Lidia Smirnova: filmography, biography and personal life (photo)

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

Lidiya Nikolaevna Smirnova (1915-2007) - famous film and theater actress, People's Artist of the USSR, winner of the USSR State Prize. Most Soviet viewers remember such films by Lydia Smirnova as "Village Detective", "My Love", "Carnival", "The Return of the Son". No less popular were such paintings as "The Marriage of Balzaminov", "Shelter of comedians" and many others.

Childhood

Lydia Smirnova, whose biography will be described in this article, was born in Tobolsk in 1915. The mother of the future actress died when the girl was barely 4 years old. This event was preceded by another tragedy: Lida's 9-month-old brother fell on a stone floor, hit his head, which led to the boy's death. The mother could not bear it and went mad and then died. Then Lydia Smirnova lost her father. When the civil war began, he went to the front and fought on the side of the whites. The girl remained in the care of Peter (father's brother) and his wife Marusya. Then the news came about the death of her father, and Lida was left an orphan. That's how she herselfrecalls those events: “I found out that I was not native only after graduation. My uncle and aunt had two children. Peter worked as an accountant, and Marusya ran the household and was engaged in our upbringing. Then we moved to Moscow, but life in this city turned out to be difficult.”

Youth

Lidiya Smirnova did not study very well at school. Her incorrect behavior was constantly discussed by teachers. Once a girl was playing with the guys in the classroom and accidentally threw a stool out the window. She landed on the head of a passing man. The injury was serious, and a passer-by reported to the police. A pedagogical council was urgently convened, at which it was decided to expel Lida from school. However, later this decision was canceled, and the girl remained at school. After graduating from seven classes, the future actress decided to enter a technical school, and after graduation she became a laboratory assistant at the Aviation Industry Administration. In the evening, Lida attended lectures at the Aviation Institute. She could not enter the full-time department due to lack of funds.

Adult life

In 1932, Lidia Smirnova, whose biography is known to all fans of her work, leaves home. The reason for this was, it would seem, a trifle - the future actress dropped a jar of millet on the floor. Seeing this, the aunt attacked Lida with her fists, and the girl's patience was overflowing. The next day, she reported the situation to her boss. He went to meet Lydia: he gave the order to give her three hundred rubles and secured a small room for Smirnova. Soher adult life began.

Marriage

In the same year, Lidia Smirnova married 27-year-old journalist Sergei Dobrushin. The future actress met him on a ski trip. According to the memoirs of Smirnova, she was returning with friends to the ski base. Another group of skiers was walking towards them, followed by a handsome young guy. Lida caught his eye on her, then they looked around and walked straight towards each other. A month later, the happy couple got married.

Theatrical University

Unexpectedly for everyone, Lidia Smirnova, whose biography can serve as an example to follow, left the 2nd year of the Aviation Institute and applied to three theater universities: the Vakhtangov School, VGIK and the studio school at the Chamber Theater. She was accepted everywhere, but Smirnova stopped her choice on the last option because of the proximity to the house. The school was headed by Alexander Tairov. When Lida graduated, he offered her a place in his theater. It should be noted that only two students from the entire course received such an invitation. The chamber theater was very popular at that time, and Smirnova was offered the leading role in the film "My Love". And Lydia chose cinema. In the theater, the girl managed to play only in the play "Aristocrats". After that, Kamerny went on tour, and Lidia Smirnova, whose photos are here, began her acting career.

Career start

"Nastenka Ustinova" is the first film in which the actress played a cameo role in 1934. The real careerbegan for Lida with the painting "My Love". After the release of the film on the screens, the charming Shurochka sunk into the hearts and minds of a large number of viewers. We can say that the actress played herself. Shurochka, like Lida, was full of optimism, energy and faith in a brighter future. After the premiere of the film, Smirnova recalled: “It was the happiest day. In Leningrad and Moscow, my portraits hung everywhere. Songs written for the film by Dunayevsky were heard from the yards. They recognized me on the street and called me Shurochka, not Lida. They took autographs and wrote a lot of letters.” Lydia Smirnova, whose personal life underwent changes at that time, was happy. She began a romantic relationship with the composer of the painting, Isaac Dunayevsky. The lovers met in Isaac's three-room suite at the Moscow Hotel. This continued throughout the filming period, which lasted several months. Then Lydia had an abortion. Unfortunately, after that, the girl was no longer able to get pregnant. Therefore, we inform those fans of the actress's work who are looking for information on the topic "Lydia Smirnova, children" - she did not have them.

New hobby

In early 1940, the actress went to Y alta to shoot the film "The Incident in the Volcano". Every day Dunaevsky sent telegrams and letters to Lydia. And while Isaac yearned for her, Smirnova had a new hobby. She fell in love with Valery Ushakov, who served as captain on the Kuban steamship. Their dates were held in strict secrecy and kept secret from Evgeny Schneider (the director of the film). Only a few actors knew about this novel, whoand help the lovers. However, once people from the inspection commission came to Lydia's room without warning, and Ushakov had to go down from the window on tied sheets. Dunaevsky continued to yearn for Smirnova and send telegrams to her, and after the actress returned, he offered her a hand and a heart. Lydia refused.

