Biography of Elena Yakovleva
Elena Yakovleva is a famous Soviet and Russian actress, People's Artist of Russia (2002). Numerous winner of the Nika, TEFI, and Golden Eagle awards for roles in films and TV series. She fell in love with viewers thanks to her work in the TV series “St. Petersburg Secrets”, “Kamenskaya” and the film “Intergirl”.
Actress Elena Alekseevna Yakovleva
Yuri Yakovlev has three children. What the youngest son, Anton Yakovlev, looks like and who he became
People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Yakovlev was lucky - all three of his children followed in the footsteps of their famous father and became actors. True, today only the eldest daughter, Alena, remains completely faithful to this profession. The artist’s middle son, Alexey, having acted in several films, went into real estate trading. And the youngest, Anton, became a famous theater director.
Today, 50-year-old Anton Yakovlev successfully stages performances at the best theater venues in the country. In his interviews, he happily talks about his work and creative plans, but never answers questions about his personal life.
“I still can’t resist beautiful girls”
Legends still tell about Yuri Yakovlev’s love of love at the Vakhtangov Theater (where the famous artist worked all his life). According to rumors, he had a warm and not only friendly relationship with almost every stage partner.
Yuri Yakovlev and Tatyana Shmyga in the film “The Hussar Ballad” / Mosfilm
“When I was young, I fell in love and immediately got married; when I fell in love, I got married. Over the years I realized that getting married is not always necessary. After all, to be honest, I still can’t resist beautiful girls,” the actor said with a smile in adulthood.
Yakovlev was married three times. True, the first two marriages did not last too long: the artist lived with the doctor Kira Machulskaya, who gave him his daughter Alena, for 9 years, and with the actress Ekaterina Raikina, who gave birth to her son Alexei, for only 4 years.
And only the third wife, Irina Leonidovna Sergeeva, managed to keep the famous artist near her for 45 years, until the last days of his life. As Yakovlev himself said, “this is because Ira knew everything about me, but turned a blind eye to many things.”
In 1969, Yakovlev and Sergeeva had a son, Anton.
“He was very nervous that he didn’t see much of the older children.”
Yakovlev was really very lucky with Irina. Especially because she was able to unite and make friends with all his children.
According to Sergeeva’s memoirs, while living with her, the actor was very worried about separation from his older children and constantly felt guilty.
“He was very nervous that he didn’t see much of the older children. But Alena was with her mother and stepfather in Germany, where Kira’s new husband worked. And Katya didn’t give Lesha much to him - she came up with reasons: either he was going somewhere, or he was sleeping,” Sergeeva recalled.
To save her beloved husband from the pangs of conscience, Irina Leonidovna did everything possible to bring his children together. She began inviting them to birthdays and other holidays. And little by little, all three heirs of the famous artist not only found a common language, but also became friends. They maintained this friendship even after their father's death.
Yakovlev's children decided to write a book about him
To the joy of Yuri Yakovlev, all three children followed in his footsteps and graduated from theater universities. Alena and Alexey - the school named after B. Shchukin, and Anton - the Moscow Art Theater School.
Alena Yakovleva has been the leading actress of the Moscow Satire Theater for many years. In addition, she successfully acts in films. In 2008, for her services to Russian art, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia.
After college, Alexey Yakovlev worked for some time at the Ermolova Theater, after which he organized his own theater “Even-Odd”. In the 80s and 90s he worked on television and starred in several films. In the 2000s, he went into business, getting involved in real estate.
On Alexei’s initiative, the heirs of the famous artist began to write a book about him. True, the Yakovlevs Jr. do not intend to publish it in large quantities - according to them, the book is intended only for family members and close friends.
“By and large, this is the story not so much of my father as of the Yakovlev family, in which my father became one of the most prominent representatives,” says Alexey Yakovlev.
