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Vera Karalli
Vera Karalli
Vera Karalli
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Vera Alexeyevna Karalli (Russian: Вера Алексеевна Каралли; 8 August [O.S. 27 July] 1889 – 16 November 1972) was a Russian ballet dancer, choreographer and silent film actress during the early years of the 20th century.[1]

Key Information

Early life and career

[edit]
Vera Karalli in Krizantemy (1914)
Postcard 1910s, with Mikhail Mordkin

Born in Moscow on 8 August 1889,[2] Karalli graduated from the Moscow Theatre School in 1906 under the direction of the prominent Russian instructor Alexander Gorsky. Karalli performed with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company in 1909, as well as 1919 and 1920.[3] She became a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre after two years and became a ballerina in 1915. Karalli was frequently paired with danseur Mikhail Mordkin.[citation needed]

In 1914, Karalli also embarked on a successful acting career, and became one of Russia's first celebrated film actresses. Her first role was in the 1914 Pyotr Chardynin directed drama Ty pomnish' li? (English title: Do You Remember?) opposite the successful actor Ivan Mozzhukhin. From 1914 to 1919, Vera Karalli would appear in approximately sixteen Russian silent films, including the 1915 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace titled Voyna i mir. Her last film appearance was in a German dramatic release entitled Die Rache einer Frau (English title: A Woman's Revenge) in 1921. Often chosen as a leading lady by the notable director Yevgeni Bauer, Karalli is possibly best recalled for her performances in the Bauer directed adaptations of novelist Ivan Turgenev's Posle smerti (English: After Death) in 1915 and her role as Gizella in the 1917 melodrama Umirayushchii Lebed (The Dying Swan).[citation needed]

Rasputin's death

[edit]

Karalli was a mistress of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia and was reportedly also a co-conspirator in the December 1916 murder of Grigori Rasputin. She was allegedly one of two women present in the palace of Felix Yussupov on the night of Rasputin's murder. The other was Marianne Pistohlkors. Their alleged male co-conspirators never publicly identified the two women.[4]

Exile

[edit]

After fleeing to the West following the October Revolution, Karalli made her final film appearance in the 1921 Robert Wiene-directed German silent drama Die Rache einer Frau opposite Olga Engl and Franz Egenieff, credited as "Vera Caroly".[citation needed]

In 1920, Karalli participated in a large charity concert at the Paris Opéra along with opera singer and dancer Maria Nikolaevna Kuznetsova amongst others, to raise funds to aid impoverished fellow Russian émigrés.[5]

In the 1920s, Vera Karalli taught dance in Kaunas, Lithuania and from 1930 until 1935 she was the ballet mistress of the Romanian Opera in the capital city of Bucharest. From 1938 until 1941 Karalli lived in Paris, France.[3] Later, she settled in Vienna, Austria and taught ballet there. Karalli died in Baden, Austria on 16 November 1972.[2] She was interred at the Vienna Central Cemetery.[6]

Filmography

[edit]
  • Ты помнишь ли? (Ty pomnish' li?) (1914)
  • Сорванец (Sorvanets) (1914)
  • Chrysanthemums (1914)
  • After Death (1915)
  • War and Peace (1915)
  • Наташа Ростова (Natasha Rostova) (1915)
  • Тени греха (Teni grekha) (1915)
  • Обожжённые крылья (Obozhzhenniye krylya) (1915)
  • Любовь статского советника (Lyubov statskogo sovetnika) (1915)
  • Счастье вечной ночи (Schastye vechnoy nochi) (1915)
  • Драконовский контракт (Drakonovskiy kontrakt) (1915)
  • Гриф старого борца (Grif starogo bortsa) (1916)
  • The King of Paris (1917)
  • The Dying Swan (1917)
  • Набат (Nabat) (1917)
  • Мечта и жизнь (Mechta i zhizn) (1918)
  • La Nuit du 11 septembre (1919)
  • A Woman's Revenge (1921)

