Actress Vera Pashennaya was born in September 1887 in Moscow. Her mother was an actress and wife of the famous actor Nikolai Pashenny, whose stage name is Roshchin-Insarov. After the breakup, the woman married a second time. Her new husband was Nikolai Konchalovsky. The stepfather was kind to his wife's children, actively participated in their upbringing.
Childhood
The future actress graduated from school in 1904 and dreamed of becoming a doctor. But just before entering, I changed my mind. The family was against her new idea to become an actress, but it was already too late. The girl submitted documents to the theater. Three years later, Vera Pashennaya received a diploma from the Moscow Theater School. immediately after graduation, she was accepted into the troupe of the Maly Theater. Some of the roles of Maria Yermolova, who was shining at that time, went to the young actress. Some time later, the girl has already become the leading actress of the Maly Theater.
The beginning of the creative biography of Vera Pashennaya: the first roles
Mostthe images of the heroines of everyday drama, comedy became close. Vera Pashennaya with great skill depicted girls and young women who came from the people, from the Russian hinterland. Often they had a difficult fate, full of hardships and hardships.
Critics already at the first stage of theatrical activity drew attention to the versatility of Pashennaya's temperament, her ability to speak Russian, her naturalness, her ability to get used to the role.
Staging in the early 1920s
After 1918, the actress was offered a teaching job, for some time she was attracted by a new direction in her work, she was happy to teach courses to young artists. However, she did not give up her direct work. By 1919 she had already mastered the entire classical repertoire of the theater. In parallel with her work on her native stage, she performed at the Korsh Theater and gave performances at the Zamoskvoretsky Theater.
In the early 20s of the last century, together with the troupe of the Moscow Art Theater, she went on a trip abroad. The invitation for the trip came from Konstantin Stanislavsky himself. Abroad, Vera Pashennaya played in several performances: "Tsar Fedor Ioanovich", where she appeared before the audience in the image of Irina, "At the Bottom" - Vasilisa and "Three Sisters" - Olga.
Gallery of women's images in the pre-war years
There was no equal to the actress in the image of the constellation of famous female images. Soviet plays staged in the 1920s and 1940s could not do withoutparticipation of Vera Pashennaya. In the very first modern Soviet performance, staged at the Maly Theater, was "Ivan Kozyr and Tatyana Russkikh", the actress got the main role.
Vera Pashennaya considered her best works in the pre-war and post-war period to be the roles of: Lyubov Yarovaya in the play of the same name, staged in 1926, Irina in "Fiery Bridge", Varya in "Rout", Poli Semenova in "On the Bank of the Neva", Anna Nikolaevna Talanova in "Invasion", Natalia Kovshik in "Kalinova Grove".
In addition to playing on stage, the actress continued to teach. Since 1933, she was the head of several courses at the school at the Maly Theater. Eight years later, Vera Pashennaya became a professor. Conducted classes at the Higher Theater Schepkinsky School. After the war, she headed the acting department.
Post-war activities
In the 50s, Vera Pashennaya was offered more and more serious roles, older women, with great life experience and a difficult fate. She played the Boar in The Thunderstorm, the old mistress of Niskavuori in the Stone Nest. And the most outstanding role, according to the actress herself, was the unsurpassed Vassa Zheleznova from the play of the same name by Gorky. The performance was even filmed.
In total, Vera Pashennaya played more than a hundred roles on stage. Many roles brought her real inspiration and untold pleasure. For example, performances with her participation based on Ostrovsky were most often staged: "Wolves andsheep", "Profitable place", "In a busy place", "Guilty without guilt".
In addition to theatrical work, Vera Pashennaya was invited to the radio, she participated in dubbing performances for children and adults. In particular, the characters speak in her voice: Larisa from "Dowry", Katerina from "Thunderstorm", Murzavetskaya from "Wolves and Sheep", Vassa Zheleznova, Yepanchina from "The Idiot".
In addition, Vera Pashennaya (her offspring) wrote books about theatrical activities. There were three of them: "My work on the role", "The Art of the Actress", "Steps of Creativity", which have now become the reference books of most theatrical actors.
Vera Pashennaya: children, husbands
The actress was married twice. Like most temperamental, strong-willed and courageous actresses, Vera Pashennaya's personal life did not work out the first time.
At first, Vitold Polonsky, a silent film actor, became her chosen one. The marriage was student. A year after the painting, the lovers got married in the church. In this marriage, their daughter Irina was born. Three years later, Vitold and Vera divorced.
In 1913, the actress married a second time and also an actor - Vladimir Gribunin. She lived with him for a long time.
Vera Pashennaya died at the end of October 1962. She battled cancer for several years. Almost until the last day she played in her favorite theater.
