After whom the heroine of “Come Tomorrow” was named Frosya Burlakova
The future actress spent her childhood in the village of Eltsovka, which would later also become the homeland of the film heroine Frosya Burlakova. By the way, the origin of this name is closely connected with Savinova’s childhood.
The fact is that her parents’ neighbors were the Burlakov family. They had a daughter named Frosya Burlakova. Being the same age, Frosya and Katya quickly became friends, and this friendship lasted for many years. In memory of her, many years later, already living in Moscow and helping her husband write the script for the film “Come Tomorrow,” Savinova will insist on naming the main character after her childhood friend.
First attempts to become an actress
From an early age, Ekaterina Savinova had a unique voice of 3.5 octaves. However, she loved not only singing, but also acting in theatrical productions. Therefore, after graduating from school, the girl decided to go to study in Moscow.
Like her future heroine Frosya Burlakova, the actress arrived in the capital in rough men's boots, loaded with heavy bags. VGIK, where she dreamed of enrolling, did not accept the girl for the same reason as Frosya - the acceptance of documents from applicants was over. Unlike her film incarnation, Ekaterina Savinova had no relatives or acquaintances in Moscow, so in order to get a dorm room, she entered the local land management institute.
Here the young Siberian studied for six months, but during all this time her desire to become an artist did not disappear, but, on the contrary, only increased.
Frosya
Frosya Burlakova is a provincial and spontaneous girl. She is so sincere that her behavior makes you think about life. For the sculptor with whom the Siberian woman is staying, it makes him think that the residents of the capital are bogged down in lies and the desire to make money. He understands that he exchanged his talent for trifles. Open and simple, persistent and purposeful, sincere and funny, pure and kind - this is Frosya Burlakova. The actress was very similar to her heroine, since the image was based on her. Frosya came to Moscow from the village of Eltsovka in the Altai Territory. Such a settlement actually exists. Ekaterina Savinova was born in this village. And the surname Frose came from the actress’s childhood friend, Dusya Burlakova.
Actress and singer rolled into one
In parallel with her studies at the Land Management Institute, the girl began studying at Vasily Vanin’s acting courses. But even here she was disappointed - after several lessons, Vasily Vasilyevich asked her to leave, because he considered her untalented.
Despite the repeated failure, the future Frosya Burlakova did not give up. The actress felt that acting was her calling, so, despite Vanin’s harsh criticism, she again submitted documents to VGIK in the spring. And this time she was accepted. Savinova's teachers were Boris Bibikov and Olga Pyzhova.
Over the years of study, Ekaterina Savinova managed to establish herself as an incredibly talented and versatile actress. Her biography, after graduating from VGIK in 1950, was incredibly successful. She was the only graduate of 1950 who was invited to work at the Moscow Art Theater. However, the restless Siberian woman refused such a flattering offer and surprised everyone by entering the Gnessin Music Institute.
The unique vocal abilities of Ekaterina Savinova amazed many of her teachers. Even before she finished her studies, she had already received an invitation to become a vocalist at the Bolshoi Theater. In addition, Savinova was offered to create an ensemble for her so that she could perform in the USSR and beyond. But, unexpectedly for everyone, she refused because she decided to devote herself to her career as a film actress.
Movies
After completing her studies at the university, Ekaterina received invitations to work at the Moscow Art Theater, but she refused because she believed that her calling was acting in films. Ekaterina Savinova had remarkable vocal abilities, so after graduating from VGIK she continued her studies at the Gnessin Institute, where she seriously studied vocals. Savinova’s husband said that during her studies she received several invitations to the stage and to the Bolshoi Theater, but she refused.
Still from the film “Kuban Cossacks”
Her film debut was the film “Pages of Life”, in which she played a girl named Katya, but her last name was not indicated in the credits for the film. So it is generally accepted that her debut was the role of Lyubochka in the film “Kuban Cossacks”. The film was released in 1949, when Ekaterina was still studying at VGIK. This became a huge success for her, since in those days it was almost impossible to break into the cinema, since no more than 8 films were shot per year.
Ironically, this film brought failure for the actress. A scandal occurred between Savinova and the chief director of Mosfilm, Ivan Pyryev. The fact is that the famous director adored young actresses.
