Shchepkina-Kupernik, Tatiana (1874–1952)
Shchepkina-Kupernik, Tatiana (1874–1952)
Russian playwright, translator and poet. Name variations: Tatiana L'vovna Shchépkina-Kupérnik, Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik. Born Jan 24, 1874, in Moscow, Russia; died July 27, 1952, in Moscow; dau. of Lev Kupernik (barrister); mother was a pianist; great-granddau. of Mikhail Shchepkin (famed actor); studied at University of Lausanne, 1896.
Began career as an actress with Korsh Drama Theater, Moscow; wrote a play and a number of short stories; traveled to Italy and France, met Edmond Rostand, and translated one of his plays into Russian (1894–95); published 1st collection of stories, Pages from a Life (1898), followed by Unposted Letters (1906); married and moved to St. Petersburg (1904); repelled by the extremism after the Bolshevik coup (1917), but decided to remain in Russia; translated 59 foreign classical plays into Russian; wrote 3 books of memoirs: The Days of My Life (1928), About Maria Yermolova (1940), and The Theater in My Life (1948); plays, which often focus on class issues, role of art in life, and friendships between women, include Summer Picture (1892) and A Happy Woman (1911); poetry includes From Women's Letters (1898), My Poems (1901), Clouds (1912), and Echoes of War (1915); short-story collections include This Happened Yesterday (1907). Received Griboedov Prize and order of Labor of the Red Banner (1944).