Semenova Ekaterina S. (1786 – 1849) – a famous actress, the daughter of land girls landowners Putyata and teacher cadet Zhdanov, put it in theater school.
She was very beautiful; features of her face struck the classical correctness, profile, according to the contemporary, alludes to an ancient cameos. Flexible her contralto voice yielded a variety of modulations. Have contributed to its success strength of feeling and genuine passion.
Semenov appeared at the turn of the course of our dramatic literature, slavish imitation when French tragedy has become obsolete, and the romantic drama was only beginning to flourish. Transitional stage of these two currents were tragedies Ozerov.
Semenov (with actors Shusherinym and Yakovlev) was Ozerov ally in the first conquest of a new direction. The first big success and a writer and actress was the first of a tragedy Ozerov: "Oedipus in Athens" (1804). Aksakov says that during the presentation of "Oedipus", when Semenova, Antigone abduct his father, an artist before fascinating that escaped from the hands holding her soldiers and ran away after his father behind the scenes, what the role was not, and we had to run after her and bring her to the scene.
Education Semenova, not only common, but the stage was very shallow, causing it to develop roles borrowed from others. First, Semenov was studying the role under the guidance of the Chief of the repertoire, Prince Shahovskoy, then, suspecting him of being partial to Valberhovoy, began to teach the role to take her advice very much devoted to the poet Gnedich finally, she looked around at a lot of reception while in St. Petersburg well-known French actress Georges. However, because it would give all same own talent.
Petersburg audience was divided into fans of George and Semenova, the most competent judges gave the palm Semenova. George herself complained that, for all its technology, it often feels a lack of temperament, always a glittering Semenova. The best roles were in plays Semenova Oedipus, Fingal, Dmitry Donskoy, Polyxena, Tancredi, Merope, Medea, Semiramis, Phaedra.
She played in Shakespeare's tragedies, as well as in Schiller's Mary Stuart. The success and the fans spoiled Semenov: it is sometimes lazy, sometimes capricious, helped by the fact that she became close with the Senator, Prince Ivan Gagarin, a very rich man and enjoy a high status as the service, and in literary circles.
To appoint directors of theaters Prince Tyufyakina Semenov has not made its coarseness and sharpness, and left the service (1820), but she could not live without the scene and participated in amateur theatricals and two years later, when the place became Tyufyakina Maikov again came on the scene.
In 1826, Semenova finally said goodbye to the audience in the tragedy of Kryukov: "Pozharskii. The emergence of a new kind of dramatic works, Romantic, often write prose, significantly damaged the last years of stage career Semenova. In an effort to be first, she took on roles in these plays, and even a comic role, but without success.
After moving to Moscow, Semenov has agreed to marry with his patron. Home Gagarin visited by many former fans Semenova: Pushkin, Aksakov Nadezhdin Pogodin.
In 1832, Prince Gagarin died, his last years were marred by Semyon's family troubles.
See "Historical Journal" 1886, September.