Vera Vasilyeva's 90th anniversary. Vera Vasilyeva: My husband knew that I loved someone else and quietly waited

Vera Vasilyeva is a favorite actress of millions of Russian and Soviet television viewers, born on September 30, 1925, a native Muscovite.

Childhood

Vera’s mother was from Moscow, but her father was a real Russian village man from the village of Sukhoi Ruchey, in the Kalinin region. In the early thirties, famine began in the cities, and the family, in which Verochka was already the fourth child, decided to move closer to the land, where it was easier to feed themselves.

In young age

Father and little Vera felt great there - magnificent nature, clean air, simple and healthy food. But my mother was too burdened by such a life. She tried as best she could to put in order and equip their modest home. But a few years later, the parents returned to the capital, where they both got jobs at the factory.

Vera went to Moscow school. And, although at first many things were unusual for her, she soon made new friends. Shortly before the war, the only boy was born into the family, who immediately became everyone's favorite. Since there were enough nannies in the family, Vera had a lot of time to read and dream about how one day she would appear on the big stage.

The girl became interested in theatrical art at school, when she first took part in a small children's production. But after she got into a real theater with her mother’s friend, she simply fell ill with the stage and decided to definitely go to theater after school. But the war interfered with the plans.

Fortunately, Moscow was recaptured. My father did not go to the front due to health reasons, but went to work as a driver and was not at home for days. Vera did not evacuate with her mother, but stayed in the capital with him. She continued to go to school during the day, and at night she was on duty on the roof, like many other teenagers, extinguishing incendiary bombs with sand.

Career

But all bad things come to an end. By 1943, life in Moscow began to gradually improve. Vera graduated from school and applied to the circus school. But here the first disappointment awaited her.

Having easily passed the acting exams, she failed in physical training. Not only was her height only 163 cm, but she also did not like physical education much in her childhood.

Then she went to try her luck at the theater, and was accepted on the first try. Already in 1945, she made her debut on the big screen in the comedy “Twins,” and three years later she played her debut leading role in “Tales of the Siberian Land,” for which she received the Stalin Prize, becoming a new star of Soviet cinema.

In the same 1948, Vera graduated from college and was accepted into the troupe of the Satire Theater. She absolutely loved the very atmosphere that reigned there - light, relaxed, with harmless banter with each other. The young artist quickly joined the team and after a couple of years became one of the leading actresses.

There she received her second Stalin Prize for the play “Dowry Wedding.” But viewers remembered her more in the role of the charming and gentle Countess Almaviva from The Marriage of Figaro. As a guest actress, Vera Vasilyeva often appeared on the stages of other leading capital theaters. And every one of her new role was a real treat for the audience.

Her filmography is also very rich, it has about fifty large and small roles. Nose theatrical career she cannot be compared - Vasilyeva has performed more than a hundred performances and filmed productions.

Moreover, she appeared on stage until she was very old. In 2016, she appeared in the role of Grandma Lara in the production of “Holiday of Disobedience. And in 2015 she worked on dubbing a full-length Russian cartoon.

Personal life

Vera Vasilyeva spent her entire life next to the only man– actor Vladimir Ushakov, whom I met while still a student. Vera then believed that it was too early for her to get married, and for three long years Vladimir persuaded her to become his wife. Finally, a modest student wedding took place, after which they settled in a tiny dorm room.

It turned out that Vera was completely unsuited to managing life and housekeeping. Being refined and sublime since childhood, she didn’t even really learn how to cook. Then the husband simply decided to hire an assistant. Since then, he resolved all everyday issues single-handedly, allowing his beloved to completely immerse herself in creativity.

Every day the husband proved his love for Vera, and she reciprocated his love and really appreciated such care. For the golden wedding she finally wore wedding dress and the couple exchanged gold rings. Unfortunately, God did not give them children. Therefore, after the death of her husband, who had a heart condition, Vera Vasilyeva was left completely alone.

With Vladimir Ushakov

She still experiences this loss very hard, realizing that there is no other man like him in the world. She tries to drown out the pain with work. And in free time plunges into memories that fall on paper, turning into memoirs.