See also

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References

[edit]

Sources

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Vera Karalli

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Vera Karalli is a Russian ballerina and silent film actress known for her leading roles at the Bolshoi Theatre, performances with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and her pioneering work in early Russian cinema, most notably in Yevgeni Bauer's The Dying Swan (1917). Born Vera Alexeyevna Karalli in Moscow on July 27, 1889, she trained at the Moscow Theatre School and joined the Bolshoi Theatre in 1906, advancing to soloist and eventually ballerina status by 1915. She performed with the Ballets Russes in Paris in 1909 and again in later years. Her film career began in 1914 with Do You Remember? and included collaborations with director Yevgeni Bauer in atmospheric dramas like After Death (1915) and The Dying Swan (1917), where her portrayal of a tragic mute ballerina cemented her status as one of Russia's earliest film stars. Karalli was alleged to have been involved in the plot to assassinate Grigori Rasputin in 1916. Following the October Revolution, she fled Russia and continued her career in exile, teaching dance in Kaunas, Lithuania, serving as ballet mistress at the Romanian Opera in Bucharest from 1930 to 1935, and operating a studio in Paris before settling in Vienna. She died in Baden, Austria, on November 16, 1972.

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Vera Karalli was born on July 27, 1889 (Old Style), corresponding to August 8, 1889 (New Style), in Moscow, Russian Empire. She was the daughter of an entrepreneur father and an actress mother, growing up in an artistic household that immersed her in the world of theater from an early age. This environment in Moscow, surrounded by stage life, sparked her childhood interest in dance and performance. She later enrolled in the Moscow Theatre School.

Training at Moscow Theatre School

Vera Karalli studied ballet at the Imperial Theatre School in Moscow under the direction of Alexander Gorsky. She graduated in 1906 as part of his class. Her abilities were recognized more for dramatic talent and stage presence than for exceptional classical technique. This focus on expressive qualities set her apart during her student years and aligned with the dramatic elements emphasized in Gorsky's approach to ballet. Upon graduation she entered the Bolshoi Ballet.

Ballet career

Bolshoi Theatre years

Vera Karalli joined the Bolshoi Theatre in 1906 after studying with Alexander Gorsky at the Imperial Theatre School in Moscow. She was promoted to ballerina in 1915, marking her rise to the company's highest rank. Although not regarded as an outstanding technician, Karalli distinguished herself through charismatic stage presence and strong dramatic expression, which earned her considerable recognition within the Bolshoi. Among her most celebrated roles was Giselle, where her interpretive depth and acting ability were particularly noted. While her primary affiliation remained with the Bolshoi, Karalli also participated in Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1909.

Ballets Russes engagements

Vera Karalli participated in Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes during its inaugural Paris season in 1909, gaining international exposure as part of the company's groundbreaking presentations of Russian ballet to Western audiences. She returned to the company for engagements in 1919 and 1920, following the disruptions of World War I and the Russian Revolution. During these periods, she performed in several notable productions, including Le Pavillon d'Armide, Thamar, and Prince Igor. Her work with the Ballets Russes complemented her career at the Bolshoi Theatre, allowing her to contribute to Diaghilev's innovative and theatrical approach to ballet on an international stage. These intermittent appearances highlighted her versatility and helped introduce her dramatic expressiveness to broader European audiences.

Film career

Transition to silent cinema

Vera Karalli transitioned to silent cinema in 1914 while still active as a Bolshoi soloist. Her film debut came that year in Do You Remember? (Ty pomnish' li?), directed by Pyotr Chardynin, opposite Ivan Mozzhukhin. Her established fame as a dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre aided this entry into film, as her name and screen presence drew audiences familiar with her stage work. That same year, she appeared in Chrysanthemums (Khrizantemy), also directed by Pyotr Chardynin, where she played Vera Alekseevna Nevolina, a tragic ballerina betrayed in love who ultimately poisons herself after giving her jewelry to pay her lover's debts; the role included dance sequences that highlighted her classical training. This early work blended her ballet skills with dramatic capabilities on screen. Karalli's early films quickly led to collaborations with leading director Yevgeni Bauer, beginning in 1915 with films such as The Happiness of Eternal Night (Schaste vechnoy nochi) and After Death (Posle smerti), where she took on central tragic roles. These partnerships with Bauer marked her rise among Russia's pre-revolutionary film stars, capitalizing on her expressive presence and dance background in the silent medium.

