Mariia Mikhailovna Bliumental-Tamarina

(née Klimova). Born July 4 (16), 1859, in St. Petersburg; died Oct. 16, 1938, in Moscow. Soviet Russian actress. People’s Artist of the USSR (1936).

Bliumental’-Tamarina began her professional activity in 1887. She worked in provincial theaters; then, during the periods 1901–14 and 1921–33, at the Korsh Theater in Moscow (renamed the Moscow Dramatic Theater Formerly Korsh in 1925); and in the Malyi Theater after 1933. She played middle-aged and older women. Bliumental’-Tamarina’s creative work was characterized by truthfulness, sincerity, gentle humor, virtuoso acting technique, and the art of totally embodying her role.

The actress’s best roles are connected with Russian dramatic works—for example, Galchikha, Domna Pantelevna, and Anfusa (in Ostrovskii’s Guilty Without Guilt, Talented People and Their Admirers, and Wolves and Sheep, respectively), Matrena (in Tolstoy’s Power of Darkness), Poshlepkina (inGogol’s The Inspector General), and Arina Ivanovna (in Naidenov’s Vaniushin’s Children). In Soviet dramaturgy she created the characters of Motyl’kova (in Gusev’s Glory) and Kniazeva (in Trenev’s On the Banks of the Neva). She began acting in motion pictures in 1915; her parts included Babchikha (in Encounter) and Dvoira (in Seekers After Happiness). Bliumental’-Tamarina was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner.