Ru
EnSelitsky A.
Gregory Vallano: materials for the biography. Family tree
Valliano’s contribution to the culture of the Don Region and the country as a whole is significant. He stood at the roots of theatrical life in Rostov, was a pioneer of the operetta genre in Russia. The article explores the origin of the entrepreneur. He is a descendant of two Greek families who settled in Taganrog after the Russo-Turkish war of 1768–1774. His grandfather and namesake Gregory Valliano fought on the side of the Russian fleet, was dismissed from service as a captain 1st rank (this rank acquired hereditary nobility), and by imperial decree he received vast lands in his possession. Father Stavr Grigoryevich was twice elected as the mayor, was a member of the board of directors of the local theater, and was engaged in charity work.
On the maternal side, Vagliano is the grandson of Dmitry Ilyich Alferaki – one of the largest Greek landowners, marshal of the nobility of the uyezd. The Alferaki family influenced the cultural life of Taganrog since the end of the XVIII century. The wife of Dmitry Ilyich – Maria Fedorovna, nee Depaldo, also originally from Greece, belonged to an old family of Venetian counts. Their children (including Alexandra Dmitrievna, mother of Gregory Valliano) inherited from her a love for art. Serving in high government positions, sons and grandchildren were fond of painting, theater, music.
Knowledge of the ancestral roots is crucial for understanding the personality and life of Valliano. He was an artistically gifted, well-mannered and educated. He knew foreign languages, translated dozens of operetta librettos that were used in theaters throughout the country into Russian. He had professional musical skills. He could draw, participated in the manufacture of theatrical scenery and costumes. But for him stage art was more than a hobby. The only one of his relatives, he chose the life path of a professional theatre worker, which led to an inevitable break with his family.
Key words
Rostov, Taganrog, theater, operetta, Greeks, Alferaki, hereditary nobility.
For citation
Selitsky A. Gregory Vallano: materials for the biography. Family tree // South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2020. No. 3. Pp. 5–14.
