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Liya Akhedzhakova

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Liya Akhedzhakova
Лия Ахеджакова
Akhedzhakova in 2023
Born
Liya Medzhidovna Akhedzhakova

(1938-07-09) 9 July 1938 (age 86)
Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Citizenship
  • Soviet (1938–1991)
  • Russian (1991–present)
Alma materRussian Academy of Theatre Arts
OccupationActress
Years active1961–present
Notable workThe Irony of Fate (1975), Office Romance (1977), The Garage (1979), Sons of Bitches (1990), Promised Heaven (1991), Playing the Victim (2007)
Spouses
ParentYuliya Akhedzhakova

Liya Medzhidovna Akhedzhakova (Russian: Лия Меджидовна Ахеджакова; born 9 July 1938) is a Soviet and Russian film, stage and voice actress who received the title of People's Artist of Russia in 1994. She received two Nika Awards as the best supporting actress and the 2014 Nika Honorary Prize.

Biography

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Akhedzhakova was born in Dnepropetrovsk (modern-day Dnipro, Ukraine). She grew up in a theatrical family in Maykop. Her step father, Medzhid Salehovich Akhedzhakov (1914–2012), was a Circassian nobleman[1] who served as the Principal Director of the National Theatre of the Republic of Adygea. Her mother, Yuliya Alexandrovna Akhedzhakova (1916–1990), was also an actress at the same drama theatre. At the age of 10, when her mother and aunt were suffering from tuberculosis, she wrote a letter to Joseph Stalin with a request for help. In response, a rare drug was delivered to her family.[2]

In 1956 she entered the Moscow Institute of Nonferrous Metals and Gold where she studied for eighteen months. She first appeared on stage in 1961 at Moscow Youth Theatre. In 1962, she graduated from Lunacharsky State Institute for Theatre Arts (GITIS). Her first film appearance was in Ishchu cheloveka (1973) (Russian: Looking for a Man). Her debut in this drama was awarded several prizes at international film festivals in Locarno, Switzerland and Varna, Bulgaria.[3] In 1977 she joined the Sovremennik Theatre. In 1986 she played four main roles in the play Apartment Columbine directed by Roman Viktyuk.

As a film actress Liya Akhedzhakova became widely known due to her roles in Eldar Ryazanov's films, including Tania in The Irony of Fate (1975), Verochka in Office Romance (1977), Malaeva in The Garage (1979), and Fima in Promised Heaven (1991). In the 2000 film Old Hags she played alongside her stepfather.

Personal life

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Akhedzhakova's first husband was Valery Nosik, an actor of Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre and Maly Theatre. Her second husband was artist and poet Boris Kocheishvili. In the summer of 2001, Liya Akhedzhakova married the Moscow-based photographer Vladimir Persiyanov.

Political views

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During the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis on the night before the storming of the White House, Akhedzhakova and several other popular actors attended a live broadcast at the "reserve studio" outside of the Ostankino Technical Center. She expressed support to Boris Yeltsin while also criticized the army for "not protecting us" from the old Soviet Constitution and encouraged people "to wake up", or "the Communists will return".[4][5] Yeltsin watched the broadcast in his office. He later wrote in his memoirs, "I will always remember Akhedhakova – shocked, fragile, but firm and courageous".[6] She was criticized for her speech by Alexander Prokhanov, Alexander Rutskoy, Stanislav Govorukhin and others who blamed intelligentsia for escalating the conflict.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

Akhedzhakova is a critic of contemporary Russian politics. She has protested the law that prohibits adoption of Russian children by US citizens, the persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the incarceration of Vasily Aleksanyan.[10] Together with Eldar Ryazanov, Yuri Shevchuk, Andrey Makarevich, Andrei Konchalovsky and others, she has expressed opposition to Russia's policy toward Ukraine. Following the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, she publicly read a poem by Andrey Orlov, Requiem for MH17, where he apologized as a Russian for the incident. In 2013, Akhedzhakova received a prize from the Moscow Helsinki Group for "the protection of human rights by means of culture and arts".[13] She spoke out in opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14]

According to Eldar Ryazanov, "she sympathizes with the weak, and despises the cruel. In this, her artistic credo coincides with the stance of the great Chaplin".[15]

In April 2023. Russian- and English-language independent news website Meduza reported that Vitaly Borodin, head of the Federal Security and Anti-Corruption Project, asked Russia’s Prosecutor General to launch a criminal case against Akhedzhakova. He claimed that Akhedzhakova has criticized “the state organs’ and the president’s decisions and policies with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He accused the actress of "treason" and "discrediting" the armed forces. Akhedzhakova denied the allegations. Borodin recommended labeling Akhedzhakova a "foreign agent".[16] As a result of these accusations, she had to leave Sovremennik Theatre where she has been working for many years.

