Serge Wolkonsky

Prince Serge Wolkonsky (Template:Lang-ru; also refered to as Sergei Mikhailovitch Wolkonsky or Volkonsky) (May 4 1860 - October 25 1937) was born on the Fall estate near Revel in Imperial Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia) and died in Hot Springs, Virginia, USA. He was buried in Richmond, Virginia.

He was an outstanding theatrical worker, one of the first Russian rhythmicians, pupil and friend of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, and creator of an original system of actor's training including both expressive gesture and expressive speech.

The Main events of Life

• Ancestors. Family. Childhood.
• High school years. Ernesto Rossi. Passion for the Theatre. 1872-1881.
• University. The Beginning of actor’s work. Zemstvo (elective district council). 1881-1892.
• The First American Trip. World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. The World's Parliament of Religions. Tour Round the World. 1893-1894.
• The Second American Trip. The Lowell Lectures. 1895-1896.
• Director of The Imperial Theatres. Tommaso Salvini. K.Stanislavsky. 1899-1901.
• Jaques-Dalcroze and Hellerau. The Beginning of Rhythmic December of 1910 – until the First World War
• The First World War. 1914
• After the October of 1917.
• Emigration. Italy – Austria – Paris. 1921-1937
• The Third and the Last American Trip.October 1937.

• Ancestors. Family. Childhood

His mother Princess Elizabeth (Elizaveta Grigorievna) Wolkonsky, nee Princess Wolkonsky, too, was born in 1839. She was a daughter of Grigory Petrovich Wolkonsky (a son of Sophia, a sister of Decembrist Serge Wolkonsky) and of Mary A.Wolkonsky (nee Comptess Benkendorf, a daughter of Count Alexander Benkendorf. Princess Wolkonsky influenced his son Serge very much having defined a lot of his interests and among them, certainly, his religious views, as she belonged to Holy Church.Among her friends were many famous persons, it's suffice to point out the well-known Russian philosopher, teologist and a poet Vladimir Soloviev. She wrote some books on the religious matters: "On Church", "Church Tradition and Russian Theological Literature", and a book "The Family of Princes Wolkonsky". She dead on February 15th 1897 in St.Petersburg, and was buried in Fall, entailed estate of Count Benkendorf.

The father of Serge Wolkonsky, Michael Sergeevich, was born in 1832, in Petrovsky Zavod in Siberia. He was a son of Decembrist Prince Serge Wolkonsky and Mary, nee Raevsky. Ivan Puzschin was his godfather. From his birth, Michael was registered as serf. He graduated from the Irkutsk gymnasia but wasn't allowed entering the University as the son of the deportee. However, this reason didn't prevent him from his future career. In 1855, just after the death of Emperor Niclaus I, Michael Wolkonsky reached Russia from Siberia, and by the 70s, he became a member of the State Council. It's interesting to note that this his status didn't prevent him however from publishing the book of his father, "Memoirs of a Decembrist". He dead in 1909 in Rome, and was buried in Fall, as well.

• University. The Beginning of actor’s work. Zemstvo (elective district council). 1881-1892.

Wolkonsky graduated from the philological faculty of St.Petersburg University in 1884.

• The First American Trip. World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. The World's Parliament of Religions. Tour Round the World. 1893-1894.

In spring of 1893, in the frames of World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago the World's Parliament of Religions was opened. Russian Orthodox Church categorically refused to be presented there and that's why Serge Wolkonsky, 33 years old layman, catholic of the East ceremony, was there as an official representative of Dep't of Public Instruction. His reports and speeches were of anordinary style and contents and made a deep resonance there. Messages on Parliament had been regularly published in the journal "Zerkovny Vestnik" ("The Bulletin of Church") in spite of that attitude to the Congress. The article of Wolkonsky himself was published later on in journal "Vestnik Evropy" ("The European Bulletin") .

On December 2nd 1893 he went by ship "Oceanic" from San-Francisco, and was visiting Havai, Japan, China, Araby, Mediterranean Sea, Italy, and then he came back to Petersburg via Konstantinopol.

• The Second American Trip. The Lowell Lectures. 1895-1896.

Lowell Institute, Boston; Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; Columbia University, NY; Washington Club, Washington, D.C.; University of Chicago; Steinway Hall, Chicago, Ill.; Twentieth Century Club, Chicago, Ill.; All Souls' Church, Chicago, Ill.; Art Museum, St.Louis, Mo.; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.; Carnegie Hall, New York, NY. In April 1896 Harvard University based the Slav Dialects Chair and asked Wolkonsky to teach there.