Key roles and collaborations

Vera Karalli established herself as one of Russia's pioneering silent film stars during the 1910s, largely through her expressive performances and notable collaborations with director Yevgeni Bauer, whose psychological dramas provided ideal vehicles for her dramatic talents. Her work in cinema drew on her ability to convey deep emotion through gesture and facial expression, marking her as a leading actress in the pre-revolutionary Russian film industry. Among her key roles, Karalli starred in Bauer's After Death (1915), a psychological drama that showcased her ability to portray complex emotional states. She played Natasha Rostova in War and Peace (1915), demonstrating her range in adapting literary characters to the screen. Her most celebrated performance came in Bauer's The Dying Swan (1917), where she portrayed Gizella, a mute ballerina entangled in a tragic and obsessive relationship with an artist; the film survives as one of the few preserved examples of her screen work and remains notable for its gothic atmosphere and her poignant portrayal. Karalli also appeared in The King of Paris (1917), further solidifying her status among Russia's early cinematic leading ladies. Her dramatic style in silent cinema emphasized intense emotional depth and graceful movement, which intersected with her ballet training. These collaborations with Bauer and her roles in major productions of the era cemented her reputation as a significant figure in early Russian film.

Involvement in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin

Relationship with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich

Vera Karalli had a romantic relationship with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II and a member of the Russian imperial family, during the years of the First World War. She was widely regarded as his mistress, a connection that placed her firmly within the elite social circles of pre-revolutionary Petrograd, where prominent ballerinas and actresses frequently mingled with aristocracy and royalty. The relationship was reportedly on-off in nature, overlapping with other romantic associations in the Grand Duke's life during 1915 and 1916, a period when Karalli was at the height of her fame as a dancer and film actress. This liaison reflected the common pattern of imperial princes forming attachments with performers from the Imperial Theatres, granting Karalli access to high society events and circles otherwise distant from her professional world. Her association with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich later drew attention in connection with the assassination of Grigori Rasputin.

Alleged role in the plot

Vera Karalli has long been linked to the assassination of Grigori Rasputin on the night of December 16-17, 1916 (O.S.), through her romantic connection to Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, one of the primary conspirators alongside Prince Felix Yusupov and others. Persistent allegations have suggested that Karalli may have been present at Yusupov's Moika Palace during the murder or served as a lure to draw Rasputin there, exploiting his reputed interest in women of her stature as a celebrated ballerina and actress. Contemporary suspicions arose during police inquiries, with some reports noting her association with Dmitri Pavlovich and questioning her whereabouts, though no conclusive evidence placed her at the scene. Historians have described her possible presence alongside another woman as unconfirmed, with accounts varying and often relying on memoirs, rumors, or indirect inferences rather than direct proof. The extent of Karalli's involvement—if any—remains unproven and is widely regarded as part of the enduring mythology surrounding Rasputin's death, with no definitive documentation establishing her active participation in the plot. Modern scholarship tends to treat these claims cautiously, noting the difficulty of verifying details amid conflicting testimonies and the absence of clear substantiation.

Later life and exile

Departure from Russia after the Revolution

Following the October Revolution of 1917, Vera Karalli fled Soviet Russia for Western Europe. Her departure occurred in the late 1910s, after her last Russian film appearance in Mechta i zhizn (1918), marking the end of her career in Russian ballet and silent cinema. She initially settled in Paris, where she performed again with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes during 1919 and 1920. As an émigré artist, Karalli participated in a major charity concert at the Paris Opéra in 1920 alongside other Russian exiles to raise funds for impoverished fellow émigrés. This reflected the broader difficulties faced by Russian artists in exile, who often relied on such communal efforts while rebuilding their professional lives abroad.