Honours and selected awards

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Year Award Category Work Result
1970 Honored Artist of the RSFSR Won
1973 Prize of the 8th International Film Screening in the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Varna[15] Won
1975 Prize of the 8th All-Union Film Festival in Chișinău[15] Sports Films Won
1979 Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR[15] Laureate of RSFSR State Prize Office Romance Won
1991 Nika Award[17] Best Supporting Actress Promised Heaven Won
1994 People's Artist of Russia[15] Won
1999 Order of Honour[15] Won
2001 "Olmypia" National Award[15] National Prize of Public Recognition for Women's Achievements Won
2006 Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"[15] Cavalière (4th class) Won
2006 Nika Award[18] Best Supporting Actress Playing the Victim Won
2008 Star of Theatre Prize[15] Won
2008 Award of "Star teatral" Civic Courage Won
2013 Award of "Star teatral" Best Actress Won
2013 Award of the Moscow Helsinki Group Won
2014 Nika Award[19] Honorary Prize Won

Selected filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1968 The Retirning Petya
1970 The Blue Bird Young boy Voice
1970 Valiant Robin Hood Little John Voice
1973 Glasha and Kikimora Pioneer cyclist Voice
1973 Looking for a Man Anna Kuznetsova
1974 Tanya Mistress, housekeeper
1974 Ivan and Marya Princess Agrippina
1975 The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! Tanya, Nadya’s friend Television film
1975 Poshekhonskaya Starina Polka
1975 Near the Black Sea Viola Smyr
1976 In Secret to the Whole World (Po sekretu vsemu svetu) Yelizaveta Nikolaevna, geography teacher
1976 Twenty Days Without War Clock woman
1977 Zhikharka Zhikharka Voice
1977 Two Maples Ivanushka Voice
1977 Crane in the Sky Roza Kozodoeva
1977 Office Romance Vera "Verochka", secretary
1978 The Handsome Man Lupacheva Television film
1978 When I Will Become a Giant Julietta Ashotovna, nicknamed “Smiley”, English teacher
1978 Black Wizard's Gift Pugalitsa
1979 Speak My Language Claudia
1979 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears Olga Pavlovna, club manager
1979 The Garage Malaeva
1980 Say a Word for the Poor Hussar Loulou Television film
1981 The Eighth Wonder of the World Yuliya Yermolina
1981 Where Did Fomenko Disappear to? Alina Television film
1981 Vacation at Own Expense Irina Television film
1982 Alice Through the Looking Glass The White Queen/The Sheep
1983 Something From the Provincial Life Merchutkina Television film
1983 Talisman Grandmother
1983 Mama Anush Anush
1984 Little Favor Toma Television film
1984 Copper Angel Rosita
1984 Fairy Autumn Gift Fairy of sorrow
1986 Ara, bara, pukh! Alla Voice
1986 Chameleon Game Irma
1986 Occasion Violetta
1986 Wingspan First-class passenger (herself)
1987 Dialog. The Mole and the Egg Egg Voice
1987 Another Life Roza
1988 Ferocious Bambr Mouse Voice
1988 A Sinner Zina
1989 Vagrant Bus Zina, administrator
1989 Sofia Petrovna Maria Erastovna Kiparisova
1990 Should a Hedgehog be Prickly? Mother hedgehog Voice
1990 In the Footsteps of Bambr Mouse Voice
1990 Dope For an Angels Nina
1990 Sons of Bitches Nanaytseva
1990 Mordashka Zoya Nikolaevna, Yuliya's mother
1991 Glasha and Kikimora Kikimora Voice
1991 Trap for Bambr Mouse Voice
1991 For a Rainy Day Mother Hedgehog Voice
1991 Promised Heaven Afimya "Fima" Stepanovna Nika Award for Best Actress (1991)
1992 Birth of Hercules Olga's mother Voice
1992 I Wanted to See Angels Zhenya’s mother
1992 Seven Forty Tkachuk
1993 Ant Hedgehog Mother Hedgehog Voice
1993 Abyss, Seventh Circle Olga's mother
1994 Tren bren Masha
1995 Moscow Vacation Speculator
1997 Dandelion Wine Lena Auffmann
2000 Old Hags Lyuba
2005 Gorynych and Victoria Violetta Polikarpovna Lurie
2006 Playing the Victim Waitress in Japanese restaurant Nika Award for Best Actress (2007)
2006 Andersen. Life Without Love Gadalkal
2006 Strange Christmas Lucia Television film
2007 Potapov, to the Board! Taisiya Ivanovna
2007 Branch of Lilac Anna Sergeevna, Zverev’s wife
2007 Thumbelina Mouse
2007 Photo of My Girl Lyubov Grigorevna, Paul’s mother
2007 The Funeral Party Mariya Ignatyevna, healer
2008 Four Ages of Love Zima
2009 The Book of Masters Baba Yaga
2009 Bankrupt Matchmaker
2010 Love-Carrot 3 Yelizaveta Nikolaevna
2011 Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf Baba Yaga Voice
2012 Moms Svetlana Semyonovna
2017 The Meek Human rights activist
2018 Summer Landlady
2021 Halley's Comet Yanga Lvovna Artemyeva, mother of Yulia Borisovna, grandmother of Taisiya and Daria
2022 Golden Neighbors Stepanovna

