Alisa Brunovna Freindlikh is a famous Russian and Soviet film and theater actress, singer. In 1981, Alisa Brunovna was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, and in 2001, the actress became an Honorary Citizen of St. Petersburg. Freundlich is a laureate of multiple high State Prizes of the Russian Federation. It is noteworthy that the actress herself does not like to watch films with her participation and prefers theater to cinema.
Alisa Brunovna Freindlich
Alisa Freindlich's childhood
The future celebrity was born in Leningrad in 1934 on December 8th. Alisa’s mother, Ksenia Fedorovna, is from Pskov . Having moved to the Northern capital, Ksenia met a guy named Bruno Freundlich . Their acquaintance occurred at the Theater of Working Youth, where Ksenia enrolled in courses.
Young Bruno was an actor and was of German descent. His ancestors moved to Russia from Germany during the reign of Catherine II. Their dynasty was engaged in glassblowing for many years. Bruno's father, Arthur, wanted to continue the family tradition, but due to the weak lungs of one of his sons (Bruno's brother), the glassblowing business ended. Then Arthur Freundlich began working in a shoe store that supplied the imperial court. After some time, Alice Freundlich's grandfather decided to open his own store. Having purchased the necessary equipment and prepared a sign, he died suddenly without having time to open his own business.
Freundlich in childhood and youth
Alice’s parents lived on St. Isaac’s Square, and the future actress spent her childhood there. Ksenia Fedorovna wanted to give her daughter the name Natasha, but the girl’s father and grandmother insisted on the name Alice. In the column Alisa Freindlich’s nationality they wrote: “Russian.”
Since childhood, Alice was interested in creativity and loved to sing. At the age of 3 she went to the conservatory for the first time. Since then, the girl constantly hummed different melodies and played theater, secretly putting on her mother’s dresses.
Health of Alisa Freindlich
At the end of December 2021, Alisa Freundlich was diagnosed with a coronavirus infection. Alisa Freindlich was taken to the hospital with coronavirus, where she celebrated the New Year under the supervision of doctors.
Initially, Alisa Freundlich’s health condition was assessed as stable and serious. However, at the beginning of January 2021, doctors reported that little progress was being made. According to them, now Alisa Freindlich has a noticeably reduced degree of lung damage.
Although the actress continued to work actively despite her advanced age, her health had already made itself felt. In 2011, she underwent intestinal surgery. It was connected with the consequences of smoking (Alice Brunovna started smoking when her mother died).
War years, blockade
Before the outbreak of World War II, Bruno Freundlich left for Tashkent with the theater. Then Alice's parents decided to separate. The girl stayed to live with her mother and grandmother. At that time, all of Bruno Freundlich’s relatives were expelled from Leningrad, and Alice’s uncle (Bruno’s brother) and his wife were shot.
Freundlich with his daughter Varya, father Bruno Arturovich and nephew Alexei (late 1970s)
In 1941, Alice went to school. A few days later the blockade of Leningrad began. Alisa Freindlich remembers that time as the worst. The girl managed to survive thanks to her grandmother, who gave the family portions of bread strictly on schedule. But still, this period greatly undermined the health of Alice and her mother, Ksenia Fedorovna. It was also difficult psychologically; the family was discussed because of their German origin. During the war, Ksenia worked as an accountant. The woman was unable to continue working in this specialty due to public pressure. Taking Alice, Ksenia left for Tallinn.
Biography of Alisa Freindlich
The biography of Alice Freundlich begins on December 8, 1934, because it was on this day and year that the future star of various films was born. She was born in the city of Leningrad, in the family of an actor, that is, from the very birth she already plunged into the creative atmosphere of the world of cinema. It must be said that the girl’s mother loved theater all her life, but played in it only at a young age. For some reason, her adult theater career did not take place; the woman worked as an accountant all her life.
But little Alice fell in love with the theater almost immediately, because at the age of three she attended her first theatrical performance. She was very impressed by what she saw on stage, and she began to constantly play “theater.” The little girl staged home plays, invented roles, composed stories, and so on. That is, she was actively producing life on the home stage.
Little Alice's parents decided to separate before the start of World War II. Most likely, this saved mother and daughter from repression, because at that time all hereditary Germans were persecuted (that’s exactly what her father was). Although the ex-husband himself managed to leave for another country, his relatives were not so lucky; some were arrested and repressed. The girl and her mother began to live with their paternal grandmother, who was a very good, sympathetic and kind person. Thanks to the food supplies that the old woman had then, they could not only hold on to life, but even share cereals with others. No one could yet imagine what horrors and hunger the war would bring.