Still from the film “Shadow at the Pier”
Katya refused his advances and even slapped him in the face; after this incident, the doors of many film studios were closed.
She auditioned for many leading roles, but then was rejected. The time of “forgetting” lasted 13 years. In the mid-50s, she actively acted in films, but she played mainly supporting roles. True, Ekaterina managed to play two main roles: in the film “Shadow at the Pier” the waitress Klava, and in the film “One Fine Day” - Ekaterina Voropai, an aspiring director. Viewers were able to see these two films only in 1955.
Still from the film "Officers"
Next, Savinova played a role in the film “The Ballad of a Soldier,” directed by Grigory Chukhrai. This was followed by work in short films, including O, “Chuk and Gek”, “Suit”. The actress played diverse roles with great pleasure, completely devoting herself to work. Catherine continued to dream of playing the role of her life. In 1963, the lyrical comedy film “Come Tomorrow” was released, in which the actress brilliantly played Frosya Burlakova (the biography of Ekaterina Savinova and the main character seemed very similar).
The audience was fascinated by the provincial simplicity of the main character. The easy-to-understand plot, performed by Savinova’s songs, became the key to her success and nationwide popularity. According to critics, the role of Frosya Burlakova became the best female role of the year.
Actress in the role of Frosya Burlakova in the film “Come Tomorrow”
The film “Come Tomorrow” was filmed by director Evgeny Tashkov, the husband of Ekaterina Savinova. It was he who wrote the script for the film, which is mainly biographical. The filming process took place in Odessa, at a local film studio, since in Moscow, at Mosfilm, the taboo of Ivan Pyryev continued to operate.
The filming was repeatedly visited by commissions that accused Savinova of lack of acting skills and demanded to stop filming. The film was shot, but despite the stunning success of the film, Ekaterina Savinova was no longer approved for large roles. She continued to participate in the filming, but it was no longer possible to repeat the success of the film “Come Tomorrow”.
The actress’s last film work was the film “Reckoning,” released in 1970, in which she played Annushka.
The failed mistress of Ivan Pyryev
The actress first appeared in films while still a student. However, her cameo role in “Pages of Life” went unnoticed. Fortunately for the actress, a few years later she was noticed by the country’s main comedian, Ivan Pyryev, and invited her to star in “Kuban Cossacks.” Despite the fact that the role of Lyubochka was not the main one, the young actress managed to be remembered by the audience.
But the future Frosya Burlakova was liked not only by the audience, but also by Pyryev. The great director, not accustomed to refusals, soon invited the beauty to become his mistress. However, Savinova not only refused him, but also hit him, and in front of the entire film crew. The great director could not tolerate a public refusal, even in this form. Therefore, he ordered that the young Siberian woman not be given leading roles not only at Mosfilm (which he managed), but also at other film studios in the country.
Minor roles in theater and cinema
Due to Pyryev’s ban, the actress practically did not act anywhere until 1952. Realizing that none of the USSR directors would risk going against the director of Mosfilm, Savinova decided to get a job at the film actor’s studio theater. Despite the talent of the actress, she did not get the main roles here either.
By 1952, Pyryev’s anger cooled down a little, and the artist began to receive small roles in films. She played in “The Country Doctor” by Gerasimov, in “Chuka and Gek” by Lukinsky, in “The Ballad of a Soldier” by Chukhrai and others.
In total, over the next 10 years, she starred in 12 projects, but did not receive a single leading role.
Catherine's childhood and youth
The biography of actress Ekaterina Savinova was in many ways similar to the life of her heroine, Frosya Burlakova. She was also born in the outback - in a remote village of Altai in 1926. The girl had singing abilities from early childhood, but her parents did not attach much importance to it.
Clara Luchko, Marina Ladynina and Sergei Lukyanov cost the young actress too much. The fact is that the director of this film, Ivan Pyryev, had a rather stormy temperament, and many aspiring actresses literally passed through his hands. The girls did not dare refuse the offers of the master of Soviet cinema; this threatened to end their careers.
But Catherine was not as simple as she seemed. The curvaceous and cheerful girl immediately attracted the director’s attention, but she was in no hurry to accept his advances.