It ended with Anton being taken to the police station
Yuri Vasilyevich’s youngest son, Anton, was immersed in an atmosphere of creativity from early childhood. The boy spent most of his free time behind the scenes of the Vakhtangov Theater and in the theater museum, which was headed by his mother.
According to Anton’s own recollections, he was a rather difficult child—he didn’t like going to school and often skipped classes. Therefore, throughout his school years, his diary was full of failures and comments from teachers.
When going on tour or filming, my parents always took Anton with them - let it be better in front of their eyes. But the hooligan boy found use for his “talents” here too.
One day, after staying with his father in a hotel, Anton couldn’t think of a better entertainment than throwing homemade paper bombs filled with water at passers-by. It ended with the young scoundrel being taken to the police station and Yuri Yakovlev having to rescue him from there.
“Mom is the mind and strength of our family”
According to Anton, his father had practically no time to raise him - he was constantly at work. But the boy had a very warm and trusting relationship with his mother from early childhood. And, despite the fact that many of Anton’s actions could hardly be called correct, Irina Leonidovna always believed that sooner or later her son would come to his senses.
No wonder, having matured and settled down, Anton Yakovlev will say in one of his interviews:
“I have just a wonderful relationship with my mother. She is the mind and strength of our family."
In 1990, Yakovlev, as the best student, underwent an internship in England
When Anton was 14 years old, he first tried his hand at cinema. In the film-play “The Man from the Country of Green” the boy played the main role of Tyreus Davenant. After the film was successfully shown on television, Anton no longer had any doubt that he wanted to become an artist. Having received a certificate, he without hesitation submitted documents to the Moscow Art Theater School.
Film “The Man from the Country of Green” / Main Editorial Board of Programs for Children and Youth CT In 1990, as one of the best students, Yakovlev was sent for an internship to England, to Oxford. And a year later, after graduating from the Studio School, he joined the troupe of the Sovremennik Theater.
At the same time, Anton played his second major film role - Ganin in the film “Mashenka” based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. His partner in the film was the then unknown aspiring actress Anastasia Zavorotnyuk.
“At one point I felt like I was standing still”
After working in the theater for 4 years and even playing several leading roles, Anton suddenly submitted his resignation.
“At one point I felt like I was standing still. I’m just too rational and big-headed for an artist. And I always wanted to change what was happening on stage,” says Anton.
photo from Anton Yakovlev's page in Odnoklassniki After parting with the theater, Yakovlev first worked on ART radio as the author and host of a program about cinema.
After that, he switched to television - he made commercials and for some time hosted “Kinopanorama” on the “Culture” channel. And only in 2000, having finally decided who he wanted to be, Anton Yakovlev entered the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors.
“My Macbeth was not made for life. He is the God of War"
Anton staged his first play “Minor Marital Crimes” in 2004 as part of the “Russian Enterprise” named after Andrei Mironov. The production turned out to be successful and was even nominated for the prestigious Golden Sofit theater award.
After a successful debut, Anton Yakovlev became a sought-after director, whom the most prestigious theaters began vying with to invite him. In 2006, at the RAMT he staged the play “Gupeshka”, in 2007 at the Vakhtangov Theater - Fyodor Sollogub’s play “The Little Demon”, in 2008 at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater “The Kreutzer Sonata”, in 2012 at the Et Cetera Theater - Chekhov’s “Drama” on the hunt."
photo from Anton Yakovlev's page in Odnoklassniki One of Anton Yakovlev's last directorial works was the play "Macbeth" based on Shakespeare's play at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. In 2020, the production was awarded the Theater Star Award, and the leading actor, actor Daniil Strakhov, was nominated for Best Actor.
“My Macbeth was not made for life. He is the God of War. He was tired of killing, tired of dying, tired of the endless feeling of guilt. He no longer has the strength to justify himself. He's tired of living. And so, before our eyes, another, new Macbeth is born, who is trying to regain the meaning of his existence. He will either change the world around him, or destroy it to the ground,” says Anton Yakovlev about the hero of his production.
