanova was a dancer and teacher.

Ulánova was originally resistant to a career in dance but changed her mind after living through the Soviet Revolution at a young age. She was taught by her mother before being admitted to Agrippina Vaganova’s famous dance school as a boarder. Since her parents toured frequently, she spent a lot of time at this institute, enduring the cold weather, hunger, and the institute’s rigorous training.

She completed her ballet training and joined the ‘Mariinsky Theatre,’ also known as the ‘Kirov Theatre,’ in 1928. The same year, she notably performed the “pas de deux” in ‘Chopiniana’ and ‘The Nutcracker.’ She was also cast as ‘Princess Florina’ in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’.

In 1930, she performed as ‘Odette/Odile’ in ‘Mariinsky’s ‘Swan Lake,’ under Vaganova’s guidance. These performances were appreciated by critics.

In 1932, Ulánova began working on her first performance in the famous French ballet, ‘Giselle’. Vaganova had initially suggested that she play the secondary role of ‘Myrtha,’ the queen of the Wilis. However, Yelena Liukom, the first “prima-ballerina” of Soviet ballet insisted that Ulánova play the titular character, ‘Giselle.’

The same year, Leonid Lavrovsky replaced her friend and mentor Fyodor Lopukhov as the artistic director of the ‘Mariinsky.’ Soon, Ulánova was able to establish an intimate work relationship with Lavrovsky, which served her well during her frequent conflicts with Vaganova, who allegedly preferred other students).

Between 1933 and 1936, she appeared in several productions, such as ‘The Nutcracker’, ‘Swan Lake,’ and ‘Esmeralda.’ Her most notable role during this period was the tragic lead role of ‘Maria’ in ‘Rostislav Zakharov’s production of ‘The Fountain of Bakhchisarai’ (based on Alexander Pushkin’s poem).

Some of her most notable roles were in ‘Giselle,’ Cinderella,’ and ‘The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.’ Her work in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was particularly astounding and is still regarded as the crowning achievement of her incredibly illustrious career.