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Natalya Gundareva is a great Soviet theater and film actress, for whom there was nothing more important in life than her profession. For the sake of art, Gundareva sacrificed a lot and did not spare her own health. She reached the heights of fame and found personal happiness in her third marriage, but a sudden serious illness ruined her career and caused her to leave at the age of 56.
Natalya Gundareva. Photo stuki-druki.com
Childhood
Natalya was born in Moscow on August 28, 1948. Her parents, Georgy Makarovich and Elena Mikhailovna Gundarev , worked as engineers. They divorced when their daughter was in the 5th grade, and Elena Mikhailovna and Natasha were left alone. In early childhood, the girl dreamed of ballet, but being a very well-fed child, she soon realized that this was unattainable for her. In high school, she began studying at the Theater of Young Muscovites at the Palace of Pioneers, where she met and became friends with Vitya Pavlov , who later became a famous actor.
Natasha Gundareva in childhood. Photo dayofru.com
From that time on, Natasha no longer thought about anything other than the theater. But her mother had other plans for her future. She wanted her daughter to receive a technical education and, following her example, become a design engineer. The girl went to evening school and got a job as a draftswoman in a design bureau to earn experience for entering a construction institute.
Twist of fate
But, despite her boundless love for the theater, Natalya did not intend to become an actress.
She believed that this was a simple childhood hobby. Like her mother, she wanted to become a civil engineer. After the 10th grade, in 1964, Natalya went to evening school and began working as a draftswoman in a design bureau, where she was engaged in a difficult task - the reconstruction of ceramic factories. Two years later she became the assistant to the chief engineer of the project. How the idols left: Natalya Gundareva A little later, in 1967, Natalya Gundareva went to preparatory courses at a technical university - the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering. She had already successfully passed the first entrance exams, and then... Unexpectedly for everyone, she decided to give up everything she had started and try her luck at her favorite theater. It’s good that my mother went on vacation then. Gundareva submitted documents to ShchukU, passed the exams brilliantly and got into the course led by Yu.V. Katin-Yartsev. Purposeful imagination, tenacious visual memory and observation skills from the first student tests distinguished Gundareva from other listeners. And one more very important character trait distinguished Natalya from the rest - a sober, sometimes critical attitude towards herself, a desire to overcome her own shortcomings and weaknesses.
How a childhood friend influenced Gundareva’s fate
But she never got into MISS. Pavlov, who had already finished “Sliver” and was working at the Ermolova Theater, convinced Natasha “not to bury her dramatic talent,” but to become an actress. In 1967, Gundareva, having overcome a huge competition (250 people per place), entered the Shchukin Theater School in the workshop of Yuri Katin-Yartsev . Among her classmates were such future stars as Yuri Bogatyrev , Vyacheslav Tikhonov , Natalya Varley , Konstantin Raikin .
Natasha's extraordinary abilities and hard work quickly promoted her to the ranks of the best students. She played so brilliantly in educational productions that people started talking about the aspiring actress. When Gundareva completed her studies, she was invited to work by 4 famous theaters at once: Vakhtangov and Mayakovsky, Sovremennik and the Moscow Art Theater. Natalya chose Mayakovka and remained faithful to it all her life.
Theater: which of the two great actresses - Doronina and Gundareva - turned out to be the strongest
Work in the Tatras began for Natalia with extras and episodes, and then, by the will of circumstances, she was lucky enough to play the role of Lipochka in the play “Bankrupt” based on Ostrovsky’s play “Our People - We Will Be Numbered.” Gundareva was in the second cast when the actress playing the role of the main character suddenly fell ill. Artistic director Andrei Goncharov took the risk of trusting yesterday’s graduate, and he was not mistaken: Natalya made a splash in the theater capital!
Natalya Gundareva. "Bankrupt"
From that moment on, her career took off, and by the end of the 70s, Gundareva became Goncharov’s favorite and the prima of the troupe. This place was occupied for a long time by another famous actress - Tatyana Doronina . Two strong and powerful women could not get along under the same theatrical roof. According to their common stage colleague Tatyana Vasilyeva , once at a rehearsal “Natasha punched Tatyana Vasilievna in the face, there was such hand-to-hand combat.” Doronina went to the Moscow Art Theater.
