Biography
Soviet theater and film actress Alina Pokrovskaya is known to audiences primarily for playing the leading role in the film “Officers,” which was released in the early 70s and immediately became the most famous film of the era.
Alina Stanislavovna was born in Donetsk, a year before the start of the Great Patriotic War, on February 29, in the family of the then famous artist Alexandra Kovalenko and the young stage worker Stanislav Novak. The baby was not yet a year old when her parents separated, and her mother and her artistic team were forced to go to the front.
Alina Pokrovskaya in her youth
Little Alina was sent to the rear with her mother’s younger sister, and two years later the girl reunited with her mother, and they went deep into Siberia with musical concerts. After the war, Alexandra Kovalenko was invited to join the Utesov ensemble, with which she worked for most of her singing career.
At this moment, the singer’s second husband, Valentin Alexandrov, appears in the singer’s life, who became a real father for little Alina. With two higher musical educations, her stepfather instilled in the girl a love of beauty. Together with her, they visited theater performances, libraries and art museums.
Alina Pokrovskaya in her youth and now
Alina discovered a passion for the stage as a child. And the manifestation of her talent was helped by chance. Once on tour, Alina was noticed by Isaac Dunaevsky, trying on luxurious dresses from the props, and invited the girl to dance in a performance, in which just at that moment it was necessary to replace one little sick dancer. Alina happily agreed and since then began to regularly appear in the group’s productions.
After finishing the tenth grade, the girl went to two universities at once: the Moscow Art Theater School and the Shchepkinsky School. After thinking a little, Alina decides to enroll in a second educational institution for a course with master Leonid Andreevich Volkov.
Shchepkinsky school
The example of her stepfather and mother could not but influence the fate of the future actress.
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After graduating from high school, Alina Pokrovskaya, whose biography and personal life is still of interest to her compatriots, entered two universities at once on her first attempt. This was the Moscow Art Theater School and the Shchepkinsky School.
The latter was taught by Leonid Andreevich Volkov, the most famous teacher of that time. She couldn't miss such a chance. In addition to Volkov, Alina Stanislavovna was lucky to have other teachers: Valentin Sperantov, Alexander Gruzinsky, Alexei Pokrovsky, Mikhail Gladkov.
Theater
In 1962, after brilliantly graduating from the Higher School, the short, petite actress (Pokrovskaya’s height was 167 cm) entered service in the Soviet Army Theater, to which she gave her entire life. The young artist’s brilliant debut was the production “The Soul of a Soldier,” then she appeared in “Uncle Vanya” and “The Dawns Here Are Quiet.”
Alina Pokrovskaya in the theater
Alina Pokrovskaya’s most famous and beloved roles in the theater were her work in the following performances: “The Holy of Holies,” “The Discovery,” “The Lady of the Camellias,” “Britanique,” “Your Sister and the Captive,” “Wolves and Sheep.”
Theater roles
It is believed that the theatrical fate, biography and personal life of the Soviet actress Alina Pokrovskaya turned out well. This is true, especially when it comes to roles. In the theater she was really lucky to embody a huge number of characters. Not a single metropolitan actress has yet managed to break Alina Stanislavovna’s record.
It doesn’t matter who Pokrovskaya played, be it the military-patriotic role of Zhenya Komelkova in the play “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” or Larisa in “Dowry” based on Ostrovsky. The magnificent Elena Andreevna in Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” or the courtesan Margarita Gautier in “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas Jr. - all her images reflected at least a small part of her.
There were many turning points in the biography and personal life of Alina Pokrovskaya, but her theatrical roles are mainly of contemporaries, women whose destinies reflected the twentieth century, which was full of drama and turning point. In the play Odnoklassniki, the actress played the mother of an Afghan warrior who came back from the war as a disabled person.
At the same time, in the play “Wolves and Sheep” she played Murzavetskaya (whoever read the play or saw the performance understands what it’s about). To simultaneously play such contradictory roles requires remarkable talent.