The war years and the death of a spouse

When the war began, Sergei Dobrushin (the husband of the actress) went to the front. Meanwhile, Lidia Smirnova, whose filmography includes more than a dozen paintings, lived in Moscow and was busy filming in combat film collections. At night, she put out incendiary bombs. After a while, thanks to her fame, she managed to come to her husband at the front and spend 3 days with him. Soon Sergei died near Smolensk. The actress was shocked by the death of her husband. Her place of work - the Mosfilm film studio - was evacuated to Alma-Ata. There, Lydia's favors began to be sought by Vladimir Rapoport (cameraman) and Friedrich Ermler (director). The actresses had to starve. Once, when Lydia Smirnova and Vera Maretskaya were sitting in the same room, Ermler came to see them. He brought 2 boiled eggs and an oil lamp. Rapoport came next and gave out 30 eggs from his ration. Maretskaya said: “And you still think? Friedrich will carry 2 eggs all the time, and Vladimir will give everything he has!”

Illness and remarriage

In Alma-Ata, Lydia Smirnova (actress and film actress) almost died of typhus. When she began to recover, Rapoport surrounded her with care and attention: he took her to the mountains and confessed his love. Years later, Lydia recalled:“So many people looked after me, tried to achieve reciprocity, and only one really cared, understanding how defenseless and lonely I am.” Soon the actress married him and lived with Vladimir until his death in 1975.

War period films

The war period was very fruitful in Smirnova's creative career. The theme of trials in wartime, female heroism, irreparable loss and perseverance in the performance of her heroines impressed all Soviet cinema lovers. In 1941, two films with her participation were released: "Two Friends" and "We are waiting for you with victory." And in 1942, she received a key role in the film "A guy from our city." In 1943, three more films appeared: "Native Shores", "Missing" and "She Defends the Motherland". “Naval Battalion” is another military picture of 1944, in which Lydia Smirnova managed to star. The actress looked great in it.

Post-war years

After the war, Lydia continues to regularly appear in films in the role of heroic women. In addition, characteristic roles, in particular negative ones, were not alien to her. For example, in 1953 she played the prostitute Flossie Bate in the film Silver Dust. Separately, I would like to note the painting "Sisters" by Lidia Smirnova, filmed in 1957. The role of Nastya-Zhuchka has become one of the most beloved for the actress. In 1964, she got the role of a matchmaker in the famous Balzaminov's Marriage. In the same year, Lydia played a doctor in "Welcome" and a saleswoman Duska in a series of films about Aniskin. An interesting fact is that in the early 1950s, whencinema was in crisis, Smirnova wanted to change her profession, and even began to master the position of collective farm chairman. However, the love of cinema was stronger.

Regular novels and new roles

In 1953, while filming in Kislovodsk, the actress fell in love with director Mikhail Kalatozov. He offered her a role in his film True Friends. Lidia refused to act, and Lilia Gritsenko took her place. The refusal of the actress did not affect the relationship with the director, and they continued to meet. Kalatozov fell in love without a memory, and even offered Smirnova to legalize the relationship, leaving after that for Georgia. However, another man appeared in Lydia's life - director Konstantin Voynov. It was he who offered the actress a key role in his film "Sisters". Their romance lasted almost 40 years. However, this did not prevent the actress from starting a new relationship. The next chosen one of Smirnova was the director Lev Rudnik. It was Smirnova's most stormy novel, which was known far beyond the acting environment. Because of this, Rudnik was expelled from the CPSU. Meanwhile, Voinov gave the actress the opportunity to work in a new role for her, and Smirnova began to play age-old heroines. In her book, Lydia Nikolaevna wrote: “I loved Konstantin very much, but I had a husband (unofficial marriage) who was waiting at home. I had to rent a room and live a double life. Voinov left his wife and daughter for me, and I betrayed him, saying that I could not leave my terminally ill husband. Rapoport was in the cancer center with stomach cancer. Doctors gave medicines, conducted radiation sessions, but in the end they were discharged, because there was nothing moreunable to help.”

And the widow again

Rapoport was diagnosed in 1962 at the Sklifosovsky Institute, where he was in a general ward with 17 patients. Then Smirnova asked for help from high-ranking colleagues, but received no answer. Then Lydia went to the Central Committee of the CPSU, but this did not help either. The officials did not seem to hear her request. Then Lydia Nikolaevna decided to hand over her party card to one of the leaders of the Central Committee. Rapoport was immediately transferred to the hospital of the MK CPSU. Thanks to the care and efforts of his wife, Vladimir lived for another 13 years and died in June 1975. A year before his death, he gave Smirnova a gift for her 60th birthday - a role in the second film from a series of paintings about Aniskin.

Lydia recalled: “Vladimir always loved and protected me, like dad or mom. I gave him only troubles, worries and reasons for jealousy. I think he chose what he needed more - to lose me or to be with me and put up with some kind of restrictions. The people around me said that I was a bitch and that I was torturing this holy man. And what about the one who had it easier … The one who lives with a loved one or the one who continues to live with an unloved one? However, he was too sick and I couldn't leave him. That would have killed him immediately.”

Despite everything, the actress Lidia Smirnova, whose personal life was very turbulent, continued to act actively in the 70-80s. In 1981, her heroine took an exam from Irina Muravyova in the film "Carnival".

Post-Soviet period

Smirnova is one offew Soviet movie stars who were lucky enough to act in post-Soviet films. In the 1990s, she took part in five films, and in the 2000s, in four more. Even in her old age, Smirnova was unusually active and energetic. She was a member of the Board of the Union of Cinematographers and the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts, was engaged in social activities and traveled a lot around Russia.

Hobbies

Lidiya Nikolaevna was a very responsive and enthusiastic person, and because of this, she was often asked for help. Smirnova had a collection of dolls in national costumes that occupied the entire wall of her apartment. She loved to show it to guests. The actress was also fond of tennis, horseback riding, slalom kayaking, listening to the classics and going to ballet.

Death

Lidiya Smirnova died in Moscow in 2007 after a long illness. She was buried next to her husband at the Vvedensky cemetery. A documentary film was made about the life of the actress.