At 90 years old, she looks great, tries to travel and lead active image life. She managed to maintain a magnificent figure, although she admits that she is not averse to indulging in delicious food. When asked what the secret of her youth is, she answers that she needs to work hard and enjoy every day.

Vera Vasilyeva Born into a simple family: dad is a driver, mom is a housewife. The whole family lived in a communal apartment in a small room. Little Vera had to wash, clean, darn clothes, and even cook dinner. So days dragged on, the girl grew up, but nothing changed in life, still the same communal apartment, still the same neighbors. But when she came home to this tiny room, she dreamed about the theater, about the stage, about the spotlights, the girl spent all her wealth, the pennies accumulated from dinners on tickets that let her into that extraordinary, romantic, colorful, completely different from her monotonous life world.

And then one day, or adolescence affected whether the despair was really so strong, but Vera, deciding that nothing would change in her life, took the razor in her hands and ran it several times along her hand. There was little blood, it barely touched any veins, but it was seriously frightening. She immediately ran for a bandage and hid the traces of her weakness under it. She told her parents that she was injured. And then Vera Vasilyeva swore to her best friend: “I will still be an artist!” And she kept her word.

Vera Vasilyeva in the play based on the play “Intervention” by Lev Slavin. Moscow Academic Theater of Satire, 1967. Photo: RIA Novosti / Miroslav Murazov

She became an actress, got into the theater, and was in great demand in the cinema. Young beautiful actress She was popular with her fellow actors and senior directors. She herself could not resist one of them. Her affair with directed by Boris Revenskikh lasted for 7 years. young girl I listened to every word of the master. He, too, was in love at first, and then gradually moved away, immersed himself in rehearsals, in which other actresses took part. Vera decided to cut to the quick; she did not beg, beg, or return. She just took it and left. Forever.

Vera Vasilyeva during the musical television show “Benefit”, 1978. Photo: RIA Novosti / Rybakov

For my only husband in my entire life, my feelings were completely different, calmer, measured, and real. She did not sigh, did not suffer, did not cry because of him. Perhaps it was precisely this regularity of feelings, reality, the feeling of real support in life that attracted Vera Vasilyeva to actor Vladimir Ushakov. Future husband, looking adoringly into the eyes of the bride, he vowed: “You will no longer do housework, there are other people for that.” He paid the former cook to clean his dorm room and prepare lunch. Anna Ivanovna, who was a little blind and often left food scraps, scraps and scraps in the common kitchen. So Vera still had to do something around the house in secret from her husband, despite the presence of Anna Ivanovna.

Vera Vasilyeva and Vladimir Ushakov, 1953 Still from the film "Dowry Wedding"

The young people got married only 7 years later. And even then it’s a strong word – “got married.” They just went and signed at the registry office, without a veil, without a Mendelssohn march and even without rings.

But the wedding still took place, even though it was already “golden”. Vera Vasilyeva in a chic dress and her husband Vladimir Ushakov in an elegant suit celebrated the occasion with their closest friends and colleagues at the House of Actors. This time, the bride and groom brought rings to the wedding. For all these years, Vera Vasilyeva never remembered her first love and was always faithful to her husband. Although once she did give him a reason for jealousy, but not of her own free will. Once the troupe of the Satire Theater went on tour. In one compartment all the stars of the scene gathered, among them Vera Vasilyeva and Andrey Mironov. Mironov decided to make a joke, began to stealthily diligently court Vera Vasilyeva, and sometimes glanced sideways at her husband. And for good reason. Suddenly Vladimir grabbed his imaginary rival by the chest and kicked him out of the compartment. It is not known what kind of conversation took place in the train vestibule, but after it Andrei Mironov and Vladimir Ushakov became bosom friends.

