Origins & Early Life

Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (Russian: Галина Сергеевна Уланова, pronounced [ɡɐˈlʲinə ʊˈlanəvə]; 8 January 1910 [O.S. 26 December 1909] – 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. People’s Artist of the USSR (1951), twice Hero of Socialist Labour (1974, 1980).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1957) and four Stalin Prizes (1941, 1946, 1947, 1950). Recipient of four Orders of Lenin (1953, 1970, 1974, 1980). The most decorated ballerina in the history of Soviet ballet. Ulanova was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Both her parents were the soloists of the Mariinsky theatre and danced with Anna Pavlova.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Later, her father became a director and her mother taught ballet. Ulanova recalled that she 'never had a choice to pick a career' and due to her parents' profession, ballet was her only option. As a child she dreamed of becoming a sailor, saying she feared having the life of artists with lots of labour and no sleep. Nevertheless, her parents sent her to ballet school at a very young age, where she studied under Agrippina Vaganova and her own mother. When she joined the Mariinsky Theatre in...

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