Mathilde Kschessinska (1872 - 1971)

[Arleen_Ristau]

Nadya, such wonderful pictures!  Most of them I haven't seen before.  Many thanks for posting them for us. 

Do you collect M K photos?     ..A

[Nadya_Arapov]

You're welcome.

Arleen, I was looking for photos of Anna Kuznetzova, actually, when I came across these. I remembered this old thread, and decided to post them. Ebay is such a wonderful source for old photos and postcards of Russian ballerinas. These were from the Singapore Ebay website.

Imperial Angel, she was very pretty. When captured by a talented photographer she was absolutely beautiful.  Standards of beauty were very different back then, of course. Yes, several of these were images of her "in character."

[Romanov_fan]

I thought so.Yes, the right photographer could capture her well. Her best feature was defintely her eyes though. They were laughing, and sparkling, and they expressed much happiness. Standards of beauty were different then, but it is Mathilde's eyes that really get me staring out from her pictures. She seemed like she had such gaiety.

[Nadya_Arapov]

Absolutely, her eyes always seemed to have a certain spark in them, even in old age, despite all the hardships she had endured.

Have you ever read her autobiography? If not, you should. Her account of their hiding from the Bolsheviks and her eventual escape was very interesting.

[Romanov_fan]

No, I have never read it. I am sure it was interesting, but then Mathilde's whole life reads like fiction rather than reality. She lived quite a life! She lived a long time, and she had many memories. Even in old age, she had those memories.I think she also had a cheerful personality though, and you would think so from that sparkle in her eyes.

[LisaDavidson]

We are trying to get permission to publish her memoirs online with the rest of our books. If we secure permission, I'll be sure to let you know.

[Lemur]

While I personally think she looks fine, it's a sad thing to think that in today's society she would probably be considered too 'fat' to become famous and glamourous.

[Romanov_fan]

I actually think Mathilde was of pretty thin build, and short. Perhaps that makes her look plump by some of today's standards. But she was not that. She had a typical body of a ballerina of the 19th century, although compared to some of the Hollywood beauties of today, she might be a bit plump. But the Hollywood beauties of today are very very thin. I don't want to turn this into another looks thread though...

[Lemur]

It's like I've seen people say that Marilyn Monroe would be considered heavy by today's standards. She certainly wasn't plump, but with all the extra skinnies out there and everyone having to be totally flat stomached and twigs for limbs or they're called 'fat' by the tabloids and won't be hired, she might be out of luck today. Same with Mathilde, her middle and her legs seem a bit thick in those pics compared to the boney ballerinas of today. Again no offense, she looks fine to me, just an observation.

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, I know. I guess that I think Mathilde's beauty was great by the standards of her age, and fairly good by the standards of ours, except in some of the really skinny types.  I agree with the Marilyn comparison. Every age does indeed have a standard of beauty, of which is good or bad, and what is most beautiful. But back to Mathilde...

[Sarushka]

An exhibition of 21 photos of Matilda K.

http://photoarchive.spb.ru:9090/www/showChildObjects.do?object=2000896273

[ashanti01]

I thought this was a nice family picture of Matilde, Andrei, and Vova

[ashanti01]

[helenazar]

I thought this was a nice family picture of Matilde, Andrei, and Vova

Does it say where this picture was taken?

[ashanti01]

It says it was shot in 1908 in Belguim