Actor Chekhankov was convinced that having such an amazing actress was a blessing for the theater. Often Alina Stanislavovna had to go on stage twenty-five times a month, truly the theater depended on her.
Movies
Alina Stanislavovna Pokrovskaya began acting in films in 1964. The first films with her participation were “State Criminal” and “Literature Lesson”. The young talented actress was noticed by director Vladimir Rogovoy, who invited her to play the main role in his film epic “Officers”. The finest hour has come in the biography of Alina Pokrovskaya.
Alina Pokrovskaya in the film “Officers”
Together with the famous film artists Vasily Lanov, Georgy Yumatov and Alexander Voevodin, Pokrovskaya shared the crazy all-Union fame. The drama "Officers" was included in the hundred most popular films of the Soviet era. And Alina Pokrovskaya, looking at her photo, fans called the Russian Greta Garbo and Simone Signoret. The film is still famous: in 2016, an anniversary concert was held in honor of the 45th anniversary of the film, at which the actors performing the main roles spoke with memories.
The actress never had to repeat such success. Pokrovskaya did not strive to make a film career; she really loved working on the theater stage. But the artist starred in several more worthy films: “An Unexpected Guest,” “Three in a Boat, Not Counting a Dog,” “Code of Dishonor,” “The Weaknesses of a Strong Woman.”
Alina Pokrovskaya in the film “Three in a Boat, Not Counting the Dog”
Alina Stanislavovna also took part in work at the dubbing studio. One of the most famous films in which Pokrovskaya participated in the dubbing was the film “Gone with the Wind” with Vivien Leigh in the title role.
Pokrovskaya considers her work on radio one of her achievements. She started together with Eduard Sagalayev at the Yunost radio station. Her favorite studio partners were Evgeniy Babich and Emil Vernik.
Life off stage
The actress’s first husband was Alexei Nikolaevich Pokrovsky, a teacher at the Shchepkinsky School, whose last name Alina Stanislavovna still bears.
He was much older than his student, and apparently the age difference had an effect in the end. They parted as friends.
The second husband of the actress was the no less famous actor Vladimir Soshalsky. The marriage lasted ten years, but did not bring Alina Pokrovskaya the family happiness she dreamed of.
Vladimir Soshalsky was famous as a great lover of noisy companies, entertainment, restaurants; not a single party could do without him.
Personal life
Alina Pokrovskaya was married three times and only with her last husband did she experience real happiness in her personal life. The actress's first husband was teacher Alexey Nikolaevich Pokrovsky from the school. Shchepkin, who taught one of the subjects for young Alina. The marriage did not last long, due to the artist’s age, but after the divorce she kept the surname of Alexei Nikolaevich as a keepsake and never changed it again.
Alina Pokrovskaya and Alla Pokrovskaya
Until now, Alina Pokrovskaya is confused with another screen star - Alla Pokrovskaya, the first wife of Oleg Efremov, mother of Mikhail Efremov. But the actresses treat this confusion with humor.
The second time Alina tried to start a family together with actor Vladimir Borisovich Soshalsky, with whom they performed together on the same stage. Alina Stanislavovna took her choice very seriously: despite the fact that her husband loved cheerful parties and get-togethers, she remained in a relationship with him for ten long years. Vladimir did not strive to become a father; by the time he married Pokrovsky, he already had a daughter, while Alina really wanted a child.
Alina Pokrovskaya with her husband German Yushko
After her divorce from Soshalsky, Pokrovskaya found her female happiness in an alliance with her colleague German Yushko, with whom she lived for 40 long years until his death. In her third marriage, the actress gave birth to a long-awaited child - son Alexei, who became the real pride of her parents. He graduated from the Faculty of History with honors and today works in one of the largest historical archives in Russia. Alexey is married and has a son, Maxim.
