Child actors: How the fate of children who starred in cult Soviet films developed

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

Once they appeared on screens and forever remained in the memory of viewers in the images of their on-screen heroes. It seemed that these children must certainly become professional actors. But in fact, each of them had their own destiny. Some really chose the profession of an actor, but for some, filming in a movie remained only a good memory of the happy moments of childhood. Who have become the little stars from The Foundling, The Circus, The Great Space Travel and other films?

Foundling

This film was released in early 1940, and Veronika Lebedeva, who played the main character Natasha at the age of four and a half, became a real star. Subsequently, she recalled how, after the premiere of the film, strangers often approached her on the street, treated her and gave her toys. And the little girl could well be conceited if it were not for her mother, who constantly reminded her daughter of modesty.

Despite the fact that Veronica starred in three films as a child, her parents dissuaded her daughter from going to the theater. The girl entered the pedagogical school and became an English teacher. For many years she worked as an editor in various publishing houses. In a marriage with the writer Igor Sinitsyn, a daughter, Marina, was born. After the death of her spouse, Veronika Lebedeva-Sinitsyna lives alone, is often ill, does not like the visits of strangers too much.

The fate of Dima Glukhov, who played the role of Natasha's older brother, is practically unknown. Even his relatives lost contact with him after the war, but the date of his death is 2006. Nothing is known about the fate of Viktor Boyko, who played the role of a friend and classmate of Natasha's brother. Elya Bykovskaya, who played Nina, died during the war, according to unverified data. The boy in kindergarten was played by the now well-known literary critic Lev Anninsky, the host of a number of programs on the Kultura channel.

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The circus

Jim Patterson was only 2 years old when he starred in the movie "Circus". The director's assistant for actors spent a lot of time looking for a dark-skinned baby, and then accidentally saw him on October 25 Street (now Nikolskaya), where the Patterson family lived at 8/1. During his school years, the boy studied at a music school, during the war, together with his brothers Lloyd and Tom, he spent two years in a boarding school.

Jim after graduation decided to become a naval sailor. He was a cadet at the Nakhimov school in Riga, graduated from the naval diving school, before that, having studied at the naval engineering school for three years. After giving up service in the navy for almost 10 years, he entered the Literary Institute, became a member of the Writers' Union. He is the author of collections of poetry and prose. Met with Lyubov Orlova and Grigory Alexandrov while studying in Riga.

In the mid-1990s, together with his mother Vera Ippolitovna, he left for America, where he lives today.

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Mary the artisan

Viktor Perevalov, whose creative career began at the age of eight with the filming of the film "Tambu-Lambu", in 1959 starred as Ivanushka in the fairy tale "Mary the Artisan". In childhood and adolescence, he starred a lot. There is no information about the graduation from the theater institute, but the actor's filmography includes about 60 films. In difficult times, when there were no movie roles for him, Viktor Perevalov did not sit idle, worked as a loader, driver and even a roofer.

In 2006 he triumphantly returned to the cinema, playing the role of Cleese Ecclesiastes in the film "Graffiti" by Igor Apasyan. After that, he starred in several more films. In 2010, while filming in the heat, the actor became ill. He was put on a train bound for St. Petersburg, where he died on the way from a heart attack.

READ ALSO: What is left behind the scenes of famous Soviet children's films and fairy tales >>

Great space travel

The film "The Great Space Travel" was released in 1975, and the children who played the three main characters instantly became popular, however, none of them became an actor.

The performer of the role of Sveta Ishenova, Lyudmila Berlinskaya, who demonstrated musical abilities from early childhood, became a famous pianist. She worked with many outstanding musicians, closely communicated with Svyatoslav Richter, and was his personal assistant. Since the early 1990s he has been living in Paris. He is the founder of the "Paris Music Festival", teaches at the Paris School of Music named after Alfred Corteau.

Many noted the acting talent of Sergei Obraztsov, who embodied the image of Fedya Druzhinin, but he did not represent himself at all on the stage. Sergey Obraztsov has worked in civil aviation all his life, according to the latest data, he headed one of the IT departments of Sheremetyevo airport.

The most difficult and tragic fate was the fate of the third young actor, Igor Sakharov, who played the role of Sasha Ivanenko. He served in the army in Afghanistan, was wounded, after demobilization he worked as a driver. At 32, Igor Sakharov died. In some sources, the cause of death is indicated by complications after injuries received in Afghanistan.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

All three performers of the main children's roles in Stanislav Govorukhin's film subsequently became actors.

Fedya Stukov, who played Tom Sawyer, worked in cinema from the age of five and sang in the Big Children's Choir. He graduated from the Shchukin School and has been filming to this day.

Vladislav Galkin, who embodied the image of Huckleberry Finn on the screen, also graduated from Shchukinskoye, very actively acted in films and TV shows. Unfortunately, Vladislav Galkin's life ended in 2010.

Maria Mironova, performer of the role of Becky Thatcher, daughter of the famous actor Andrei Mironov, is popular and in demand today. She graduated from VGIK, acts a lot, serves in the Lenkom theater.

Thanks to talent and charm, children who starred in films at a young age became the idols of millions at a time when their peers were just deciding "who to be." It would seem that everything foreshadowed a brilliant future for them and more than a dozen main roles. But the fate of the little Hollywood and Soviet stars turned out differently.