In recent years, Anton decided to “remember the past” and appeared in films again. True, not domestically, but abroad. In 2009, he played a small role in the French film Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. And in 2013 he played in the French-Belgian thriller “Miserere”.
According to rumors, in his youth Anton had a relationship with Maria Mironova
If everything is “clear and understandable” with the work of Anton Yakovlev, then practically nothing is known about the personal life of the 50-year-old director. Therefore, Yakovlev’s fans and journalists have to be content only with unverified information and rumors.
According to one of them, in his youth Anton had a relationship with Maria Mironova, as a result of which his son Andrei was born. True, the lovers separated immediately after the birth of the child and he was immediately adopted by businessman Igor Udalov. It is difficult to say how true this guess is. In any case, Yakovlev, Mironova, and Andrei Udalov himself do not admit to being related.
Photo: Wikipedia But it is already known for sure that Anton Yuryevich was married twice. From his first marriage he has a son, Peter, born in 1999, and from his second, a daughter, Varvara, born in 2014.
Anton Yakovlev lives with his family and mother in his parents’ apartment on Old Arbat, where many things still remind him of his famous father.
Childhood and family
Elena Yakovleva was born in the small town of Novograd-Volynsky in the Zhytomyr region on March 5, 1961. The future actress’s mother, Valeria Pavlovna, worked at a research institute, and her father, Alexey Nikolaevich, was a military man. The actress also has a younger brother, Dmitry.
Elena Yakovleva in childhood (pictured: with her mother and brother)
Due to their father’s profession, the Yakovlev family traveled a lot around the country. Over the course of a year, the girl managed to change one or even two schools and was always the new girl in the class. In addition to studying at school, Yakovleva constantly watched her brother and helped her mother with the housework.
School photo of Elena Yakovleva (left)
Elena Yakovleva’s parents had nothing to do with art, but the girl herself wanted to become an actress since childhood. Perhaps her genes played a big role here. Yakovleva's great-great-grandmother was a serf artist. One way or another, at her school graduation, Elena Yakovleva made a wish to become a famous actress and put a corresponding note in a champagne bottle.
The beginning of an acting career
In 1978, Elena Yakovleva graduated from school and tried to enter the Kharkov Institute of Culture.
However, during the exam she was told that she had absolutely no “stage infectiousness.” After failing the entrance exams, she went to work as a librarian at the Kharkov Scientific Library named after Korolenko, and then worked at a radio factory. But Yakovlev did not leave dreams of the stage. In 1980, the girl went to Moscow. She only had a small amount of money with her. She lived at the station for four days, and then settled in a cheap hotel, on which almost all her finances were spent. However, difficulties could not stop Elena.
1985: Elena Yakovleva gets married
Yakovleva went to conquer GITIS. During the entrance exams, she read Katya Maslova’s monologue from Leo Tolstoy’s “Resurrection.” As Elena herself later said, her choice was by no means accidental. At one time, the actress was shocked by the performance of Tamara Semina, who played the role of Katyusha in the film adaptation by Mikhail Schweitzer. Elena Yakovleva entered GITIS on her first attempt and ended up in the workshop of Vladimir Andreevich Andreev. While still studying at GITIS, Elena Yakovleva made her film debut. In her third year, she took part in the filming of the musical lyrical comedy “Two Under One Umbrella” by Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich. Yakovleva got the supporting role of the circus performer Lera. Yakovleva’s debut film starred such masters as Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Natalya Andreichenko and Ivar Kalnins.
Elena Yakovleva's first film role (“Two under one umbrella”)
“I was invited to audition for the film “Two Under One Umbrella” at the Odessa Film Studio. I arrive “at the place” and, of course, head straight to the beach - I wanted to “get a tan,” so to speak. I lay in the sun for just an hour, and when I get up, I’m all red, like a lobster. There were no sunscreens back then. And when I came to the film studio, I couldn’t even put on clothes - everything was burning mercilessly. Thanks to the directors that despite this they still approved me,” the actress recalled.
