Once upon a time, the beauty of this actress was called witchcraft. Directors offered her leading roles in their films, fans gave her flowers and dedicated poems. Actress Alexandra Zavyalova was one of the most popular in the Soviet Union after filming the film “Shadows Disappear at Noon.” In 2020, one day short of her eightieth birthday, she was killed. Why was actress Alexandra Zavyalova killed? Who did it? Why did the once popular actress stop starring in films? What do we know about her? Alexandra Zavyalova’s biography, personal life and other interesting information are presented in our article.
Greta Garbo of Soviet cinema
There are lucky people who are given everything in abundance from birth. Such people included the Soviet actress Alexandra Zavyalova. Beauty, talent, fans, true love. She had everything to be happy. It seemed that the whole world lay at her feet, and only good things should await her in life. However, everything turned out completely differently. Why did the life of this beautiful woman and talented actress end so badly? What was it? Tragic accident or intentional murder? Let's try to figure this out.
Biography facts
Despite her bright, aristocratic appearance, Alexandra Zavyalova was born into a family of simple workers in the Tambov region. It should be noted that Sasha’s parents were very beautiful people. Her grandmother was Greek. Alexandra inherited her bright, unusual appearance from her parents. Unfortunately, information about the actress’s childhood and hobbies could not be found.
At the age of 22, she graduated from the theater institute in Leningrad. Alexandra played her first role while still a student. The film was called “Song about Koltsov” (1959). The girl played the poet’s beloved, the serf girl Dunya. She coped with the role very well, but after graduating from the institute she was assigned to the theater in Brest. There were offers to act in films, but Zavyalova believed that her calling was not the film set, but the stage. However, when director Alexander Zarkha offered her the main role in the film “People on the Bridge,” Alexandra Zavyalova (photo below) did not refuse.
Born 02/04/1936, Titovka village, Tambov region.
Alexandra Zavyalova was born in the village of Titovka, Sosnovsky district, Tambov region. In 1958 she graduated from the Leningrad Theater Institute. A.N. Ostrovsky, after which she was assigned to the Brest Drama Theater.
Alexandra worked successfully in this theater for about a year, refusing invitations to film from time to time. It wasn’t that she was completely uninterested in cinema, she just considered herself a theater actress. But one day, she, a recent graduate, received a personal invitation from director Alexander Zarkhi to play a role in the film “People on the Bridge.” She couldn't refuse.
Alexandra Zavyalova never returned back to Brest, because after that she received a new offer. In the lyrical comedy “Alyoshka’s Love,” the actress played switchman Zinka, with whom a timid guy, drilling geologist Alyoshka (Leonid Bykov), is in love. Unremarkable and awkward, he achieves the love of a proud beauty with persistent stubbornness. The result of the film is the loving eyes of a girl who has walked a long way to see him, Alyoshka...
The surprisingly kind and bright film “Alyoshka’s Love” could not leave the audience indifferent. People started talking about Alexandra Zavyalova, and invitations from directors started pouring in. One after another, films with her participation were released: the melodrama “Wait for Letters”, the social melodrama “Bread and Roses”, the youth film story “Weekdays and Holidays”. However, all of them were not very successful.
In 1961, a photograph of Alexandra Zavyalova appeared on the pages of the American Life magazine. The fact is that the famous photographer Philippe Halsman decided to photograph the most famous people of the Soviet Union, and among those whom his choice fell on was the rising film star Alexandra Zavyalova. On the one hand, this was the first step towards international fame. On the other hand, meetings with foreign journalists could not pass without leaving a trace, and the actress came to the attention of the relevant intelligence services.
Meanwhile, changes occurred in the actress’s personal life. In 1963, Alexandra Zavyalova married the artist Dmitry Buchkin. As the actress herself admitted, she did not marry out of great love, but simply because she had known Dmitry for a long time and could not resist his beautiful advances. Soon the couple had a daughter, Tatyana, and Alexandra stopped acting in films. She also had to leave the Maly Theater, where she had recently worked.
However, they did not forget about the actress, and a year later she received an invitation to the Moscow International Festival. One evening, Alexandra Zavyalova was invited to a diplomatic dinner party. Beautiful, dark-haired, with almond-shaped eyes, she created a real sensation among the diplomatic corps. And the American ambassador, after a whole hour of conversation, officially invited her to visit the United States.
