Russian Personalities

People well-known in art, sport, film, fashion

Category Archive: Movies and theatre

Lydia Yavorskaya, Theater Star

Lydia Yavorskaya, Theater Star

Lydia Yavorskaya, Theater Star

Popular dramatic actress Lydia Yavorskaya is one of the most controversial figures in the theater world of the early 20th century. Her amazing efficiency and purposefulness were combined with vanity, egocentrism and ambition. Theater critic Suvorin called her a deceitful creature, woven of pretense and envy. Chekhov considered her to be an intelligent woman, but an overly loud and mannered actress. Despite this, there were rumors that they were lovers and that Yavorskaya became a prototype for the actress Arkadina from Chekhov’s Seagull.
Lidia Borisovna von Hübbenet was born on July 22 (August 3), 1871 in Kiev. Her father was a chief of police.
Little girl dreamed of becoming an actress and was happy to take part in amateur, home and charity performances. Yavorskaya’s first performance took place in February 1880.
After graduating from the Kiev gymnasium, she went to Petersburg and enrolled in the dramatic courses of V. Davydov. Lydia was not admitted to the Alexandrinsky Theater. But she did not abandon her goal and went to Paris, where she was taught by the actor of the Comedie Française Theater.
It is said that Lydia married someone called Yavorski while in Kiev, that he was a drunk and/or womanizer, and the girl quickly divorced him.
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Dmitriy Nagiev – actor, TV presenter

Dmitriy Nagiev

Dmitriy Nagiev – actor, TV presenter


Dmitriy Nagiev is a musician, singer, showman, TV and radio host, DJ. By the way, he is a talented actor and one of the most popular show-business figures in Russia. You know, he is called the main macho man of Russian show business.
The boy was born on April 4, 1967 in Leningrad. After the First World War, to save himself from hunger, the grandfather of the actor Guram left his homeland Iran and moved to Turkmenistan together with the family. As a result, only 9-year-old Guram survived. The boy was sent to an orphanage. Gertruda Sopke became the wife of Guram and gave birth to their son Vladimir Nagiev, the father of the future star. Dmitriy’s maternal grandfather was a very famous person, since he worked as the first secretary of the CPSU in Petrograd.
After school, the boy entered the Technical Institute, the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering. Then he went to the army. And in 1991 Dmitriy graduated from the Leningrad State University of Theatre, Music and Cinematography.
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Evgeny Leonov, Soviet-Russian actor

Evgeny Leonov, Soviet-Russian actor

Evgeny Leonov, Soviet-Russian actor


Evgeny Leonov was a famous Soviet-Russian actor, best known for main roles in comedies. By the way, he was People’s Artist of the USSR (1978), laureate of the State Prize of the USSR (1976) and the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1992). Also Evgeny voiced many Soviet cartoon characters, including Vinny Pukh (Winnie the Pooh).
The boy was born on September 2, 1926 into a typical Moscow family – his father was an aviation engineer and his mother was a housewife.
You know, Evgeny dreamed of becoming a war-plane pilot, which was a very common desire of many boys of the World War II period. During the war his school studies were interrupted by the invasion of the Nazi Armies. Little Evgeny became a metalworker.
At the beginning of the war, the future actor entered the Aviation Technical School, but he did not finish it. The boy became interested in amateur performances.
One day Leonov decided to become a professional actor. At an entrance exam Evgeny presented monologues from Anton Chekhov and Mikhail Zoschenko. After finishing the prepared monologues Leonov was asked to perform something else. “Something else is even worse”, he replied. His words caused an explosion of laughter. The State Commission saw his great potential, and Leonov became a student of the Moscow State Theatre Studio.
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Yevgeni Tsyganov, Russian actor