Tatyana Doronina and Natalya Gundareva. Photo utro.ru
Many colleagues complained about Natalya’s difficult character, but not all. For example, Igor Kostolevsky believed that only a very good reason could provoke Gundareva to be rude, and Evgenia Simonova always admired her spiritual generosity and nobility. One should not discount the elementary envy of her talent and fame. They also envied the fact that Goncharov never raised his voice to Natalya, while he did not stand on ceremony with the rest of the actors.
Each performance with the participation of Gundareva became an event in the cultural life of Moscow. Any psychological images were available to her - from the frivolous hotel owner Mirandolina in the comedy “The Innkeeper” based on the play by Carlo Goldoni, to the villainess Katerina Izmailova in the tragedy “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” based on the story by Nikolai Leskov. The role of Katerina was recognized as the best theatrical work of the actress, and the performance, which ran for 13 years with constant success, was recognized as the most significant production in the history of Mayakovka.
How did Gundareva’s film career develop?
Natalia's career in cinema was no less successful than in the theater. Her real debut is considered to be the role of the barmaid Nadyusha in Vitaly Melnikov’s lyrical comedy “Hello and Farewell” (1972), where she was invited thanks to the same Viktor Pavlov (he played Vaska the Senor, Nadyusha’s lover). The image of an unlucky village beauty, who cannot marry the violent Vaska, was very popular with television viewers. But Gundareva, who had been embarrassed by her weight since childhood, was horrified when she saw herself on the screen (in the future, she would decide to undergo plastic surgery, which would have the most dire consequences for her health).
Natalya Gundareva. “Hello and Farewell” 1972
National fame came to Natalya after the release of the melodrama “Sweet Woman” , directed by Vladimir Fetin, . Here she for the first time played the main role of Anna Dobrokhotova - a mercantile, limited woman who, in pursuit of momentary benefits, missed all the most important things in her life (other main roles were played by Oleg Yankovsky and Pyotr Velyaminov ). According to the results of polls by the magazine “Soviet Screen”, Gundareva was recognized as the best actress of the year for this work.
Natalya Gundareva. “Sweet Woman” 1977
The new celebrity received a flurry of directorial offers. One after another, wonderful Soviet films were released in which Gundareva played leading roles: “Truffaldino from Bergamo” (the maid Smeraldina), “Citizen Nikanorova is waiting for you” (Katerina), “Autumn Marathon” (Nina Buzykina), one of the last films with the participation of Oleg Dahl “Vacation in September” (Sayapin’s wife), “Once upon a time, twenty years later” (Nadya Kruglova), “Singles are provided with a hostel” (Vera) and many others.
Natalya Gundareva and Konstantin Raikin. “Truffaldino from Bergamo” 1977
Natalya Gundareva. “Citizen Nikanorova is waiting for you” 1978
Natalya Gundareva and Oleg Basilashvili. “Autumn Marathon” 1979
Natalya Gundareva. “Singles are provided with a hostel” 1983
Natalya Gundareva. “Once Upon a Time, Twenty Years Later” 1980
The popularity of the actress was incredible, titles and awards rained down on her like from a cornucopia, and then the 90s came. The crisis in cinema affected even an actress of such stature as Gundareva. She continued to act, but the quantity and, most importantly, the quality of films produced in those years decreased significantly.
In my opinion, of Natalya’s subsequent works, the most striking is the historical television series “Petersburg Mysteries” , based on Krestovsky’s novel “Petersburg Slums”, where she superbly (as always) played the role of Countess Shadurskaya (1994-98). An exciting plot and a wonderful cast ( Nikolai Karachentsev, Pavel Rakov, Mikhail Filippov, Elena Yakovleva, Lidiya Fedoseeva-Shukshina , etc.) return the viewer to the times of that cinema that was capable of creating masterpieces.
Natalya Gundareva. “Petersburg secrets” 1994-98
The last film in which Natalya starred was the comedy “Criminal Tango” (2003), which was never released due to disagreements between the producers.