After this, the wave could have ended up somewhere in Kolyma instead of America, but the special services apparently decided to hold off for now. Moreover, after the success at that reception, the management of the film festival instructed the actress to meet her Italian colleagues Giulietta Masina, Antonella Lualdi, and Giorgio Molli in Leningrad with dignity and at the highest level. And Alexandra Zavyalova did not lose face.
A year later, Alexandra Zavyalova met a 50-year-old American businessman, co-owner of a large shipping company. This meeting has sad consequences. The American fell in love with the actress, a romance broke out between them, which was immediately noted by the KGB. The intelligence services suspected the businessman of espionage and, declaring him persona non grata, offered him to leave the USSR within 24 hours.
As for Alexandra Zavyalova, she was labeled as unreliable, and she had to say goodbye to cinema for some time. In addition, this affair put an end to her family life - Alexandra divorced her husband...
In 1969, Alexandra Zavyalova was remembered at Mosfilm. At that time, directors Valery Uskov and Vladimir Krasnopolsky began filming the novel by Anatoly Ivanov “Shadows Disappear at Noon.” They invited Alexandra Zavyalova to play the role of Serafima Klychkova (Pistimeya Morozova). In the novel, which, by the way, has an extremely anti-religious orientation, Seraphim-Pistimaea was depicted as a real embodiment of evil, endowed with simply bestial cruelty. The book heroine cynically covered all this up with faith in God.
In the series, the directors somewhat smoothed out the tendentiousness of the novel, but Seraphim still remained an extremely negative character. For Alexandra Zavyalova, a deep believer in God since childhood, this film became a real test - both moral and physical. Filming lasted three years. She started playing a seventeen-year-old girl, and in the last episode her heroine was already 70. Alexandra gave her all, and therefore the image she created truly came out demonic. It cost her the first gray hair in her life, and after filming ended, Alexandra atone for her sin in church.
The film “Shadows Disappear at Noon,” released in 1971, turned out to be fatal in the life of Alexandra Zavyalova. After this picture, the actress was completely stopped being invited to filming. Complete oblivion to the cinema resulted in her deep depression. And then, at the age of 40, Alexandra Zavyalova decided to give birth to a son.
But the security services did not forget about the disgraced actress. Soon the news spread throughout Moscow that Alexandra Zavyalova, having been torn away from her children, was taken to a mental hospital. Rumors spread that it was higher powers who punished Sasha Zavyalova for her role as Pistimea in “Shadows Disappear at Noon.” Two months later, Zavyalova returned from the hospital. During this time, her apartment was robbed. Everything that the former actress managed to earn was taken away: furs, diamonds, porcelain, money. There were no children either. Daughter Tatyana was taken in by her father, and the special services sent her little son to an orphanage.
For a long time, they did not want Zavyalova to return her son, and a year later she was taken to the hospital again, this time along with the child. There, with the help of threats and blackmail, doctors forced her to write an application for disability. This was already the final verdict.
25 years later, Alexandra Zavyalova appeared in the cinema again. In 1992, she played the role of a secretary in the drama White Robes. And in 1994, Zavyalova was even awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. But then the actress disappeared from view again.
Filmography:
1959 People on the bridge 1960 Aleshkina's love 1960 Wait for letters 1960 Bread and roses 1961 Everyday life and holidays 1964 Fro 1965 The Hippocratic Oath 1967 Sergei Lazo 1967 Four pages of one young life 1969 Meeting at the old mosque 1971 Shadows disappear at noon 1992 Bel 1994 Clothes Born Again
Actors section
First roles and films
In the film she played the bomber Lena. Her heroine is a strong woman capable of heroic deeds. Saving people, she sacrifices her life. The actress managed to convey this image so well that viewers and directors turned their attention to her. After this picture new proposals followed.
Alexandra Zavyalova (actress) became widely known after the film “Aleshkina’s Love”. She played the main character Zinka here. Such famous actresses as Isolda Izvitskaya, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Iya Arepina could star in this role. But Alexandra Zavyalova was chosen for filming. Her partner in the film was actor Leonid Bykov. Alexey’s tender and touching love story amazed the audience. The actress showed how the ordinary girl Zina was changing for the better, who at the end of the film was able to appreciate all the beauty of the feelings of a young man in love.
"Shadows disappear at noon"
Alexandra Zavyalova was 35 years old when she auditioned for the above-mentioned film. The directors of the film were amazed by her beauty and the special magnetism that her eyes radiated. The decision was made instantly and unanimously; Alexandra Zavyalova was approved for the role of Serafima Klychkova (Pistemea Morozova).