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1977 Dunno In The Sunny City Bukovka Episode 7–8, voice
2003 Fifth Angel Sara
2004 Narrow Bridge Nina Petrovna TV mini-series
2005 Kazaroza Mariya Antonovna
2011 Dear My Man Ashkhen Ovanesovna Oganyan

References

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  1. ^ "Leah Akhedzhakova". movie-space.
  2. ^ Interview at Hard Day's Night, Dozhd TV channel, 5 March 2013 (in Russian)
  3. ^ Film and Theatre Star Liya Akhedzhakova Turns 70
  4. ^ White House, Black Smoke documentary by NTV (Russia), archive footage at 57:50 (in Russian)
  5. ^ Zheleznova N. L., Panova A. G., Surkov A. P. (1994). Moscow. Autumn-93. Chroincles of the Confrontation // From the speech by Lia Akhedzhakova given on central television on October 4, 1993. — Moscow: Respublika, p. 396-397 ISBN 5-250-02452-1
  6. ^ The Invention of Russia: The Rise of Putin and the Age of Fake News, by Arkady Ostrovsky, Penguin, Jun 7, 2016 - History, page 159.
  7. ^ Dmitri Furman (2010). Spiral Motion: The Russian Political System alongside Other Political Systems. — Moscow: Ves Mir, p. 71-72 ISBN 978-5-7777-0480-1 (Russian pdf at the official Dmitriy Furman's website)
  8. ^ Alexander Rutskoy (1995). The Bloody Autumn: Diary of 21 September - 4 October 1993. — Moscow, p. 256 ISBN 5-900248-27-5
  9. ^ Personal Opinion with Alexander Prokhanov at Echo of Moscow, March 16, 2011 (in Russian)
  10. ^ a b Yuri Saprykin. Council of Ancients: Lia Akhedzhakova interview at Afisha, February 4, 2013 archived (in Russian)
  11. ^ Oleg Kashin (2013). Putin's Reaction. What Is Good and What Is Bad. — Moscow: Algorithm ISBN 978-5-4438-0517-7
  12. ^ Stanislav Govorukhin. "People are protesting, that's good, but I don't trust the leaders of opposition" interview at Argumenty i Fakty, 10/02/2012 (in Russian)
  13. ^ ""Сделать ничего нельзя"".
  14. ^ "84-year-old theater star Liya Akhedzhakova banished from stage, together with D. L. Coburn's 'The Gin Game'". Meduza. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ахеджакова Лия Меджидовна" (in Russian). Kino-teatr.ru. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 24 Dec 2014.
  16. ^ "Snitch instigates criminal case against state-honored film and theater star Liya Akhedzhakova". Meduza. 11 April 2023.
  17. ^ 1991 Laureates at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)
  18. ^ 2006 Laureates at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)
  19. ^ 2014 Laureates at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)
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