Irina Shevchuk, Soviet and Russian actress. Biography

Irina Shevchuk was born on October 6, 1951 in the village of Rosta on the northern outskirts of Murmansk. Her father, Boris Shevchuk, a descendant of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, was a captain of the first rank and served as a military sailor. My mother taught at an evening school. There were three daughters growing up in the family. When Irina turned 11, the family moved to Kiev.

Education and early career

Shevchuk was brought into the world of cinema by a happy accident. In the tenth grade, she starred for three weeks in Rezo Chkheidze's film "What a youth." The role was episodic, but it was then that the girl decided to connect her life with cinema.

After school, she moved to Moscow and entered the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in the workshop of Vladimir Belokurov. Already in her student years, Shevchuk began acting actively, appearing in the film "The Adventures of the Yellow Briefcase."

"And the dawns here are quiet..." and all-Union glory

As a third-year student, Irina got a role in Stanislav Rostotsky's film "And the dawns here are Quiet ..." based on the novel by Boris Vasiliev. The director was looking for little-known actresses and attended theater universities for several months.

Shevchuk hoped to play Zhenya Komelkova, but Rostotsky approved her for the role of Rita Osyanina, largely due to the expressive eyes of the actress. The painting was a huge success in the USSR and abroad. In 1972, Irina Shevchuk, along with actress Olga Ostroumova, presented the film at the Venice Film Festival. At the age of 23, she received the title of Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Later, the film was nominated for the Oscar in the nomination "Best Foreign Language Film".

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Work at the Dovzhenko Film Studio

After graduating from VGIK, Shevchuk moved to Kiev and began working at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. In 1973, she starred in the film "The Entrant" by Alexei Mishurin, and then in the film "Marina" by Boris Ivchenko, where her partner was actor Vladimir Konkin.

In subsequent years, the actress played in the films "Second Wind", "The Right to Love", "The Romashkin Effect". One of the most significant works was the role of Dasha in the drama "White Beam — Black Ear", where Vyacheslav Tikhonov played the main role.

Return to Moscow and new projects

In 1983, Shevchuk returned to Moscow and began collaborating with the Gorky Studio. Her filmography included the paintings "The Copper Angel" and "The Pen", where the actress starred with her daughter Alexandra Afanasyeva-Shevchuk.

In the 2000s, Irina Borisovna actively starred in the TV series "Healing with Love", "A Woman without a past", "A House with a surprise". In the melodrama "Rare Blood type" she played a nurse. In 2019, viewers saw her in the role of Avdotya in the series "Guardian Angel".

Social activities

In 1974, Shevchuk became a member of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR. She took an active part in the organization of film festivals. After working at the Constellation Festival, she was invited to the position of General director of the Kinoshok Film Festival of the CIS and Baltic countries, and later became its vice-president.

Since 1995, the actress has been a member of the Nika Film Academy, and in 2000 she became vice-president of the Russian Film Actors Guild. Shevchuk regularly participated in creative evenings and meetings with the audience. In 2018, she was a guest at the Vyacheslav Tikhonov II International Film Festival 17 Moments in Pavlovsky Posad.

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Personal life

Irina Shevchuk was married to composer and arranger Alexander Afanasyev. They met on the set of the program "Comrade Cinema", where Alexander worked as a music editor. Over time, the friendship turned into a marriage.

The couple had a daughter, Alexandra Afanasyeva-Shevchuk, who graduated from the VGIK Faculty of Production and Economics, but chose the acting profession.

Death

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Irina Shevchuk died at the age of 74. This was announced by her daughter Alexandra Afanasyeva-Shevchuk. According to her, the cause of death was brain lymphoma, which the actress had been struggling with for the past three years.

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