Maria Ananina (d. after 1756), was a Russian stage actress. She was
one of the two first recorded professional actresses in Russia.Maria
Ananina was the daughter of an officer Ananin. In 1756, the Imperial
Theatres was founded in Saint Petersburg by the empress Elizabeth of
Russia. Previously, foreign actresses had performed in Russia in the
French, Italian and German theater companies that visited Russia, but
the acting profession had not been practiced by Russian women. A
proclamation from the Russian Senate 30 August 1756 allowed for the
hiring of women actors to the newly founded Russian theatre, and
directly afterward, the first two actresses was hired. Maria Ananina
and her sister Olga Ananina, who thereby became the first professional
actresses in Russia; shortly after, they were joined by Agrafena
Musina-Pushkina.At that time, the acting profession had a low status
with female actors often subjected to slander of prostitution, and all
of the three actresses therefore married shortly after; Maria and Olga
married their colleagues Fyodor Volkov and Yakov Shumsky respectively.
one of the two first recorded professional actresses in Russia.Maria
Ananina was the daughter of an officer Ananin. In 1756, the Imperial
Theatres was founded in Saint Petersburg by the empress Elizabeth of
Russia. Previously, foreign actresses had performed in Russia in the
French, Italian and German theater companies that visited Russia, but
the acting profession had not been practiced by Russian women. A
proclamation from the Russian Senate 30 August 1756 allowed for the
hiring of women actors to the newly founded Russian theatre, and
directly afterward, the first two actresses was hired. Maria Ananina
and her sister Olga Ananina, who thereby became the first professional
actresses in Russia; shortly after, they were joined by Agrafena
Musina-Pushkina.At that time, the acting profession had a low status
with female actors often subjected to slander of prostitution, and all
of the three actresses therefore married shortly after; Maria and Olga
married their colleagues Fyodor Volkov and Yakov Shumsky respectively.
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