When the hunger became unbearable, it was the grandmother who again took control of the situation. She strictly allocated the hours when she should eat, and prepared tolerable food from all sorts of ingredients that, at first glance, were unsuitable for food. Alice then spent her entire life gratefully remembering her grandmother’s efforts and directly saying that they survived only thanks to her. To escape the cold, they used furniture instead of firewood, that is, everything that came to hand, they did everything they could in order to survive.
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The most painful thing was to burn the books, but there was no choice. Little Freundlich had a hard time surviving the fact that they had to burn Leo Tolstoy’s collection, but otherwise they would have froze from the cold. Then the grandmother had to leave Leningrad, along with one of her daughters. Freundlich recalls that at the station there were huge cauldrons of boiled pasta, which froze from the severe frost. These pieces of dough were given to people for the journey, but the grandmother then gave her portion to the remaining women. This noble old lady died on the road before reaching her destination.
Despite the fact that the war was terrible, it was these terrible years that convinced Freundlich that one must always fight for life and smile no matter what. After the end of the war, the girl and her mother moved to Talin, where they lived for several years. But then they returned again to Leningrad, where Alisa went to sixth grade. At the same time, the girl’s father returned to Russia; he already had a new family. And although his new wife was against him seeing his daughter, Alice met with her dad secretly. He introduced her to his stepdaughter and the girls became friends. The future actress recalled these years as not the worst, because she communicated with peers with whom she constantly played theater. Theatrical activity remained the main thing in life for her.
Return to civilian life, study
Freundlich lived in Estonia for three years, and then she and her mother returned to the Northern capital. Bruno Freundlich, who by that time already had a new wife and child, also moved to Leningrad. Ksenia Fedorovna was not against Alice communicating with dad. But Bruno’s second wife categorically opposed these meetings. Alice's half-sister didn't even know about her existence.
Freundlich in his youth and now
As a schoolgirl, Alisa took an active part in a theater group led by Soviet actress Maria Prizvan-Sokolova. Thanks to this teacher, Alisa Freindlich learned the basics of acting and easily entered the Theater Institute. A. Ostrovsky.
Children of Alisa Freindlich
The children of Alisa Freundlich are her only daughter, who was born in her second marriage. From early childhood she knew that she would become an actress, because with such a star mother it could not have been otherwise. Due to the fact that Alice was constantly busy, she was not always able to devote enough time and attention to her daughter.
At one time, the girl lagged behind in her studies in many subjects, but this did not stop her from becoming an actress. She starred in several feature films and plays in the same theater with her mother. Now she is an adult woman who is married and has children. So she also succeeded as an actress, mother and wife. Daughter and mother are mutually proud of each other's achievements.
Work in the theater
Having successfully graduated from the university, Alisa received an invitation to work at the Drama Theater. Komissarzhevskaya. According to the memoirs of the actress herself, it was here that she went through a real theater and life school. Freundlich was given only those roles that the theater's prima Emma Popova refused. Alisa Brunovna was worried a lot, but it was this experience that greatly helped her in her future work. On the stage of the Komissarzhevskaya Theater, the young actress played more than ten different roles.
Alisa Freindlich - Lady Milford in the play "Cunning and Love", 1990
Since 1961, the artist began to serve at the Academic Theater. Lensovet. Here her acting talent was truly appreciated. Alisa Freindlich became the leading actress of the theater. When choosing the repertoire, the artistic director was guided specifically by Alisa Brunovna’s individuality.
In 1983, Freundlich became an actress at the Bolshoi Drama Theater. M. Gorky. There she played leading roles in the plays “Cunning and Love”, “One Summer”, “Lessons in Tango and Love”, “Macbeth”, “Uncle’s Dream”, “California Suite” and many others.
Personal life
The actress’s first marriage took place with classmate Vladimir Karasev
. In the third year they got married, but the marriage ended with the end of their studies at the institute.
The second marriage also broke up. Freundlich's chosen one was the director of the Lensoviet Theater Igor Vladimirov
. The husband was much older than Alice, but creative differences destroyed the family. From this marriage, Alisa Brunovna had a daughter, Varvara.