• Director of The Imperial Theatres. 1899-1901. Tommaso Salvini. K.Stanislavsky

Wolkonsky was director only during two years 1899-1901. He was able though did a lot: Serge Diaghilev was his immediate assistant and Wolkonsky entrusted he the edition of the famouse Annual of the Imperial Theaters in 1900. New names appeared in the Theatres - painters Alexandre Benois, Konstantin Somov, Léon Bakst.

Wolkonsky was forced to send in his resignation after the conflict with Mathilde Kschessinskaya.

• Jaques-Dalcroze and Hellerau. The Beginning of Rhythmic December of 1910 – until the First World War

The first meeting with Dalcroze. Wolf Dorn. Adolphe Appia. Rhythmics lectures. The beginning of own Wolkonsky actor’s training system. The Courses of Rhythmic Gymnastics based by Wolkonsky in Petersburg. The Leaflets of The Courses of Rhythmic Gymnastics

• After the October of 1917.

Moscow. Rhythmic schools. The foundation of the Rhythm Institute. The false obituaries

• Emigration. Italy – Austria – Paris

• The Third and the Last American Trip.October 1937.

See also

• Griner Vera

References

• Art et Beaute — Nouvelle Revue, 1-r Avril, Paris, 1892
• Art of The Stage — «The Outlook», May-June 1913, p.747
• Bilder aus der Geschihte und Litteratur Russland", (перевод A.Hippius), E.Perthes, Basel, 1897 — 1 изд., 1904 — 2 изд.
• Czlowiek wyrazisty. — Warszawa, I.Rzepecki, 1920
• The Decembrists. The first Russian revolutionists — NY, Thought, v.3, 8, 1928
• Die Dekabristen; einzige berechtige Ubersetzung aus dem Russischen, von R.Freiherr von Campenhausen. Riga: G.Löffler, 1926
• Impressions: sketches of American life as observed by a Russian — Chicago, 1893
• My reminiscences (translated by A.E.Chamot). — London: Hutchinson&Co, 2 volumes, 1924
• Pictures of Russian History and Russian Literature. — Boston, NY, London; Lamson, Wolffe & Co. 1st ed. 1897; Pictures…, (Lowell lectures), 1898

The full list see please in Russian article.

Bibliography

• R.C.Beachem, Appia, Jaques-Dalcroze and Hellerau — NTQ, v.1, N 2-3, 1985
• C.Bommeli, Vera Griner — Le Rythme, Geneve, bull.8-9, 1990—1991, p.24-25
• Arnold L.Haskell. Diaghileff. His artistic and private life. — NY, 1935
• Matilda Kshessinskaya. Dancing in Petersburg — London, 1960, 1973; Souveniers de la Kshessinskaya. — Paris, 1960.
• F.J.Marker. Craig and Appia, a Decade of Friendship and Crisis, 1914—1924. — Essays theatre, v.3, p.69, 1985
• F.Martin a.o. Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. L’Homme. Le Compositeur. Le createur de la Rythmique. — Neuchatel, 1965
• Mrs.Seth French Engaged to Prince — New-York Times (NY), July 14, 1936, p.23
• Prince Wolkonsky Dies in Virginia — Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va), Oct.27, 1937, p.6
• Prince Wolkonsky Is Dead in Virginia — New-York Times (NY), Oct.26, 1937, p.17
• D.Thompson. Another Sun, a play by Dorothy Thompson and Fritz Kortner. — New York, 1940, typewritten.
• Mary Trofimov, Hundred to Beautiful Lady. Le Rythme, Geneve, bull.8-9, 1990—1991, p.22-24

The full list see please in Russian article.

Bibliography on World's Parliament of Religions

• Rev.J.H.Barrows. "The World's Parliament of Religions". Chicago,1893.
• Rev.J.L.Jones. "A Chorus of faith as heard in Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, September 10-27 1893". Chicago, 1893.
• Rev. L.P.Mercer. "Review of the World's Religions Congresses of the World's Congress Auxiliary of the World's Columbian Exposition". Chicago, 1893.
• Prof.Walter R.Houghton. "Newly History of the Parliament of Religions and Religious Congresses at the World's Columbian Exposition". Chicago, 1893.
• Max Muller. "Arens", December, 1894. Boston.
• Bonnet Maury. "Revue des deux mondes", 15 Aout 1894.
• R.Rev.Kean. "Catholic family annual", 1893.
• Rev.J.H.Barrows. "Results of the Parliament of Religions". "The Forum", September 1894.
• G.D.Boardmann. "The Parliament of Religions". Philadelphia, 1893.
• M.Zmigrodsky. "Kongres Katolicki i Kongres wszech Religij w Chicago 1893 roku". Krakow, 1894.
• Gen.M.M.Trumbull. "he Parliament of Religions". "The Monist", April 1894.
• Dr.Paul Carus. "The dawn of a new religious Era". "The Forum",1893. "The Monist", April 1894.