Mathilde Kschessinska

Mathilde Kschessinska (1872-1971), also known as Her Serene Highness Princess Romanova-Krasinskaya since 1921, was the second prima ballerina assoluta in the world. Today, she is probably best known for her love affair with the future Emperor Nicholas II, who is said to have lost his virginity with her.

Related Topics:
1872 - 1971 - Prima ballerina assoluta - Nicholas II

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Like all her Polish family, Mathilde performed at the Mariinsky Theatre of St Petersburg. After Pierina Legnani amazed the world with her 32 consecutive fouettés in 1901, Kschessinska was the first who managed to repeat this feat. The scandals and rumours around her name persisted, however, as she formed a Ménage à trois with two Grand Dukes of the Romanov family.

Related Topics:
Mariinsky Theatre - St Petersburg - Pierina Legnani - 32 consecutive fouetté - 1901 - Ménage à trois - Romanov

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Through her aristocratic connections, she managed to amass much valuable property in the Russian capital. It was from the balcony of her elegant house that Lenin addressed the revolutionary crowd when he had returned from Finland in 1917.

Related Topics:
Lenin - Finland - 1917

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The Russian Revolution over, Kschessinska moved to Paris, where she finally married one of the tsar's cousins, Grand Duke Andrey Vladimirovich, with whom she had had a son, Vladmir, in 1903. In 1929, she opened her own ballet school, which enjoyed moderate success. She performed for the last time at the age of 64, for a charity event at Covent Garden. In 1960, she published an autobiography entitled Souvenirs de la Kschessinska. She died several months before her 100th birthday.

Related Topics:
Russian Revolution - Paris - Andrey Vladimirovich - 1929 - Covent Garden - 1960 - Autobiography

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