Still from the film “Lullaby”
And one day, simply losing patience, Katya gave Pyryev a resounding slap in the face right during filming. It was quite a brave move!
The director's anger knew no bounds. Many said that now Katerina would not be able to make an acting career, and they were right.
The head of Mosfilm, Pyryev, placed the aspiring actress on the studio’s blacklist. Now all directors were afraid to invite her to their films. Such was his revenge. Ekaterina still acted in films, but in episodic roles.
Actress on the set of the film “Clubfooted Friend”
She played:
the combine operator in the film “Steppe”; the postwoman in the film “Chuk and Gek”; an ice cream saleswoman (“Alyosha Ptitsyn is developing character”); conductor (“One Fine Day”); Komsomol secretary (“Honeymoon”); a beggar old woman in the film “Man from Planet Earth”; the evil conductor in the famous film “The Ballad of a Soldier”, etc.
It's a shame that such a talented actress starred only in episodic roles; she deserved more.
Ekaterina Savinova: personal life
Unlike other actresses, Savinova was married only once.
She met director Evgeny Tashkov, who became the husband of Ekaterina Savinova, while studying at VGIK. At first, the young people were just friends. But after several years of study, this relationship grew into love, and after graduation, Tashkov proposed to Savinova.
During the first years of her marriage, the actress was still waiting for big roles, so she was in no hurry to become a mother. However, when she turned 30, she realized that there was nowhere to delay it any longer, and in 1957, Ekaterina Savinova’s only son, Andrei Tashkov, was born.
Personal life
Ekaterina met her only husband, Evgeny Tashkov, while studying at the university. The young people became friends and found a lot in common with each other, because they both grew up in the provinces and were simple people.
Actress with her husband Evgeny Tashkov and son Andrey
Then friendship grew into a calm but strong love. They got married immediately after graduation, and in 1957 the couple had a son, Andrei. Evgeniy and Ekaterina devotedly loved each other until the end of their lives.
Star role in the film “Come Tomorrow”
With the birth of his son, there was an unexpected breakthrough in his film career. Evgeny Tashkov had become famous by that time by directing the film “Thirst” and decided to use his fame to help the woman he loved.
He wrote the script for the film, based on the biography of Ekaterina Savinova. The actress herself actively participated in the work on the manuscript; she not only came up with many funny plot moves, but also gave the name to the main character. This is how Frosya Burlakova, beloved by many viewers, appeared.
“Come Tomorrow” is the title of the future film. And it was filmed at the Odessa Film Studio. And so that Pyryev would not find out about the film ahead of time, the filming was carried out in the strictest secrecy. In addition, due to Savinova’s health problems, there were often interruptions in work on the project.
When the film was completed and presented to the film commission, many of them wondered: “Who voiced Frosya Burlakova?” Because many of them could not believe that the actress herself sang so beautifully. After all, because of Ivan Pyryev, among filmmakers there were rumors about Savinova as a mediocre actress. And then it suddenly turned out that she not only plays great, but also has a fantastic voice.
Despite the attempts of the head of Mosfilm to interfere, the film “Come Tomorrow” was approved by the selection committee and released.
The fame that fell on Savinova after the film was released was simply fantastic. Letters were written to her from all over the Union. Together with her husband, she traveled all over the country with concerts. Her Frosya Burlakova became an example for many provincial talents, and the actress herself became a movie star.
"Come back tomorrow"
The comedy “Come Tomorrow” was filmed in 1963. The director of the film is Evgeny Tashkov. The film won two awards at the All-Union Film Festival. Ekaterina Savinova received the award for “Best Actress”.
The main character of the film is a simple girl from Siberia Frosya Burlakova. The film was invented by the director specifically for the actress who played the main role.
