Cinderella for all times. Yanina Zheimo (20 photos)

Childhood in the circus arena

In 1909, in Volkovysk, at that time still part of Poland, a girl, Yanina, was born. Her fate was predetermined before birth. Yanina’s parents were circus performers; from an early age, children were introduced to the art of performing in public. Little Yanina, along with her brother and four sisters, actively performed in the circus. The girl first entered the arena at the age of 3.

Her father taught her:

• ride a circus horse;
• juggle objects
• perform various gymnastic tricks,
• dance on pointe shoes,
• work in several musical genres.

The girl became a versatile circus performer who successfully toured with her family. At the age of 13, Yanina began teaching dancing to girls. Tutoring was a joy for her, although most of the students were much older than Yanina.

Yanina Zheimo's childhood

Yanina Boleslavovna Zheimo was born on May 29, 1909 in the city of Volkovysk, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire, and is now part of the Grodno region of Belarus. The father was Pole, and the mother was Russian. Her parents were circus performers, Yanina became their fourth daughter. Father Boleslav Zheimo was the leader of a troupe of circus acrobats. Together with her parents, the girl performed in the circus from the age of three - as a musical eccentric, gymnast, horsewoman and ballerina, and also gave paid ballet lessons to students much older than herself.

Yanina Zheimo - Cinderella of Soviet cinema After a long illness, Boleslav Zheimo died in 1923, and the mother was left alone with her daughters. They could no longer work in the circus, since their father was the “core” of their act. The family moved to Petrograd, where they began to conquer the stage. Yanina and her sister Elya learned to play the xylophones and, together with their mother, created the musical troupe “Zeymo Trio”. Their number “Musical Eccentrics” was a great success with the audience.

Yanina Zheimo wrote about this period of her life: “It’s strange, until I was 14 years old I grew normally, and then... I’m sure that my growth stopped because I had to wear heavy xylophones on my head, I wore them so that my hands wouldn’t get tired.” .

First steps to success

The circus troupe of the Zheimo family rested on its founder, Yanina’s father. In 1923 he died. The death of the head of the family led to the disintegration of the troupe. The girl’s mother took the children from Volkovysk and moved with them to St. Petersburg in search of a better life.

In the movie "22 Misfortunes"

Circus performers did not give up their favorite pastime. They called their small team “Zeymo Trio”. Yanina constantly worked with heavy xylophones. Due to heavy lifting at a young age, the girl experienced growth retardation. The circus performer grew until she was 14 years old, then her growth stopped.

Petite Yanina, with a height of 148 centimeters, evoked affection among the public. In parallel with her artistic activities, the girl attended acting classes, preparing for a new path for herself. Yanina made the necessary investment in her life, because after completing the course, interesting prospects loomed before Thumbelina.

Yanina Zheimo's film debut

In 1924, Yanina entered the Leningrad film factory “Eccentric Film Actor Factory”, where she studied in an acting studio under the guidance of famous directors Leonid Trauberg and Grigory Kozintsev. At that time, her acting experience was 12 years - significantly more than that of her managers, which shocked them.

In 1925, Yanina Zheimo made her film debut in the film “Mishki vs. Yudenich” in the role of Mishka. On the set of the film, she met actor Andrei Kostrichkin, who became her first husband. In their marriage, they had a daughter, named after her mother Yanina. However, the marriage soon broke up.

In 1926, Zheimo played the main role in the comedy “Brother” directed by Kozintsev and Trauberg.

Yanina Zheimo in the film “22 Misfortunes”. 1930

In 1929, Yanina Zheimo graduated from FEKS, a place where “eccentric” actors were “made.” The thirties became the happiest period in the actress’s work; directors actively invited her to act in films. In 1934, she got the main role of a schoolgirl in the film “Wake up Helen.”

After the release of the film “Girlfriends,” where the actress played the role of Asya, nicknamed Button, enthusiastic spectators flooded the film studio with letters containing the simple address: “Lenfilm, Button.” Fans followed her in droves.

A still from their film “Hot Days.” 1935

1938 was a bad year for Yanina Zheimo. She appeared in a small role in just one film, and her other two films were put on hold. Because of this, this year the actress met her new love - director Joseph Kheifits, who became her second husband. They had a son, Julius, who later became a cinematographer.

On February 1, 1939, Yanina Zheimo was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for her role as Asya in the film Girlfriends.

Yanina Zheimo with children

In cinema

His short stature and innocent face with doll-like eyes instantly attracted the attention of Soviet television directors. The first role was unexpected for the actress. She had to play a boy, since there was no young actor, and Yanina was the right height. After her debut, famous directors literally began to tear the actress apart.

