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Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova in Sadko, 1952

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova (May 8, 1926, Leningrad, USSR – September 13, 2003, Moscow, Russia) – Soviet film and stage actress. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1976). Film Sadko, 1952

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova was born May 8, 1926 in Leningrad. Her father, Konstantin Romanovich Myshkov was a lieutenant general of artillery. In the post-revolutionary period, many parents gave their new-born children unusual names, and Konstantin also didn’t remain aloof from these trends. Name Ninel means LENIN is read from right to left, but Ninel herself did not like her name and preferred to be called Eva. In 1947, Ninel graduated from the Theatre School named after Boris Shchukin, where she studied in the studio of V.K.Lvova. On the same course with Ninel Myshkova studied the future stars of Soviet cinema Yulia Borisova, Alla Parfanyak and Elvira Lutsenko.

Ninel Myshkova in Sadko, 1952

Ninel Myshkova in Sadko, 1952

In 1947, Ninel Myshkova debuted on the silver screen, performing the role of Shabunina in the film of Alexander Faintsimmer “For those who are at sea.” In the first school year Myshkova fell in love with Vladimir Etush. “I was offered a teaching the first-year students in the skill of the actor – Vladimir Abramovich wrote in his memoirs. – And then, I met Ninel Myshkova. She studied in the first year of Vakhtangov School. Eva, as she called herself, first fell in love with me. I can not say the same about myself, but I did not resist. And Myshkova became my first woman, first wife. “The girl was able to win the heart of the actor. Etush wrote: “I woke up, opened my eyes, the window was bathed in sunlight. Nearby, on a pillow, was sleeping head of Eve. That’s when I realized that I love.”

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The couple started living in a small three-room apartment of Ninel and her mother. Marriage of Etush and Myshkova lasted until the beginning of the 1950s. According to Etush, they were very nice and full of fun for the first time of their marriage. Myshkova was crazy about her husband, did not hesitate to talk about it out loud and show their feelings. Etush, on the contrary, was more reserved. However, as soon Etush started to give his young wife a little more attention, she immediately became interested in another man. That “another” man became the composer Oleg Karavaichuk, whom Myshkova met at “Mosfilm”. They began an affair, about which Etush did not even suspect. Only six months later Myshkova confessed everything to her husband and told him it was over between them. Etush packed up and went to his parents.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Myshkova stayed with Karavaichuk, but their romance did not last long – until the spring of 1952. Alexander Ptushko directed a film-tale based on the Onega epics called “Sadko”, suggested to play a role of Ilmen Princess to Myshkova. During the filming of this movie Myshkova met the man who became her second husband. It was the second operator of the film Konstantin Petrychenko. Tall, handsome, quickly attracted the amorous actress, and soon after the completion of filming, she became pregnant. In 1954 they had a son, Kostya, and immediately after that Ninel and Konstantin were married.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The actress had a lot of friends who had nothing to do with cinema. Especially a lot of them were doctors. Myshkova said, if she had not become an actress, then she would have chosen to work in medicine. In ordinary life Myshkova didn’t support the status of “film star”. For example, about the house she did everything herself: perfectly cooked, sewed – she had several coats sewn by herself. Even repairs in the apartment she did not trust to anyone and easily controlled any tools – a hammer, a chisel.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Very often Myshkova helped complete strangers, helped needed to be taken to the metropolitan clinics, and was very hospitable at home.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

After the filming in Leo Kulidzhanov’s “The House I Live In” the actress became famous, and was invited everywhere. Neither sunglasses, nor a colorful scarf could hide the film star from the All-Union fame. In every theater of the USSR were popular films with her participation: “House with a mezzanine,” “Nowhere Man” and “Easy Life”.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Children ran after her in crowds, because from the point of view of Soviet children, there was no more beautiful actress than her, the one who played in “Maria – The Magic Weaver” in the eponymous film by Alexander Rou. And even in the “Ilya Muromets” and “Sadko”. Myshkova was incredibly beautiful. Even in social scenes “Tenth step” and “Men’s Talk” her chiselled face and slightly slanting eyes, gave the film a timeless charm and stylishness.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

In 1965, the Kiev studio Dovzhenko decided to film adaptation of the novel by Alexei Tolstoy “The Viper”. It was a dramatic story of a merchant’s daughter, who became a fighter of cavalry squadron of the Red Army after the war, could not find herself in civilian life. The first part of the story resonated with biography of her father: he was also an officer in the imperial army, but then moved to the Reds. However, at about this coincidence, no one knew at the Kiev studio.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Alexei Tolstoy tale filmed director Viktor Ivchenko, who shot earlier movies “The fate of Marina”, “There is a man,” “Accident” and “Ivan”. In the lead role, he tried a lot of actresses, but all the other candidates couldn’t be compared to Myshkova. “Viper” was the best film in the fate of the director and the actress. Viktor Ivchenko, after the first minutes of acquaintance with Myshkova exclaimed: “I am in love!”. He came home and told his wife, actress Olga Nozhkina: “Olga, I met a woman, without whom I will not be able to live. Understand and forgive me.” But his wife never forgave her husband. Later the newspapers wrote that she did not even come to his funeral. And I did not come to bury her son Boris, citing the fact that the child was placed in a grave with the “offended her man.”

Ilya Muromets, 1956

Ilya Muromets, 1956

Falling in love with Ivchenko, Myshkova accepted his proposal to marry him, and then took her son and moved to Kiev. On the set of “Viper” Myshkova suffered pains in the spine – had to torture herself, to ride a horse. But the cost of suffering was worth of it. The film “Viper” in the USSR box office in 1966 took the 7th place, collecting 34 million viewers, Ivchenko received the State Prize of Shevchenko and Myshkova – diploma at the All-Union Film Festival.

Later, the director filmed his beloved actress in several films – “The tenth step,” “Falling frost” and “Sofia Grushko.” Myshkova had only leading roles. To the feet of Myshkova Victor threw his entire life, which consisted of six years of unalloyed happiness. In all his films starred just his wife, he literally created movies for her.

In 1972, Viktor Ivchenko had a heart attack and was hospitalized. But the doctors were powerless. Myshkova did not depart from him, into the coffin she put her and his letters, per night sewed mourning dress and a black veil pinned to her hat. For a few days Myshkova became older for many years.

In the late 1970s, she decided to leave the cinema. The last time she appeared on screen in a cameo role in the movie “Racing vertically” in 1982. She could not play because suffered of a terrible disease – Multiple sclerosis. She ceased to recognize people. Her son Konstantin Petrichenko took care of his mother. He took showed her to the best specialists in France, but all heard the same thing – the disease is incurable. So Myshkova lived another 20 years.

N. Myshkova died on September 13, 2003 at the age of 78. Many generations of moviegoers remember a wonderful actress with beautiful face of Russian beauties from fairy-tales.

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Mariya Iskusnitsa 1960

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

My heart beats again … (1956)

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

My heart beats again … (1956)

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

My heart beats again … (1956)

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Soviet actress N. Myshkova

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The captain of the first rank, 1958

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The captain of the first rank, 1958

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The House with the Mezzanine (1960)

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

The House with the Mezzanine (1960)

Soviet actress Ninel Myshkova

Grave of Ninel Myshkova