Films and theater
The first few years of her theatrical career, the actress played mainly roles in productions of the theater's current repertoire. The first significant role of Natalya Gundareva took place in 1974 in the play “Bankrupt”. Then both viewers and critics started talking about the actress in the image of Lipochka. Then there were the productions “Running” and “I’m Standing at the Restaurant,” which, thanks to Gundareva, were always an event in society and attracted stunning sold-out crowds.
Gundareva began acting in films back in 1966 and played her first role in the film “Khmyr”. At the same time, the role of a barmaid in the film “Hello and Farewell” brought triumph to the young actress in cinema. After that, Natalya Georgievna starred in many films, in particular, “Autumn”, “Wounded Animals”, “Autumn Marathon”, “Sweet Woman”. After a stunning performance in “Sweet Woman,” where the actress simultaneously portrayed on the screen the images of three women and their fates, in 1977, according to a survey by the magazine “Soviet Screen,” Natalya Gundareva was recognized as the best actress of the year.
In 1979 she played the main role in the play “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”. Director Andrei Goncharov wanted to make this production back in the 50s, but the idea failed. Goncharov later said that it was only because in the 50s he did not have Gundareva, and no other actress would have pulled off the role of Katerina Lvovna. This performance brought particular success to Natalya Georgievna and became a landmark both for her and for the Theater. Mayakovsky. The play ran regularly for 13 years.
Published by Bermet Chynybek Kyzy Monday, September 28, 2015
Natalya Gundareva in her youth
Already at the beginning of 1980, Natalya Georgievna became a sought-after and popularly loved actress. Each of her roles fully revealed to the audience all the facets of her talent and won the hearts of the audience with her naturalness and sincerity.
In 1983, Natalya received the main role in Samson Samsonov’s film “The Singles Are Provided with a Hostel.” Gundareva played a lonely woman who became a “matchmaker” for all her friends. Despite the fact that Gundareva’s heroine forgot about her personal life, the film had a romantic ending, and the woman found her future husband, played by Alexander Mikhailov. The film touched on the important social topic of female loneliness.
In the same year, the actress’s other film, “The Mistress of the Orphanage,” was released. In it, the director raised an even more serious topic - the issue of abandoned children. The actress began to receive many letters and thanks from viewers from all over the country.
In the early 90s, colleagues and acquaintances began to notice Natalya Georgievna’s health problems, which manifested themselves in regular hypertensive crises. This, of course, affected Gundareva’s creative biography, as it became difficult for her to work at such a rhythm. But the actress did not quit her job.
Published by Anna Gribova Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Natalya Gundareva and Lyudmila Zaitseva
In the 90s, the main actresses were no longer ordinary Russian women, but high-ranking noblewomen. Natalya played Lady Hamilton in the production of “Victoria?..” and Princess Shadurskaya in the serial film “St. Petersburg Secrets”. And in 1991 she appeared in the role of Elizabeth in the film “Vivat, Midshipmen!”
In 2001, Natalya also played her last film role, appearing on television in the image of Vasilisa Savvichna in the TV series “Salome”. In the same year, the actress received a role in “Kabala Svyatosh” on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov. Natalya was very happy to play an interesting character in a famous group, but still rejected this offer, deciding to remain faithful to her native theater.
Gundareva could not betray director Goncharov, who revealed and polished her acting talent. According to another version, the actress at first agreed and took rehearsals seriously, but could not come to terms with the established order in the theater and, in the end, refused the role.
Gundareva’s last work in the theater was the role of Lettice in the production of “Elisir of Love.”
Personal life
Gundareva never advertised her personal life, considering this to be the lot of those who, unable to express themselves in art, earn cheap popularity from scandalous publications. She was officially married three times.
Natalya's first husband was the famous theater director Leonid Kheifetz, who was 14 years older than her. He invited the young actress to play the role of Marfenka in the television adaptation of “The Cliff” . During filming, a romance broke out between them, which ended in marriage. Gundareva’s career was taking off, invitations followed without interruption, so when Natalya learned about her pregnancy, she was not happy. She was not yet ready to become a mother and had an abortion. This decision cost her dearly - she had no more children.