Yakovleva and Sovremennik
After GITIS, in 1984, Elena Yakovleva became an actress at the Sovremennik Theater. When she was accepted, a rare incident occurred: all members of the artistic council voted for her inclusion in the troupe.
Young Elena Yakovleva in the play “Twin”
In the same year, she made her debut on the stage of the famous theater. Elena played Gitel Mosca in the production of “Two on a Swing” by Galina Volchek based on the play by William Gibson. This was followed by work in the plays “Three Sisters”, “Forever Nineteen” and “Twin”.
In 1986, Elena was given an offer to move to the Moscow Ermolova Theater. The actress agreed, but later described her departure as “a large depression of volcanic origin.” The actress worked at the Ermolova Theater for three years. During this time she played in the plays “The Dresser”, “Snow is Near the Prison” and “Farewell, Judas”. In 1989, Yakovleva returned to Sovremennik and became one of its leading actresses.
Three main women of Yuri Yakovlev
A handsome, stately, tall brunette with a wonderful voice and irresistible masculine charm, the talented theater and film actor Yuri Yakovlev conquered women with one glance. The most beautiful women in the country dreamed of an affair with the brutal handsome man, and he reciprocated the feelings of the female representatives. Is it any wonder that the star of the films “The Hussar Ballad”, “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”, “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession” married three times.
Yuri Yakovlev, who turns 85 on April 25, was born in Moscow. Father Vasily Vasilyevich worked as a lawyer, mother Olga Mikhailovna worked as a nurse. The grandfather of the future celebrity was considered a prosperous merchant, owned shops in the central square of Voronezh, was a major manufacturer of shoes for the population and was elected to the Voronezh City Duma several times. But in Soviet times, neighbors, friends and acquaintances were not told about such relatives. You never know. The young couple failed to save the marriage; the father left the family. Yura stayed with his mother.
Like all Moscow boys of that time, he often played in the yard. And one day an unfamiliar woman approached him, looked into his eyes and asked if he wanted to act in films. And after an affirmative answer, she invited him to watch.
At the film studio, 11-year-old Yura was asked to perform a short scene - bite an apple and say: “Sour.” But the future People's Artist failed to cope with the task. He was not called again, and Yakovlev did not turn out to be the main character of the film “Timur and His Team”.
Despite this, the boy was not upset, because then he did not dream of cinema. And then the war began. Bombings, hunger, devastation. Yura and his mother moved to Ufa. The 13-year-old worked in a hospital, and in 1943 the family returned to Moscow. The guy decided to find a job so as not to sit on his mother’s neck. And I found it. In the garage at the US Embassy. At first, the boy only refueled the cars, but soon the talented and nimble Yura was entrusted with minor repairs. Then they began to give more and more complex tasks, which the guy coped with brilliantly and on time. As a result, the experienced repairman began to work alone, without guidance. Yakovlev was also given a Willys jeep, in which he drove up to the evening school in style and gave rides to friends and girlfriends. And of course, the eligible groom had a loved one.
The girl Galya was two years younger than the chosen one. At that time, having a car was a great privilege; not every adult man could dream of owning a car. And here is a jeep from... a ninth grader. After all, because of the war, Yura graduated from school only at the age of 20 and was already thinking about entering the Institute of International Relations. But for some reason I submitted documents to VGIK.
During his entrance exams, he was told that he was “non-cinogenic.” However, Yura does not give up on his dream, and in 1948 he enters Shchuka. Studying is not easy for the guy. In the first year I got a D in acting. On the second - three. But the girls adore the careless student, especially since the gentleman had already broken up with Galya and was completely free.