In the film "Cinderella"

Zheimo starred in a number of films:

• "Overcoat";
• "Brother";
• "S.V.D.";
• "One";
• "New Babylon";
• "Someone else's jacket";
• "Blue Express"

Filming in two parts of the film about Lenochka was an interesting experience for Yanina. The actress, aged 26, played a 13-year-old girl, Lena. She managed to cope brilliantly with the role. After the release of the film “Girlfriends,” Zheimo expected fame, love from fans, and tons of letters of confession.

War films and patriotic films were especially successful for the actress.

The film “Cinderella” became the actress’s calling card. 37-year-old Zheimo played young Cinderella, despite the fact that the role was originally intended for a famous ballerina. The filmmakers saw in Yanina something that was not present in a professional dancer.

In the movie "Two Friends"

The only film where Zheimo played an older woman was the film “Two Friends”. It is noteworthy that the film was the last for the actress. She flatly refused to act in film, rejected the directors’ offers, saying that from now on she would only do voice acting.

Many people remember Zheimo’s voice in the cartoon “The Snow Queen”. The woman voiced Gerda. The actress has a lot of work on dubbing foreign films. The work brought pleasure to the actress. Due to her short stature, the woman could not reach the microphone. They came up with a special stool for her to place next to the microphone. Yanina affectionately called her “Jaymovochka.”

short biography

1. In the twenties, creative life was in full swing in Leningrad. Disputes were held, film workshops were opened - young people were captivated by the new revolutionary art. Thousands of boys and girls wanted to “study to be actors,” and Zheimo decided that she needed to study and work. Yanya entered FEKS (the factory of the eccentric actor), where the acting studio was led by Leonid Trauberg and Grigory Kozintsev . The girl is 15 years old and has 12 years . Brave and talented, she won over the selection committee. Anna did not forbid her daughter to attend classes, but it was impossible to do without Janechka’s participation in family performances.
2. 1925 Zheimo played a boy in the film “Bears against Yudenich ,” and participation in it brought disappointment to the aspiring actress. Yana didn’t like everything – how she looked, how she moved. Dreams about cinema were crushed... After much thought, Yanina leaves the studio. Grigory Kozintsev convinced her to return.
3. In 1926-29, Yanina starred in Kozintsev’s films “The Overcoat” and “Ferris Wheel” .
4. In 1929, Zheimo graduated from FOBS .
5. In 1934, the sound film “Song of Happiness” . For this role, critics called Yanya “a master of plastic drawing.”
6. The 30s brought real success to the actress. Yanya starred in a whole series of films with one heroine, playing the girl Lenochka. In the films “Wake Up Helen” and “Helen and the Grapes,” children and teenagers starred with her, and they did not suspect that the actress was already 26 years old.
7. The next significant event was the filming of the film “Girlfriends,” filmed in 1935 based on the story “The First Komsomol Women” by Raisa Vasilyeva. The main roles were played by Zoya Fedorova and Valentina Telegina, the role of Asya the Button went to Zheimo. She prepared especially carefully for the work, even drawing a diagram of the role, thinking through each episode. "Girlfriends" was a great success, although the actress's deep psychological work was not appreciated.
8. In 1940, the film “The Adventures of Korzinkina” , filmed, like the films about Lenochka, in the eccentric genre with a constant heroine. Yanina could have become a master of such short films, but the war began.
9. In the summer of 1941, Yanina with her newborn son Yuli and daughter were relaxing at the Lenfilm dacha. The actress's second husband, Joseph Kheifits , was sent to Mongolia. Later, the children were evacuated, and Yanina lived in Leningrad throughout the blockade. The seven-room apartment became a shelter for the homeless, Zheimo herself organized duty on the roofs, extinguished incendiary bombs, and gave concerts in hospitals.
10. Only after breaking the blockade, in 1943, the actress managed to leave for Uzbekistan. At the Tashkent film studio, Yanina starred in the films “We are from the Urals” and “March - April” .
11. 1946 Having gone through many life trials, Yanina returned to Leningrad. Here she met with director Nadezhda Kosheverova . The actress was waiting for her most important role - Cinderella . Success in the new film was predicted by Mikhail Zoshchenko, and even the prospect of such a role greatly inspired Yanya. The actress knew that she would cope with the work, although many discouraged her from participating in the film. The approval for the main role also took a long time, because Cinderella is 16 years old, Zheimo is 36, and besides, his wife was also competing for the role of Cinderella, a young ballerina. But Yanechka, as her loved ones called her, already knew how to take a blow; it was not in her character to give up. Cinderella is meek, but cheerful, defenseless, but strong, and this is the image the actress wanted to create. Evgeny Schwartz himself helped me get the role. The film was a huge success!
12. After “Cinderella,” there were almost no offers to act; Yanina was offered only minor roles .
13. In 1949-1956, the actress worked in the Film Actor studio and at Lenfilm. With her husband Leon Jeannot they move to Moscow. Zheimo works in film dubbing; Gerda speaks in the voice of the actress in the cartoon “The Snow Queen” . She played her last role at the age of 45, the film was called “Two Friends.”
14. In 1957, the family left for Poland. With her husband Leon and son Julius Kheifits, they lived in Warsaw ; their daughter came from Moscow. Zheimo was not filming, recording her memories. The couple came to Moscow and visited friends in Leningrad and Repino.
15. On December 29, 1987, Yanina Boleslavovna died in Warsaw, she was buried in Moscow.