Many talented actresses dreamed of playing her. But for this role, an actress with special inner strength and external softness and charm was needed. After all, in the film it was necessary to show three ages of the main character: a very young girl, a middle-aged woman and an elderly woman. This role required incredible effort and complete dedication from the actress.
Despite the fact that Alexandra Zavyalova played a negative character, it was impossible not to admire her performance. Having played the enemy of the Soviet regime, she won the love of a huge audience. How could this be? The fact is that the actress was able to show the main thing - life and the development of a person. And she did it brilliantly. But despite this, after the film “Shadows Disappear at Noon,” the actress was not invited to act in film. Her last role was in the film White Clothes (1992).
Creation
Filmography
- 1959 - Song about Koltsov - serf girl Dunya
- 1960 - Wait for the letters - Rimma
- 1960 - Alyoshkina's love - Zinka
- 1960 - People on the Bridge - Lena
- 1960 - Bread and Roses - Lyuba Tiunova
- 1960 - Weekdays and holidays
- 1964 - Fro - Euphrosyne (Fro)
- 1964 - Loneliness - Natalya
- 1965 - Hippocratic Oath - Valentina Tomilova, senior meteorologist
- 1967 - Sergei Lazo
- 1967 - Four pages of one young life - Polina
- 1969 - Meeting at the old mosque - Masha
- 1971 - Shadows disappear at noon - Serafima Klychkova (Pistimeya Makarovna Morozova)
- 1992 - White clothes - secretary
Filmography (list)
What other films has Alexandra Zavyalova starred in? Let's remember them.
- "Bread and Roses" (1960). Plays the kulak's daughter Lyubasha. An interesting film in which such famous actors as Pavel Kadochnikov and Lyudmila Kasatkina star together with Zavyalova.
- "Wait for Letters" (1960). The girl Rimma (played by Alexandra Zavyalova) leaves for a youth construction site in the hope that she can forget her love.
- "Fro" (1964). Alexandra Zavyalova played the young girl Frosya. Her heroine yearns for her husband, who left his young wife and went to work on a construction site. A brilliant performance by an actress capable of conveying without words, just with a glance, all the melancholy of a tormented female soul.
- "Four Pages of One Young Life" (1967). The actress played a spoiled beauty here.
In total, Alexandra Zavyalova starred in 14 films. All her heroines are strong and beautiful women. No matter who Alexandra Zavyalova starred with, all the attention of the audience was focused only on her. She literally hypnotized with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. Fans followed her in droves, and the wife of Leonid Bykov (partner in the film “Alyoshkina Love”) was very jealous of her husband and was even present at the filming of the film.
Films of the 1960s
Alexandra Zavyalova was very popular in the 60s. Largely thanks to the role of Zinka from the melodrama “Aleshkina Love”. Then the actress’s partner on the set was Leonid Bykov (“Only old men go into battle”). He played the same Alyoshka who was crazy about the switchwoman Zinaida. Zavyalova, in one of her few interviews, recalled that the actor’s wife was very jealous of him and was constantly present on the set.
I wish I could be jealous: Alexandra Zavyalova’s photos were featured not only on the covers of Soviet Screen, but even in the American Life magazine. American journalists called the actress the Soviet Greta Garbo, and Russian directors offered the actress exclusively leading roles.
In the 60s, such films as “Wait for Letters” by Y. Karasik, “Bread and Roses” by F. Filippov, “Fro” by R. Esadze and many other films were released with the participation of Zavyalova. The actress was invited to dinner parties at the US Embassy and was entrusted with the honorable mission of meeting foreign guests arriving at Soviet cultural events.
Alexandra Zavyalova: personal life
Despite the huge number of fans, there was only one official marriage in her life. They met their future husband, artist Dmitry Buchkin, when Alexandra was still studying at the theater institute. He immediately lost his head, but there was a reason to lose it. What is she? The girl was used to admiration and attention and did not attach much importance to their acquaintance.
Dmitry Buchkin painted portraits of an unapproachable beauty, gave flowers and looked after her beautifully. Alexandra Zavyalova already had roles in several films, so it was difficult to surprise her with signs of attention. Nevertheless, Alexandra appreciated Dmitry’s reliability and devotion, and a few years after they met, they got married. The marriage produced a daughter, Tatyana.
Acting fame and popularity, as well as numerous fans, did not allow this wonderful couple to enjoy family life for a long time. Alexandra soon became interested in another man, her husband did not forgive her for her betrayal, and they divorced. But Dmitry could not forget about his flighty beauty and loved her all his life.
