Milka Grgurova je bila jedna od naših prvih glumica.
Milka je rođena u Somboru u imućnoj porodici. Pripada prvoj generaciji naših profesionalnih umetnika. Nakon što joj je porodica iznenada osiromašila, otac je Milku udao sa šesnaest godina. Ipak, Milka bogatog muža napušta nakon nepune dve godine braka i vraća se roditeljima. Nakon povratka provodi vreme čitajući knjige, a prijateljstvo sa upravnikom novosadskog Srpskog narodnog pozorišta je odredilo njen životni put.
Milka je 1862. Glumila sa somborskom diletantskom pozorišnom družinom, a već dve godine kasnije postaje članica Srpskog narodnog pozorišta u Novom Sadu, kada njena glumačka karijera počinje da ide uzlaznom putanjom. Milka je imala i “lake” uloge u komedijama, ali je glumila i u dramama kasnije u karijeri.
U novosadskom pozorištu je ostala do 1868. godine, kada na poziv kneza Mihaila prelazi u beogradsko Narodno pozorište – tada sveže osnovano, i u kojem će ostati narednih 34 godine. Višestruko je odlikovana za rad u kulturi. Odlikovana je i za učešće u srpsko-turskom ratu, u kom je radila kao bolničarka.
Milka je bila jedna od najobrazovanijih glumica svog vremena i bila je odličan poznavalac književnosti. 1902. godine je donela neopozivu odluku da se povuče sa scene i time je okončala svoju karijeru.
Milka Grgurova was one of first professional Serbian actresses.
She was born in Sombor, a town in Vojvodina, to a wealthy family. Milka was in the first generation of professional Serbian artists. After her family unexpectedly became poor, Milka had to marry a wealthy man at the age of 16. After two years of marriage she left her husband and went back to her parents. She began to spend her time studying and reading books. Friendship with the manager of Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad determined her life path.
In 1862 Milka was a member of amateur theatre group and two years later she became a member of Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. That is when her career began to flourish. She played both “easier” roles in comedies, and the ones in dramas and tragedies.
She stayed in Novi Sad theatre until 1868 when she got an invite from prince Mihailo to act in Belgrade’s National Theatre, which was freshly opened. She will remain its member for the next 34 years. She received multiple medals for her work. In Serbian-Ottoman war she worked as a nurse and she was honoured for this work as well.
Milka was one of the most educated Serbian actresses in her time and she had excellent knowledge of literature. In 1902 she made an irrevocable decision to quit acting and that is where her career ended.