Vera Vasilyeva (Countess Almaviva) in a scene from the play directed by V. Pluchek based on the play “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro” by Pierre Beaumarchais, 1978. Photo: RIA Novosti / Rybakov Vera Vasilyeva and Vladimir Ushakov lived together for 55 years. Vera Kuzminichna always noted that she never had a conflict with this man, who became her destiny for more than half a century. He simply did not give her a single reason for conflict. The reason for the final and irrevocable separation could only be his illness. Now Vera Kuzminichna was caring for her husband. For 15 years she took him to hospitals, worked, earned money for medicine, for doctors, supported him, tried to encourage him as best she could. In these days, weeks, months, years, she was not an actress, she was a wife, stone wall, and she was also her husband’s eyes: after all, at the end of his life, Vladimir was completely blind.

The third heart attack was the last for Vladimir Ushakov. The wife managed to call an ambulance, the doctors even took him to the intensive care unit, but they failed to save Vera Vasilyeva’s husband. After the funeral, Vera Vasilyeva disappeared. In the literal sense of the word. She closed herself off from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. The only person, whom she allowed to her, was girl Dasha, “goddaughter,” as Vera Vasilyeva herself calls her.

Photo: www.russianlook.com / Anatoly Lomohov

They met when Ushakov was alive. The famous actress got to the hospital to see her husband by public transport; Vera Kuzminichna could not spend money on a ride. There are heavy bags in your hands, the road is long. The only person who decided to help was that same Dasha. She accompanied Vera Vasilyeva to the hospital, they started talking, and as a result, gradually the random companion became an assistant, a friend, and an adopted daughter for the actress. Dasha’s daughter Vera Kuzminichna herself now calls her granddaughter, and Dasha her daughter. Actress Vera Vasilyeva has a family again.

Vera Vasilyeva - Soviet and Russian actress theater and cinema, People's Artist USSR (1986), Winner of two Stalin Prizes(1948, 1951). The artist’s most famous roles are in the films “Chuk and Gek”, “Carnival”, “Marry the Captain”, as well as in the series “While the Fern Blooms” and “The Investigation is Conducted by Experts”.

Childhood and youth

Vera Kuzminichna Vasilyeva was born on September 30, 1925 in Moscow, in the area Chistye Prudy(although according to some sources - in the village of Sukhoi Ruchey near Tver, where her father is from). The Vasiliev family, led by their plant-working parents, did not live well. In addition to Vera, the family had three more children - brother Vasily (13 years younger than Vera) and older sisters Antonina and Valentina.

They all had to live in communal apartments. The actress later recalled that every time she left the room, she had to scare away the mice. Due to extreme poverty, the girl tried to commit suicide twice, but both times something stopped her.

“This is all some kind of childhood... No one noticed, thank you, Lord. So I gave it up and that was it,” she later said in an interview for a documentary about her career.

One day, my mother’s friend brought Vera to see “The Tsar’s Bride” by N.I. Rimsky-Korsakov in Grand Theatre. At one point, the theater captured the impressionable girl. With a friend, they saved money to go to a performance, at least to the gallery, and once they even sold their textbooks for this and kept one set for themselves.

During the war, Vera remained in Moscow with her father - her sisters went on business trips, and her mother and little son were evacuated. Along with everyone else, Vera carried boxes of sand, was on duty on the roof and helped her father and the military in every possible way. In the most terrible days of the war, Vera was warmed by the thought of the theater.

After school, Vera tried to enroll in a circus school. Having failed the first physical training exam, Vasilyeva submitted documents to the Moscow City drama school. In 1948, the girl received a diploma as a dramatic actress.

Actor career

After graduating from college, Vasilyeva was accepted into the troupe of the Moscow academic theater satire, in which she became a leading lady in the first two years and in which she serves to this day. The actress has more than 60 roles to her credit. Today Vasilyeva can be seen in the performances “ Fatal attraction"(since 2015), "Talents and Fans" (since 2002) and "Ornifl" (since 2001).

The actress also collaborated with a number of regional theaters(in Bryansk, Tver, Orel), in the late 1990s she performed on the stage of the Moscow New Drama Theater, since 2006 she played the main role in the play “The Strange Mrs. Savage” of the Puppet Theater. S. V. Obraztsova. Since 2010, Vasilyeva has been performing on the stage of the capital's Modern Theater and Maly Theater.

