Elena Karyakina was a Soviet theatre and cinema actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1951). From 1918–1920 she served at the Mikhailovsky Theatre (now the St. Petersburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M. P. Musorgsky) in Petrograd as a mimist (actors of the mimic ensemble - mimansa - involved in mass scenes). From 1920–1922 she played in the travelling Theatre of Drama and Comedy (under the direction of I. K. Samarin-Elsky).

At the same time, she was studying in the class of E. P. Karpov and L. S. Vivien at the School of Acting (now the Russian State Institute of Stage Arts). Upon graduation in 1922, she was accepted into the troupe of the State Drama Theatre (now the Alexandrinsky Theatre). In addition, in 1924–1931 she performed in operettas at the Mikhailovsky Theatre (then called the Maly Opera Theatre).