Wartime childhood and first marriage of Alina Pokrovskaya
Alina has a rare date of birth - February 29, 1940. My parents divorced early. Her mother, singer Alexandra Kovalenko, performed concerts at the front when the war began. Little Alina at this time was wandering around the evacuation sites. After the war, she had a stepfather, conductor Valentin Alexandrov, with whom she developed a very warm relationship and he largely influenced her choice of profession, teaching her to music and literature from childhood.
Alina met her first husband, Alexei Pokrovsky, at the Shchepkinsky School. He was a teacher, much older than her. And, in fact, she had nothing left except her last name after this marriage. And she doesn’t like to remember him.
Alina Pokrovskaya found happiness only in her third marriage
Alina Pokrovskaya in the film “State Criminal” (1964) / Vladimir Soshalsky
The next husband was the famous actor Vladimir Soshalsky. He was always a fan of drinking and partying in a big way. But Pokrovskaya was still young and hoped that he would change. She wanted children, and he already had a daughter from his first marriage, and Soshalsky then decided that this was enough for him. They separated immediately after the release of “Officers”.
But Alina’s third marriage turned out to be happy. The chosen one was the actor German Yushko, with whom they played in the same theater. The romance on stage grew into a real feeling; the marriage gave birth to a son, Alexey, who became a historian. The family idyll lasted for many years until the husband became seriously ill. Pokrovskaya was by his side throughout the four years that he tried to recover. He passed away in 2010.
German Yushko in the film “Mercedes Escapes from the Pursuit” (1980) / Alina Pokrovskaya on the theater stage
It was not easy for Alina Pokrovskaya to come to terms with the loss of the closest person in her life. My son and grandson helped, as well as my favorite work in the theater. She didn't have many film roles. True, she didn’t really want to go there. But acting in the theater was and remains the work of her whole life.
This year she turned 79 years old, and Alina Stanislavovna continues to delight the audience at the Russian Army Theater.
Alina Pokrovskaya now
Now Alina Pokrovskaya lives alone in her apartment in the center of Moscow, opposite her native theater. The actress is still in shape. One of her last works was the role of Evgenia Petrovna Kostromitina in the play “Odnoklassniki”.
Alina Pokrovskaya now
In 2020, a large benefit performance is expected in the theater group in honor of the 55th anniversary of the actress’s creative activity. After the death of German Yushko, children and grandchildren often visit the actress and this brings her joy.
Notes[ | ]
- Internet Movie Database (English) - 1990.
- ↑ 123
Pokrovskaya Alina // Who is who in modern culture: In 2nd issue. / Ch. ed. S. M. Semenov, author. and comp. N. I. Shadrina, R. V. Pigarev and others - M.: MK-Periodika, 2006-2007. — ISBN 5-93696-007-3, 5-93696-010-2. - Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 17, 1980 1746-X “On awarding orders and medals of the USSR to a group of workers of the Central Academic Theater of the Soviet Army”
- Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 23, 2000 No. 542 “On awarding state awards of the Russian Federation to workers of the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army”
- According to the website Kremlin.Ru (unspecified)
. Retrieved May 13, 2010. Archived December 4, 2012. - New medal of the Ministry of Defense - “In Memory of Heroes of the Fatherland”
Notes
- Internet Movie Database (English) - 1990.
- ↑ 123
Pokrovskaya Alina // Who is who in modern culture: In 2nd issue. / Ch. ed. S. M. Semenov, author. and comp. N. I. Shadrina, R. V. Pigarev and others - M.: MK-Periodika, 2006-2007. — ISBN 5-93696-007-3, 5-93696-010-2. - Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 17, 1980 1746-X “On awarding orders and medals of the USSR to a group of workers of the Central Academic Theater of the Soviet Army”
- Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 23, 2000 No. 542 “On awarding state awards of the Russian Federation to workers of the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army”
- According to the website Kremlin.Ru (unspecified)
. Retrieved May 13, 2010. Archived December 4, 2012. - New medal of the Ministry of Defense - “In Memory of Heroes of the Fatherland”
