Zoya Kaidanovskaya: family
The future star of Russian cinema was born in Moscow, a joyful event occurred in November 1976. Zoya Kaidanovskaya is the daughter of the talented actress Evgenia Simonova, whom viewers know from the films “An Ordinary Miracle” and “Afonya”. The girl’s father is also a celebrity - actor Alexander Kaidanovsky, who became famous for his roles in “The Lost Expedition” and “Stalker”.
Zoya's parents fell in love while filming the film "The Lost Expedition". Mutual interest quickly degenerated into real feelings, and they made the decision to get married after just a few dates. Unfortunately, the marriage turned out to be fragile; Zoya Kaidanovskaya was a four-year-old child when her mother and father divorced. However, the mother and grandmother did everything possible to ensure that the girl went through this difficult period painlessly.
Zoya's stepfather is director Andrei Eshpai, whom her mother Evgenia married three years after breaking up with her first husband. In fact, the stepfather replaced the girl’s own father, a relationship with whom she resumed only in adolescence. Kaidanovskaya also has a younger sister, Maria, whom Zoya considers her best friend.
Childhood and youth
Zoya Aleksandrovna Kaidanovskaya was born on November 5, 1976 in Moscow. Her parents met 2 years before her birth on the set of the film “The Lost Expedition” and soon got married.
Evgenia Simonova, mother of Zoya Kaidanovskaya
In the late 70s, Evgenia Simonova filmed a lot and left for filming, entrusting the child to her mother, Olga Sergeevna Vyazemskaya. It was the grandmother who became Zoya’s first idol - a teacher by profession, she gave her granddaughters (Zoya has several sisters from her mother’s brother - the famous writer and host of the program “Clever Men and Smart Girls” Yuri Vyazemsky) the basics of education, studied English, which she herself knew perfectly well, and was passionate about painting .
Another hobby of Zoya was music. From an early age, the girl reproduced any melody clearly, demonstrating excellent hearing. The result was training at the Gnesin school, which Zoya immediately disliked, but the grandmother carefully monitored her granddaughter’s diligence. And this bore fruit in the future - today the actress sings in plays.
Zoya Kaidanovskaya as a child and her mother Evgenia Simonova
The marriage of Simonova and Kaidanovsky turned out to be fragile. The brilliant, outstanding actor was absolutely unsuited to marriage and everyday life. When the daughter was 4 years old, the actors divorced.
“I don’t remember anything about it. I can’t say that I missed my father after they separated. My parents worked a lot, and there was little communication at all,” the actress recalls.
And after 2 years, a new husband appeared in Simonova’s life - director Andrei Eshpai (the actress starred in his film “When Bach Played”). Zoya's younger sister, Maria Eshpai, was born: Evgenia Pavlovna named her daughters in honor of her grandmothers. Zoya accepted and fell in love with her stepfather immediately, as well as the atmosphere he brought: a big friendly family, endless guests, happy holidays.
Actress Zoya Kaidanovskaya
Zoya also willingly communicated with her father, but Kaidanovskaya did not like her last name. And so much so that at the age of 11, her mother transferred her to the surname Simonov and placed her in another school. Adolescence also became a difficult time for both the girl herself and her parents. Zoya did not like her appearance, her short height (165 cm). According to the artist herself, there were bad companies, depression, and alcohol.
At the family council, it was decided to take the rebel from her graduating class and send her to GITIS. So the girl got into the acting and directing course of Boris Golubovsky. Her studies at the university were interrupted: Zoya left, doubting herself, but returned again and received a diploma in 1999.
Childhood
Zoya Kaidanovskaya loves to remember her childhood; if you believe her words, it was cloudless. The actress mother worked a lot, so the burdens associated with raising a child fell on the grandmother’s shoulders.
Olga Sergeevna doted on her granddaughter, but tried not to forget about rigor and discipline. Already at the age of three, little Zoya began to study English, for which she is still grateful to her grandmother.
At school, Kaidanovskaya was never an excellent student; her most hated subjects were mathematics and literature. The mother dreamed that her eldest daughter would connect her life with music, so the girl played the piano from the age of four. Zoya had excellent hearing, but she never became interested in music; she studied it only under the influence of adults.
Actress Evgenia Simonova, who has cancer, came out for the first time with her adopted daughter
Evgenia Simonova rarely comes out
Photo: Boris KUDRYAVOV
Evgenia Simonova became famous overnight when, as a 17-year-old girl, she starred in the cult film “Only Old Men Go to Battle,” directed by Leonid Bykov. After this there were filming in the famous films “An Ordinary Miracle”, “Afonya” and dozens of roles in theater and cinema. At the same time, the personal life of the screen star was also in full swing.
