Olga Androvskaya is one of the “great old men” of the Moscow Art Theater

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The concept of "charming woman" seems to have been created for Olga Nikolaevna Androvskaya. And the admiring “devil” suits her very well. Or rather, she is what she was on stage and on the screen.

And in her last deafeningly popular role of Pani Conti from the play "Solo for the Chilling Clock" she played just such an aged, captivating and charming woman in the past.

Mother's genes

It is said that she masterfully mastered the laughter, which had many intonations, and knew how to infect others with it. Olga Androvskaya was born in the century before last, in 1898, in the family of a future lawyer, and then a law student Nikolai Schulz. Her mother was a Frenchwoman, Maria Rigoulet, who came to Russia to teach the language. Perhaps this is the reason for the rare charm of Olga Nikolaevna? Maybe the mother's genes gave her real French charm? If so, then all her temperament, piquancy, humor and slyness were taken away by the stage.

Beloved and the only one

Suchthere were her heroines, and in life, according to the testimony of people who knew her well, Olga Androvskaya was a rather sad person and not at all a “fighter”. She herself said that she was sad to live, but fun to play. But, obviously, this phrase referred to that period of life, when Nikolai Batalov, an extremely popular theater and film actor, who played the main role in the first Soviet sound film “The Ticket to Life”, had already died.

For some reason, in all articles they consider it necessary to emphasize the fact that he was the uncle of Alexei Batalov. So they write - Honored Artist of the RSFSR, uncle A. Batalov. Like it's a title. Yes, A. Batalov himself, according to many testimonies, is obscenely burdened by family ties.

Life before theater

Olga Androvskaya graduated with honors from the gymnasium in 1914. The future People's Artist of the USSR and laureate of the Stalin Prize (I degree) did not think about the career of an actress then, but as a girl from a good, we althy family, she entered medical courses. Olga Nikolaevna always treated any work in good faith. She professionally and sincerely looked after the numerous wounded coming to the clinic from the front. Later, the father insisted that her daughter follow in his footsteps, and the girl enters higher legal courses.

Career start

It was during her studies at the courses that Olga Androvskaya began to participate in performances, and later, having decided on her choice of profession, she took the pseudonym "Androvskaya" in honor of her younger brother Andrei, who died in 1924 from wounds received atwar.

The famous actress of the Imperial Theatres, teacher of the great Yablochkina, Glykeria Fedotova, noted the talent of the young Androvskaya and advised her to devote herself to the art of Melpomene.

Very suitable actress

And since 1916, Olga Androvskaya has been an actress of the then very popular Krosh Theater. At the same time, she also visited the studio. Chaliapin. In 1919, Olga Nikolaevna entered the 2nd studio of the Moscow Art Theater, and from that time she took part in the performances of the famous Art Theater, and in 1924, together with the studio, she became part of it. Androvskaya's first major role on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater was the role of Isabeli from P. Calderon's comedy The Invisible Lady.

She was very favorably treated by the founding fathers of the Art Theater. A. P. Chekhov - K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. He also offered her the role of Lisa in Woe from Wit, where K. S. Stanislavsky shone in the role of Chatsky. It was impossible not to highlight her - Androvskaya was called a unique actress with amazing charm, grace, cunning and, most importantly, she had a perfect stage technique.

One of the most successful roles

And, of course, Olga Androvskaya, an actress with such data, shone in character roles. For example, Suzanne in Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro. In general, the cast of this performance was brilliant - Batalov (Figaro) and Shevchenko, Livanov and Zavadsky in the role of Count Almaviva, Stepanov and Prudkin. Costume designs were completedGolovin. The performance-carnival forever entered the name of Androvskaya in the history of the Moscow Art Theater and did not leave the stage for more than 10 years.

Performances that made theater famous

Maybe, by theatrical standards, the actress played not so many roles, but absolutely all of them were memorable. Famous performances, such as "An Ideal Husband" or "School of Scandal", where Androvskaya shone in the role of Mrs. Cheveley and Lady Teazle (respectively), did not leave the stage for a very long time, and the superbly staged "School of Scandal" was filmed. Actress Androvskaya, possessing only her inherent, unique, brilliant style, became famous. For this production, Olga Nikolaevna mastered playing the harp, and her partner Mikhail Yanshin mastered the flute.

Genius actress can do any role

Actress Olga Androvskaya, whose biography was associated with the Moscow Art Theater until the end of her days, played there another characteristic role of Roxie Hart in the play “Advertising” by M. Watkins, which later formed the basis of the sensational Broadway play “Chicago . For Androvskaya, the fame of a comedic actress was entrenched. But Olga Nikolaevna could handle any role, for example, Panova in Lyubov Yarovaya. Many believe that this role was the pinnacle of her work.

Private life

In her personal life, Olga Androvskaya, whose biography has been associated with Nikolai Batalov since 1921, was happy. In 1923, a daughter, Svetlana, was born in a family of talented actors, in whom her mother did not have a soul. But the cold that N. Batalov caught on the set of the film "Aelita" developed into tuberculosis. And in 1937the actor dies. Olga Androvskaya never married again. Her joy was her daughter. Svetlana grew up, became an actress, but did not achieve success. Her husband was actor Pyotr Chernov, who became extremely popular after playing the role of Davydov in the film Virgin Soil Upturned.

Film and teaching

Olga Androvskaya, whose films are remembered by few, nevertheless, was also shot quite successfully. And the role of the landowner Elena Ivanovna Popova in the short film "The Bear", in which her partner was the brilliant M. Zharov, glorified her throughout the country.

The film is still being broadcast on television. It should be noted her pedagogical activity (GITIS) - Olga Nikolaevna produced several famous actors, in 1963 she became a professor.

Great show

And the performance "Solo for Chilling Clock" became the perfect finishing chord. Not every actor gets such a gift - so brilliantly, with such triumph to leave the stage. All the "great old men" were extraordinarily good in "Solo …", but Olga Androvskaya simply shone. She was brought to rehearsals from the hospital - then she was already seriously ill. The unique actress died in 1975 from cancer. She was buried next to N. Batalov at the 2nd section of the Novodevichy cemetery.