Milka Grgurova-Aleksić

Contributions to culture and science:

Milka Grgurova-Aleksić was a famous Serbian actress, the “unsurpassed tragedian” according to the descriptions of theatrologists, translator of theatre plays and a writer.

Short biography:

She was born in Sombor as the daughter of a wealthy merchant. As soon as she finished high school, she married a man her parents chose for her. Two years later, she left her husband and returned to live with her parents together with her daughter. The first role of Milka Grgurova-Aleksić was in 1864 when she played Ljubica in the play Mejrima, a production of Serbian National Theater of Novi Sad performed in Vinkovci. From 1868 until her retirement, she was a member of the National Theater in Belgrade. She married Konstantin Aleksić, a former tsarist and Russian guard officer in Belgrade.
She is remembered for her interpretations of roles in dramas and tragedies. After retiring, she appeared on the stage only once more in 1912 in the role of Queen Jakvatina. She was buried in the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

Interesting facts (Storytelling):

Although some of her relatives were in the theater troupe, Milka’s parents initially disapproved of her choice of profession. At that time, not everyone saw acting as a respectable profession, although the attitudes began to change.
A few years after her husband died, she dedicated a collection of short stories, The Tales of Milka Aleksić-Grgur, to him.
Uroš Predić painted her portrait in 1918. She was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, the Order of Saint Sava, and Danilov’s Cross of the Third Order.