Evgenia Simonov rarely appears in the world. The actress has been battling lung cancer for 12 years. In Germany, she underwent surgery and had her lung removed. However, the 64-year-old actress continues to work in theater and cinema. True, it rarely comes out. However, for Andrei Malakhova made an exception and appeared on the air of the program “Hello, Andrei!”
The People's Artist of Russia has a large and very friendly family. The director, director Andrei Eshpai, supports his wife in everything. He became the third husband of Evgenia Pavlovna. Once they were introduced by Igor Kostolevsky. The stormy romance ended with the birth of their daughter Masha. The girl became the second biological child of the actress.
Evgenia Simonova with her adopted daughter Daria. Still from the program “Hello, Andrey!”
In her first marriage to actor Alexander Kaidanovsky, Simonova has a daughter, Zoya. She followed in the footsteps of her parents, graduated from GITIS and currently serves in the same place as her mother - at the Mayakovsky Theater.
“Zoya is an actress at the Mayakovsky Theater, and Maria is a pianist,” the star proudly shared.
The third, adopted daughter of Evgenia Pavlovna, also appeared in the studio. 30 years ago, the artist became the girl's guardian . Her mother, the star of the film “Kalina Krasnaya” Lyudmila Korshakova, died at 42 years old.
“The fact is that when Luda died, she should have gotten a room. She lived in a hostel and died there. She had to break through this room without Lyuda. Then we really decided that I would be the official guardian,” Simonova shared.
And, although Dasha was taken by her grandparents and taken to Tula, the actress helped the child. “I did something, but I did less than I probably should have. Although we always had a very tender relationship with Dasha, her grandparents, and sister,” said Evgenia Pavlovna.
In turn, Daria, turning to the actress, burst into tears : “I love Aunt Zhenya very much. She is my second mother."
According to her, she doesn’t talk about her biological mother not because she doesn’t love her. It’s just still hard for her to remember about her.
“My mother, Luda, who gave birth to me and raised me until I was 13 years old. Then there was Aunt Zhenya. My mother was an actress at the Mayakovsky Theater. She starred in the film “Shores” with Valery Zolotukhin, “Kalina Red” and “Crew”. Mom was sick, her illness was not very good. They didn't react in time. Everything happened very quickly. Due to their age, my grandparents could not take custody of me. Zhenya Simonova decided that she couldn’t abandon the child, otherwise I might have been sent to an orphanage,” said the heir to the star.
Daria said that her adoptive mother did not spare anything for her . I brought her things - the same as for my own daughter Zoya. The woman admitted that she loves her second mother and will always be grateful to her.
Transitional age
Zoya Kaidanovskaya, whose biography, personal life and roles are discussed in this article, was a difficult teenager. She entered adolescence at the age of 14. The actress remembers this period of her life without pleasure. She was tormented by complexes, she seemed ugly and was prone to depression.
It is not surprising that young Kaidanovskaya began to look for dubious entertainment. She started drinking alcohol and smoking early and got involved with bad company. However, family support helped her survive this period without serious losses.
A big role in this was played by her acquaintance with Boris Golubovsky, who agreed to take the girl to an experimental acting and directing course, which he taught at GITIS. It was then that theater entered her life forever, and dubious hobbies remained a thing of the past.
First roles
Zoya Kaidanovskaya, whose biography, personal life and films are the subject of the article, first came to the set at the age of seven. Her debut was the short film “Jonah, or the Artist at Work,” in which the girl received a cameo role.
Kaidanovskaya received her first serious experience while studying at GITIS. Director Vladimir Aleynikov, who was friends with her mother, invited the girl to take part in the filming of his film. It was a mystical drama “Theophany Drawing Death,” telling about the period when Christianity began to spread in Rus'.
In this film, Zoya got the role of the girl Nastya, the daughter of the central character. According to the plot, her heroine gradually goes crazy and begins to commit frightening acts. Interestingly, it was initially assumed that the aspiring actress would star in one of the nude scenes, but the intervention of her grandmother led to the fact that instead of Kaidanovskaya, an understudy played in the piquant scene.
Studies
Zoya Kaidanovskaya, whose biography and personal life are discussed in the article, never completed her studies in the experimental course taught by Golubovsky. The actress made the decision to leave after her third year, as she doubted that the professional skills she acquired while studying at GITIS were enough for her.
By that time, Zoya had already managed to renew her relationship with her own father, who recommended that she become a student at the Shchukin School. Unfortunately, the girl did not succeed in enrolling in Shchuka, which was due to the strained relations that Alexander Kaidanovsky developed with the school teachers. On the advice of her father and stepfather, Zoya returned to GITIS and began studying in Kudryashov’s workshop.