Soon fate gave Yakovlev a meeting with his first wife. 20-year-old medical student Kira Machulskaya was brought to the House of Actors by her fiancé, a famous Leningrad director. The lovers were already thinking about getting married and moving to St. Petersburg. Yakovlev really liked the beautiful and prominent girl, and he began to pay attention to her. The stranger could not resist the charms of the tall brunette and came up to meet him. And a few days later... I fell in love, so much so that I broke off my relationship with the successful director and admitted to my parents that I fell in love with someone else. No amount of persuasion helped; Kira only wanted to marry Yakovlev. After the wedding, Yura and Kira moved into her parents' apartment.
The marriage bed was arranged behind the closet. The bride's mother listened to every rustle and shouted to her husband that Yura was making an attempt on their girl and that she knew that it would all end like this.
But the happiness of the young people was short-lived - Kira became seriously ill with tuberculosis, the doctors sent her to a sanatorium. They were categorically not allowed to enter the patient’s room. But the young husband sneaked in to see his beloved unnoticed by the doctors, often stood by her side at night and was not afraid of getting infected. Such care and love drove away the disease. Kira recovered.
She returned to work at the Moscow Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and then became pregnant. It was difficult to bear my daughter Alena, because Kira was Rhesus negative. And the caring husband was no longer around, Yura didn’t even meet his wife and daughter from the maternity hospital. Kira did not tell anyone about the reason for the breakup with her beloved, but her acquaintances guessed for themselves: Yuri cheated on his wife.
31-year-old Yakovlev was rushing between two fires - his legal wife Kira and his illegal beloved Katya. And both were pregnant from him! Ekaterina Raikina, the daughter of the famous artist Arkady Raikin, was only 21 years old, but she had already been married to actor Mikhail Derzhavin for a year. The newlyweds rented a room in an apartment. But creative life took the spouses in different directions. Katya was taken to the Vakhtangov Theater, and Mikhail to Lenkom. She went on tour to the Far East - her husband remained in Moscow, and when she returned to Moscow, Misha went to Siberia. Young and amorous, they could not give feelings to each other and therefore poured them out on others.
For Katya, this other was Yuri Yakovlev. The girl lost her head, although she loved her young husband. The young Raikina and the experienced womanizer Yakovlev began a stormy and passionate romance.
Yakovlev’s wife, Kira, became aware of this. The proud woman could not forgive her husband for his betrayal, and they separated, although they were expecting a child. Katya also agreed with Misha about a divorce. Derzhavin managed to understand his wife and even remained a family friend, although he himself was not alone for long. Mikhail’s second wife was Semyon Budyonny’s daughter, Nina, who gave birth to a daughter, Maria. But this marriage was not destined to last long. The next attempt at family happiness was a success; Roxana Babayan became the third and last wife of the actor.
After divorces from their ex-spouses, Ekaterina Raikina and Yuri Yakovlev got married. Soon the young couple had a son, Alexei. But after three years of marriage, the family broke up. Later, Katya admits that she could forgive everything except drunkenness, but Yura had such a problem. And one day it almost cost the young people their lives. The actors were going to go from Moscow to Leningrad on tour. Pregnant Katya and her friend sat in the back of the Moskvich. Yura drank and got behind the wheel.
The long road and monotonous sound lulled the drunk driver to sleep. The car, having made a somersault in the air, ended up in a ditch.
Fortunately, there was no high embankment or pillars nearby and no one was coming towards us. The driver and passengers, who flew out of the car along with their suitcases, miraculously remained alive and even performed a performance, although Yakovlev went on stage with a crack in his shoulder blade. When little Lesha turned three years old, the family broke up. Offended, Katerina did not allow father and son to meet; they saw each other only 15 years later, when Alexey became a student at the Shchukin Theater School. Ekaterina tried to start a new family and married actor Vladimir Koval, with whom she played in the same theater. But the spouses did not agree on their personalities; it was easier for them to respect each other at a distance. Volodya and Ekaterina separated, but did not officially divorce. Alexey became an actor, worked at the Ermolova Theater, and played many interesting roles. He married the operetta queen Lilia Amarfiy, who was 12 years older than her husband. And when she died, Alexey remained the father to her son Sasha from his first marriage. They didn't have their own children.
