Draginja Ružić

Draginja Ružić (October 2, 1834 - September 6, 1905) was a Serbian actress, and a member of the ensemble of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. She is considered to be the first Serbian professional actress.[1]

Draginja Ružić

Early life and education

Draginja Popović was born in Vranjevo (today's Novi Bečej), October 2, 1834. She was a daughter of the priest Luka Popović and his wife Milica, a housewife. Her education was limited to finishing elementary school, but she got a good education within the family and gained working habits from them.[1]

Seven members of the Luka Popović family became associated with the Serbian theater, five daughters and two sons. In addition to Draginja, these included Ljubica Kolarović, Katica Popović, Jelisaveta (Jeca) Dobrinović, Sofija Vujić, Laza and Paja Popović. Together with several others in the broader family circle, including Dimitrije Ružić, Pera Dobrinović, Dimitrije Kolarović [2] and Lazina's wife, Maria Adelsheim-Popovic[3], this "artistic dynasty" for some time constituted almost half of the Serbian National Theater 's Novi Sad[4] and represented a powerful and highly influential family group, not only in the actor's family, but also in the establishment of the Society for the Serbian National Theater.[5]

Career

Ružić was the first children in her family to leave home. In 1860, she moved to Serbian Chanada, in Romania, and entered the amphitheater there.[1] She performed for the first time on July 17, 1860 in the role of Vidosava in Jovan Sterija Popović's tragedy, Ajduci. She married actor Dimitrij Ružić, an actor with whom she played in the same theater.[6]

Ružić in costume of colonel in "Memoirs of a Hussard Colonel" by Joseph Mélesville (1882)

From July 16, 1861 till the end of her acting career, Ružić was a member of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. She had a break from 1963 to 1965 when, in protest of the dismissal of Kolarović, she left the theater along with her husband Dimitri Ružić and sisters Ljubica Kolarović and Sofija Vujic. During that time, she performed in an ad hoc established traveling theater founded by Kolarović, and together, from July to October 1863, she organized a series of shows.[7] After that, until 1865, she performed at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. The second break was between 1872 and 1873, when she played for a short time at the National Theater in Belgrade.[1]

Ružić was one of the best actresses of the Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad.[6] From the very beginning of her acting career, she was noticed, and as she was very ambitious, she managed to work carefully and very quickly to develop artistically, emphasizing her gratitude. She interpreted the most diverse roles of sentimental and dramatic characters, in comic, serious, and singing roles. It is believed that she played around 350 roles. She attempted to bring the smallest details alive to the characters she represented. Modern critics rank her with the highest-level artists in the world.[1]

She celebrated only one of her anniversaries, the 25th anniversary of the art work, on April 17, 1886. That same evening, she celebrated her wedding anniversary. Montenegrin Prince Nikola Petrović Njegoš sent her a silver laurel wreath on that occasion.[8] She unexpectedly withdrew from the scene in 1898, at age 64, and with a career of 38 years. It was a surprise, because she was considered to be in full artistic control. Her last role was Jelisaveta in Šiler's piece Spletka i ljubav, played on June 27, 1898. She retired on August 13, 1898.[9]

Personal life

Draginja married her colleague, an actor of the Serbian National Theater, Dimitrij Ružić. They were married at the Krušedol Monastery on February 2, 1862. They had two children, a daughter, Zorka Todosić, and a son, Timu.[2]

Ružić cemetery marker

Ružić died on September 6, 1905 in Vukovar, at the age of 71. From Vukovar, her remains were later transferred to Novi Sad and buried at Almaška Cemetery, in the same vault with her husband Dimitri.[1]

Awards and honors

• Silver laurel wreath, awarded by the Society for the Serbian National Theater at the celebration of her anniversary. Today, Ružić's wreath is part of a collection of thirteen such wreaths, owned by the Theater Museum of Vojvodina.[10]
• A street in Novi Sad is named after Draginja Ružić.[11]

References

1. Mečkić, Lazar. "Draginja Ružić, rođena Popović prva srpska profesionalna glumica". www.novibechej.com (in Serbian). Retrieved 2 May 2019.
2. Stojanović, Olja (2016). Zorka Todosić : 1864-1936. Beograd: Muzej pozorišne umetnosti Srbije. ISBN 978-86-80629-87-2.(COBISS.SR 226043148)
3. "ADELSHAJM-POPOVIĆ Marija"". snp.org.rs (in Serbian). Enciklopedija Srpskog narodnog pozorišta. Srpsko narodno pozorište. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
4. "Tajne ljubavi čuvenih Srba (6): Greh sa svastikom". Vesti online (in Serbian). 29 October 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
5. DOBRINOVIĆ Zorka”. Enciklopedija Srpskog narodnog pozorišta. Srpsko narodno pozorište. (in Serbian)
6. Članak Borivoja S. Stojkovića u Enciklopediji Jugoslavije JLZ (7 tom, R-Srbija) 1968. (in Serbian)
7. „Dimitrije Kolarović”. Enciklopedija Srpskog narodnog pozorišta. Srpsko narodno pozorište. (in Serbian)
8. RUŽIĆ Draginja”. Enciklopedija Srpskog narodnog pozorišta. Srpsko narodno pozorište. (in Serbian)
9. PENZIONI FOND ČLANOVA SNP”. Enciklopedija Srpskog narodnog pozorišta. Srpsko narodno pozorište.](in Serbian)
10. POZORIŠNA ODLIČJA / PRIZNANjA”. zvanična prezentacija. Pozorišni muzej Vojvodine. (in Serbian)
11. "Draginje Ružić Novi Sad, ulica i objekti na mapi". PlanPlus.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2 May 2019.

Bibliography

• Stojkovic, Borivoje S. (1979). History of the Serbian theater from the Middle Ages to the modern age: (drama and opera) . Belgrade: The Museum of Theater Art of Serbia. ( COBISS.SR 46929415 )
• Text Borivoja S. Stojkovic, a professor from Belgrade for the Yugoslav Encyclopedia JLZ 1968.