One of the leading actresses of the
Moscow Art Theatre (where she debuted in 1914 and stayed until 1959), Shevchenko excelled in Russian drama classics and was best remembered for her roles in the plays by
Alexander Ostrovsky, including
Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man (1920),
An Ardent Heart (1926),
The Storm (1934),
The Last Victim (1944) and
The Forest (1948), as well as by
Maxim Gorky (
The Lower Depths, 1916). She was cast in seven films, including
David Guramishvili (1946),
The Composer Glinka (1952) and
The Lower Depths (1952). "Dazzlingly simple, vivid, filled to the brim with life, endowed with huge temperament and open heart," was how the theatre historian
Pavel Markov described her in his book of memoirs. She was said to be the artist
Boris Kustodiev's favourite model and, as a 21-year-old, sat nude for his
The Beauty sessions. This daring venture caused scandal and almost cost Shevchenko her place in the troupe. == References ==