Maria Zankovetska

Maria Kostiantynivna Adasovska (Марія Костянтинівна Адасовська), better known under her pseudonym Maria Zankovetska (Марія Заньковецька); 4 August 1854 – 4 October 1934) was a Ukrainian theater actress. There are some sources that date her birth to 3 August 1860.

Zankovetska became the first recipient of the People's Artist of Ukraine (People's Artist of Ukrainian SSR) in 1922.

Biography
Maria was born to an impoverished landowner and nobleman, Kostyantyn Adasovsky, and a Chernihiv city resident (burgess) Maria Nefedova, in Zanky, Nizhyn County, Chernihiv Governorate (present-day Nizhyn Raion). She had many siblings. Maria was a graduate of the Chernihiv City Female Gymnasium.

In 1876, she first appeared onstage in Nizhyn Theater. Her professional career began on 27 October 1882 at the Yelizavetgrad City Theater (Kropyvnytsky) under the management of Marko Kropyvnytsky. Her first role was Natalka from the Kotlyarevsky play "Natalka Poltavka". Later Maria participated among the most popular and professional Ukrainian troupes of Marko Kropyvnytsky, Mykhailo Starytsky, Mykola Sadovsky, and Panas Saksahansky. Her stage name Zankovetska was derived from the name of the village of her birth. Her repertoire included more than 30 roles. A mezzo-soprano, she sang in Ukrainian folk songs.

Zankovetska was an activist for the opening in Nizhyn of a permanent state theater. In 1918, she organized a people's theater "Ukrainian troupe under direction of M. Zankovetska", where she played with such actors as Borys Romanytsky, Andriy Rotmyrov and others. Several plays were set among which were "Natalka Poltavka", "Hetman Doroshenko", "Aza the Gypsy". Recognizing her stage merits, in June 1918 the Hetman of Ukraine Pavlo Skoropadsky approved the adoption by the Council of Ministers of a resolution on the appointment of a lifetime state pension for Zankovetska.

In 1922, Ukraine triumphantly celebrated the 40th anniversary of Zankovetska's career. She was the first person in Ukraine whom the government awarded the high title of the People's Artist of the Republic.

Zankovetska died on 4 October 1934. She is buried at Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv.

List of selected theatrical roles

 * 1882 – Natalka ("Natalka Poltavka", Ivan Kotlyarevsky)
 * 1882 – Halya ("Nazar Stodolya", Taras Shevchenko)
 * 1882 – Tsvirkunka ("Black Sea Sailors", Mykhailo Starytsky)
 * 1883 – Olena ("Hlytai or the Spider", Marko Kropyvnytsky)
 * 1887 – Kharytyna ("Serf Maiden", Ivan Karpenko-Karyi)
 * 1889 – Katrya ("Not Destined", Mykhailo Starytsky)
 * 1891 – Aksyusha ("Forest", Alexander Ostrovsky)
 * 1892 – Aza ("Aza the Gypsy", Mykhailo Starytsky)
 * Ulyana Kvitchyna ("Wedding in Honcharivka")
 * Yo ("Loss of Nadiya", Herman Heijermans)

Filmography

 * 1909 – Natalka (Natalka Poltavka)
 * 1923 – Mother (Ostap Bandura)

Tribute
On 4 August 2014, Google celebrated Maria Zankovetska's 160th birthday with a doodle.