Childhood and youth
Elizaveta Eikhenbaum (Apraksina) was born on August 27, 1937 in Leningrad. The Eikhenbaum family’s apartment was located in the writer’s superstructure, on the Griboedov Canal Embankment.
Elizaveta Dal in her youth
Literary critic, representative of the society for the study of the theory of poetic language, Doctor of Philology Boris Mikhailovich Eikhenbaum loved his granddaughter Lisa. The girl was raised in a creative and hospitable family. Anna Akhmatova visited them, and the St. Petersburg elite often gathered.
Elizabeth's biography is eventful. As a child I went through the Leningrad blockade. Lisa’s mother, Olga Borisovna, recalls that her eldest daughter grew up whiny. Little Eikhenbaum shed tears for any reason.
Elizaveta Dal with her mother
Lisa rarely recalled the difficult days of the blockade period. At that time, Alexey Alekseevich Apraksin (father) and sister Tatyana passed away. Survivors include mother, grandfather and Elizabeth.
I had to choose my future profession carefully. Lisa was inspired by the idea of graduating from Mechanics and Mathematics. I studied diligently, but due to the prevailing competition, I did not enter. No one believed that the girl would be able to study at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics.
Oleg Dahl's first wife - Nina Doroshina
In 1963, young Oleg Dal joined the troupe of the Sovremennik Theater, where he immediately fell in love with actress Nina Doroshina, who later became famous for her famous role of Nadyukha in the comedy Love and Doves.
Young actor Oleg Dal
Nina was seven years older than Oleg, and besides, everyone in the theater knew that she had a stormy romance with artistic director Oleg Efremov.
Oleg Dal and Nina Doroshina on the set of the film “The First Trolleybus”
But when Doroshina found out about Efremov’s passion for another beauty, she decided to spite him and marry Dahl, who was in love with her. Nina Doroshina and Oleg Dal submitted an application to the registry office and set a wedding date. Nina hoped that over time she would be able to forget Efremov and fall in love with Dal.
Oleg Dal and his first wife Nina
The entire Sovremennik Theater attended the wedding. In the midst of the celebration, Efremov appeared, drank, sat the bride on his lap and said: “But you, Ninka, still love only me.” At that moment, Dahl looked into the eyes of his newly made wife and realized that this was true. He left his own wedding, after which there could be no talk of any life together.
Oleg Dal and Nina Doroshina
Career
After an unsuccessful attempt at one university, Elizabeth entered a pedagogical institute. But she never received a diploma - the girl found this profession extremely boring.
Elizaveta Dal
After teaching, Lisa found a part-time job at the Zoological Museum. After a while, she became a student at the Forestry Academy. But a year later she left school again.
After working at the Zoological Museum, Lisa got a job at Lenfilm as an editor. She worked there until she got married for the second and last time.
Dahl's family life began with a double betrayal
Dahl's first wife was the actress from the same Contemporary Nina Doroshina (who later became famous in the film “Love and Doves” ), who was 7 years older than him. Their romance began in Odessa, during the filming of the film “The First Trolleybus”. Returning to Moscow, Oleg proposed to the girl, which she accepted. Their marriage lasted... about a week.
The whole troupe and, of course, artistic director Oleg Efremov , whom Dal idolized, came to Oleg and Nina’s wedding. It was no secret to any of his colleagues (including Dahl) that Efremov and Doroshina had an affair in the recent past. The behavior of the young wife shocked everyone: she disappeared at the very beginning of the wedding. One of the guests also disappeared: Oleg Efremov. They appeared half a day later - together...
Oleg Efremov and Nina Doroshina. “First Echelon” 1955
Oleg could not forgive Doroshin: his family life ended before it even began. But he continued to communicate with Oleg Efremov as if nothing had happened. They never talked about Doroshina.
The actor’s second marriage with another theater colleague, Tatyana Lavrova , broke up six months later. Two strong creative personalities could not get along under one roof.
Tatiana Lavrova. Photo kino-teatr.ru
But his third union became happy. his future wife Elizaveta Apraksina in Leningrad on the set of “King Lear,” where she worked as an editor on the film crew. Their feelings for each other did not arise immediately. Oleg was afraid to throw himself into the “pool headlong” after his unsuccessful marriages, and Lisa (who had not yet managed to divorce her first husband) was then courted by the talented writer Sergei Dovlatov .
As soon as Lisa made her choice in favor of Dahl, they got married. For the first 3 years they lived in different cities, and then the actor moved to Leningrad to live with his wife and mother-in-law. with his wife’s mother Olga Borisovna .