Personal life
While still studying at the institute, Alexandra met her future husband Dmitry Buchkin. The young man studied at the art school named after V.I. Mukhina, where LGITMiK students came to cultural events. In 1963, the couple married, although Dmitry's parents opposed his choice, foreseeing future difficulties.
Alexandra Zavyalova with her son Peter
In the same year, daughter Tanya was born. Taking care of her, Alexandra takes a break in her career. But already next year she began an affair with Rezo Esadze. Zavyalova confesses these feelings to her husband, and, despite the small daughter, the couple decides to divorce two years after registering the marriage.
Relations with Esadze turn out to be equally short-lived. On the one hand, Zavyalova is not satisfied with her lover’s jealousy, on the other hand, daughter Tatyana refuses to perceive her mother’s new companion as a father. The couple breaks up.
Alexandra Zavyalova in recent years
Zavyalova's next novel costs her career. A businessman from the United States who has turned her head spends two weeks with the actress in Odessa. However, it is clear to both that the romance is doomed: Alexandra will not move to America, and her chosen one will not remain in the USSR.
After the foreigner returns to his homeland, Zavyalova is summoned for questioning by the KGB, and then surveillance is established. Coincidentally or not, the flow of filming offers dries up after interrogation by law enforcement agencies.
Alexandra Zavyalova and her granddaughter Darina
In 1976, Alexandra’s son Peter was born. The actress does not admit who the father of the child is to journalists or relatives. In the 90s, Tatyana became a mother - Zavyalova had a grandson, Dmitry, and a granddaughter, Darina. And in the last years of the actress’s life, Alexandra’s great-granddaughter, named Anna, was born into Dmitry’s family.
Fatal meeting
Perhaps if this acquaintance had not happened in the life of the actress, everything would have been different. But fate has its own plans for each of us. An American businessman, the owner of a large production, and a Soviet film star met and fell in love with each other. He was a tall, handsome man. Despite the fact that he was married, a meeting with a Russian beauty turned his whole life upside down. He was even ready to divorce his wife for her sake. True love, moreover, mutual, which is not so often found in life, could illuminate their whole life with its light and give happiness.
If this had happened in the 21st century, Alexandra Zavyalova could have gone to America and, perhaps, would have become a Hollywood star. In any case, the actress had all the necessary data for this. But in the 60-70s of the twentieth century, everything happened differently.
The American was expelled from the country by Soviet intelligence services. But for Alexandra Zavyalova, her star life ended, and the path to oblivion began. They stopped inviting her to act in films, and her fans disappeared somewhere. She was faced with terrible depression, treatment in a psychiatric hospital and life on the brink of poverty. Fortunately for Alexandra Zavyalova, all these years her ex-husband, Dmitry Buchkin, was with her. He even adopted her second child. The children of Alexandra Zavyalova are daughter Tatyana and son Peter, whom she gave birth to at the age of about forty. There is no information about the boy’s father; the actress did not want to make this information widely public.
Alexandra Zavyalova: cause of death
In 2020, the day before the actress’s birthday, a terrible tragedy occurred. Alexandra Zavyalova lived with her son, who had big problems with alcohol. He could drink for several days, and while intoxicated he had absolutely no control over himself. Another of his drunken sprees ended with him stabbing his mother. The woman died after receiving her injuries.
People who knew Peter say that it was a terrible and absurd accident. Perhaps he dreamed of something terrible; it is very difficult to judge this now. Peter confessed to the crime and was taken into custody. But most of all, he punished himself by killing his beloved mother. Relatives and friends say that they had an excellent relationship, they took care of each other. Alexandra Zavyalova hoped that she would be able to cure her son of his addiction. Unfortunately, she was unable to do this.
Murder of an Actress
According to the voluntary testimony of Alexandra Semyonovna’s 40-year-old son, the woman died at the hands of her own son at the age of 79. He was sentenced for murder while intoxicated. The investigation believes that Zavyalov, on the night of February 3, 2016, while drunk, amid another scandal, dealt a fatal blow to his mother. The events took place in house No. 6 on Gavrskaya Street.
He has been unemployed for the past 20 years. People judged him differently: sitting on his mother’s neck, wasting her meager pension. And they forgot about the main thing - that he kept the apartment in order, fed and cared for his elderly mother, even dyed her hair. Perhaps they occasionally sorted things out, but the actress’s daughter believes that mother and son loved each other.
The funeral was organized by the Union of Cinematographers. The funeral service was held for the actress at the Smolensk cemetery.