Having become a bachelor for the second time, Yakovlev Sr. surrendered to passions. He listened to compliments from fans, charmed his colleagues, fell in love with his stage partners. Yulia Borisova was the actor’s muse; the actor rushed to rehearsals and performances with her participation as if on a first date. But Yulia had no idea what feelings her voice, eyes, and gait aroused in her passionate colleague. Maybe everything would have been different if the play “Two on a Swing” had been removed from the repertoire. Don Juan and favorite of women simply basked in the attention of the weaker sex and reveled in their beauty and tenderness.
Yuri realized that a love adventure does not always have to end in a wedding. And he chose as his wife not just an intelligent and beautiful woman, but a wise friend. Irina Leonidovna worked as the head of the Vakhtangov Museum. The famous director Ruben Simonov did not start rehearsals until she sat down next to him. A tall, slender young woman with beautiful, intelligent eyes kept diaries of Simon's rehearsals. And at the same time she inspired the middle-aged but gallant gentleman. It was impossible not to notice such a woman. And of course, the famous ladies' man Yuri Yakovlev could not pass by such a beauty. He began to show Irina signs of attention, courteousness, and charm. Eventually a romance began, which ended in marriage in 1962. And seven years later the couple had a son, Anton.
But neither a new family, nor the birth of a son, nor his beloved wife could save the actor from his passion for beautiful women. However, the wise wife pretended not to notice her husband’s pranks and managed to save the family.
The People's Artist admits that it is Irina who helps him when choosing roles in theater and cinema, that for him she is the only and beloved one who is always there.
By the way, unlike their wives, Yakovlev’s children are friends. The eldest daughter from her first marriage is an actress at the Satire Theater, the son from her second marriage, Alexey, is a businessman, and the youngest, 43-year-old Anton Yakovlev, is a director, actor, and screenwriter.
See the photo gallery of Yuri Yakovlev’s 5 main roles: on the artist’s 85th anniversary [PHOTO]
Career blossoming
In parallel with acting on stage, Elena Yakovleva continued to act in films. She got both leading and supporting roles. The actress's major success came in 1989, when she played the prostitute Tanya Zaitseva in Pyotr Todorovsky's melodrama Intergirl. This was a real breakthrough for the young actress and a truly serious dramatic role. The success of the film was also facilitated by the fact that it touched on topics and problems that were completely prohibited at that time, which, nevertheless, were very relevant.
Elena Yakovleva in the film “Intergirl”
Todorovsky's painting produced the effect of a bomb exploding. The touching and dramatic story of two “priestesses of love” in search of their happiness could not leave anyone indifferent. In “Intergirl” the director assembled a real star cast. In addition to Yakovleva, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Irina Rozanova, and Lyubov Polishchuk starred in the film.
After her role in Intergirl, Elena Yakovleva was named the best actress of the year in a survey conducted by the Soviet Screen magazine. Yakovleva’s work was highly appreciated at various festivals. Elena became a laureate of the Nika Award, as well as the Constellation-90 Film Festival and the Tokyo Film Festival.
“Currency” from “Intergirl”: Shchukina, Polishchuk, Dapkunaite, Rozanova, Yakovleva
Such success placed Yakovleva on the pedestal of the leading actresses of Soviet and Russian cinema. In the first half of the 90s, Elena acted a lot with various directors. She was best at playing the roles of unfortunate heroines - abandoned, deceived women, single mothers.
Elena Yakovleva in the series “St. Petersburg Secrets”
But Elena Yakovleva played her best roles with Pyotr Todorovsky. This applies to the melodrama “Anchor, more Anchor!”, for her role in which the artist was awarded the Nika Award in the category “Best Supporting Actress”.
