The Russian theatrical school has always been considered one of the best in the world, and before the revolution, Maria Gavrilovna Savina was its outstanding representative. She was born on April 11, 1854, in Kamianets-Podilskyi to a family of little-known actors. From childhood, Maria Gavrilovna acted in the theater, making her debut on stage at the age of eight. Since then, she never left the theater, and after moving to Moscow, she received excellent education, studying acting under masters such as Schubert and Shchepkin.

Maria Savina, then still Podramentsova, first performed in a Moscow play at the age of 15, after which she was accepted into the Kharkiv theater under the direction of the famous director Mikhail Vasilyevich Lentovsky. Soon, she married her colleague Nikolai Savin and toured many cities. Her theater career developed successfully, but her first marriage was unsuccessful and left her with significant debts. However, Maria Gavrilovna did not lose hope: she first became the leading actress in the Saratov theater and then moved to the capital.

In 1874, Savina made her debut on the stage of the Noble Assembly, where she was noticed by metropolitan directors and invited to the Alexandrinsky Theater. She quickly gained the trust of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky, who entrusted her with leading roles in his plays. Her grace and acting abilities, supported by natural talent, captivated audiences. In 1910, she found personal happiness with Anatoly Yevgrafovich Molchanov, her devoted admirer and a wealthy man who built a new mansion for them. However, their happiness was short-lived: on September 21, 1915, at the age of 61, Savina passed away. Besides her theatrical career, she left a good memory as a patron, founding a shelter for elderly artists, now known as the 'Home for Veterans of the Stage of the All-Russian Theatrical Society.'