Praskovya Zhemchugova
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Praskovya Ivanovna Zhemchugova also Kovaleva or Kovalyova, Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, Zhemchugova-Sheremeteva, and Sheremeteva or Sheremetyeva (Прасковья Ивановна Жемчугова, Ковалёва, Шереметева) (July 20, 1768 – February 23, 1803) was a Russian serf actress and soprano opera singer.
[edit] Biography
She was born into the family of the serf smith Gorbunov who received in due course the surname Kovalev. Before she was 8 years old she was taken to the court of Count N. P. Sheremetev’s father.
She debuted In 1779 on the stage of the serf theatre in Kuskovo in the role of the servant Gubert in the comic opera L'Amitié à l'épreuve by André Ernest Modeste Grétry. Following her success, Sheremetev gave Kovaleva the leading role of Belinda in Sacchini's opera La colonie. In this 1780 performance the actress for the first time appeared under the last name Zhemchugova, as Sheremetev decided to replace the "male" surnames of his actresses with new names of gemstones (zhemchug means "pearl" in Russian).
After the role of Belinda, Kovaleva-Zhemchugova was promoted to the position of the first actress of the theatre. By the age of 17 Kovaleva-Zhemchugova could read and write French and Italian fluently, played the harp and harpsichord, and was acknowledged by her contemporaries for her operatic and dramatic abilities.
Her most important role was Eliana in Grétry's opera Les Mariages samnites. Assuming the part for the first time in 1785, Zhemchugova sang Eliana for 12 years — a first in the history of serf theatre. Also significant was the role of Alina in Alina regina di Golconda in 1786: the empress Catherine was present in Kuskovo at the performance and gave Zhemchugova a diamond ring.
In 1795 the theatre was transferred from Kuskovo to Ostankino where the theatrical premises were constructed by modern techniques and fashion. The year 1795 was marked by the premiere of the opera "Zelmira and Smeloy, or the Capture of Izmail" (Osip Kozlovsky, text by Pavel Potemkin); Zhemchugova acted in the role of the captive Turkish woman Zelmira). After that Ostankino became one of the centers of art life in Moscow, the theatre’s repertoire was replenished with Russian comic operas. At the height of the theatre's flowering Zhemchugova became ill with consumption (tuberculosis). Performances temporarily were stopped, but in 1797, on the occasion of Paul I becoming tsar, Les Mariages samnites was presented.
In 1798 Sheremetev emancipated Zhemchugova and the entire Kovalev family from serfdom. Understanding that her health would not allow Zhemchugova to return to the stage, he closed the theatre. In 1801 Sheremetev in the strictest secrecy married Zhemchugova. On February 3, 1803 Praskovya Ivanovna gave birth to a son, and died on the night of February 23. She was buried in the family crypt of Sheremetev.
In memory of the deceased in Moscow on Sukharevskaya square there was built the building "strannopriimni home" which should "give the homeless a lodging for the night, and give the hungry a dinner" (nowadays here there is a scientific research institute of first aid by N. Sklifosovsky).
[edit] Quotations
"The love affair between Count Sheremetyev and his serf actress set the rumour mill rolling with the high society really shocked to see the count to be so madly in love with his servant and even preparing to build a theatre for her in his Ostankino estate just north of Moscow. And still, this public criticism of his choice was really playing on the young count's nerves who realised all too clear that the society would never forgive him if he ever married the commoner girl. In the meantime, Praskovya the actress was making strides on stage and her theatre’s fortnightly performances always played to a full house." (Lyubov Tsarevskaya Russian Culture)
