Ballet lovers probably know or at least have heard of the famous ballerina Olga Stepanovna Khokhlova, who dedicated her life to the Russian Ballet. In her professional career, Olga had great success, which cannot be said about her personal life. A difficult parting with Pablo Picasso, a terrible illness that caused her death.
Childhood
One summer day, June 17, 1891, a little girl was born, who was named Olga. Then no one had any idea that the city of Nizhina (Chernigov region) would become the small homeland of the well-known ballerina. Olga determined her professional path as a little girl, once she visited France and saw the performance of Madame Chressont. Since that time, Olya "fell ill" with ballet and dreamed of becoming a dancer. At that time, it was only a childhood dream, but it came true.
Olga Stepanovna Kholova began to dance in the Russian Ballet, directed by Sergei Diaghilev. The famous entreprise toured all over the world and was a great success.
Acquaintance with the future husband and the further fate of Olga Khokhlova
The premiere of the ballet "Parade", in which Olga Stepanovna danced, took place in 1917 on May 18. It took place at the Châtelet Theater, and was responsible for the sets and costumes of Pablo Picasso. It was here that they met.
After a while Olga and Pablo went to Barcelona and Picasso introduced the ballerina to his family. At first, Pablo's mother was against his marriage to a foreigner. To calm the woman, Picasso painted for her a portrait of Olga in a Spanish outfit. Soon the future husband and wife left for Paris, where they began to live together.
The wedding of Pablo and Olga took place on a summer June day (1918-18-06) in Paris. The wedding ceremony took place in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Olga Stepanovna did not even think of leaving the "Russian ballet" and in 1919 she resumed the tour. Pablo Picasso and Diaghilev work together again and Pablo prepares costumes for the ballet "Tricorne".
The life of the newlyweds seems wonderful and happy. They regularly attend public events in high society. Two years after the wedding (in 1921), Khokhlova and Picasso had a son, who was named Paulo.
But despite the popularity, the success of the born son, from 1926 discord began in the family. Pablo has a new love - seventeen-year-old Marie-Teresa. And the 36-year-old Olga became uninteresting to Picasso. Pablo for 7 years hid his love affair from Olga, and Khokhlova found out about him when Marie-Teresa was already expecting a child. She gave birth to a girl in 1935.
After the birth of the girl, Olga Stepanovna filed for divorce from Picasso and left for the southern part of France with her son. Pablo did not fulfill the terms of the marriage contract (division of property in half). And the divorce did not take place, so Khokhlova was considered his official wife until the end of her life.
Olga was very upset about parting with Picasso, she still loved the artist. She loved Pablo until her death. In order to soothe a mental wound, Olga began to give herself entirely to her beloved son.
After some time, Paulo had a wife, Emilien Lott, and a little later, a daughter, Marina, and a son, Pablito. Olga Stepanovna tried to pay more attention to her grandchildren, to go for walks with them, to play. In 1955, Khokhlova died of cancer and was buried in the cemetery in Grand-Jas. The life of Pablito's grandson ended in suicide. Its causes have not yet been clarified.
Marina became the founder of an orphanage in Vietnam and opened a charitable foundation, the funds of which were used to improve life in the underdeveloped and developing countries of Asia.
Picasso and Marie-Therese also did not live long and left her because of another love rush (he met Françoise Gilot). In a relationship with Gilot, Pablo Picasso had two more children - Paloma and Claude. Over the years, Paloma became a renowned jeweler and fashion designer. Picasso did not register an official marriage with either Marie-Therese or Gilot.
Picasso registered his second marriage only after the death of Olga Khokhlova. Jacqueline Rock, 26, became his wife. At the time of the meeting with Jacqueline Picasso was already 72 years old. The couple lived in marriage for 11 years. In 1968, Jacqueline shot herself (she was 60 years old). Most of the paintings were inherited by the adopted daughter of Jacqueline and Pablo Catherine Uten-Ble.
