The drama actress and winner of the Borštnik Ring awadr, Elvira Kralj, was born in Trieste. She developed her acting skills in major drama schools of the time, in Trieste with Milan Skrbinšek and in Maribor with Hinko Nučič. In 1919 she became a member of the Maribor National Theatre, but in 1942, during World War II, she came to Ljubljana and joined the Ljubljana Drama ensemble, where she stayed until 1952. She reached her creative peak in 1903s in Maribor, being the first actress and still extremely popular with the audience. She also performed in operettas. She appeared in Slovenian films, on television and national radio. In 1969, she received the Prešeren award. In 1970, she became the first recipient of the Borštnik Ring award.