Nadezhda Nikulina

(married name Dmitrieva). Born Aug. 12 (24), 1845, in Moscow; died there July 5, 1923. Russian actress.

Nikulina acted in comedy and vaudeville roles at the Malyi Theater beginning in 1859 while still at the Moscow Theatrical School studying under V. A. Dmitrevskii and I. V. Samarin. She was coached by M. S. Shchepkin. Upon graduation in 1863 she joined the company of the Malyi Theater.

Nikulina was a comic and character actress who was a master of theatrical diction and facial mimicry. She captivated her audiences with the vitality, simplehearted spontaneity, and cheerful humor of her acting. Her talent was shown to its best advantage in the plays of A. N. Ostrovskii, who created a number of roles for her and helped her prepare them. Nikulina’s roles in Ostrovskii’s plays included Verochka in The Jokers, Polina in A Profitable Post, Kupava in The Snow Maiden, and Korinkina in Guilty Though Guiltless; her best roles were Varvara in The Thunderstorm and Glafira in Wolves and Sheep. She also excelled in the roles of Liza in Griboedov’s Woe From Wit, Mar’ia Antonovna in Gogol’s The Inspector-General, and Dorine in Moliere’s Tartuffe.