Maya Plisetskaya papers

id
4230
origination
Plise︠t︡ska︠i︡a, Maĭ︠i︡a, 1926-
date statement
1956-1990
key date
1956
identifier (local_mss)
19781
org unit
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
call number
*MGZMD 153
b-number
b16066540
total components
186
total series
0
max depth
N/A
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2013-04-01 15:04:59 UTC
updated
2026-06-25 15:07:55 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"3 Linear Feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"8 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
unitid
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 153", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19781", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1956-1990", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1956/1990"}
date_inclusive_start
1956
date_inclusive_end
1990
keydate
1956
unittitle
{"value"=>"Maya Plisetskaya papers"}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</span></span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"This collection documents the career of Maya Plisetskaya, Prima Ballerina Assoluta. The collection spans the years 1956-1990. It consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs, slides and negatives."}
prefercite
{"value"=>"Maya Plisetskaya papers, *MGZMD 153. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
origination
{"value"=>"Plise︠t︡ska︠i︡a, Maĭ︠i︡a, 1926-", "type"=>"persname"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Maya Plisetskaya was born in Moscow in 1925, the oldest in a family of three children.</p> <p>In 1932 the family was sent to Spitzbergen off the coast of Norway, in the Artic Circle, where her father worked for Arktikugal (Arctic Coal). Plisetskaya returned to Moscow by herself in ca. 1934, so that she could study ballet. The rest of her family returned to Moscow in the summer of 1935. On April 30, 1937 her father was arrested. This was the last time she saw him, and in 1989 she learned that he had been executed by firing squad January 7, 1938. Her mother was considered an enemy of the state because of her husband and was arrested in 1937 while pregnant with their youngest child. She was finally released and returned to Moscow in April 1941.</p> <p>Plisetskaya graduated from school June 21, 1941. She began her professional life in ballet the next day, the same day that Germany invaded its former ally the Soviet Union. The family evacuated to Sverdlovsk in September that same year. At some point Plisetskaya left (without permission) and returned to Moscow and her ballet studies. A second set of examinations and graduation were held in March 1943. She passed. But admission into the Bolshoi contained endless petty harassments from envious colleagues and party officials.</p> <p>She was refused permission to tour with the company for six years, but in 1959 was finally permitted to tour in the United States of America. She eventually performed all over the world.</p> <p>Plisetskaya married the Russian composer, Rodin Shchedrin, on October 2, 1958. The couple have no children.</p> <p>Plisetskaya travels the world extensively lecturing and performing. She was director of the Theatro Lirico National de Espana. In 1991, King Juan Carlos of Spain awarded her the Gold Medal of Fine Arts. In 2000 at the Bolshois gala celebrating her 75th birthday, President Vladimir Putin presented her with Russias highest civilian honor, the medal for service to the Russian state, second degree.</p> <p>She and Shchedrin currently live in Herradura, Spain.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The Maya Plisetskaya papers span the years 1956-1990 and consist of correspondence, clippings, photographs, slides and negatives.</p> <p>Alice Vrbsky, a fan of Maya Plisteskaya, created the collection. Vrbsky made scrapbooks of Plisetskayas career. The correspondence is from Plisetskaya to Vrbsky and is all in Russian as Plisetskaya did not learn English. The clippings are mostly from North American publications, although there are foreign language clippings also included. There are equal amounts of publicity photographs and candid shots of both ballet productions and Plisetskaya playing the part of a tourist. Vrbsky also took the slides and negatives.</p> <p>The collection is important in its documentation of the Cold War era career of Maya Plisetskaya, who danced in several tours with the Bolshoi Ballet. The collection does not have any personal anecdotes from either Vrbsky or Plisetskaya.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Maya Plisetskaya papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19781#c384314'>Series I: Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1968 - 1972</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 Folder</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of correspondence from Maya Plisetskaya to Alice Vrbsky. There are letters, postcards and greeting cards. All correspondence is in Russian.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19781#c384316'>Series II: Photographs, 1958 - ca.</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1988</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>4 Boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of photographs, slides and negatives. The majority of this series consists of ballet performances, with limited photographs about life off stage.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19781#c384458'>Series III: Programs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1956 - 1990</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 Box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains programs from performances of Maya Plisetskaya and the Bolshoi Ballet. Some are in languages other than English.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19781#c384467'>Series IV: Clippings, ca.</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1962 - 1966</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 Box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains clippings. There are reviews of performances of Maya Plisetskaya and the Bolshoi Ballet. There are also human interest stories about Plisetskayas life away from the ballet.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19781#c384490'>Series IV: Oversized Material</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1970 - 1979</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains clippings, photographs and programs.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Correspondence, ca. 1968-1972</li> <li>Series II: Photographs, 1958-1988<ul> <li>Sub-series 1 Stills, 1958-ca. 1988</li> <li>Sub-series 2 Slides and Negatives, 1959-1987</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Programs, 1956-1990</li> <li>Series IV: Clippings, ca. 1962-1966</li> <li>Series V: Oversized Material, 1970-1979</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Helen Atlas</p>"}
accessrestrict
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
userestrict
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</p>"}
langmaterial_code
rus
eng
langmaterial
{"value"=>"The Correspondence series is in Russian"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Leslie Reyman; Machine-readable finding aid created by Leslie Reyman.</p>"}
extent_statement
3 linear feet (8 boxes)
date_start
1956
date_end
1990

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Resources TOP

PDF finding aid



https://nyplorg-data-archives.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/collection/pdf_finding_aid/danplise.pdf

File attachments

No files attached.

Repository Assets

No UUIDs attached.

Living at NYPL Archives

Sign in to add or edit a living at feature for this collection.

Export Collection to ArchivesSpace