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- She married a director 24 years older and became the muse of his best films: Natalia Belokhvostikova is 75 years old.
She married a director 24 years older and became the muse of his best films: Natalia Belokhvostikova is 75 years old.
Natalia Belokhvostikova is one of the most sophisticated actresses of Soviet cinema, whose career began almost by accident and quickly led to recognition. Already in her youth, she received the USSR State Prize, and her roles in the films "By the Lake", "Tehran-43" and "Red and Black" made her a star not only in our country, but also abroad. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the actress — about her path in the profession, landmark works and personal history related to director Vladimir Naumov — in the material of Izvestia.
Natalia Belokhvostikova: childhood and the beginning of an acting career
Natalia Belokhvostikova was born on July 28, 1951 in Moscow. Her father, Nikolai Belokhvostikov, was a diplomat, and her mother, Antonina Lyamina, was a translator. The early years of the future actress were spent traveling: her parents worked abroad, including in Canada and the United Kingdom. Natalia spent her childhood in London, where her father worked as an adviser at the USSR Embassy in Great Britain. She received her schooling in Moscow, where she lived with her grandmother.
Film actress Natalia Nikolaevna Belokhvostikova near her home in the center of Moscow
At the age of 13, while staying with her parents in Sweden, where her father worked as the ambassador of the Soviet Union, Belokhvostikova took part in her first film project. Among the children of the embassy staff, she was selected to star in Mark Donskoy's film "Mother's Heart" (1965), the first part of the dilogy about Vladimir Lenin and the Ulyanov family. The cast was severely lacking, so the girl had to duplicate 51-year-old Elena Fadeeva, who played Lenin's mother. To make the replacement invisible, she covered her face with an umbrella.
After the release of the film, Donskoy invited Belokhvostikova and her parents to Moscow to see the picture. At the same time, he introduced the young actress to director Sergei Gerasimov. He immediately invited Natalia to take a course at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (sovr. VGIK named after S.A. Gerasimov), although at that time she had not yet graduated from high school. The girl agreed.
Actors Natalia Belokhvostikova and Sergey Nikonenko talk with director Sergey Gerasimov
At first, Belokhvostikova attended classes in the workshop of Sergei Gerasimov and Tamara Makarova as a freelance student, as she continued her studies at school. After she graduated with an external degree, the future actress was enrolled immediately in the second year. Already during her studies, she began to actively act in films.
How Natalia Belokhvostikova became a star of Soviet cinema
The real fame came to the actress in the late 1960s. One of the key works was the role in the film "By the Lake" (1969), directed by Sergey Gerasimov. This painting not only received critical acclaim, but also brought Belokhvostikova the USSR State Prize.
Actress Natalia Belokhvostikova
In subsequent years, the actress actively starred, consolidating her status as one of the notable figures of Soviet cinema. Her heroines were distinguished by their inner concentration and psychological depth, which corresponded to the demand of the time for more complex and multifaceted images.
Among her early works is Nikolai Gubenko's short drama Nastasia and Fomka (1968).
The main films and roles of Natalia Belokhvostikova
After graduating from VGIK in 1971, Natalia Belokhvostikova began working at the Gorky Film Studio. In 1976, she joined the troupe of the Theater Studio of the actor (modern. The Center for Theater and Cinema under the direction of Nikita Mikhalkov), with which it has been associated for several decades.
The main place in her professional activity was occupied by cinematography. The filmography of the actress includes dozens of works, many of which have entered the history of Russian cinema. A special place is occupied by paintings created in collaboration with Vladimir Naumov and Alexander Alov.
Natalia Belokhvostikova as Matilda in the film "Red and Black" based on the novel by Stendhal
Over the years, Belokhvostikova has performed roles in a number of notable film adaptations and feature films. Among them are "Red and Black" (1976) based on the novel by Stendhal, directed by Sergei Gerasimov, "A Glass of Water" (1979) by Julia Karasik based on the play by Eugene Skriba, as well as "Little Tragedies" (1979) by Mikhail Schweitzer based on the works of Alexander Pushkin.
In addition, the actress starred in the films "Circus Princess" (1982) by Svetlana Druzhinina, "Legal Marriage" (1985) by Albert Mkrtchyan and "Snake Catcher" (1985) Vadim Derbenev, continuing to form his filmography in various genres and directions.
Natalia Belokhvostikova as Marie on the set of the film "Tehran-43" directed by Alexander Alov and Vladimir Naumov
The film "Tehran-43" (1980), where Belokhvostikova played one of the central roles, became widely known. The film was internationally acclaimed. His work in the films "The Legend of Tila" (1976) and "The Shore" (1984) became no less significant.
In total, during her career, the actress took part in more than 25 film projects, forming an extensive filmography covering different periods of Russian cinema.
The love story of Natalia Belokhvostikova and Vladimir Naumov
Natalia Belokhvostikova and Vladimir Naumov met in 1971 during a trip to Belgrade for the Soviet Cinema Days. The actress was supposed to present the picture "By the Lake", and Naumov headed the Soviet delegation. They were seated next to each other on the plane.
According to the actress' recollections, the director held cigarettes in his hands all the time, kneading them and scattering tobacco, which seemed to her a strange habit. It later turned out that he had given up smoking two weeks before the trip. During the flight, he entertained his companion with conversation and a game of tic-tac-toe, and upon arrival, together with director Mark Donskoy, he joked about her, noting her embarrassment. As Belokhvostikova later admitted in an interview, despite the huge age difference, 24 years old, it seemed to her that she was communicating with a peer.
Actress Natalia Belokhvostikova and film director Vladimir Naumov
After returning to Moscow, the newspaper Pravda published an interview with Vladimir Naumov about the trip. When asked about his most vivid impressions, the director named Natalia Belokhvostikova. Subsequently, their relationship developed gradually. Naumov, who had experienced personal changes by that time, began to pay attention to the actress, invited her to meetings and tried to surprise her. In particular, after one of the trips, he brought her a bouquet of tulips, in which there were no two identical flowers, and also invited her to skate.
Over time, mutual sympathy developed into a close relationship, and about a year after they met, they got married. Later, their union became not only a family one, but also a creative one. Naumov regularly invited Belokhvostikova to his films, closely following her work on the set and, if necessary, helping to create images.
Belokhvostikova herself admitted that she was unlikely to continue her acting career without Naumov, as she was disgusted by the idea of playing heroines who "were not for her." And the only directors who really understood her were Naumov and Alov.
Director Vladimir Naumov and actress Natalia Belokhvostikova, their daughter director Natalia Naumova and her husband
The family life of the actress and the director developed without excessive publicity. Soon after the wedding, their daughter Natalia was born. In the family, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, great importance was attached to domestic order, support and mutual understanding. The couple went through difficult periods of loss together and shared their professional successes.
Later, in adulthood, Belokhvostikova and Naumov decided to replenish their family. In 2007, they had an adopted son, Kirill.
Interesting facts about Natalia Belokhvostikova on her 75th birthday
Belokhvostikova became one of the youngest laureates of the USSR State Prize after her role in the film "By the Lake". A significant part of her career was associated with the Mosfilm film studio, where many iconic paintings with her participation were created.
The first time Gerasimov invited Belokhvostikova to the VGIK, she arrived, got scared and left without waiting for the director. However, at home, her parents advised her to return and see him. In the end, she came and stayed there.
The actors traveled to orphanages as part of the "Me and the Family" film forum, where Belokhvostikova saw three-year-old Kirill. Their meeting happened suddenly. The boy approached the woman and said: "Auntie, please buy me a cross." The child left a mark on the soul of the actress and her husband. After a while, his family adopted him.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
