Mamont Dalsky (Neelov) was a Russian dramatic actor who performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. He was born in 1865 in the Kharkov Governorate into a noble family. He graduated from the Kiev gymnasium and entered the Law Faculty of Kharkov University but dropped out to pursue a theatrical career. In 1886 Dalsky received an engagement and joined the Vorontsov troupe in Vilno, where he immediately became a leading actor. For several years, he performed in provincial theatres, mainly in the western governorates. In 1889 the actor joined the troupe of Elizaveta Goreva's New Theatre in Moscow, where the audience first highly praised his talent after his role as Don Carlos in Friedrich Schiller's play of the same name. A year later, the actor joined the Alexandrinsky Theatre and was accepted into the troupe without preliminary auditions. Dalsky's debut there was the role of Zhdanov in Alexander Ostrovsky's "A Profitable Position". Contemporaries noted Mamont Dalsky's enormous acting talent. He undoubtedly possessed excellent stage qualities: an imposing appearance, a bright temperament, a pleasant voice; furthermore, he recited poetry brilliantly. However, he also had a difficult character, was proud, and prone to a bohemian lifestyle. Dalsky was best suited for roles of dramatic lovers with strong characters who rebelled against society – Hamlet, Othello, Chatsky. Dalsky was also known for his roles as Khlestakov ("The Government Inspector" by Nikolai Gogol), Rogozhin ("The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky), Neznamov ("Guilty Without Guilt" by Alexander Ostrovsky), Karl Moor ("The Robbers" by Friedrich Schiller), and Kean ("Kean, or Genius and Dissipation" by Alexandre Dumas). In 1900, Dalsky left the Alexandrinsky Theatre and began touring the provinces again, but he did not manage to achieve his former success. After the revolution, Dalsky declared himself an anarchist. He died on June 21, 1918. According to the commonly accepted version, he was hit by a tram in Moscow while on his way to visit Feodor Chaliapin; however, according to other sources, Dalsky died in Odessa during a typhus epidemic. The collection of the Bakhrushin Museum contains photographs of Mamont Dalsky in roles and in life, costumes in which he performed on stage, letters, and numerous playbills for performances with the participation of the actor.