Elizaveta Apraksina and Oleg Dal. Photo kulturologia.ru
Living with Dahl was not easy, especially when he went on a drinking binge. One day, the mother-in-law, who loved Oleg with all her heart, could not stand it: “Oleg, go home!” - she said. And the actor left, but not to Moscow, but to his good friend Vladimir Vysotsky for help. Vysotsky had the same problems with alcohol. His wife, Marina Vladi , brought him pills from abroad (in common parlance - “torpedoes”), which had to be sewn under the skin. The effect lasted for a year. Vladimir shared the medicine with Dahl and recommended a doctor.
The actor returned home, showed Lisa the stitch and vowed not to drink again. A happy, sober family life lasted 2 years, until Oleg had a breakdown... This is how they will live until the end of Dahl’s days: a breakdown - a “torpedo” - short-lived happiness and again a breakdown. But Lisa loved her husband and accepted him as he was. They were unable to have children, which they both really wanted.
Personal life
For the first time, Elizabeth experienced married life with Leonid Kvinikhidze, but the marriage lasted no more than six months. The newlyweds argued every day. However, Elizabeth owes her presence at Lenfilm to Leonid - he got her a job there.
Leonid Kvinikhidze
Kvinikhidze and Eikhenbaum separated, and the impressionable Lisa promised herself not to marry again. The former husband (in the future - the director and author of the film “Straw Hat”) married for the second time, his wife was the ballerina Natalya Makarova.
Elizaveta considers the years she lived with Oleg Dal, a brilliant artist of the Soviet era, to be a significant part of her life. Dahl is known as an impulsive and capricious person. They said that Oleg embodies the image of a creative person. We were not surprised if an artist left the set unexpectedly or canceled his participation in filming or a performance.
Elizaveta Dal and Oleg Dal
Dahl was often irritable, swore and could not cope with his emotions. Elizabeth wisely dealt with outbursts of anger, knowing that her husband loved her.
Cinema was not a source of income for Oleg, but a world in which he lived hundreds of different lives. Not all roles interested Dahl. The most famous films that forever preserved the image of the actor are “King Lear”, “Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha”, “The First Trolleybus”.
Eikhenbaum met the actor at the age of 32 during a birthday celebration. Oleg and Lisa never parted again. Fate brought them together on the set of King Lear. Under the leadership of Kozintsev, Elizaveta worked as an editor, and Dahl played the role of the Jester. The meeting took place in Narva in 1969.
Wedding of Elizaveta Dal and Oleg Dal
On set, ethics prohibited having affairs. Both worked hard, but, as Oleg Dal later recalled, he realized at first glance that he had met his future wife. Elizaveta Dahl was perplexed at how quickly the actor asked for her hand in marriage. The modest woman told this story to journalists a couple of times. Oleg woke up Olga Borisovna early in the morning to announce his intention to get married. Lisa answered yes without hesitation.
At first, Dahl and his wife lived in a Leningrad apartment. Then they moved to Moscow, changing two homes there. The latter was located on Smolensky Boulevard, where the family lived: Oleg, Elizaveta Dal and mothers on both sides.
Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, Elizaveta Dal, Oleg Dal
It is known that the actor was delighted with the new apartments. Dahl was pleased with the view from the window and his personal office, which gave him the opportunity to be alone with himself. In one of the interviews, photos of a secluded corner were published.
The women in this family did not work. My mother-in-law and mother-in-law had been retired for a long time. But her husband did not allow his wife Elizaveta Dal to work. It was believed that the most important job of a woman is to faithfully wait for her husband from filming and provide comfort. And she waited.
Elizaveta Dal
I had to leave my career at Lenfilm. Oleg Dahl's wife devoted ten years of her life to her family, which she does not regret. There were no children born in a happy marriage.
Elizaveta Dal considers Oleg’s death to be the most difficult day. The realization that family happiness had come to an end after ten years was frightening. Lisa kept the memory of her husband all her life. Actor Oleg Dal died at 39 years old. The wife claims that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Oleg Dal and Elizaveta Apraksina: 10 years of painful happiness
He was a Big Actor... An airy, light, unpredictable person!
Oleg Dal and Elizaveta Apraksina.
He was full of contradictions, and behind his ostentatious recklessness he hid his own complexes and fears. There was a place for great feelings in his life, but having experienced betrayal once, Oleg Dal began to be wary of women. And yet he met someone who accepted him entirely, with his shortcomings, contradictions and complexes. Elizaveta Eikhenbaum (Apraksina) became his guardian angel and guiding star for 10 years. It was he who promised her incredible torment from himself.
Twists of love
Oleg Dal. / Photo: www.24smi.org
They first met at a time when they both already had a lot of disappointments and separations behind them. Oleg Dal managed to survive two painful divorces, and Elizaveta Apraksina had many affairs and a not entirely successful marriage.
