Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina: biography of Tatyana Samoilova's mother

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

The name of Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina is little known and does not mean anything to the modern layman. But in many respects thanks to this amazing woman, two bright stars of the national cinema lit up. The whole country admired the husband of Zinaida Ilyinichna - the actor Yevgeny Samoilov. The whole world applauded her daughter, Tatyana Samoilova.

Zinochka Levina

Zina Levina was born into an intelligent St. Petersburg family of Polish Jews in 1914. She grew up in an atmosphere of love, parental support and high ideals. Zina received an excellent upbringing and education. In 1934, the girl graduated from the Leningrad Electromechanical Institute and received the profession of engineer. Zinochka Levina was a charming, cheerful and talented girl. She played the piano beautifully and felt the art subtly.

Probably, the meeting with Yevgeny Samoilov was predetermined by fate itself. She was only eighteen years old when, on vacation in a sanatorium, Zina saw a young handsome actor reciting poetry on the stage of a local club. The young man, in turn, immediately noticed a beautiful girl in a crowded hall, and the further performance was devoted only to her. The romantic story of acquaintance ended with a quick wedding. From that moment on, the biography and personal life of Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina became part of the success of the great Russian actor Samoilov. Zinaida and Evgeny got married at a very young age and lived together all their lives.

Mistress of a cozy home

After working as an engineer for a short time, Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina left her job and devoted herself to her husband and children. For some time the family lived in Leningrad, then moved to Moscow.

It was the Moscow house of the Samoilov-Levins that became a favorite meeting place for famous artists. The most famous and famous actors, poets, writers have been here. And the owner of the house was always on top. In a few photos, Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina looks like a real beauty. She was an excellent pianist and versed in art. The amazing needlewoman Zinaida Ilyinichna knew how to lay amazing tables, which the guests later remembered for a long time. At the same time, the atmosphere of warmth, friendliness and joy was always present in the house. Having endured the hardships of war and blockade, Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina retained an incredible love for life and people.

Husband is a star

Evgeny Valerianovich Samoilov in his youth was fond of painting and seriously thought about becoming an artist. But fate decreed otherwise. Agreeing to go with a friend for company to audition for a theater studio, he was amongstudents. Samoilov's acting career has developed very happily. He worked with such great masters as L. Vivien, V. Meyerhold. It was because of Samoilov's transfer to the Meyerhold Theater that the actor's family moved to Moscow. Vsevolod Meyerhold became Yevgeny Samoilov's teacher, director, mentor and friend.

Evgeny Valerianovich played many brilliant roles in the theater. No less loved the handsome actor and cinema. He has appeared in over fifty films. In the cinema, Samoilov was remembered by the viewer, first of all, as a romantic and noble hero. Evgeny Samoilov - People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the Stalin Prize, winner of many state awards and prizes. Evgeny Valerianovich entered the golden fund of Russian cinema.

In the happy career of an actor, his wife Zinaida Ilyinichna played a huge role. As the artist himself said, without her there would be no actor Samoilov, there would be nothing at all. He called his wife his talisman.

Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina: children

Married to Yevgeny Samoilov, Zinaida Ilyinichna gave birth to two children. Daughter Tatiana was born in 1934, in 1945 son Alexei was born. Zinaida Levina was a very caring and loving mother. Alexey recalled that when, as a teenager, he was stabbed in a street fight, his mother immediately called to ask if he was all right. The mother's heart felt trouble in the distance. At the same time, she was an amazingly wise and tactful woman. There is a funny case concerning TatyanaSamoilova.

Tatiana was going to become the wife of the famous journalist Solomon Shulman. But in the artistic environment, no one really knew anything. It was rumored that Samoilov was marrying director Kalatozov, who was twice as old as the actress. When the rumors reached Zinaida Ilyinichna, she sent her daughter a telegram with the following content: "It's okay that he is much older, but he is a good person." Tatyana Samoilova herself was very attached to her mother and loved her very much.

Tatiana

Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina is the mother of Tatyana Samoilova, whose photo adorned all newspapers and magazines in Soviet times. She was very proud of her daughter. Actress Samoilova was incredibly beautiful and unusually talented. Like her father, Tatyana was gifted all-round. As a child, she seriously studied ballet, and Maya Plisetskaya herself suggested that she continue her career as a ballerina.

But Tatyana chose acting profession. She grew up in a bohemian environment and entered the world of art easily and naturally. She was waiting for world fame and complete oblivion, great roles and personal tragedies. World fame Tatyana Samoilova brought the painting "The Cranes Are Flying". Her Veronica captivated the audience with her piercing, sincerity and passion. The film received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and Samoilova was awarded a diploma for best actress. She was invited to Hollywood. The most eminent directors, actors, artists and politicians searched with hermeetings. Samoilova was indeed a world-famous actress. But life decreed differently, much more prosaic and tragic.

Aleksey

Alexey Samoilov was born in 1945. Eleven years younger than his sister, he adored her as a child. She also loved her younger brother. And how could it be otherwise in such a loving and friendly family. Alexey also became an actor. At first he served in Sovremennik, then he gave thirty years to the Maly Theater.

He devoted his whole life to the theater, but he did not achieve such fame as his father and star sister had. Perhaps this left an imprint on the relationship with Tatyana. They cooled off noticeably. In frequent interviews, Alexei's favorite topic was his sister's nervous illness. Tatyana Evgenievna did not remain in debt. In one of the interviews, she said that she generally regrets that she has a brother, and is sure that Alexey envied her all her life. Although after the death of the great actress, Alexey said that he always considered his sister a very close person.

The tragedy of a great actress

Tatyana Samoilova lived a long life. In her youth, she was destined to experience great fame, great love of the audience and world recognition. She was exceptionally talented. According to many viewers and art professionals, the famous Samoylov image of Anna Karenina has become a classic; after her, not a single actress has managed to play Anna like that until now. Unfortunately, the Soviet system broke and trampled on the star's career.

When Samoilov after the movie"The Cranes Are Flying" began to be invited to shoot in Hollywood, the Soviet government decided that it could not allow the national heritage to cooperate with enemies. But in his native country, there was no place in the cinema for the heritage either. Years of inactivity, oblivion had a detrimental effect on the he alth of the actress. Only at the end of her life they remembered Tatyana Samoilova, they started talking again, she even starred in several roles. But it was too late, life had passed.

The personal life of the great actress was also not uncloudedly happy. Four marriages, abortions, the departure of the only beloved son to America. Only loneliness, poverty and memories remained. An amazing resemblance can be traced in the last photos of Samoilova with Zinaida Ilinichnaya Levina, her beloved mother. Tatyana Evgenievna passed away at the same age as her mother. At eighty years old.

Memories of friends

Although Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina (Samoilova) has never been a public person, a lot of warm words about her have been preserved in the numerous surviving memoirs of family friends of the older and younger generations. Solomon Shulman recalled that Zinaida Ilyinichna was always very hospitable and fed them with Tatyana and all her many actor friends.

With her first husband, Vasily Lanov, Tatyana lived in her parents' house, and her mother took care of them with pleasure. Friends recall that the whole house rested precisely on Zinaida Ilyinichna. Tatyana Evgenievna recalled thatMom knew how to create such a cozy atmosphere in the house that Dad was always happy to rush home.

Lifelong love

Zinaida Ilyinichna Levina and Evgeny Valerievich Samoilov have been married for sixty-two years in love and trust. Tatyana Samoilova believed that they were incredibly lucky. They met each other in early youth and were able to keep and carry their love through a long life.