8 talented Soviet actresses, whose fate and career were broken by directors: Marina Ladynina, Ekaterina Savinova, etc

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

It is believed that in the days of the USSR, everything was fair, and for a person who dreamed of conquering the world of cinema, it was enough just to have talent. We will not argue with this, but we note that even in the world of art at all times ordinary people have worked, to whom nothing human is alien, including weakness. Therefore, the history of Soviet cinema knows many examples when the fate of talented and beautiful actresses went downhill just because they did not find a common language with the directors.

Elena Antonenko

For a long time, Elena Antonenko did not dare to talk about what was happening behind the scenes of the Soviet film industry. And only now, when she had nothing to be afraid of, she decided to confess why she did not get some stellar roles. The actress still keeps a big grudge against Oleg Tabakov, whom she considered her mentor for a long time. At first, the master kicked her out of Sovremennik, which caused Antonenko to have a nervous breakdown. But she still found the strength to ask for a meeting with the director. He did not refuse, but in the office he made an indecent request to her. The artist admits that it was like a stab for her.

By the way, by this time the actress was not for the first time unemployed due to intractability. According to Elena, it was she who was supposed to play the main role in the film "My affectionate and gentle animal", but the director Emil Loteanu, having failed to achieve reciprocity from her, approved another actress.

Antonenko also claims that she was auditioned for Rosa Milanova in Our Calling and even started filming. But even then the director Gennady Poloka began to make unambiguous hints, and, having received a refusal, right during the filming, he asked Elena to give the costume to another actress. After such a blow, Antonenko ended up in the hospital.

Marina Ladynina

Ivan Pyryev, once considered the most influential person at Mosfilm, became for Marina Ladynina the one who gave the lucky ticket to the world of cinema, and those who took him away.

The actress and director met on the set of the film "Trails of the Enemy". In 1936, the young people got married. And soon Ladynina began working at Mosfilm and played her most famous roles in the films Pig and Shepherd, Tractor Drivers, Kuban Cossacks and many others. The success of the actress could only be envied. It was said that Stalin himself admired her talent. And Marina received as many as five prestigious awards named after the leader and the love of the audience.

In 1954, Ladynina, in fact, played in her last film "The Test of Loyalty" and practically disappeared from the screens. Coincidence or not, but just at that moment Pyryev left the family. It was believed that her ex-husband, the director of "Mosfilm", put the actress on the "black list", and the directors decided not to contact him.

Although there was a version that Marina did not want the audience to see how she was getting old. But, be that as it may, in order to earn a living, the actress began to travel with concerts around the country. And even when her ex-husband left the high post, Ladynina could not return to the cinema - although Pyryev left, he remained an influential person. In recent years, Ladynina lived as a recluse, never married again and did not act in films.

Ekaterina Savinova

In general, there were legends about Pyriev's love and vindictiveness, and at one time many actresses who dared to refuse him were included in his "black list". Among them was Ekaterina Savinova.

It would seem that after participating in the film "Kuban Cossacks" the actress will be a success. After all, then she was just beginning her career, and here she immediately had such a noticeable role. However, Ivan Pyriev drew attention to Savinova and made it clear that he liked her not only for her talent. Once the director invited her, ostensibly to "work on the role." Catherine, realizing what the man was hinting at, slapped him in the face. For this act, the actress paid dearly - for 10 years she practically did not act in films, appearing only in subtle episodes.

However, Savinova's husband, director Yevgeny Tashkov, nevertheless dared to violate the "unspoken" ban and in his film "Come Tomorrow" he starred his wife. It was thanks to the image of Frosya Burlakova that Catherine was able to return to the screen. But, unfortunately, on the set of this picture, the actress drank milk and contracted brucellosis. Realizing that it was useless to fight the disease, Savinova committed suicide at the age of 43.

Lyudmila Marchenko

Another actress was "lucky" to learn how cruel Pyriev's revenge is - it turned out to be Lyudmila Marchenko. By the way, after the debut film "Father's House", the girl woke up famous. And therefore, the picture "White Nights" by an authoritative director became for her another proof that her talent was noticed.

Meanwhile, married Pyryev made it clear that he liked Marchenko. The actress was afraid to say no to him. So they started a relationship. It seemed that the director really fell in love, rented an apartment for his beloved, bought expensive gifts … However, Lyudmila did not accept his marriage proposal and even married someone else. Pyryev could not forgive such a thing - Marchenko started acting again only after his death.

Clara Rumyanova

Klara Rumyanova also paid for her obstinacy, and did not manage to star in a single film. It is believed that the reason for this was her conflict with Pyryev, who invited her to star in her own film "Trial of Loyalty". True, the actress said that she did not like the script or the role, and the picture itself, in her opinion, would not be successful.

Rumyanova was not forgiven for such impudence, so in the future she almost starred. But the actress found herself in animation - it was she who voiced many of the favorite children's characters (how can you not remember the Hare from “Well, wait!”) By the way, a year before his death, the director called Rumyanova and asked for forgiveness for behaving this way.

Iya Arepina

After the role of Maria Mironova in the film "The Captain's Daughter" Iya Arepina gained worldwide fame. And it is not surprising that in the future she had no shortage of roles. But this actress was not lucky either: Ivan Pyriev was inflamed with feelings for her. But Arepina turned out to be not one of a timid dozen: she not only refused the director, but also wrote a complaint against him and said that she would not be filming. However, the punishment awaited not a man, but an actress: she was reprimanded for disrupting the shooting, and she herself received a reputation as a brawler.

It is not surprising that in the future Iya played only in episodes, and the first noticeable role in "Kalina Krasnaya" went to her only 14 years after the incident with the director.

Natalia Kustinskaya

The charming blonde who played in the films Three Plus Two and Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession was the dream of millions of Soviet men. And therefore it is not surprising that the director Yuri Chulyukin, seeing her, immediately fell in love, invited her to appear in his film and offered to become his wife.

However, the man was very jealous and later refused to approve his spouse in his projects. Other directors, knowing the temper of their colleagues, were also in no hurry to offer work to Kustinskaya. Realizing that she lost her career because of a loved one, the actress filed for divorce.

Evgenia Filonova

Evgenia Filonova was considered one of the most beautiful Soviet actresses, but she took part in only five films and only once played the main role in the fairy tale "Snow Maiden".

It is believed that the reason for such injustice lay in the actress's too docile nature (they say, she did not know how to insist on her own and prove that the role should be given to her). But it is known that the director of the Moscow Gogol Theater, Boris Golubovsky, courted the beauty. However, "Snegurochka" was married and rejected the advances of the chief. The man got so angry that he fired Filonova. True, then she managed to return by writing a complaint to higher authorities, but there were no more significant works in her work.