Rimma Markova VS Nonna Mordyukova: Because of what the best friends were at enmity for many years

2023 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 13:10

4 years ago, on January 15, 2015, the famous theater and film actress, People's Artist of Russia Rimma Markova passed away. She was called the "iron lady" and "boy-woman" for her strong and unyielding character. They said that there were only two of them in Soviet cinema - she and Nonna Mordyukova. They themselves felt this relationship, and for a long time the actresses were close friends. But suddenly one day they stopped talking and even said hello when they met. Who stood between them, and what Rimma Markova could not forgive Nonna Mordyukova - further in the review.

Both actresses very often heard similar compliments and reproaches in their address: someone considered them too harsh and rude, and someone called them the embodiment of the type of a real Russian woman - Rimma Markova was even called "Motherland" because of the similarity with the image with famous poster. They were often confused - Nonna Viktorovna joked that they were "from the same stud farm."

Their friendship began with conflict. When the shooting of the film "Woman's Kingdom" began, Nonna Mordyukova was sure that she would get the role - at that time, her archive already had starring roles in the films "Young Guard" and "A Simple Story". But someone advised the director to invite Rimma Markova to audition, and although at that time she managed to play only 3 inconspicuous roles in films and was then called “tyrannosaurus with a scythe” on auditions, she still got this role.

Later Markova said: "". At the premiere of the film, Mordyukova told Markova that she was nothing. Markova also said something rude in response.

The next time they met was six months later. Mordyukova herself approached her rival, asked for forgiveness and admitted that she was wrong - Markova played excellently in “Babi's Kingdom”! This is how the friendship of two outstanding actresses began, who were not inferior to each other in talent. In the film "Crane" they starred together, which further strengthened their friendship.

They really had a lot in common - for example, they attended a karate section together. Upon learning of this, Nikita Mikhalkov invited Rimma Markova to his film "Kinsfolk", where she got the episodic role of a hotel administrator, who enthusiastically trains at her workplace, practicing martial arts skills. Nonna Mordyukova also starred in the same film.

The first quarrel occurred between them in the 1970s, when Mordyukova was invited to present the film "The Diamond Arm" in one of the sanatoriums. She invited Markova to go with her for company. But when both actresses appeared on the stage, Rimma Vasilievna immediately seized the attention of the audience, who was greeted with much more stormy applause than her friend. Mordyukova was indignant and upon returning to the hotel expressed all her displeasure to Markova: "". And in response I heard: "". Then the actresses quarreled to smithereens and did not communicate for a while.

Mordyukova decided to go to reconciliation first: once she sent Markova a magazine in which her story was published, and signed it: "". Rimma Vasilievna fulfilled the request and was once again delighted with Mordyukova's talent, but she did not dare to call her and tell her about it. But a few days later she appeared to her herself. Markova knew that Mordyukova often went to the pharmacy, which was in her house, and one day she appeared on the threshold of her apartment with the words: “” Both burst out laughing and made peace.

Rimma Vasilievna confessed: "".

In the 1990s. the friends quarreled again, so much so that they did not talk and did not even say hello for several years. For a long time, both did not tell anyone about the reasons for this quarrel, and only after the death of both actresses, their common acquaintance Natalya Gvozdikova shed light on this situation. She said that the spat happened because of Mordyukova's son Vladimir Tikhonov, who suffered from drug addiction. Nonna Viktorovna could not help him cope with this, and Rimma Markova condemned her and believed that she had to fight to the last, and not disappear on tour.

Natalia Gvozdikova told: "".

Both friends were so offended that no one imagined their reconciliation was possible. Once both actresses were invited to a banquet. Rimma Markova pretended not to notice Nonna. And she came up, knelt in front of her and asked for forgiveness. After that, the friends hugged, burst into tears and made up.

Markova said: “” In 2008, Nonna Mordyukova passed away, and Rimma Markova was so upset by her departure that even at the funeral she threw her photograph into her coffin. Many said that this is a very bad omen, because it was after this that the actress herself began to be seriously ill. But then she was already in her advanced years! She was diagnosed with cancer three times, and in January 2015 the actress passed away. Both Rimma Markova and Nonna Mordyukova are still called symbols of Russian cinema.

A behind the scenes of the film "Relatives", where both actresses starred, there are many interesting moments left - for example, Mordyukova believed that Mikhalkov was mocking her …