Soviet Russian film actress Natalia Saiko
Soviet Russian film actress Natalia Saiko
Born January 12, 1948 Natalia Petrovna Saiko – Soviet and Russian actress of theater and cinema, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1989). Young Natasha dreamed of becoming a teacher, a circus gymnast, a ballerina, and a doctor. But all has changed after her tourist trip to Leningrad. Having visited one of the performances of the Bolshoi Drama Theater, she made a firm decision to become an actress.
Fortunately, she succeeded in realizing the dream immediately after finishing school. Natalia entered the Theater School of Shchukin in Moscow, and already in her sophomore year she made her debut in cinema. It was the role of Zinka, the daughter of the district militiaman Aniskin, in Ivan Lukinsky’s film The Village Detective (1969). As critics say, with this role Natalia Saiko literally “burst” into the cinematography, so impetuous, resolute was her heroine. In addition, her partners in the film were famous Soviet actors – Tatiana Peltzer and Mikhail Zharov.
Having graduated from the theater school (1970) Natalia Saiko was accepted into the troupe of the Taganka Theater, where she worked for many years. During this time, she played a lot of different roles in the performances: “Three Sisters”, “At the bottom”, “Hamlet”, “A Dawns Here Are Quiet” and “Boris Godunov.” In “Hamlet” actress was able to play with Vladimir Vysotsky.
Soon after the debut on the screen Natalia Saiko pleased the audience with new roles. In particular, in the heroic adventure film “The explosion of delayed action” of the Moldovan director Valeriu Gagiu. She played the young lady Lisa. And in the television movie “My Street” by Leonid Mariagin, she played a touching role of Masha Skvortsova. Melodrama directed by Maryagin told about the problems of first love, relationships in the family and the search for justice. And it caused a lively response from the audience. Long after the premiere of the television movie, the actress received letters expressing gratitude for her work. In addition, at the International Festival of Television Films in Prague Natalia Saiko received the Prize for the best performance of the female role.
Noteworthy is the role of Natalia Saiko in the historical and biographical film of Viktor Sokolov “I am an actress” (1980). Here she was lucky to play the great Russian actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya. According to Natalia, this role was the most difficult in her career. Really, is it possible to play genius in general? To the credit of the actress, she managed to fully convey the inner world of the talented woman, completely devoted to the scene.
A bright trace in the creative biography of the actress left Leonid Menaker’s film “The Will of Professor Dowell”, filmed in 1984 on the basis of the famous fantasy novel by Alexander Belyaev. Here Natalia Saiko played a triple role – the sleek beauty of the actress Angelica Guy, the vulgar singer Monica and the suffering, rushing Eve. All of them, by the will of scientific experiments reunited in the body and soul of one woman.
Unfortunately, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the era of Soviet cinema ended. Many domestic actors have been left out of the profession. Natalia Saiko did not escape this fate. In the early 90’s she co-starred in a pair of films at the “Belarusfilm” studio. However, these were her last films. She did not act in film anymore. Soon the actress also left the “Commonwealth of Taganka Actors” – a theater led by Nikolai Gubenko. Last years all her free time Natalia Saiko devotes her husband, home, and books ..