Margarita Orlova

Margarita Orlova
Born	May 14, 1877 San Francisco, California, USA
Died	July 15, 1963 Los Angeles, California, USA
Other names	Clara May Russell

Margarita "Gita" Barry-Orlova (May 14, 1877 - July 15, 1963) was a Bahá’í who served as a travel teacher in North America and Europe assisting with the establishment of Bahá’í communities. She later ended her associaton with the Bahá’í community instead associating with Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb's New History Society.

Background

Orlova was born in San Francisco, California, in 1877 as Clara May Russell. In 1902 she married James H. Barry Fitzpatrick and began an acting career under the name Margaret Barry touring the United States. She visited London in 1909 and later claimed to have performed in Rome, Paris, and London. She divorced James in 1910 and later remarried to Charles Andrews Carver although they had also separated by 1920.

Orlova traveled to Egypt and London in late 1920, and after returning to America she adopted the name Margarita Orlova and began claiming to have been born in Paris and to have married a Russian prince although this was untrue. She resumed acting in New York City in 1922 and secured a part in the Broadway play The Shanghai Gesture in 1926 serving as a member of its touring company.

At some point Orlova became a Bahá’í and she visited Arizona in 1934 where she gave several talks in Phoenix leading to several declarations, the establishment of study classes, and the opening of a Bahá’í Center. She also visited Glendale and Mesa while in Arizona. The same year she visited San Francisco and Chicago to teach, and opened a series of public lectures in Milwaukee.

In 1935 Orlova spoke about a prayer at the U.S. National Convention, and visited Lima, Ohio, where she spoke on the Faith at large meetings for the public. In 1936 she embarked on an international travel teaching trip, spending September to October in Copenhagen, Denmark, then traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, where she taught into November before visiting Germany. During her travels in Europe she also visited England where she taught at the first Bahá’í Summer School held in the country, and spoke at the International Congress of the World Fellowship of Faiths. Her services in England were noted in a 1936 letter written by Shoghi Effendi:

The Guardian feels particularly grateful for the share which your N.S.A., as well as your distinguished and able co-workers Mrs. Bishop and Madame Orlova have contributed towards the success of the Bahá’í meeting.

Orlova embarked on another international teaching tour in 1937, spending time in England where she organized and helped direct a Bahá’í Theatre Group. Her services in England were noted again in a 1937 letter written on the behalf of Shoghi Effendi:

He very much regrets indeed the departure of Mrs. Bishop and Madame Orlova from England, as the services they rendered all through their stay in that country have been truly outstanding. The teaching force, in particular, will feel the loss of these two of its most capable and promising supporters.

In 1938 Orlova spent some of the year in Europe particularly in England, but also assisted with teaching efforts in the United States visiting North Berwick and Eliot in Maine, and Knoxville in Tennessee. In 1939 she visited Texas for several weeks teaching in Dallas and Fort Worth.

In 1945 the following letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi was conveyed to the North American Bahá’ís ending Orlova's association with the Bahá’í community:

Regarding the matter of Mme. Orlova: as it is now clear that she is openly associating with the New History group, the friends should ignore her and have nothing more to do with her.

She passed away in Los Angeles in 1963.

Publications

• 1933 - Destiny Opens the Door, published in Star of the West