Varvara Ryzhova

Biography

Varvara Ryzhova was a notable Russian actress of Maly Theatre in Moscow. She was born Varvara Nikolaevna Ryzhova on January 27, 1871, in Moscow, Russia, into the Borozdin-Muzil family of renown actors. She studied acting together with Yevdokiya Turchaninova under A. Lensky at Moscow Theatrical College, graduating in 1893 as an actress. That same year she became member of the troupe at Maly Drama Theatre in Moscow. Varvara Ryzhova was best known in Russia as a comedienne and character actress. However, her range allowed her to perform a variety of characters in a broad repertoire from musical comedy to classic drama. She shone as Feklusha, Anfisa, Ulita, Glumova, Domna Panteleevna, and other characters in plays by Aleksandr Ostrovskiy, such as 'Groza' (aka.. The Tempest), 'Volki i ovtsy' (aka.. Wolves and sheep), 'Les' (aka.. The Forest), and other classical Russian plays. From 1893 to 1960 Ryzhova was permanent member of Maly Theatre in Moscow. There her stage partners were such actors as Vera Pashennaya, Olga Sadovskaya, Nikolai Annenkov, A. Yablochkina, Varvara Massalitinova, Yevdokiya Turchaninova, Yelena Gogoleva, Varvara Obukhova, Yelena Shatrova, Elina Bystritskaya, Rufina Nifontova, Tatyana Eremeeva, Aleksandr Yuzhin, Mikhail Tsaryov, Aleksandr Ostuzhev, Vladimir Davydov, Sergei Aidarov, Stepan Kuznetsov, Prov Sadovsky, Boris Ravenskikh, Boris Babochkin, Mikhail Zharov, Igor Ilyinsky, Pavel Olenev, Mikhail Sadovsky, Konstantin Zubov, Viktor Khokhryakov, Vsevolod Aksyonov, Nikolai Ryzhov, Evgeniy Vesnik, Viktor Korshunov, Evgeniy Samoylov, and many other notable Russian actors. Varvara Ryzhova made her film debut in Without Dowry (1937), a classic black-and-white film by director Yakov Protazanov, based on the play 'Bespridannitsa' by A. Ostrovsky. One of her best known film roles was as Princess Khryumina grandmother, a reprise of her stage character in the play 'Gore ot uma' (aka.. Woe from Wit) by Aleksandr Griboyedov. The stage play 'Woe From Wit' was captured on film as Gore ot uma (1952) by director Sergei Alekseyev. Varvara Ryzhova was designated People's Actor of the USSR, and was awarded the State Prize of the USSR (1943). She was decorated with the Order of Lenin twice, and also received other decorations, including the prestigious Soviet Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Varvara Ryzhova died on May 18, 1963, and was laid to rest in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.