Study, theater
After the third year, Zoya Kaidanovskaya, whose photo can be seen in the article, decided to leave GITIS. The father convinced his daughter to enter the Shchukin School, but this attempt failed. The actress herself explains this failure by the fact that her dad had a bad relationship with the Pike teachers. As a result, Kaidanovskaya returned to GITIS and was accepted into Kudryashov’s workshop.
Zoya became a graduate in 1999, almost immediately after that the Variety Theater opened its doors to her. “Life is getting better”, “Vanya and the crocodile” are performances in which she managed to take part. A few years later, the daughter of famous parents began collaborating with the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya and played in the production of “Three Tall Women.” In 2006, the girl was accepted into the Mayakovsky Theater, where her mother worked. Zoya made her debut in the play “Precarious Balance”, embodying the image of Julia. “Marriage”, “Cupids in the Snow”, “On Suitcases” are other productions with her participation.
Work in the theater
Zoya Kaidanovskaya received a GITIS diploma in 1999, after which she worked at the Variety Theater for a couple of years. The most famous productions with her participation during this period were “Vanya and the Crocodile” and “Life is Getting Better.” The actress also had experience collaborating with the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, for example, she received a role in the play “Three Tall Women.”
Evgenia Simonova, the mother of the actress, helped her daughter get a job at the Mayakovsky Theater in 2006, where she herself had worked for many years. The first production with Zoya’s participation was the play “Precarious Balance”, in which Kaidanovskaya played the role of Julia. This was followed by Gogol’s “Marriage”, in which she embodied the image of Agafya Tikhonovna. Zoya also took part in the plays “On Suitcases”, “Cupids in the Snow”, “Mr. Puntila and His Servant Matti”.
Theater and films
While still a teenager, Kaidanovskaya made her film debut. Director Vladimir Aleinikov offered the girl a role in his historical drama “Feofania, Drawing Death” (1991). In the film, which tells about the period of Rus', the era of the birth of Christianity, Zoya played Nastya, the daughter of the main character Gregory.
Zoya Kaidanovskaya (still from the film “Feofania Drawing Death”)
Having graduated from GITIS, the actress has been acting non-stop since the early 2000s. Moreover, she takes the creative pseudonym Kaidanovskaya.
“I became Kaidanovskaya when I started working with my mother, often in the same projects. I don’t like it when Simonova Sr. and Simonova Jr. talk... But Simonova and Kaidanovskaya - yes! In my opinion, the combination “Zoya Kaidanovskaya” also sounds good,” she admitted in an interview with Caravan of Stories.
In 2003, the girl appeared in a short episode of the popular detective series “Evlampia Romanova: The Investigation is Conducted by an Amateur.” And in 2004, he played one of the main roles in Andrei Eshpai’s series “Children of the Arbat” based on the work of the same name by Anatoly Rybakov.
This film became her first serious film work. In the drama about how, against the backdrop of the events of the 30s and 40s, the destinies of ordinary people - the guys from the old house on Arbat - were broken, a whole scattering of stars played - Chulpan Khamatova, Evgeny Tsyganov, Daniil Strakhov, Inga Oboldina and others. Kaidanovskaya played the beautiful Vika Marasevich, the daughter of a professor, a lover of a beautiful life.
Trailer for the series “Children of Arbat”
The next film in the actress’s filmography is “Ellipsis,” also directed by her stepfather. The drama tells the story of the biography of the famous sculptor Kira Georgievna, who, being happily married, suddenly meets her first husband, her great love, whom she considered lost in the camps. The main role was played by Evgenia Simonova, and Zoya got the role of a girl named Tonya.
In 2007, Kaidanovskaya starred in Larisa Sadilova’s film “Nothing Personal.” The heroine is a lonely, world-weary pharmacist Irina. Private detective Vladimir Zimin (Valery Barinov) establishes surveillance of her apartment and becomes imbued with the unfortunate fate of his “object”.
When it turns out that the customer has mixed up the apartments and needs to keep an eye on Irina’s neighbor, socialite Katya, Zimin does not lose sight of the one who touched his heart. For this role, Zoya Kaidanovskaya received the prize for best actress at the Yalta International Film Festival. And the film itself won the FIPRESCI prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Zoya Kaidanovskaya as Elena Glinskaya (still from the series “Ivan the Terrible”)
In 2009, Andrei Eshpai’s serial historical film “Ivan the Terrible” was released. The director decided to film his version of the era of the great Russian Tsar, focusing on the controversial personality of the monarch, who combined strength and talent, but at the same time exorbitant cruelty and ambition. Kaidanovskaya played the mother of Ivan the Terrible, Grand Duchess Elena Glinskaya.
Among the artist’s works, it is worth highlighting the drama “Elysium” (2012), which tells about the life of the poets of the Silver Age, in which Zoya played Olga Dmitrievna, as well as the touching children’s film “Puppy” (2009), where the actress appeared in the image of Vera, the mother of the main character Alyosha .