Elena Yakovleva in her youth
After that, in 1995, Elena Yakovleva starred with Todorovsky in the drama “What a Wonderful Game” and, in 1998, in the melodrama “Retro Threesome” with Sergei Makovetsky and Evgeniy Sidikhin. In addition to Todorovsky’s films, the actress starred in the drama “The Staircase” by Alexei Sakharov with Oleg Menshikov, in the film “Heart is not a Stone” with Natalya Gundareva and the series “The Sukhovo-Kobylin Case” by Leonid Pchelkin.
Elena Yakovleva in her youth and now
The image of an “intergirl” haunted Elena Yakovleva for a long time. He couldn’t even be overshadowed by his work in the film “Anchor!” Also Anchor" and the series "St. Petersburg Secrets". It was possible to do this only after filming the detective series “Kamenskaya”.
Still from the film “Anchor! Another anchor"
It is worth noting that Yakovleva reluctantly agreed to the role of investigator-analyst Anastasia Kamenskaya. However, the author of the novels, Alexandra Marinina, saw her heroine differently. Nevertheless, Yakovleva organically fit into the image of an intelligent and ironic investigator. The actress began to be identified with her new character, and Marinina began writing her novels, “trying on” Kamenskaya to Yakovleva.
Elena Yakovleva as Detective Kamenskaya
After the success of the series “Kamenskaya”, sequels immediately followed. Sergei Garmash, Dmitry Nagiev, Sergei Nikonenko played with Yakovleva. The series was very popular among viewers and lasted 6 seasons, ending in 2011. Elena Yakovleva. The fate of a person with Boris Korchevnikov All this time, Elena did not leave the stage of the Sovremennik Theater. There she performed diverse roles in the plays “We’re Playing...Schiller!”, “Demons”, “The Thunderstorm”, “Go Away-Go Away”. In 2002, the actress was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation.
With Vitaly Khaev on the set of the series “Curious Varvara-2”
In subsequent years, such films with the participation of Elena Yakovleva as “My Step Brother Frankenstein” with Leonid Yarmolnik and Sergei Garmash, “I Stay” with Andrei Krasko and Fyodor Bondarchuk, were popular with viewers. Recently, the actress has been playing more and more in TV series, but not a single role of this kind has eclipsed the image of Kamenskaya in the memory of viewers.
Theater and cinema
Since 1952, the actor regularly appears on the theater stage. Initially, he played only episodic characters, for example, a gendarme in the play “Les Miserables.” Then the directors invited Yuri to small supporting roles in the productions “Makar Dubrava” and “European Chronicle”. The first large-scale role in Yakovlev’s career was the image of Lensky in the play “Crayfish” by Sergei Mikhalkov. Spectators and critics praised his work. They liked the simplicity and sincerity of the artist. He gave his fullest in every performance, living through the events of the play.
Yakovlev consolidated his success by performing brilliantly in the productions of “Fearing Woe—Not Seeing Happiness,” “A Play Without a Title,” “The Three Ages of Casanova” and “Simplicity is Enough for Every Wise Man.” All the roles were diverse, in some of them Yuri Vasilyevich showed his excellent vocals. By the end of the 60s, he was recognized as the leading actor of the theater; many competitors tried to lure the star to themselves. But he even refused to work at the Moscow Art Theater, since he was a conservative by nature.
Yuri's film debut took place in 1954. He was invited to play a minor role in the film “The Great Warrior of Albania.” A year later, the actor received an offer to star in the vaudeville “On the Stage.” Then he played in several more films, but success came only in 1956 after his role in the film “The Idiot.” The image of Prince Myshkin is still considered one of the most striking works in Yakovlev’s work. After her, he began to regularly receive offers from directors.
The most fruitful collaboration was between the actor and Eldar Ryazanov. He starred in the films “The Man from Nowhere” and “The Hussar Ballad,” but the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” was especially popular. Until now, thousands of people in the post-USSR territory turn on this picture on New Year's Eve and watch it with the whole family.
Personal life of Elena Yakovleva
Only after getting a job at Sovremennik did Elena meet her future husband, actor Valery Shalnykh. On March 3, 1985 they got married. This was the second marriage of the actress - before that she was married (for only six months) to her classmate Sergei Yulin.