Yevgeni Tsyganov

Yevgeni Tsyganov, Russian actor


Yevgeni Tsyganov is one of the most popular Russian actors of the New generation.
The boy was born on March 15, 1979 in Moscow. As a child, he attended music school, where he learned to play the piano. At the age of 14 he began performing with the youth rock band A.S. The future actor along with friends often played in various clubs in and around Moscow. Some time later, he even took part in the recording of their first studio album. But in 2004, the group disbanded.
Already in childhood Yevgeni began performing in the Taganka Theater, where he participated in productions created specially for young spectators. Also he played in serious productions: Boris Godunov, Alive, Vladimir Vysotsky, House on the Embankment.
In 1996 he became a student of the famous Shchukin Theater School, but studied there for only one year. Eventually he decided to change his profession to film director. In 1997, he entered the Russian University of Theatre Arts. There he met Peter Fomenko, who some time later invited Yevgei to work together on some joint projects.
In 2000, Tsyganov played a role in the play One Absolutely Happy Village and a year later joined Pyotr Fomenko Studio Theater.
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Olga Glebova Sudeikina, decadence fairy

Olga Glebova Sudeikina, decadence fairy

Olga Glebova Sudeikina, decadence fairy

Olga Glebova – Sudeikina was a symbolic figure of the Silver Age. She was an actress, dancer, painter, sculptor, translator and one of the first Russian fashion models. People called her Beauty of the Silver Age, Columbine, Decadence Fairy.
Pretty girl was born on May 27, 1885 in St. Petersburg.
In 1905 she graduated from the Imperial Theatre School and joined the Alexandrinsky Theatre. There she became the favorite pupil of Konstantin Varlamov.
A yhear later, in 1906, Olga met the love of her life – the artist Sergei Sudeikin, and went to Moscow with him. In January 1907 they got married. You know, Olga was happy, but the idyll was broken. Poet Mikhail Kuzmin appeared in their family life. She participated in Kuzmin’s musical performances, costumes and decorations were made by Sergei Sudeikin. Mikhail became not just Sergei’s close friend, but his… lover. Olga was disappointed. The couple broke up in late 1915.
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Dmitry Malikov, Russian singer

Dmitry Malikov, Russian singer

Dmitry Malikov, Russian singer


Dmitry Malikov is a Soviet and Russian composer, pianist, singer, producer and television host, People’s Artist of Russia (2010).
The boy was born on January 29, 1970 in Moscow into a family of musician, composer, founder and CEO of VIA Samotsvety, Yuri Malikov and former ballet dancer, soloist of the Moscow Music Hall, Lyudmila Vyunkova.
You know, Dmitry began to play the piano at the age of 5 and in 1994 he graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory. When Dmitry was seven years old, his sister Inna Malikova was born. Subsequently, Inna, like the whole family, chose music and vocals as her profession.
At the age of 14, the boy wrote his first song. In 1988 he became famous. His songs Moon Dream, You’ll Never Be Mine and Until Tomorrow were very popular all over the country. As a result, in 1988 Dmitry became the Discovery of the Year. The following two years Dima was voted Singer of the Year. In 1990, the 20-year-old singer gave his first solo concerts at the biggest concert arena in the country, Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
By the way, Dmitry played the male lead role in the film See Paris And Die directed by Proshkin in 1992.
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Tamara Makarova, Soviet Russian actress

Tamara Makarova, Soviet Russian actress

Tamara Makarova, Soviet Russian actress


For the beauty and talent Tamara Makarova was called Russian Greta Garbo. And if the husband of Tamara – Sergei Gerasimov – was unofficially recognized as the main director of Soviet cinema, then his talented wife was called the first lady of Soviet cinema. People’s Artist of the Soviet Union lived a long and dignified life.
Pretty girl was born on July 31, 1907 (according to other sources, in 1902) in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire into the family of a military doctor. Little girl was interested in theater and ballet. At the age of 14 Tamara and her neighbors’ children created their own “theater” and gave performances for neighbors.
In 1924 Tamara entered the acting school, where she first met her future husband Sergei Gerasimov.
By the way, in 1927, Makarova debuted in the film Somebody Else’s Coat. On the set of the film she met Gerasimov again. Young people became closer and got married. Makarova’s acting career was associated with her husband.
In 1934 Tamara played in the film Do I Love You? directed by Gerasimov. The films Seven Brave, Komsomolsk, Teacher, and Masquerade were also successful. The last film was completed just before the war. Makarova and Gerasimov stayed in the city until 1943. Tamara participated in the defense of Leningrad and worked as a nurse.
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