7. The Rise of the Actress in Early Nineteenth-Century Russia

By the close of the nineteenth century, the performing arts had not only taken firm root across the vast expanse of the Russian empire, but also become one of the country’s most notable exports. Operatic bass Fedor Shaliapin, ballerina Anna Pavlova, choreographer Sergei Diagilev and actor-director Konstantin Stanislavskii all toured outside Russia in the early twentieth century, securing personal fame and establishing their country’s pre-eminence in the performing arts. Among these cultural e..