How does Tatyana Doronina live two years after her dismissal from the position of artistic director of the Moscow Art Theater, where she worked for 30 years

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

She headed the Gorky Moscow Art Theater for more than 30 years, taking over the management of the theater after the famous split. But at the end of 2018, Tatyana Doronina was literally out of work: she was dismissed from the post of artistic director, instead offering a job created personally for her, but in fact, a purely nominal position of the president of the theater. Unfortunately, the famous actress and former artistic director was never able to fully come to terms with her exile.

The artistic director of the Moscow Art Theater named after Maxim Gorky wrote a letter of resignation of her own free will on December 4, 2018. No, she was not at all eager to retire, it was assumed that a new, young management team would come to the theater, which would be able to bring the renowned theater to a new level, both cultural and financial. At the same time, Tatyana Doronina's departure from office was accompanied by numerous rumors. Some publications claimed that the artistic director was almost tortured for a day without food and water, so that she signed a statement.

Tatyana Vasilievna was offered the post of president of the theater, which was created especially for her. It was planned to give Tatyana Doronina the decisive vote in the artistic council, and also to adhere to the creative course that had already been formed in the theater.

Most of all, Tatyana Doronina was worried about the fate of the troupe after its own transition to a new status. The new artistic director Eduard Boyarkov assured: his team will treat the team very carefully, no one will allow themselves to "wave a sword" and mindlessly fire the artists. On the contrary, the workload for the artists was expected to increase due to the new productions.

But in fact, Tatyana Vasilyevna Doronina felt herself literally thrown out into the street. In fact, she could in no way influence either the repertoire or the personnel policy of the new leadership. Immediately after that, the actress closed in her own world, almost stopped communicating with relatives and colleagues, hard going through her forced dismissal.

Doronina's friend Lydia Potasova admitted that immediately after leaving the theater, Tatyana Doronina was in a very depressed state. She even talked about the meaninglessness of her work. Allegedly, no one has watched films with her participation for a long time, and in the theater, which was given more than 30 years of life, she is not needed.

Both the audience and the actress's colleagues were worried about where Tatyana Doronina disappeared after her dismissal, they were interested in how she lives, what she does outside the profession. Oleg Basilashvili, with whom young Tatyana once married for the first time, repeatedly tried to call her after Doronina's dismissal, but then she did not answer phone calls and subsequently did not call back, although before that they maintained a relationship.

Even Eduard Boyarkov, who took the chair of the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theater named after Gorky, said that Tatyana Vasilievna's return was expected at the theater. True, at the same time, conflicts flared up in the theater more and more often, and the actors who worked with Doronina in recent years even went to rallies demanding the return of the former artistic director. Tatiana Doronina herself remained silent. She did not comment on what was happening and, as the writer Yuri Polyakov said, this silence was from despair. Friends of the actress said that the support of her colleagues allowed her to stay afloat, although she no longer harbored any illusions about her return to office at that time.

A few months after her dismissal, Tatyana Vasilievna ended up in the hospital, where she recovered her strength and improved her health. After being discharged, her condition improved, but in June 2020 she was again in a hospital bed. Previously, the actress did not allow herself to go on sick leave too often, not wanting to leave her brainchild, the Gorky Moscow Art Theater, unattended.

The last time viewers could see Tatyana Doronina on stage was in January 2019 in the production of Vassa Zheleznova, and after that she left the theater and never crossed its threshold. Leaving, she asked her friends not to tell anyone anything about her, neither good nor bad. Tatyana Doronina wanted no one to know anything about her.

She always seemed soft to the audience, but this impression was deceiving. The actress possessed and has a very strong character, she always kept her word, no matter what it cost her. She keeps him now, categorically refusing any contacts with the press.

Nevertheless, Tatyana Vasilievna tries to keep herself in good shape and lead a normal life. She monitors her health, so she periodically goes to the hospital, undergoing preventive treatment. At the same time, doctors say that the actress is a very disciplined patient. She fulfills all the prescriptions of doctors and is never capricious.

Most of the time Tatyana Doronina spends in her Moscow apartment, sometimes she goes to the country. Of course, it is not easy for her, but the actress, who has always been a very closed person, is still holding herself with dignity. She prefers not to participate in the discussion of the actions of the new leadership of the theater, although many of Tatyana Vasilyevna's friends say that she is saddened by everything that is happening today within the walls of the Moscow Art Theater.

The actress and former artistic director now reads a lot, while loving both the classics that form the basis of her huge library and contemporary literature. Each trip of Tatyana Vasilyevna to the bookstore ends with the purchase of two, or even three dozen new books, still smelling of printing ink.

Tatiana Doronina pays special attention to periodicals, which she studies in large quantities. For many years, the actress's favorite publication has been Literaturnaya Gazeta, which Tatyana Vasilievna studies, as they say, "from cover to cover."

Communication with friends now takes place mostly by phone, especially since since the beginning of the pandemic, Doronina has strictly observed self-isolation. However, and without all the quarantine measures, she did not really want to see guests in her house. Perhaps she was simply afraid that they would begin to feel sorry for her and express sympathy. Because before she could spend hours talking with people, keep up conversations on any topic and show a keen interest in the opinion of the interlocutor.

Be that as it may, Tatyana Vasilievna Doronina remains one of the most beloved actresses of the Soviet era for many generations of viewers. Doronin is a whole phenomenon that requires a careful and attentive attitude towards oneself, no matter what the circumstances.

The film "Three Poplars on Plyushchikha", in which Tatyana Doronina starred, has long become a classic of Soviet cinema thanks to three components - the director's skill, the wonderful music of Pakhmutova (it was after this film that the song "The Earth Was Empty Without You …" became a hit) and the brilliant performance of Oleg Efremov and Tatiana Doronina. During the filming, the actress had many disagreements with the director Tatyana Lioznova.