Background
ZANTCOVETSKAYA, Mariya was born on August 3, 1860 in village Zan’ki, Chernigov Province. Daughter of an impoverished landowner.
ZANTCOVETSKAYA, Mariya was born on August 3, 1860 in village Zan’ki, Chernigov Province. Daughter of an impoverished landowner.
Completed private girls boarding school in Chernigov. Studied singing al Helsingfors Branch, Saint St. Petersburg Conservatory.
While at boarding school frequently performed in amateur productions. 1882 professional debut in Yelizavetgrad with Master of Laws Kropivnitskiy’s company. Then performed with Ukraine companies of M. Staritskiy, M. Sadovskiy, P. Saksaganskiy, 1.
Karpenko-Karyy and I. March’yancnko. Performed in Saint St. Petersburg, Moscow and many Russian cities. 1905 in Galicia; 1912-1915 in Caucasus and Volga area.
1907, together with Sadovskiy, founded 1st Ukraine Stationary Theater, Kiev. 1917 directed People's Theater, Nezhin. 1918, together with Saksaganskiy, founded People's Theater in Kiev (from 1922 Zan’kovetskaya Theater).
Until 1921 performed at this theater. Abandoned active stage work and taught drama at Zan’kovetskaya Studio. At 1st All-Russian Congress of Stage Workers demanded greater freedom for Ukraine theater.
Her talent was highly rated by Stanislavskiy, Tchaikovsky, Lev Tolstoy and Chekhov. Roles: Natalka in Kotlyarevskiy’s “Natalka Poltavka”. Kharitina in Karpenko-Karyy’s Naymichka (The Hired Girl).
Natal’ya in Mirskiy’s “Limerivna”. Galya in Shevchenko’s “Nazar Stodolya”. Olena and Zinka in Kropivnitskiy’s Miroyed, Hi Pauk (The World Eater, or the Spider) and Due sem'i (Two Families).
Aza in Staritskiy’s Tsyganka Aza (Aza the Gypsy). Sofya in KarpenkoKaryy’s Goremychnaya (The Wretched Women). Aksyusha in Ostrovskiy’s Les (The Forest), et cetera
Film roles in: “Natalka Poltavka”. Batrachka (The Hired Farm Girl). “Ostap Bandura”.