Leonid Kheifetz. Photo maly.ru
Relations with her husband gradually went wrong due to the extreme employment of the actress; moreover, Leonid, being a sociable and hospitable person, often invited his colleagues to the house. Gundareva did not have enough physical strength to combine intense creative activity with night gatherings. Their marriage, which lasted 6 years, broke up in the late 70s.
For the second time, Natalya married her stage colleague Viktor Koreshkov. Their relationship began while working on the play “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” where both played the main roles. For her sake, Victor left his wife, actress Natalya Khorokhorina. But the marriage with Gundareva also turned out to be fleeting: a year later she caught her husband in adultery and kicked him out.
Viktor Koreshkov and Natalya Gundareva. “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”
Of course, Natalya had affairs, but she was catastrophically unlucky - mostly they were enterprising young people who used the famous actress for their own mercantile interests. Gundareva earned good money and was a very generous person.
Gundareva's last love
Only at the age of 38 did Natalya manage to build a happy marriage. her third husband, actor Mikhail Filippov , since the time when she was married to Kheifitz, and Mikhail was married to the daughter of Secretary General Andropov, Irina. Mikhail also worked at Mayakovka (he came there in 1973). They had mutual friends, so they often crossed paths in non-work settings. Gradually, mutual sympathy arose between the actors, which over time turned into deep feelings. Finally, Gundareva met a worthy man - reliable and devoted, capable of not only taking, but also giving. Now Natalya really wanted to have a child, but the operation she underwent in her youth forever deprived her of the joy of motherhood.
Natalya Gundareva and Mikhail Filippov. Photo kino-teatr.ru
Personal life of Natalia Gundareva
Like her career, Natalya Gundareva’s personal life was bright, full of emotions, but not always joyful and happy. The famous film actress managed to be married three times. But she did not have children in any marriage. All her husbands were from the world of cinema and theater; later Natalya Gundareva realized that it was very difficult for two creative personalities to get along side by side. She chose her partners very strangely; they were all not of her level. This was very noticeable from the outside, and later the actress herself noticed it and realized it with sadness.
Last years of life, illness
Gundareva never paid enough attention to her health: she worked extremely hard and smoked a lot. According to her colleagues, it happened that she went on stage with such high blood pressure that urgent hospitalization was necessary. In July 2001, when the actress was relaxing at her dacha near Dedovsk, she was struck by a massive stroke (there is an opinion that the plastic surgery that Natalya had done two years earlier played an important role in the misfortune that befell her).
At the Sklifosovsky Institute, she was literally pulled out of the other world, and a few days later she was transported to the Burdenko Neurosurgery Research Institute. When Gundareva came out of her coma, she lost the ability to speak. It took the actress almost a year to recover her speech and partial muscle activity.
Natalya and her family have already begun to hope that the disease has subsided. In the summer of 2002, she was discharged from the hospital, began to move independently and dreamed of returning to the stage. But the day after her 54th birthday, Gundareva suffered another stroke. The doctors saved her life again, but now they couldn’t count on a full recovery. Sparing the patient's feelings, her relatives did not tell her about the true state of affairs. She continued to believe that she could return to a full existence.
Not seeing positive results in treatment, the actress turned to alternative medicine. This didn't help either. In 2003, she had a third stroke. Gundareva spent the remaining two years of her life mostly in hospitals.
For all 4 years, Mikhail and Natalya fought her illness. He did everything possible to ease her suffering and looked after his wife better than any nurse.
Natalya Georgievna died in the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexis on May 15, 2005 . She was only 56 years old. The cause of death was pulmonary artery blockage. This time, the doctors could not save her...
The funeral service for the beloved People's Actress took place on May 18 in the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on Uspensky Vrazhek, and the civil funeral service took place in the Mayakovsky Theater, to which Gundareva gave 30 years of her life. Gundareva was buried at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery.
Mikhail Filippov at his wife's grave. Photo: nash-dvor.livejournal.com
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