Soviet actress Lyudmila Shagalova

Soviet actress Lyudmila Shagalova

Born on April 6, 1923 in the city of Rogachev (Belarus), she grew in a military family. Two and a half years later, she was left without a mother. And in 1928 her father was transferred to Moscow for service, where Lyudmila went to school. While still a schoolgirl, she came into contact with cinema. First, she hit the newsreel when she greeted Papanin heroes at a rally. And then the director Yakov Protazanov saw her and gave a small role (Lelya) in his film “Seventh Graders” (1938).
In 1944, Shagalova entered VGIK – All-Union institute of Cinematography (workshop of S. Gerasimov and T. Makarova). Thanks to the teachers, her debut in big cinema took place in the film by S. Gerasimov “The Young Guard” (1948), where Shagalova played the role of Valeria Borts. Over the following years, the actress played a number of small roles. In particular, “The Big Concert” (1951; collective farmer Katya), “Farewell to America!” (1952; Cecilia Wong), “Faithful friends” (1954; Katya Sintsova), “They came down from the mountains” (1954; Nastya Bulanova), “In Search of a Destination” (1955; Natasha Sokolova).

Fame came to Shagalova in 1956, when she played the main female role (Lyudmila Irkutova) in the popular detective story “Case No. 306”. The film became one of the leaders of the Soviet cinema. The actress played a frivolous student, a professor’s daughter, who, by chance, was involved in a gloomy detective story. After the appearance in this detective, the roles of Shagalova went one after another, including the main ones. Among them: “Next to us” (1957; Nina), “The purpose of his life” (1958; Nina Kostrova), “Do not have a hundred rubles …” (1959; the botanist Nina Koretskaya), “I am writing to you … “(1960; Nelli),” The coeval of the century “(1961; Dusya),” Duel “(1961; Nadezhda Fedorovna),” The very first “(1962; Vera Pavlovna Kalugina), “713th asks for a landing “(1962; Teresa), “The Slowest Train” (1963; actress Barbara).

A new wave of popularity happened in the mid-60s, when she played three comedic roles at once. First, “The Tale of Lost Time” (1964; the old girl Marusya Morozova), “The Marriage of Balzaminov” (1965) and “Believe it or not …” (1965; Galya Sazonova). Undoubtedly, the comedic gift of Shagalova opened for many. Even more, she got an award – the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR in 1965.

The fact that in the mid-70s Gaidai suddenly remembered about Shagalova and invited her to one of the main female roles in “Can’t be!” was not an accident. Besides, at that time the actress again began to actively master the comedy path, starring in several films of this genre at once. In particular, “Cottage” (1973; Marya Mikhailovna), “Have you ever loved?” (1974; the main role, as Nina Dmitrievna), “The Unknown Heir” (1974; Alevtina), “Aw!” (1975; two roles: actress and courtier).
In “It can’t be!” Shagalova beautifully played the mother of the bride – a woman in her own way unhappy, whose husband is a drunkard and daughter, who has several marriages, several children, but can not stop.

Alas, this meeting with Gaidai became an exception, as he will not invite her to his films anymore. Therefore, other directors invited her to their films. As a result, in 1977 she received the title of People’s Artist of the RSFSR. Just some of these works: Podranki (1977), Rudin (1977), Mustached Nanny (1977), Last Chance (1979), “Adult Son” (1980), “House on Lesnaya” (1981), “Ice Granddaughter” (1981), “Sicilian Defense” (1981), “Alien” (1984), “Dance Floor” (1985), and more.

After the collapse of the USSR, Shagalova left a large cinema. In 1994, she also left the troupe of the Theater Studio of the film actor, where she worked for 46 years. She lived in Moscow with her husband, the well-known cameraman Vyacheslav Shumsky.

Soviet actress Lyudmila Shagalova