ÿþ<html> <head><title>Biography Of S.Karina</title> <meta name="Keywords" content="USA,Los Angeles,singer,Sandra Karina,biography,Russian,Gypsy,romances,songs"> <meta name="Description" content="The site is about the singer-Sandra Karina, and contains her biography, songs, photos, and some links related to her life"> <meta name="author" content="Sandra's daughter-Elena Canavier"> <meta name="copyright" content="© 2003 Elena Karina SandraKarina"> <script language = "JavaScript"> function StartForm() { document.all.css.style.display = 'none'; document.all.fath.style.display = 'none'; document.all.rail.style.display = 'none'; document.all.dau.style.display = 'none'; document.all.sis.style.display = 'none'; document.all.pno.style.display = 'none'; document.all.vhl.style.display = 'none'; document.all.uso.style.display = 'none'; document.all.la.style.display = 'none'; } // StartForm </script> </head> <body bgcolor="#000000" text="FFFFFF" link="#FFFF00" vlink="#FFFF00" alink="#FFFAFA" onload = "StartForm();"> <span ID = "fath" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:40px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center> <img src="Photos/fa.jpg" height=300><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>Sandra's Father</font></h4></center></span> <span ID = "rail" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:40px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center> <img src="Photos/wid1.jpg" height=300><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>Rail-road Station</font></h4></center></span> <span ID = "dau" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:40px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center> <img src="Photos/moChild.jpg" height=300><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>Little Sandra</font></h4></center></span> <span ID = "css" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:320px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center><img src="Photos/kul.jpg" height=300></center></span> <span ID = "sis" style = "position: absolute; left:200px; top:170px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center><img src="Photos/oval.jpg" height=300></center></span> <span ID = "pno" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:620px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center><img src="Photos/piano1.jpg" height=300><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>Sergei &nbsp;Malavsky</font></h4></center></span> <span ID = "vhl" style = "position: absolute; left:280px; top:670px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center><img src="Photos/teens.jpg"><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>At The Veteran's Hospital</font></h4></center></span><span ID = "la" style = "position: absolute; left:200px; top:380px;"><img src="Photos/wschild2.jpg" height=300></span> <span ID = "uso" style = "position: absolute; left:80px; top:670px; background: #545454 width: 30%; border: 2px solid black;"><center><img src="Photos/wid5.jpg"><h4><font color='#B0E0E6'>The USO group called the Russion Revels</font></h4></center></span><a name="GoUp"><h2 align=center>Biography</h2></a> <font size=4>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sandra Karina was born Alexandra Gavaiskaya in 1908 on the shores of the vast Lake Baikal in Siberia, where <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.fath.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.fath.style.display = 'none';"> <u>her father</u></span> was <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.rail.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.rail.style.display = 'none';"> <u>stationmaster</u></span>. &nbsp;Alexandra was the <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.dau.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.dau.style.display = 'none';"> <u>second daughter</u></span> born to the young couple stationed far away from their home region of Rostov on the Don.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In 1910, her father was transferred to the Russian built city of Harbin, in Manchuria, where he directed the railway's export department until his death in 1913. &nbsp;His widow and the two girls stayed on in Harbin where the mother found work at the export department after the Russian Revolution of 1917 wiped out the family's savings.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was a child in Harbin that Alexandra heard such famous singers as Karinskaya and Vertinsky and determined that she, too, would be a singer. &nbsp;Alexandra sang constantly, teaching herself by listening to the recordings of these famous artists and singing along with them. &nbsp;She also took her first voice lessons in Harbin. &nbsp;Her older <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.sis.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.sis.style.display = 'none';"> <u>sister Nina</u></span>, an accomplished pianist, would provide accompaniment on the piano.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Threatened by the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, the small family was encouraged by friends to move to Tientsin, China, which had a large Russian colony. &nbsp;Many had moved there as the Revolution swept across Russia, and much of the retreating White Army and their families, many Don Cossaks among them, took refuge in Northern China.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Finding herself in Tientsin at the age of thirteen, Alexandra enjoyed the life of teenager: studying ballet, music, playing tennis, and attending a French Catholic highschool for girls. &nbsp;In 1927 she married <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.css.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.css.style.display = 'none';"> <u>Basil J. Koulaeff</u></span>, an artist and son of a prominent Russian business man. &nbsp;In the early 1930's they had a <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.la.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.la.style.display = 'none';"><u>daughter</u></span>, Elena, and soon the whole family moved to the United States where they all became U.S.citizens.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Settling in Hollywood, California, Alexandra participated in the social life of the Russian-American community centered around the Russian Orthodox Church and the film industry. &nbsp;At that time, a good number of Russians were employed by the Hollywood studios as scenic artists, musicians, actors, dancers, and directors. &nbsp;Many found their way to the parties at Alexandra's home. &nbsp;She sang on stage, in films, and in a Russian nightclub on the Sunset Strip, that was frequented by the movie stars of the 1940's. &nbsp;It was at this time that she took the stage name of Sandra Karina.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In 1946, Sandra Karina joined <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.uso.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.uso.style.display = 'none';"><u>the USO group</u></span> called the Russion Revels -- an award winning group of musicians, dancers, and singers directed by pianist <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.pno.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.pno.style.display = 'none';"><u>Sergei Malavsky</u></span>. &nbsp;Having separated from her husband, she was free to tour the United States performing in <span OnMouseOver = "document.all.vhl.style.display='inline';" OnMouseOut = "document.all.vhl.style.display = 'none';"><u>Veteran's Hospitals</u></span> for two years. &nbsp;During the USO tour she was able to visit with Nastia Poliakova in New York and renewed a frienship that had begun years earlier. &nbsp;Nastia advised Sandra on the rendition of several songs and taught her the lyrics in the Gypsy language.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Returning to Hollywood, she met and married engineer Michael Graves (born Michael Glushkov) a fellow Russian from China. &nbsp;She continued to sing and give concerts, and in 1954 she recorded the songs in this CD. &nbsp;Michael's young son Nicholas came to live with them and Sandra devoted herself to her family. &nbsp;Michael's work as a structural engineer took them all over the country to states such as Washington, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi where they lived for a number of years, finally setting back to the Hollywood Hills where Sandra Karina lived till she died in 2000.</font> <h4 align=right><a href="#GoUp">Go Up</a> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="blank.htm">Home</a></h4> <center><font size="2">Copyright&nbsp; &#169; 2003&nbsp; Elena Karina &nbsp;&#42;&nbsp; All rights reserved &nbsp;&#42;</font></center> </body> </html>