Olga Preobrazhenskaya (director) facts for kids

Olga Ivanovna Preobrazhenskaya (born July 24, 1881 – died October 30, 1971) was a very important Russian actress and film director. She was one of the first women to direct movies! Many people remember her for directing the film Women of Ryazan.

Early Life and Training

Olga Ivanovna Preobrazhenskaya was born in Moscow on July 24, 1881. She loved acting and studied at the actor school of the Moscow Art Theater. This was from 1901 to 1904.

After her studies, she started working in theaters. She performed in many different cities. These included Poltava, Tbilisi, Riga, Odessa, Voronezh, and Moscow.

Becoming a Film Star

In 1913, Olga Preobrazhenskaya started acting in movies. Her first film was The Keys to Happiness. It was directed by Vladimir Gardin and Yakov Protazanov.

She became famous for acting in films based on classic Russian stories. Some of these popular movies were War and Peace and On the Eve. Both of these films came out in 1915.

A Pioneer in Directing

Olga Preobrazhenskaya was also a great teacher. She helped start the actor school at VGIK. This is a famous film school in Russia. She taught there from 1918 to 1925.

In 1923, she started working as a director. She worked at the Goskino film studio, which is now called Mosfilm. She was a second director on the film Locksmith and Chancellor in 1923.

Starting in 1927, she often worked with another film director, Ivan Pravov. Together, they made several movies. Olga Preobrazhenskaya was a true pioneer. She helped open doors for other women in the film industry.