Soviet actress Tamara Syomina

Soviet actress Tamara Syomina was born 25 October 1938 in the town of Lgov of Kursk region, into the family of army officer. Her father was a tank regiment commander who died during the World War II. In 1942 her mother Tamara and her two children were evacuated, and later they moved to Bryansk, where Tamara attended school. In 1946, in the life of Tamara appeared stepfather – Peter Syomin, who became for her a loving father and a true friend. As a gratitude to him, Tamara bears his name. After high school, Tamara decided to go to school for working youth, at the same time working part-time as a librarian and a secretary. Having decided to become an actress, she came to Moscow, and in 1956 became a student of workshop of Pyzhov in the All-Union institute of Cinema.

Soviet actress Tamara Syomina

Introduction to the movie happened quickly – while the first-year student, she played in the diploma works of young directors. She was filmed in the eccentric comedy “Man Overboard” directed by A. Sakharov. As a 2-year student she met a young but already famous Marlen Khutsiev, and starred in the film “Two Fyodors”; at her 3 rd year of studying Syomina coped with a complex dramatic role in the movie “All starts with the road” by V. Azarov.

Her graduation work was the role of Katyusha Maslova in the adaptation of the novel by Leo Tolstoy’s “Resurrection” (1960-61). The examination committee (headed by VP Marecki) commended the work as “excellent”.

In this film, Tamara Semina was tragic and expressive. And – the greatest rarity in the cinema of those years – Katusha was really sensual. For her role in “Resurrection” readers of the magazine “Soviet Screen” recognized Syomina Best actress of the year (1961), she became the favorite actress in the USSR, as well as abroad. The film was successfully shown in different countries, and in 1962 at the XV International Film Festival in Locarno Tamara, she was awarded the first prize as the best actress. She was recognized the best actress in the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina. The award became most precious for the actress, due to the fact that it was given by Giulietta Masina.

After the “Resurrection” MA Schweitzer advised the actress to play contemporary, and Tamara Semina starred in several interesting roles – in the films “Colleagues”, “Empty runs” (both – 1962), “Day of Happiness” (1963). And in 1965, Mikhail Abramovich invited Tamara Petrovna for a role in his film “Time, Forward!”, where she brilliantly showed new facets of her talent: the eccentric, subtle sense of humor.

Tamara Petrovna played in many films of various genres in the second half of the 1960s – the first half of 1970s, in each role showing her universal talent. Her heroines were contemporaries, and women from other eras.

In the mid-1970s Tamara Syomina played two major roles: Anfisa in the TV series “Eternal Call” (1974-77, 1st film) directed by Uskov and Krasnopolsky and Maria in “Mother of the human” (1975) by Golovnya.

After the TV series “Eternal Call” Tamara became insanely popular – she received a lot of letters, and responded nearly to all. With some viewers she had a constant correspondence.

Filming in the “Mother of the human” took less time, but was more difficult for the actress. The film was shot from September to February, and during this time the actress was shot in a cotton dress. She had to walk barefoot in the snow, and swim in the cold. But the main thing – she had to give herself entirely to the role, without reserve, because it was a unique, one-of-a-kind mono-film. The difficulty of acting problem was aggravated by the fact that Tamara Petrovna’s role had almost no words. One can only wonder that this grand actor’s work remains undervalued by contemporaries.

After a series of dramatic roles, Tamara Petrovna in an interview admitted that she is waiting for the shooting in a comedy. Some years later the actress was invited to the film “Hostel is provided to Lonely”. Comic and grotesque role of educator of female dorm Larisa Evgenevna was for Tamara Petrovna one of the most favorite.

The same year, Tamara Syomina starred in the continuation of the “Eternal Call” (1983), for this work she received the prize for best actress at the festival of TV films in Alma-Ata.

In 1961, Tamara Petrovna became an actress of theater-studio of actor. On the stage of this theater Syomina played many roles – in such productions as “Russian people”, “Thunderstorm” and others.

With her extremely expressive, beautiful deep voice, she perfectly worked on dubbing of foreign films: the most significant of her role – duplication of Polish actress Christina Janda in the movie “Lovers of my mother,” Annie Girardot in “Ruth”, Edith Piaf in the film “Edith Piaf” and others.

Tamara Syomina married her classmate Vladimir Prokofiev while studying on the 2nd course of the Institute of Cinematography, and remained faithful to him all his life, until the end of his days. Her husband Vladimir Prokofiev has not become widely known in the cinematic medium, but to the audience his voice is familiar – for more than thirty years, Vladimir Prokofiev dubbed films at the Gorky Film Studio.

Tamara Petrovna Syomina has played almost a hundred roles in a movie, and each her character became the people’s favorite. The star of Soviet and Russian cinema is 77 years old, and she is still positive and active, smiling to the world and convincing her fans that everything will be fine.

source of images kino-teatr.ru