Lyudmila Maksakova


Lyudmila Vasilyevna Maksakova is a Soviet Russian stage and film actress who appeared in 24 films between 1965 and 1998. Honoured with the People's Artist of Russia title in 1980, she is also a laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation and the Stanislavsky Prize. Her mother was the renowned mezzo-soprano Maria Maksakova Sr.; her daughter Maria is an opera singer and Russian TV Kultura presenter.

Biography

Lyudmila Maksakova was born in Moscow to the Soviet opera star Maria Petrovna Maksakova and Aleksander Volkov, a theatre entrepreneur. In 1942 the latter defected to the West and later became a United States citizen. For decades Lyudmila remained unaware of her father's identity. By keeping it secret, Maria Petrovna was protecting her daughter from trouble at the times when any relation to a 'traitor' could lead to prosecution. According to another version, though, Lyudmila's father might have been the NKVD general Vasily Novikov, who granted Lyudmila Vasilyevna her patronymic, and there were even rumours pointing at Stalin himself, who was known to have favoured the famous Bolshoi singer.

Career

After the simultaneous graduation from a secondary school, and the Moscow Central music school where she studied cello, Lyudmila opted against pursuing a musical career and enrolled at the Shchukin Theatre Institute to join the actor Vladimir Etush's class. In 1961 she joined the Vakhtangov Theater where she debuted as Masha in The Cookie's Marriage. Her breakthrough came two years later when she played the Tatar Princess Adelma in the much acclaimed Vakhtangov production of Princess Turandot, revived by director Ruben Simonov. Among her other lauded performances were those of Lolya, Knipper-Chekhova, Nicol, Maria and Mamayeva.
In 1964 Maksakova debuted in film, as Nina in Grigory Chukhray's There Was an Old Couple. Over the next decade she appeared in more than fifteen films, including the revolutionary history drama Tatiana's Day, the psychological melodrama Not Guilty, the tragic melodrama The Bad Good Man and the psychological drama Autumn. Among other critically acclaimed films she appeared in later, were Old Russian Vaudevilles' Evening, Igor Talankin's drama Father Sergius and Die Fledermaus, Ian Frid's musical film after Johann Strauss Strauss' classic, alongside Yuri and Vitaly Solomin.
The early 1980s saw Maksakova enjoying her second wave of success in theatre. Much lauded were her Anna Karenina in Roman Viktyuk's 1983 production, Paola in The Lady Without Camellias, Bizyukina in Soboryane and Louise in I Don't Know You From Now On, Dear. Her performance in Pyotr Fomenko's production of Guilty Without Fault by Alexander Ostrovsky, earned Maksakova the USSR State Prize in 1995, and the Stanislavsky Prize a year later. In 2000s Maksakova started to teach at the Shchukin Theater Institute; her appearances on stage and on screen became rare and far between.

Private life

Lyudmila Maksakova's first husband was the artist Lev Zbarsky ; they had a son, Maxim. In the mid-1970s Maksakova married Peter Igenbergs, a West German citizen. On 24 July 1977, she gave birth to a daughter, Maria, an opera singer and TV presenter.

Filmography

There Was an Old Couple Tatyana's Day The Road to "Saturn" The End of 'Saturn Not Guilty Faust A Train into Tomorrow Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man, TV series Princess Turandot Witness' Disappearance The Battle After the Victory The Bad Good Man The Touch Personal Matters Reception Day Autumn The Clara Gazul Theater The 'Izotop' Cafe Summer in Nohant-Vic Father Sergius The Old Russian Vaudevilles Evening Die Fledermaus The Glembais Idiot, television Richard III Prokhindiada or Running on the Spot Trips on an Old Car By the Main Street with an Orchestra Desyat Negrityat Mu-Mu An Ideal Couple, television series Anna Karenina