Teaching and choreography in Europe

Following her emigration from Russia after the Revolution, Vera Karalli pursued a career as a ballet teacher and choreographer in Europe. In the 1920s, she taught dance in Kaunas, Lithuania. From 1930 to 1935, she served as ballet mistress at the Romanian Opera in Bucharest. In her later years, she operated her own studio in Paris from 1938 to 1941, before settling in Vienna, Austria, where she continued her involvement in ballet teaching and choreography.

Death and legacy

Final years in Austria

Vera Karalli spent her final years in Austria after settling in Vienna, where she had previously taught ballet. In her later life, she resided in the area near Vienna, and she died on November 16, 1972, in Baden (Baden bei Wien), Austria, at the age of 83. Her remains were interred at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Recognition and influence

Vera Karalli is recognized as a pioneer in Russian silent cinema for her successful transition from classical ballet to acting, becoming one of the earliest Russian film stars to bridge the two art forms. As a protégée of Bolshoi choreographer Alexander Gorsky and a favorite dancer under his direction, she brought her dramatic expressiveness and technical precision to the screen, helping to establish ballet as a powerful element in early narrative filmmaking. Her most enduring contribution is her performance in Evgeni Bauer's The Dying Swan (1917), where she portrayed the mute dancer Gizella and performed the titular solo, creating an iconic depiction of melancholy and grace that fused ballet movement with cinematic emotion. The surviving film remains a key example of pre-revolutionary Russian silent cinema's artistic achievements and highlights Karalli's ability to convey profound drama through dance alone, influencing later perceptions of ballet's potential on screen. While Karalli's multifaceted career spanned ballet, film, and choreography, her impact is primarily preserved through this landmark work and her status as an early crossover artist, though modern recognition remains limited compared to other figures from the era. Her legacy underscores the innovative intersections of dance and film in early 20th-century Russia, with The Dying Swan serving as the primary testament to her artistic influence.

References

  1. https://filmstarpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/10/vera-karalli.html
  2. http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2016/05/throwback-thursday-and-vera-karalli.html
  3. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179028/bio/
  4. https://cabinetcardgallery.com/2020/03/20/vera-caralli-russian-ballerina-and-silent-film-star/
  5. https://www.culture.ru/persons/8979/vera-karalli
  6. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100030235
  7. https://www.ballerinagallery.com/karalli.htm
  8. https://michaelminn.net/andros/biographies/karalli_vera/index.html
  9. https://kinoglaz.fr/index.php?lang=en_la&page=fiche_personne&num=1414
  10. https://silentsplease.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/chrysanthemums/
  11. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179028/
  12. https://mubi.com/en/cast/vera-karalli
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186650/
  14. https://moviessilently.com/2022/01/02/the-dying-swan-1917-a-silent-film-review/
  15. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1004604-vera-karalli?language=en-US
  16. https://weheartvintage.co/2014/07/17/vera-karalli-russian-ballet-dancer-murderer-and-royal-mistress/
  17. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov-2
  18. https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/brexit-news-the-death-of-vera-karalli-62262/
  19. https://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=7524.0
  20. https://loredanacrupi.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/vera-karalli-black-swan/
  21. https://www.everand.com/book/393389310/Rasputin-Faith-Power-and-the-Twilight-of-the-Romanovs
  22. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/karalli-vera-1889-1972
  23. https://www.geni.com/people/%D0%92%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%9Ao%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B8/6000000028334795995
  24. https://kids.kiddle.co/Vera_Karalli
  25. https://www.thecollector.com/russian-soviet-artists-ballet/
  26. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/161441844.pdf
  27. http://www.lightindustry.org/thedyingswan
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