Personal life

The actress was not particularly lucky with her first husband. The girl met Andrei Kostrichkin on the set. The romance was short-lived. The young married and gave birth to a daughter. Life flowed calmly and measuredly until Zheimo found out about her husband’s gambling addiction.

Kostrichkin began disappearing at night, taking things out of the house, trying to win back. Fear for her own life and pity for her daughter forced Zheimo to leave her husband, a gambling addict. The second husband is also directly related to the world of cinema.

In the film “Belarusian Novels”

Director Joseph Khaifits saved the actress’s wounded heart and gave him a beautiful son, Julius. The actress loved her second husband madly and was jealous for good reason. Joseph cheated on his wife during the evacuation. He was informed about the death of his wife, after which he became involved with another woman.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Yanina could not do anything. She left her husband without hesitation, because he had a new life. The divorce and the second betrayal shook the health of the fragile Yanina Boleslavovna. The actress began to confuse words, got lost on familiar streets, and had difficulty reading.

Depression affected Zheimo's brain. The doctors shrugged their shoulders and could not make a diagnosis. Soon a doctor of alternative medicine was found who personally prepared medicine for the patient. He assured Zheimo that daily use of the mixture would save the actress from depression and its consequences.

After completing the course, the doctor guaranteed a complete cure. This is what happened, but the doctor admitted that he applied the “placebo effect” to the patient, forcing the woman’s body to heal itself.

Ioannina with children

Some time later, Zheimo met the love of her life. Director Leonid Zhannot lived with his wife until the end of his life. They went to Poland together - the homeland of the actress’s father.

Interesting Facts

• Yanina's daughter followed in her mother's footsteps. The woman was an excellent voice-over artist for foreign films and worked with live broadcasts using simultaneous translation. Son Julius became a famous cameraman.
• The actress lived in besieged Leningrad during the war.
• Zheimo had 31 foot size.
• Daughter Yanina gave birth to a daughter, who was named Yanina in honor of her mother and grandmother. The girl began dubbing films with her mother.
• Zheimo’s great-granddaughter was traditionally named Yanina.
• In 1939, the actress received an award for her roles in the movie “Badge of Honor.”
• As a child, the girl was on the verge of life and death three times. She was seriously ill with diphtheria, typhus, and fell from a horse. Each time the baby was saved.
• Yanina did not like her own appearance in the movies. After the release of the first film with her participation, the girl was disappointed in herself. She thought she had overestimated the possibilities. The girl’s doubts were dispelled by her future husband. He advised the workers to adjust the lighting. As a result, Yanina was delighted with the beautiful photographs.
• When entering the acting studio, Zheimo admitted that she had 12 years of circus experience. It turned out that among the teachers there is no person with such experience. I had to take Yanina to the course.
• During the siege of Leningrad, Yanina was on duty on the roofs, extinguishing “lighters.” The exhausted actress, as part of the Lenfilm team, performed in front of hungry townspeople and wounded soldiers, persuading them to endure until victory.
• In Leningrad, Zheimo met the writer Zoshchenko. He opened up the mysterious world of cards for her, teaching her to tell fortunes about fate and life.
• Stalin did not like the image of Zheimo on the screen. He said that miniature women had no place in cinema, and compared the “weak” Zheimo with the stately Lyubov Orlova.
• Before filming the film about Lenochka, where Yanina played a 13-year-old girl, the actress put on a child's dress and went to play lapta in the park. The children did not understand the trick, played honestly, and even spanked the actress for bad throws. There were workers in the park trimming trees. One of them approached Yanina, wiped her nose and told her to run home to her mother. The actress laughed for a long time at this incident, convinced of her mastery of transformation.

The masterpiece “Cinderella” was created during the siege. Due to the lack of props, Cinderella's dress was made from curtains and tulle. We were only able to order shoes in size 31. Yanina wore ordinary shoes outside the frame, wearing crystal ones only in the frame.

Yanina Zheimo's grave