Tuesday, 6 October 2026

The Russian actress Elena Nikolayevna Gogoleva (1900-1993) left a recollection of another Russian actress, the great Maria Nikolayevna Yermolova (1853-1928), dating from the second half of the 1920s:

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"I had no scenes directly with Marya Nikolayevna, but all the same I was in the same picture as her. And here is what is interesting: Marya Nikolayevna, always so attentive, so courteous, so kind... you understand, here, when I ran off the stage and had not met her at the beginning of the performance, I would usually, quietly, as I ran past her, say: 'Good evening, Marya Nikolayevna.' But Marya Nikolayevna never once answered my greeting. She was already so deep in the part, so ready to go on stage; she sat in her wheeled chair all wrapped up, and never once answered my greeting. That tells you how ready she was for the performance, how she prepared for her role."

You see, if someone does not greet you, it does not necessarily mean anything bad. Perhaps the person is simply in character and preparing for their role. The main thing is that you yourself know you said a quiet "Good evening!"

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