Oleg Dal, still from the film "King Lear". / Photo: www.litobozrenie.com
She was amazingly beautiful, both peers and much older men fell in love with her. At the time she met Dahl, Sergei Dovlatov was courting her and Lisa reciprocated his feelings. Oleg Dal appeared in the Lenfilm editing room to watch the footage. Elizabeth looked at the tall, thin actor and her heart was filled with aching pity for this man, sadly looking at the screen. Sharp shoulders, yellow hair, dyed for filming as a jester in the film "King Lear", and piercing blue eyes. At that moment he seemed touchingly defenseless, in need of love and care. However, he constantly needed love and care.
Elizaveta Apraksina. / Photo: www.7days.ru
Then there was an expedition to Narva for filming, but Elizaveta tried not to pay attention to him. She worked as an editor and strictly followed the principle of not falling in love with actors. True, when real feelings come, all principles are powerless.
No right to refuse
Oleg Dal and Elizaveta Apraksina. / Photo: www.stuki-druki.com
In Narva, Liza Apraksina met with a married Lithuanian, hoping that their romance would develop into something more. And Dahl constantly showed her signs of attention. Either he will appear with a bouquet of flowers, or he will stage a prank with the police, bringing the girl to a semi-fainting state.
He often appeared on the set quite drunk. But director Grigory Kozintsev forgave the actor. When he was asked why he was so lenient towards Dahl, the director replied that he felt sorry for the actor; he would not live long.
Oleg Dal. / Photo: www.fotocdn.net
Lisa was flattered by Oleg Ivanovich’s advances, and when he invited her to his performance in Moscow in the fall, she went without hesitation. She called the theater straight from the station, but Dal, when he heard that Lisa was calling, didn’t even remember her. The offended girl immediately went back to Leningrad, where she lived. She didn’t know then: during rehearsals, he could forget his own name, completely immersed in the role.
Oleg Dal. / Photo: www.interviewmg.ru
Soon Dahl arrived in Leningrad, rushed to Lisa, and explained the reasons for his behavior. And then he began to visit the girl and completely charmed her mother Olga Borisovna.
He came to Lisa’s house when Sergei Dovlatov was visiting her. They all drank alcohol together, ate something to eat, and the men did not intend to leave the apartment alone. When they were already saying goodbye, Lisa quietly whispered to Oleg Dal to come back.
That night he broke his vow to never marry, given after his divorce from Tatyana Lavrova. At five in the morning he decisively went to ask Elizabeth’s hand in marriage from his future mother-in-law, Olga Borisovna, Olenka, as he called her.
“I predict you incredible torment from me...”
Oleg and Lisa Dahl, wedding day. / Photo: www.bestactor.ru
He diligently pretended that he did not remember the date of their marriage - November 27, 1970. But at the same time, he never forgot to give his wife a gift on this occasion. She kept these tangible declarations of love throughout her life.
Elizabeth became for him the best wife he could ever imagine. She had the wisdom and patience to endure his periodic binges and endless whims, constantly emphasizing his genius and admiring his talent. She, smart and beautiful, began to accompany her husband on almost all of his creative expeditions, stoically experiencing everyday unsettled conditions.
Letter from Oleg Dahl to his wife. / Photo: www.7days.ru
On rare days of separation, they wrote each other touchingly ironic letters, where in every word one could read an inescapable longing for each other and an endless declaration of love.
Neither their periodic quarrels nor Oleg’s addiction to alcohol could destroy their feelings. Sometimes she ran out of strength, she went to her mother in Leningrad. One day, after their quarrel, Oleg was taken home almost unconscious. It turned out that his temperature was over forty. Elizaveta and Olga Borisovna nursed him, and the disagreement, of course, was forgotten. Later he realized that alcohol was destroying not only his marriage, but his entire life. The actor decided to sew in an ampoule that would protect him from binge drinking.
Oleg Dal. / Photo: www.fotocdn.net
He loved good shoes and never appeared on the street in dirty shoes. And after many creative meetings with the audience, he also liked to come home and, taking out a whole bunch of money from his pockets, artistically threw the bills onto the floor like a fan, joyfully informing “his women” that they could not deny themselves anything. He was proud of his role as head of the family and tried to make the lives of his loved ones happy.
Elizaveta Dahl. / Photo: www.24smi.org
In the life of Oleg and Lisa Dahl there were both problems and disappointments. But the main components of their marriage were tenderness, care, endless happiness born of true love. He died on March 3, 1981. Lisa survived him by 22 years, carefully keeping his gifts, poems and letters...
Oleg Dal did not live two months before his 40th birthday. He played about 50 roles, but there could have been twice as many if he had not refused them and had not lost them due to his difficult character. They say he was “inconvenient” for directors, disrupted performances and often clashed when compromises should have been sought.
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