The third marriage, which lasted twelve years in Freundlich’s personal life, did not bring happiness to the actress. Frequent scandals due to the failures of Yuri Solovyov
, as an artist, interfered with the work of Alisa Brunovna, who at that time was already successful and recognized in her work. Freundlich's daughter is also an actress; she and her mother play on the stage of the same theater. Growing grandchildren Nikita and Anna are already expressing their desire to follow the example of their grandmother and mother into actors. Here is such a difficult biographical story of a famous and beloved actress.
Film work
In the cinema, unlike the theater, Alisa Freindlich was initially not very lucky. The directors did not give the actress leading roles, but invited her only to small episodic work. Freundlich’s first film work was a role in the film “The Unfinished Tale,” where the actress was not even listed in the credits. This was followed by filming in the films “The Immortal Song”, “Striped Flight”, “12 Chairs” and “The Dentist’s Adventures”.
Alisa Freindlich as a bride on the set of the film “The Adventures of a Dentist”
Vasily Lanovoy and Innokenty Smoktunovsky became Freundlich’s partners on the set . The artist also worked with Smoktunovsky on the dubbing of the film “Dangerous Age” and on the set of the children’s fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” This was followed by a role in another film adaptation of Andersen’s work, “The Secret of the Snow Queen.”
In 1974, Alisa Freindlich played the role of the Baroness in the comedy “The Straw Hat.” She was accompanied on the set by Mikhail Kozakov, Andrei Mironov and Sergei Boyarsky.
In 1975, the actress starred in the film “ Agony ”. The film, which tells the story of the controversial historical character Grigory Rasputin, was passed by Soviet censors only on the 4th attempt.
Alisa Freindlich in different years
"Love affair at work"
Alisa Freindlich gained real national popularity with her role as Lyudmila Kulagina in Eldar Ryazanov’s lyrical comedy “Office Romance” in 1977. At first they didn’t want to let the actress leave the theater for filming, but Ryazanov managed to personally persuade the theater management to allow Alisa Brunovna to star in his film.
Alisa Freindlich studied the role of “Mymra” at night, but it was worth it: the next morning after the film’s release, the actress woke up famous. Freundlich herself selected her heroine’s wardrobe and came up with her gait and gestures. As a result, she managed to brilliantly embody two different women in one: a strict boss and a spectacular woman. In the film, Alisa Freindlich herself performed several songs that have already become hits, and phrases from the film have entered the speech of many generations of television viewers. In addition to Alisa Brunovna, the following wonderful actors starred in “Office Romance”: Andrei Myagkov, Oleg Basilashvili, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Liya Akhedzhakova.
Alisa Freindlich in the film “Office Romance”
Family of Alisa Freindlich
Today, Alisa Freundlich’s family is herself, her beloved daughter Varvara, her daughter’s husband, and grandchildren. And although Alice lives separately from them, not wanting to interfere with another family, she believes that she is part of it. This is how it turns out, because the relatives are proud of the famous mother and grandmother, who managed not only to go through the horrors of war, but was also able to make her dream of becoming an actress come true.
Freundlich regularly sees his daughter and grandchildren, and sometimes calls his ex-husband from his third marriage. So you can’t call her lonely, she’s happy in her own world.
Continuation of film career
In 1978, the actress played an equally striking and significant role - Queen Anne of Austria in The Three Musketeers . According to Freundlich’s recollections, at first it was difficult for her to get used to the image of the queen, but the director’s explanations helped determine the character and style of behavior of her heroine.
This was followed by roles in the films “Old-Fashioned Comedy”, “Comedy of Errors”, “Everyday Life and Holidays of Serafima Glyukina”, “Dowry”, etc.
Alisa Freindlich in the theater
In the nineties, the actress's film career stagnated. In 1993, she took part in the filming of the sequel to The Musketeers, but the film did not become popular. The actress also starred in the film “Moscow Evenings” directed by Todorovsky. For the main role in this film, Freundlich was awarded the Nika Prize.
In 2004, Alisa Brunovna returned to the screens in the film “On Verkhnyaya Maslovka”. The actor Yevgeny Mironov kept her company in this film. The role of Anna Borisovna, an 87-year-old sculptor, brought Freundlich her second Nika Award.
2008 brought the actress work in the following films: “Marevo” and “Vasilievsky Island”.