Vasilyeva’s film debut took place in 1945, in a small role in Konstantin Yudin’s film “Twins”.

Vera Vasilyeva in the film “The Tale of the Siberian Land”

Vera got her first major role two years later - the girl appeared in the role of waitress-barmaid Nastenka Gusenkova in the drama “The Tale of the Siberian Land” by Ivan Pyryev. To get the role of a girl who, according to the director, was supposed to “look like a woman on a teapot,” during the audition the slender girl had to stuff two crumpled stockings into her neckline, comb her tight curls and wash off her makeup. The efforts paid off - this role brought the young actress not only national recognition, but also the Stalin Prize.

In the 1950s, Vasilyeva devoted most of her time to the theater and appeared in only four films, including the film-play “Dowry Wedding,” for which she received a second Stalin Prize.

Vera Vasilyeva in the film “Wedding with a Dowry”

In the next decade, Vera Kuzminichna’s most memorable works were her roles in the tragicomedy “Adventures of a Dentist” with young Andrei Myagkov, Alisa Freindlikh and Igor Kvasha, as well as in musical comedy 1966 “Come to Baikal” by Veniamin Dorman. In addition, actress Giselle Pascal spoke in the voice of Vera Kuzminichnaya in the popular French adventure film"The Iron Mask" (1962).

In the 1970s, Vasilyeva had several bright and memorable roles - in the popular detective series “The Investigation is Conducted by Experts”, Ilya Frez’s film story “We Didn’t Go Through This” about students of a pedagogical university and the drama “Minors” by Vladimir Rogovoy and Eduard Topol, which became the leader Soviet film distribution in 1977.

One of the most famous roles Vera Kuzminichna can rightfully be called her role in the comedy melodrama “Carnival” by Tatyana Lioznova. In the touching story about a young provincial girl, Nina Solomatina, who dreams of conquering Moscow, Vasilyeva played the mother of a handsome student Nikita (Alexander Abdulov), Nina’s (Irina Muravyova) lover. The audience was no less delighted by Vasilyeva’s performance in Vladimir Rogovoy’s musical comedy “The Married Bachelor,” in which the actress played the mother of the main character Tamara (Larisa Udovichenko).

Vera Kuzminichna played another “star mother” in 1985 in the melodrama “Marry the Captain” with Vera Glagoleva and Viktor Proskurin. In the same year, the actress starred in one of the few Soviet films in the comedy farce genre, “Malicious Sunday,” in which such stars of Russian cinema as Mikhail Pugovkin, Valentina Talyzina, Borislav Brondukov and Mikhail Kokshenov appeared.

In 1989, Vera Kuzminichna released her memoirs “Continuation of the Soul (Monologue of an Actress),” where she talked about herself and those with whom fate brought her together. After the collapse of the USSR, Vasilyeva’s film roles became fewer, but among them were those that won the hearts of viewers different ages. These include the mini-series “Dandelion Wine” based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, where Vera Kuzminichna’s colleagues film set became Vladimir Zeldin, Liya Akhedzhakova, Sergei Suponev and Innokenty Smoktunovsky, who died before the completion of the film (he was later voiced by Sergei Bezrukov).

In addition, in 1999, together with other popular artists, Vasilyeva participated in Viktor Merezhko’s project “Theater and Cinema Stars Sing,” in which she performed several romances.

“Revealing the secrets of the stars”: Vera Vasilyeva

In the early 2000s, Vasilyeva again appeared in the role of Margarita Nikolaevna in the films “The Investigation is Conducted by Experts. Ten years later." The directors filmed 2 more “cases” with the participation of the aged Tomin and Znamensky, who, according to tradition, were played by Leonid Kanevsky and Georgy Martynyuk. Some heroes were no longer in the films - in particular, the viewer did not see Zinaida Kibrit: actress Elsa Lezhdei died of cancer two years before the start of filming.

