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Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

‘Garnet Bracelet’, 1965, director A. Room. Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya as Vera

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya
She was the actress of luxury beauty and played the best aristocratic characters of classic Russian literature. In particular, Tatyana Larina (Onegin, 1958), Evgenia Grandet (main role in the movie “Garnet Bracelet”, 1960) and duchess Mary in “Shot” (1966). Beauty of the actress attracted attention of many filmmakers. In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s she was one of the most popular actresses of the Soviet cinema. Lyrical talent and uncommon poetic charm of the actress fully revealed her best roles of princesses, countesses and duchesses.
Ariadna became the winner of the II All-Union Film Festival in the category “Award for the actors” in 1959, for the film “Evgeny Onegin”. In 1965 she was named Best actress in a poll of the magazine “Soviet Screen” for her role in “Garnet Bracelet”. Shengelaya is People’s Artist of the Georgian SSR (1979), People’s Artist of Russia (2000).

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Vadim Medvedev and Shengelaya in the film ‘Onegin’

Soviet and Russian film and stage actress Ariadna Shengelaya (nee Shprink) was born 13 January 1937 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Her father – Vsevolod E. Shprink (1900-1965), Danish by birth, was a scientist, economist and translator, according to some sources, he spent many years in Stalin’s camps. While studying in the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, Ariadna got married to Eldar Shengelaya (b. 1933).

Ariadna Shengelaya

‘Garnet Bracelet’, 1965

Ariadna changed her last name Shprink to Shengelaya and became a part of the famous family of Georgian filmmakers. Her father-in-law, Nikolai Shengelaya was a famous film director, and her mother-in-law Nato Vachnadze – actress, one of the brightest stars of Georgian cinema. Nato tragically died in a plane crash. Two sons of Nikolai and Nato – Eldar and Georgy also became directors, and both received many prestigious international awards. Eldar married Ariadna Shprink, and his brother Georgy married famous actress Sofiko Chiaureli. Ariadna and Eldar have two daughters – Nato Shengelaya (b. 1958), actress, and Ekaterina Shengelaya (b. 1967).

Shengelaya appeared in 33 films between 1957 and 1997. In 1960, after graduating from VGIK, the actress was admitted to the troupe of the Russian Drama Theatre named after AS Griboyedov in Tbilisi, where she played Cleopatra in the play by Bernard Shaw “Caesar and Cleopatra” and Anne Frank in the play “The Diary of Anne Frank.” The same year she was admitted to the state film studio “Georgia-Film”. Since 1980, she was the actress of Gorky children and youth film studio.

Ariadna lived with her husband 22 years, then there was a loud divorce. Ariadna went to Moscow, married a second time, but the marriage was not happy. Two daughters from her first marriage with Eldar – Ekaterina and Natalia (Keto and Nato) chose to stay with their father. Eldar immediately married Nelly Dovlinidze, director assistant and was happily married, had a daughter, Elena, who died in a car crash not long ago.

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Promotional photo, 1960s

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Young actress

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Actress and her roles

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Photo card, 1970s

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Gorgeous actress

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Young Ariadna

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

1970s photo, Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Film and stage actress Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Brunette beauty Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Charming actress

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet Russian film and stage actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet Russian film and stage actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Yevgeni Onegin, 1959

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Vintage poster Yevgeni Onegin, 1959

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

White caravan, 1964

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Ariadna Shengelaya in the film ‘Garnet Bracelet’, 1965, dir. A. Room. Movie poster

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

1960 poster Evgeniya Grande, 1960 poster

Soviet actress Ariadna Shengelaya

Evgeniya Grande, 1960, movie poster

sources:
www.kino-teatr.ru
vk.com/public93159176