In 2009, Freundlich again took part in the filming of the film “Return of the Musketeers.” And even 30 years after the release of the first film adaptation of Dumas’s work, the actress brilliantly played the role of the proud Spanish queen. Also in 2009, Alisa Brunovna played the role of the mother of the poet Joseph Brodsky in the film “One and a Half Rooms, or a Sentimental Journey to the Homeland.”
Freundlich in the play “A Film Story with One Intermission”, 1984
In 2014, the actress played one of the main roles in the melodramatic film “Martha’s Line.” At the same time, Alisa Brunovna took part in the filming of the “Evening Urgant” as a guest. In the program, the artist shared some intimate memories.
In 2015 and 2021, the actress did not have new projects. Dispelling rumors about her departure from the profession, Alisa Freindlikh appeared on screen in 2021 as a strict teacher at a choreographic school in the dramatic film “Bolshoi,” directed by Valery Todorovsky.
The actress is also known for her talent for reciting poetry, and not just for playing roles. There are recordings where Freundlich soulfully reads monologues and poems by Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, and Rozhdestvensky. For a long time, the main sign of acting was considered to be reading poetry. This is exactly the task that applicants receive when entering theater universities.
The artist felt the “Monologue of a Woman” by Robert Rozhdestvensky so much that some listeners seriously decided that Freundlich herself wrote these lines.
Alisa Freindlikh and her third husband Yuri Solovey during the performance
Personal life of the actress
The actress first married during her student years to Vladimir Karasev , her classmate. When the young people were in their third year, they decided to get married. The newlyweds began to live in Freundlich's apartment. But by the end of their studies the couple separated.
Alisa Freindlikh and second husband Igor Vladimirov
The second husband of the artist was her director from the theater. Lensovet - Igor Vladimirov. The man was 16 years older than Alice. Creative mentoring grew into an office romance, and then into a family. In this marriage, Alisa Brunovna had a daughter, Varvara . However, this relationship also ended due to various creative problems and disagreements.
For the third time, the actress married the artist Yuri Solovyov. The couple lived together for 12 years. There were often scandals in the family: due to professional unfulfillment, Yuri felt inferior to his successful wife and often caused scandals.
Freundlich's daughter Varvara also became an actress and now plays in the same theater with her famous mother, while doing business at the same time. Alisa Brunovna has grandchildren: Nikita and Anna. The son-in-law of the great artist, Senator Sergei Tarasov, died tragically in 2009.
Alisa Freindlich with her daughter
Anna became a producer and married actor Alexei Myshinsky. Nikita also decided to continue the creative dynasty and works as a director. Alisa Brunovna even starred in her grandson’s film “Frostbitten Carp.” The actress’s partners on the set were Marina Neyolova and Evgeny Mironov. Nikita Vladimirov (his grandson Freundlich works under this name) even mortgaged his own apartment for the production of the film. As a result, the painting was awarded high awards and the money spent on its creation was reimbursed.
Personal life of Alisa Freindlich
There were three marriages in Alisa Freindlich's biography. Her first husband was fellow student Vladimir Karasev. They got married when Alisa Freindlich was 22 years old, but a year later the newlyweds divorced.
The second husband of the actress was theater director and actor Igor Vladimirov. They lived together for about 20 years. In this marriage, Alisa Freindlich had a daughter, Varvara. Due to their busy schedule, the parents did not spend much time with the child, who was looked after by a nanny.
Although the girl, who bore her father's surname, did not have the best grades, she was able to enter LGITMiK, after which she starred in a number of films. She married Sergei Tarasov, who was at one time the head of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, and later a senator from the Northern capital.
In her marriage to Tarasov, Varvara gave birth to two children: a son, Nikita, and a daughter, Anna. Although Varvara and Sergei eventually separated, Alisa Brunovna remained on good terms with her son-in-law. Evidence of this may be the fact that in 2009 she canceled her anniversary concert when she learned of Tarasov’s death in the Nevsky Express explosion.
Freundlich divorced Vladimirov in the early 80s. According to her, the reason was that her husband was attracted to other women and liked to drink.
Freundlich's third husband was the artist Yuri Solovey, who was 15 years younger than the actress. They lived together until 1990. The family of Alice and Yuri, according to Freindlich, fell apart due to the fact that the husband was very reflective on the topic that his wife was more successful than himself.
The separation was accompanied by the fact that Alice communicated with the authorities so that her ex-husband would be given an apartment. However, Solovey soon married actress Rimma Shibaeva and moved to Israel.