“Vera Vasilyeva. The secret of her youth"

Many young viewers remember Vasilyeva from the fantasy series “While the Fern Blooms,” which premiered in the fall of 2012 on STS TV channel. In the series, the actress played the grandmother of an ordinary Moscow guy, Kirill (Alexander Petrov), whose life changed 180 degrees because of a mysterious amulet he received as a gift.

In 2014-2015, Vasilyeva played the bright and memorable role of a grandmother in the mini-series “Village” (Russia-1), the plot of which in some ways echoes the plot of the film “Carnival”, as well as in the children’s film “Holiday of Disobedience” .

Personal life of Vera Vasilyeva

In the first years of working in the theater, Vera fell in love with director Boris Ravenskikh, director of the famous “Dowry Wedding,” who was married at that time. The master reciprocated Vera's feelings and even met her parents. This is how the lovers lived until the Ravenskys were invited to another theater. After that, he quickly lost interest in Vasilyeva, which greatly hurt the young actress - she took the separation very hard and felt for Boris strong feelings a few more years.

Vera Vasilyeva in the program “Wife. Love story"

The couple lived together for a long time and happy life, until the actor’s death in 2011. They had no children in their marriage, although at one point fate brought Vera Kuzminichna together with a young woman, Daria, whom she considers her daughter. Vasilyeva completely trusts her and calls Dasha’s son her grandson.

Vera Vasilyeva now

In 2017, director Valery Kharchenko announced that he plans to make a film based on Chekhov’s “A Boring Story” with Natalya Fateeva, Yuri Solomin and Vera Vasilyeva in the lead roles. But filming will only take place if Fateeva recovers from a serious injury.

At the end of April 2018, Vera Kuzminichna appeared on Channel One in documentary film"Yuri Yakovlev. They blossomed here without me!”, prepared for the 90th anniversary of the great artist.

MOSCOW, September 30. /Corr. TASS Olga Svistunova/.People's Artist of the USSR Vera Vasilyeva, who turns 90 on September 30, will play the main role in the play "Fatal Attraction" on the stage of her native Moscow Satire Theater on her anniversary.

“The role is big and difficult,” says the birthday girl. “I play in heels, change shoes, change clothes a dozen times during the play. But such a performance is best gift for the anniversary. In general, in my old age, somewhere after 70, I was lucky enough to play the roles that I dreamed of in my youth."

The creative life of Vera Vasilyeva began not on stage, but on the screen. While still a student at the theater school, she starred in Ivan Pyryev’s film “The Tale of the Siberian Land”, received the Stalin Prize and became famous throughout the country.

“At first I was not nominated for the award,” recalls the actress. “However, Stalin, who always watched all the films, allegedly asked: “Where did they find this beauty?” They told him that Vasilyeva was only a third-year student. And he, allegedly, said: “She played well, we should give her a prize too.” I was instantly included in the list, and I was among the laureates. I don’t know how true this is, but that’s what they told me,” the actress noted.

Soon she played main character in "Wedding with a Dowry", and was again awarded the Stalin Prize. So, at the age of 25, Vera Vasilyeva already had two government awards.

Later she practically did not act in films, but after graduating from college she came to the theater famous actress. Vera Vasilyeva entered the Moscow Theater of Satire on March 27, 1948 and was enrolled in the troupe as an actress of the 2nd category.

“However, I never loved satire and didn’t even understand it,” Vasilyeva unexpectedly declares. “I was full of sentimental novels and dreamed of Larisa from “Dowry.” Valentin Pluchek, who then headed the Theater of Satire, apparently sensed the young actress’s reluctance to the satirical genre and didn’t overload her with work.

Nevertheless, over the 67 years that Vera Vasilyeva has been serving in the theater, she has accumulated several dozen roles, many of which have gone down in history. Russian art. This is Olga from "The Dowry Wedding" (the play has been shown about 1 thousand times), and Countess Rosina in "The Marriage of Figaro", and Vyshnevskaya in " Profitable place", and Anna Andreevna in "The Inspector General", and Domna Platonovna in "Warrior".

