Vera Alentova is a famous actress of cinema and theater. Her most significant role was Ekaterina Tikhomirova in the film "Moscow does not believe in tears." But with her participation, she brightened up dozens more outstanding films. For more than half a century, she has been faithful to the Pushkin Moscow Drama Theater, in whose productions she has performed hundreds of characters. Her fate and career are closely intertwined with the activities of the famous director Vladimir Menshov, because their creative tandem has grown into true love. And the joint daughter Yulia Menshova became no less a successful actress than her star parents.
Childhood and youth
Vera Valentinovna was born in the small town of Kotlas on February 21, 1942. Her father, mother and grandmother were theater artists, so the girl grew up on the stage from an early age. She had to spend a lot of time alone, but this did not upset the baby: she always found a hobby for herself, invented stories, composed stories, read books, analyzed texts. It taught her discipline and independence.
When the girl turned 4 years old, her father died. In the poor post-war period, even a common cold was enough to get a serious complication and die. When my father died, it became very difficult for my mother: she worked in the theater, where her salary was often delayed, then worked at a factory, and when she came home at night, she did sewing. But even this kind of work was not enough for a normal existence.
Alentova's family lived poorly, she had no toys, and she was unfamiliar with the taste of sweets. The wardrobe consisted of a couple of things that my mother had sewn from old babies. With all this, Vera Valentinovna does not consider her childhood unhappy today. She was able to find joy in small things and enjoy the love of others.
His debut appearance on the stage of the theater took place at the age of 8. Then her mother took her to a rehearsal, and already in the process it turned out that one young artist was ill and urgently needed a replacement. Vera came out instead of her and, as the actress says, "at that moment she caught a theatrical bacillus." In the courtyard, she, along with other children, staged plays from a young age, invented costumes.
As a child, she and her mother moved many times. They managed to live in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Altai.
When the girl turned 15, her mother got married for the second time. My stepfather was an actor, and immediately noticed the acting qualities in my stepdaughter. But my mother insisted that my daughter be a doctor. Attempts to join the medical institute were unsuccessful. But, following her dream, with the help of her stepfather, she got into the supporting cast of the Barnaul Drama Theater. At that time, the admission of documents to theatrical universities had already ended. Without becoming an applicant, Alentova worked in a melange plant for a year.
In 1961, Vera went to conquer Moscow. She applied to all theatrical educational institutions, and enrolled in the Moscow Art Theater Studio School. That momentous day when she saw her last name on the list of students divided her life into "before" and "after".
Student life and a fateful meeting
The theater university became a joy for her: she tried hard, read a lot, rehearsed for days on end — put all her strength into training. She didn't have enough time for a personal life, but the girl was really happy.
Even in her first year, she met an unpromising, according to the teachers, student Vladimir Menshov. But Vera saw in him an inner core, sincerity, her own view of different things. They had been friends for a long time, and everyone was surprised that one of the best and most talented students found in a talentless young man with an unsightly appearance. And she was attached to him with all her soul. He courted his lady of the heart for a long time and beautifully, and by the end of the second year the couple got married.
After receiving their diplomas in 1965, Vera and Vladimir set off into a real adult life full of unpleasant surprises, ups and downs, happiness and disappointments.
Theater and cinema
Immediately after graduation, Alentova was accepted into the troupe of the Pushkin Moscow Theater. Almost from the very first days, she was entrusted with the main role in the production of The Chocolate Soldier. She performed admirably in this performance, and then in another, and another… Very quickly, Vera became one of the leading actresses of the theater.
She played brilliantly. She was given dramatic and characteristic images, she could be gentle and sensual, strong and unprecedented. Her dizzying success aroused the envy of her colleagues, so more than once various rumors and fictional stories about the actress circulated around the theater.
But no matter what, the talent needed to be realized. And one scene wasn't enough. The first cinematic attempts to make themselves known were unsuccessful. For the next 10 years, she completely devoted herself to the theater, annually replenishing her creative biography with a couple of iconic works.
The fatal year was 1979. Then the hit movie "Moscow does not believe in tears" was released, where Vera Alentova played one of the main roles. The film caused a furore not only in Russian, but also in world cinema. The work won an Oscar, and our heroine was awarded the USSR State Prize and won the Best Actress nomination.
After such success, the directors simply showered the actress with invitations. Since then, many movie masterpieces have been released with Alentova in the title role. She became an idol and the embodiment of the best acting qualities.
She is still acting in films today. However, not so often anymore, because age takes its toll.
Since 2009, she has been working as a teacher at the Acting Department at the All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov, where she shares her experience and knowledge with students to this day.
Marital status
It is not worth talking much about Vera Alentova's personal life. Vladimir Menshov was her only man. He became her husband as a student, and after graduating from the Moscow Art Theater, they lived separately for some time. Then they converged and diverged again. Fate brought them together on the set, because in tandem they produced fantastic works that brought success to both.
With the arrival of Julia's daughter, the couple broke up. My father often visited his family, but then left again. And only when the girl went to the first grade, the family was reunited. Vera and Vladimir overcame many difficulties and hardships together, and experienced thousands of pleasant moments in their life together. Their creative dynasty continued in the only daughter Julia, who became no less famous artist than her mother.
Today, Alentova does not often appear in public, but "quiet old age" is not about her. In 2018, she starred in the film "Empire V" and once again confirmed that talent is beyond the control of age. You will find out what else the actress will please us in the catalog of artists on the website kontramarka.de .
Filmography (selected):
1965 — "Days of Flight"
1977 — "Birth"
1979 — "Moscow does not believe in tears"
1982 — "Time for reflection"
1984 — "Time of desires"
1987 — "Tomorrow was war"
1994 — "The Groom from Miami"
1995 — "Shirley-Myrli"
2000 — "Envy of the Gods"
2004-2007 — "The Balzac age, or all the men of their..."
2007 — "And yet I love"
2010 — "The Gift of God"
2014 — "From the Eighth of March, men!"
2014 — "The road without end"
2018 — "Empire V"
