Marija Leiko
Marija Leiko, also known as Marija Leyko, was a Latvian stage and silent film actress in Europe, especially popular in Latvia, Germany, and Russia.
Life and film career
Leiko conquered the German big screen first, starring in The Diamond Foundation, Kain, Ewiger Strom, Die Frau im Käfig and Lola Montez as the dancer.When the silent movie era ended Leiko retired from film acting. After the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, she returned to her native Latvia. In 1935 she visited the Soviet Union and stayed to join the company of the Latvian State Theatre in Moscow.
During the so-called "Latvian Operation" the theatre was shut down, and on 15 December 1937, Leiko was arrested on charges of belonging to a "Latvian nationalist conspiracy". On 3 February 1938 at the age of 50 she was shot and buried in a mass grave at the secret NKVD killing field at Butovo, near Moscow.
Maria Leiko was posthumously rehabilitated for the absence of a crime on May 12, 1958.
Memory
A memorial sign, Last Address of Maria Karlovna Leiko, was put up on the wall of house 9, building 3 at Obolensky lane in Moscow on May 14, 2017.Filmography
Die Räuberbande The Green Alley playing Katherina RezekAt Ruedesheimer Castle There Is a Lime Tree playing Fritz's motherAufstieg der kleinen Lilian Dr. Wislizenus The Treasure of Gesine Jacobsen Der Frauenkönig Die Schneiderkomteß playing the young ComtesseSunken Worlds Children of Darkness playing Maria GeoneDie Frau von morgen The Rats playing Pauline PiperkarckaThe Fear of Women playing ReederstochterAm Webstuhl der Zeit playing Ruth Einser, Hansen's assistantDas Opfer der Ellen Larsen Brandherd playing AnnaThe Red Masquerade Ball Die Kwannon von Okadera playing Ingele von GeortzEternal River playing MarijaSatanas playing IreneDie Frau im Käfig Freie Liebe Lola Montez '' Das Frühlingslied The Zaarden Brothers- ''Die Diamantenstiftung''