Russian Celebrities

[Mike]

Who of Russian authors hadn't - even for a short time - lived in Tsarskoe?
To the greatest of them all, Pushkin, and to the already mentioned Alexey Tolstoy and Anna Akhmatova one should add Nikolay Karamzin, Michael Lermontov, Vassily Zhukovsky, Lev Gumilev, Sergey Esenin, Innokentiy Annensky, Vladimir Nabokov, Osip Mandelshtam, and probably a few more.

[griffh]

Tania remember when the Empress Alexandra saw Balanchine as a little cupid in a ballet and invited him, between acts. to come to the Imperial box and he how she insisted that he sit on her lap?  I think the year was 1909 and later Balanchine said that the Empress Alexandra had the beauty and refined glamour of a Grace Kelly.

Let's not forget the waltz king, Johann Straus who perfomed in Tsarskoie Selo for summer concerts in a Gazibo or something like that in the 1860's ?.  I hope I am remembering that correctly.   Griff. 

[Mike]

Johann Strauss occasionally performed in Tsarskoe, as well as at various Petersburg palaces, but his regular concerts' venue was, for 10 years running, the Vokzal in Pavlovsk.

[ChristineM]

Chaliapin sang on a number of occasions in the Empress's Corner Drawing Room in the Alexander Palace.

Tamara Karsavina danced Odette/Odile (Swan Lake) at the Chinese Theatre, in the Alexander Park.

tsaria

[dunya]

Dunya.
unfortunately, or maybe fortunately Pushkin did not participate on mooning tzarina (Elisaveta Alekseyevna). But he was exposing himself to old countess Volkonskaya by mistake, he was trying to get with Catherine Bakunina, his first love, who was empress maid of honor.

  thanks vlad.

God I forgot Tsarkoye Selo is Pushkin (town) whilst reading this thread, such a fool I am.

[vladm]

Dunya,
It's ok, huge chunk of Pushkin's history revolved around Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin town), your example from his lyceum time, probably the most naughty he ever got. Imperial court was waiting for summer time, to get to Tsarskoye Selo, exactly for the same reason, when a lot of boundaries were dropped, that tradition was established by Catherine the Great.

[vallath]

Can anybody make a list of modern Russian celebrities- like the Russian equvalent of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and all those other Hollywood celebrities and others too! Famous artists, actors, scientists, sports stars etc.

[GoldenPen]

Does the band Tatu count?  I read on wikipedia there making a come back in 09 with new members.