However, there were times in the actress’s life when she did not receive roles in her theater for years and played in the provinces. “For ten years I played Ranevskaya in Tver, for twelve - “Guilty Without Guilt” in Orel,” Vera Kuzminichna listed. “And there was also “Blazh” - in Novy drama theater in Moscow and "The Strange Mrs. Savage" at the Obraztsov Puppet Theater. That was the only thing that truly nourished me."

Now, despite her advanced age, Vasilyeva is happy that she is in demand. “You want to live at any age,” says the actress, “and dream about new roles too.”

A very Russian actress - Vera Vasilyeva - for her creative career She played both comedic roles and strong drama, but no mental breakdown or anguish can extinguish the happiness that lives in her. There are no grotesque traits or stage sarcasm in her performance; her humor is gentle. Simplicity, naturalness, sincere lyricism are the eternal properties of the Russian acting school, and the actress does not betray them. She loves her viewer, and he loves her back.

Vera Kuzminichna Vasilyeva was born on September 30, 1925 in Moscow, into a working-class family. Vera was not even five years old when she first went to the theater - to the opera " The Tsar's Bride" This performance shocked the girl’s imagination, and she fell in love with the theater. IN school years Vera signed up for the drama club at the Palace of Pioneers. She was a modest and dreamy girl, she studied well at school, but all her real life was focused on books and theater. Vasilyeva spent hours in the theater library, where she re-read the memoirs of great artists, old reviews and everything that could be found about the theater, and also constantly ran to the Moscow Art Theater.

When did the Great Patriotic War, Vasilyeva went to work at a factory and at the same time studied at evening school.

Despite the difficulties of the war years, she did not forget her dream of becoming an actress, she studied in a drama club, and in 1943 she entered the Moscow City Theater School. Cinema brought Vasilyeva national fame.

She made her film debut while still a student in 1945 - in a cameo role in the comedy "Twins", and her next role - a role in I. Pyryev's film "The Tale of the Siberian Land" (1948) - brought her incredible popularity and audience love.

In 1948, Vasilyeva graduated from college and became an actress at the Satire Theater, with which her entire life is connected. creative life, where her first job was the main role in the play "Lev Gurych Sinichkin". Then there were many other works.

By the beginning of the 1950s, Vera had already become a recognized young star, she was happy in the theater, and after the play “Dowry Wedding”, even greater fame came to her. This play was performed 900 times, and in 1953 a film of the same name was filmed. Feature Film, for her role in which Vasilyeva was awarded the Stalin Prize.

In general, Vasilyeva acted in a lot of films. Despite her success in cinema, the theater has always remained the main thing for Vera Kuzminichna. She worked all her life in the Satire Theater, which is impossible to imagine without her. In total, Vasilyeva played over 50 roles on the stage of this theater.

Vasilyeva was also invited to performances in other theaters, where she received the best and most interesting roles. Vera Kuzminichna also worked in animation, voicing cartoons - “Umka is looking for a friend”, “The Wizard Emerald City", "The Adventures of Vasya Kurolesov" and others. She also tried herself as a performer of romances.

Vera Vasilyeva - People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the Stalin Prize and the USSR State Prize, the Crystal Turandot Theater Prize and the Yablochkina Prize, holder of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and "For Services to the Fatherland" IV and III degrees, awarded the prize "For Honor and dignity of the National Theater Award Golden mask"and other awards. Vasilyeva is the chairman of the Social Welfare Commission. To the best of her ability, she helps the needy, the sick, the offended. In 2000, her book of memoirs “Continuation of the Soul” was published. Monologue of the actress." Vera Kuzminichna's husband is actor Vladimir Ushakov (artist of the Satire Theater).

Their wedding took place in 1956, and they were happy together for more than half a century. The actress says that main secret such marital longevity - in the absence of attempts to remake each other. But, unfortunately, in 2011 Vladimir passed away. Today Vera Kuzminichna Vasilyeva, despite her age, continues to work in the theater and is happy about it. She loves nature, her home and friends, and still looks amazing both in life and on stage.

The Legend of the Siberian Land

Dowry wedding

Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro

Married bachelor

Creative evening Vera Vasilyeva at the Satire Theater for her 85th anniversary