Irina Skobtseva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irina Skobtseva
|
|
|---|---|
Skobtseva in 1966
|
|
| Born |
Irina Konstantinovna Skobtseva
22 August 1927 Tula, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
|
| Died | 20 October 2020 (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1955–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Sergei Bondarchuk |
| Children | Yelena Bondarchuk Fyodor Bondarchuk |
Irina Konstantinovna Skobtseva (Russian: Ирина Константиновна Скобцева; born August 22, 1927, died October 20, 2020) was a famous actress from the Soviet Union and Russia. She was also the second wife of the well-known actor and director, Sergei Bondarchuk.
Contents
About Her Life
Irina Konstantinovna Skobtseva was born on August 22, 1927, in Tula. Her father worked in meteorology, and her mother worked in an archive.
After high school, Irina studied art history at Moscow State University. While there, she also acted in student plays.
She graduated from Moscow State University in 1952. Then, she joined the Moscow Art Theatre School, finishing her studies in 1955.
Her Start in Movies
In 1955, Irina Skobtseva made her first movie appearance. She played Desdemona in the film Othello, directed by Sergei Yutkevich. This movie won the Best Director Award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. It also received many other awards at international film festivals.
At the Cannes Film Festival, Irina Skobtseva was even given the special title "Miss Charm of the Cannes Film Festival."
Moving to Different Roles
After Othello, people mostly saw Irina as a romantic leading lady. However, she soon started playing many different kinds of characters. For example, she played Cyrus in The Ordinary Man (1956) and Klavdia Nikolaevna in Unrepeatable Spring (1957).
Working with Sergei Bondarchuk
While filming Othello, Irina worked with actor and director Sergei Bondarchuk. They later got married in 1959. This led to them working together on many movies.
Irina acted in films that Sergei Bondarchuk directed himself, such as:
- War and Peace (1965-1967)
- They Fought for Their Country (1975)
- The Steppe (1977)
- Boris Godunov (1986)
She also appeared in other directors' films where Sergei Bondarchuk was involved, like:
- Splendid Days (1960)
- Silence of Doctor Evans (1973)
- Take Aim (1975)
- Such High Mountains (1974)
- Velvet Season (1978)
- Father Sergius (1978)
- The Gadfly (1980)
Irina Skobtseva also acted in Sergei Bondarchuk's later films:
- Waterloo (1970)
- Red Bells II (1982)
- Quiet Flows the Don (1992), which was Sergei Bondarchuk's last movie.
Comedy Roles
Irina Skobtseva also showed her talent in comedy films. She appeared in movies by Georgiy Daneliya, such as:
- Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963)
- Thirty Three (1965)
- Hopelessly Lost (1973)
One of her most famous comedy roles was Lidia Sergeevna in Eldar Ryazanov's film Zigzag of Success (1969).
Later Career
Irina Skobtseva continued to act in many films and TV series. She played main roles in movies like The Mysterious Heir (1987) and Zorka Venus (2000).
In the 2000s, she starred in TV series such as The Heirs (2001, 2005) and Amber Wings (2003). Her later works include Actress (2007), Dark Planet (2009), and The White Guard (2012). Her last film was Dangerous Holidays (2016).
Since 1957, Skobtseva was an actress at the National Film Actors' Theatre. From 1971, she also taught acting at VGIK, a famous film school. She even led an acting studio with Sergei Bondarchuk. Some of her students became well-known actors themselves.
Awards and Recognition
Irina Skobtseva received many honors for her acting career:
- In 1974, she was given the title "People's Artist of the RSFSR." This is a high honor for artists in Russia.
- In 1997, she received the Order of Friendship.
- In 2017, she was awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
- In 2018, she received the Order of Honour.
- She also won special awards for her roles in films like Another Woman, Another Man (2003) and Amber Wings (2003). She received a special jury prize for her work in the film The Heirs (2001).
Her Family Life
Irina Skobtseva was married to the famous actor and film director Sergei Bondarchuk.
- Their daughter, Yelena Bondarchuk, also became an actress.
- Their son, Fyodor Bondarchuk, is a well-known film director, actor, and producer today.
Later Years and Passing
Irina Skobtseva started to act less often in the 1980s, but she still made some appearances on television. She passed away in 2020. Her grandson, Konstantin Kryukov, who is also an actor, attended her funeral.
Selected Filmography
- Othello (1955) as Desdemona
- A Unique Spring (1957) as Claudia Novozhilova
- Splendid Days (1960) as Marianna
- Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963) as Nadya
- Thirty Three (1965) as Vera Sergeyevna
- War and Peace (1966-1967) as Hélène Kuragin
- Zigzag of Success (1968) as Lidia Sergeevna, photographer
- Waterloo (1970) as Maria
- Hopelessly Lost (1973) as widow of Douglas
- Earthly Love (1974) as Elizaveta Polivanova
- Take Aim (1975) as Marina Kurchatova
- They Fought for Their Country (1975) as senior nurse
- Father Sergius (1978) as baroness
- The Gadfly (1980) as Gladys Burton
- Red Bells II (1983) as countess Panina
- Mary Poppins, Goodbye (1983) as miss Lark
- Time and the Conways (1984) as Magee
- Boris Godunov (1986) as the innkeeper
- The Envy of Gods (2000) as Sonia's mother
- Amber Wings (2003) as Yelizaveta Sergeyevna
- Heat (2006) as landlord
- Happy Together (2006, TV) as Laura Larionova's mother
- Actress (2007) as Varvara Fominichna
- In the Style of Jazz (2010) as former mother-in-law of Sergey Saveliev
- The White Guard (2012, TV) as Maria Nai-Turs
See also
In Spanish: Irina Skóbtseva para niños
