Pavel Gerdt in Le Poisson d’or, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1867.

Pavel Gerdt in Le Poisson d’or, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1867.

Vasily Tikhomirov in “The Pharoah’s Daughter”, circa 1900.

Vasily Tikhomirov in “The Pharoah’s Daughter”, circa 1900.

Marina Timofeyevna Semyonova, 1940s.

Marina Timofeyevna Semyonova, 1940s.

Ekaterina Geltzer and Vasily Tikhomirov in “The Little Scarlet Flower”, Moscow, 1911.

Ekaterina Geltzer and Vasily Tikhomirov in “The Little Scarlet Flower”, Moscow, 1911.

Vera Karalli in “Krizantemy” (1914)

Vera Karalli in “Krizantemy” (1914)

G. Soloviov,  Yekaterina Maksimova (R) as Kitri and Vladimir Vasilyev as Basilio in a scene from Ludwig Minkus’ ballet Don Quixote staged at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, 1 January 1971.
Source: RIA Novosti archive

G. Soloviov, Yekaterina Maksimova (R) as Kitri and Vladimir Vasilyev as Basilio in a scene from Ludwig Minkus’ ballet Don Quixote staged at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, 1 January 1971.

Source: RIA Novosti archive

Russian expatriate ballet dancer and actress Vera Karalli, 1910-1915.

Russian expatriate ballet dancer and actress Vera Karalli, 1910-1915.

Elizaveta Gerdt, Elsa Vill, and Pierre Vladimirov in the “Paquita” Pas de Trois, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1905.

Elizaveta Gerdt, Elsa Vill, and Pierre Vladimirov in the “Paquita” Pas de Trois, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1905.

Left to right: Stanislava Belinskaya as Clara, Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna and Vassily Stukolkin as Fritz, in the original production of The Nutcracker. Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1892.

Left to right: Stanislava Belinskaya as Clara, Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna and Vassily Stukolkin as Fritz, in the original production of The Nutcracker. Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1892.

Carlotta Brianza and Paul Gerdt in the 1890 production of “Sleeping Beauty” by the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Carlotta Brianza and Paul Gerdt in the 1890 production of “Sleeping Beauty” by the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.