The artist’s popularity soared after her role in the top-rated series “Method” (2015) starring Konstantin Khabensky and Paulina Andreeva. The acting couple plays detective Meglin and his trainee Yesenia Steklova, who solve complicated and bloody crimes. Steklova wants to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of her mother, which happened many years ago. Kaidanovskaya played a woman named Irina Ignatovich, a patient at a psychiatric clinic, who turns out to be Yesenia’s real mother.
Zoya Kaidanovskaya and Konstantin Konstantinov
Published by Ilya Zolkin Monday, January 15, 2021
Zoya Kaidanovskaya and Konstantin Konstantinov in the theater
In parallel with the cinema, the artist’s theatrical career is also developing. After GITIS, in 1999, she served for 2 years at the Variety Theater (productions “Vanya and the Crocodile”, “Life is Getting Better”). She also collaborated with the theater on Malaya Bronnaya (the play “Three Tall Women”). Now (since 2006) he works with his mother at the Mayakovsky Theater, appears on the famous stage in such productions as Gogol’s “Marriage” (Agafya Tikhonovna), “Cupids in the Snow” (Avdotya Potapevna), “On Suitcases” (Bella) and others.
Collaboration with Eshpai
Before the release of the series “Children of the Arbat,” few people knew who the actress Zoya Kaidanovskaya was. The biography, personal life, and children of the actress began to interest the public after she embodied the image of Vika Marasevich in this sensational television project. She was called to this role by her stepfather Andrei Eshpai, who worked on the series as a director. It is interesting that, in addition to Zoya, her husband, mother and younger sister starred in “Children of the Arbat”.
The successful collaboration between actress Kaidanovskaya and director Eshpai continued. She played in his films “Ellipsis”, “Event”, “Ivan the Terrible”. The last film was especially successful, in which Zoya tried on the image of the beautiful Elena Glinskaya, the wife of Grand Duke Vasily, who gave birth to Ivan the Terrible. Critics called the image created by the actress eccentric, but the audience liked it.
It is also worth noting the historical drama “Elysium,” in which Zoya Kaidanovskaya also starred, whose filmography and biography are discussed in this article. The film tells the story of the life of the poets of the Silver Age, in particular, attention is paid to the conflict that flared up between the poets Voloshin and Gumilyov. Unfortunately, this work was never widely released.
Filming with other directors
Of course, Andrei Eshpai is far from the only director who stars with Zoya Kaidanovskaya. Films and TV series by other directors also helped the actress establish herself as a star of Russian cinema. For example, in the mystical drama “Signs of Love” she embodied the image of the mysterious witch Valeria. In the social drama “20 Cigarettes,” Kaidanovskaya got the role of secretary Olga. The actress received a nomination for the Nika Award for her filming in the film “Nothing Personal.”
“House of the Sun”, “Where the Motherland Begins”, “Puppy”, “Adult Daughters” are other famous films and TV series with Zoya’s participation. In total, the filmography of the 40-year-old actress currently includes about 20 films and television projects.
Life behind the scenes
Numerous fans of the star are interested in everything related to the talented actress, which, undoubtedly, is Zoya Kaidanovskaya - biography, personal life, children, photos. The artist’s biography says that she was legally married twice. The union with her first husband, who was classmate Maxim Slavkin, did not last long, but it was in this marriage that Zoya’s first child, son Alexei, was born.
The second choice of the actress was her colleague Alexei Zakharov. It is interesting that they also studied together, but began dating after Kaidanovskaya broke up with her first husband. The romance between Zoya and Alexei began after a chance meeting in an acting company; the sympathy that flared up quickly grew into love. However, the lovers got married relatively recently; before that, they preferred to live in a civil marriage for about ten years. Zoya and Alexey have a common child - daughter Varvara.
Photos of Zoya Kaidanovskaya can be seen in the article.
Personal life
With her husband, actor Alexei Zakharov, Zoya Kaidanovskaya studied at GITIS. But the relationship between the artists began after graduation. For a long time, the young people lived in a civil marriage and officially got married years after the birth of their son Alexei. Moreover, there were no magnificent ceremonies and wedding photo sessions, they simply put wedding rings on each other.
Zoya Kaidanovskaya
This is exactly how the actress talks about her personal life in numerous interviews. However, a number of sources report that the artist’s first marriage happened even earlier - with classmate Maxim Slavkin. It was from him that Zoya gave birth to Alyosha, whom Zakharov later adopted. And Zakharov’s own child was daughter Varvara, whom Kaidanovskaya gave birth to in 2010.
In 2015, Express Newspaper reported that a representative of a famous family divorced her husband: the discord occurred due to Zoya’s success, the husband simply did not want to put up with it. Businessman Alexander Bykov became the new chosen one of the actress.