Elena Yakovleva with her husband Valery Shalnykh and son Denis
On November 7, 1992, Valery and Elena had their first child, son Denis. As a child, he played a nerdy boy in the adventure film “The Secret of the Cleft Mouth” by Alla Surikova. He graduated from school in Britain, then enrolled as a director at the Humanitarian Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting.
Still from the film “The Secret of the Cleft Mouth”
Denis is often discussed in the press in the context of his appearance - as he grew up, the guy became seriously interested in tattoos. The hobby began with a portrait of their dog named Dick and ended with tattoos on his face. At the same time, Denis has no bad habits, he goes in for sports, and after listening to his arguments, Elena herself decided and tattooed a butterfly on her lower back.
Elena Yakovleva's son is fond of tattoos and sports
In 2014, the RuNet was shocked by the news that Elena Yakovleva had died, but it soon turned out that this was false information. The actress later admitted that she had recently experienced clinical death during surgery.
Last years
All his life Yakovlev played in the theater, he had a break only for a few years from 1954 to 1962. During this time, he actively acted in films. Yuri Vasilyevich spent more than 60 years on the stage of the Vakhtangov Theater; he played his last role in 2011. The artist once again confirmed his talent in the production of “The Pier”. In total, he produced more than 50 plays of completely different genres. The man worked with many famous directors and actors.
Yuri Vasilyevich had a pleasant, well-produced voice. Thanks to this, he often sang on stage, and also voiced cartoons and records. Yakovlev’s voice can be heard in the cartoons “Music Shop”, “Old Woman, Close the Door” and “The Smile of Leonardo da Vinci”. He even starred in the Agatha Christie group’s video for the song “Fairytale Taiga.”
The actor wrote two books during his life. In 1993, the essay “Between the Past and the Future” was published; four years later, “The Album of My Fate” by Yakovlev appeared on bookshelves. His acting talent has been repeatedly recognized with prestigious awards. Since 1976, Yuri Vasilyevich was considered the People's Artist of the USSR, and he also received many state awards and orders.
After 1993, the artist almost did not act; he had a low opinion of the cinema of that time. The last film with his participation was the continuation of the legendary “Irony of Fate.” Critics did not appreciate the film about aging heroes, but many viewers liked it. The greatest actor died on the night of November 30, 2013 in a Moscow hospital. He was hospitalized there after fainting. Before this, Yakovlev had been ill for a long time, the exact cause of death is unknown. Colleagues and close relatives came to say goodbye to him.
Elena Yakovleva now
Elena Yakovleva continues to successfully act in films and TV series. Her most recent roles are Zinchenko’s wife in “The Crew” (2016) with Mashkov and Kozlovsky, and Baba Yaga in the popular fantasy “The Last Hero” (2017), whose star was Viktor Khorinyak.
“The Last Hero”: Elena Yakovleva plays Baba Yaga
In 2020, the actress once again starred with Karen Oganesyan, in the drama “Milk” and accepted the invitation of Janik Fayziev to play a role in the fantasy blockbuster “Goalkeeper of the Galaxy”. In the same year, she played in the comedy “Dominican Republic” with Andrei Chadov.
“I’ll probably die” - Elena Yakovleva experienced a shock
The other day, the celebrity truly shocked fans by making an unexpected confession.
Elena Yakovleva decided to become a vegetarian. The actress was prompted to take this step by regular filming. As part of the new project, the artist spent a lot of time with chickens, pigs and rabbits, observing their life and behavior.
After this, the 58-year-old celebrity decided that she would never be able to eat meat again.
“I’ll never eat them again!” said the shocked star, as she snapped.
Elena stated that she had been a meat eater all her life. But now, having seen these cute little ones up close, she can’t get a bite out of her throat. When asked what she would now eat, Yakovleva replied: “I’ll probably die of hunger!”