In the story, Frosya comes from the Siberian wilderness to Moscow to study. The girl has excellent vocal abilities. She was sheltered by a sculptor who happened to have a mutual acquaintance with Frosya. F. Burlakova goes to college to enroll, but the exams are already over. The girl follows Professor Sokolov for several days in a row in the hope that he will listen to her. He eventually agrees to test her vocal abilities. Frosya performs a Russian song and an aria from the opera. The professor cannot help but appreciate such a beautiful voice. He is busy with the rector so that the girl is accepted to study. Frosya Burlakova gets a place in the hostel. On the same day she meets Kostya. Soon a friendship begins between them. But their relationship is not going well; Kostya does not understand Frosya’s interest in art. And she only thinks about studying. Six months later, Kostya leaves Moscow and sends her a farewell note. The girl devotes herself entirely to her studies, because, as her teacher said, “the time for easy success is over,” it’s time to work like a horse.
The role of Professor Sokolov was played in the film by B. Bibikov, E. Savinova’s favorite teacher.
Actress illness
But Savinova could not fully enjoy her success. And it’s not about Pyryev, because after such a stunning success, those who wanted to shoot the actress lined up. The problem was the health of Ekaterina Savinova.
The fact is that several years earlier the actress contracted brucellosis after drinking raw milk. However, due to being busy filming, she did not immediately notice that her health had deteriorated, thus giving the disease time to fully develop. As a result, brucellosis affected the nervous system, and Savinova began to hallucinate.
Appeals to the best doctors in the country did not help: the changes that occurred in the actress’s body became permanent. Due to mental problems, the audience's favorite was forced to spend several months in the hospital every year. Naturally, one could not even dream of any leading roles in films with such a schedule.
However, in memory of past services, the former Frosya Burlakova sometimes received small roles. After her starring role, the actress starred in 6 more films, the most striking of which were “The Marriage of Balzaminov”, “Come to Me, Mukhtar!”, “Zigzag of Fortune” and “Reckoning”.
Biography of the performer
Ekaterina Savinova was born in 1926. After I graduated from school, I went to study in Moscow. She did not enter VGIK the first time. But persistence helped Catherine - she was still accepted. E. Savinova had a unique voice. Having received the profession of an actress, she entered the Gnessin Institute in the vocal department.
After Ekaterina Savinova starred in the film “Kuban Cossacks” in 1949, all cinema doors were closed in front of her. The actress auditioned, she was approved for the role, and then she was rejected. This was facilitated by the head of Mosfilm, Ivan Pyryev. He had a personal interest in Catherine, but his claims were rejected, for which he took revenge.
Frosya Burlakova is the only main role of the artist. It brought her fame. Ivan Pyryev did his best to prevent the film from happening. During filming, the actress began to have health problems. It was later discovered that she had brucellosis. Since the diagnosis was made late, the disease caused complications in the brain. Catherine was forced to spend several months in the hospital. She knew that she was terminally ill, and realized that she would not be able to achieve everything she strived for. The artist was also convinced that she was a burden to her husband and son. In 1970, Ekaterina went to Novosibirsk to visit her sister. There, the artist repeated the fate of Anna Karenina, whose monologue she read when she entered the institute - she threw herself under a train.
In 2011, in Yeltsovka, in the house of Dusya Burlakova, Ekaterina’s childhood friend, the E. Savinova Museum was opened.
How Ekaterina Savinova spent her last years. Cause of death of the actress
No matter how hard the popular favorite tried to pacify her illness, it progressed tirelessly. Soon the actress was forced not only to abandon filming, but also to stop touring with concerts. Losing the opportunity to engage in her favorite profession was tantamount to a death sentence for her.
One day, when her husband left for the filming of “His Excellency’s Adjutant,” the artist decided to take her own life. Under the pretext of a trip to Novosibirsk to visit her sister, on April 25 she left Moscow. At one of the stops, the artist got out of the car and threw herself under a passing train.
The ambulance and forensic experts identified the deceased and told her family that it was indeed Ekaterina Savinova. The cause of death, according to their conclusion, was extensive injuries incompatible with life.
Interesting facts
- When entering VGIK, Savinova read a monologue from the novel “Anna Karenina” by Tolstoy. At that moment, no one, not even the actress herself, could have thought that in the future she would repeat the fate of her first heroine.
- During her career, Savinova starred in twenty-five projects.
- The actress played Frosya Burlakova, who was eighteen years old according to the script, when she herself was thirty-four years old.
- The son of Savinova and Tashkov became an artist. At the moment, his filmography includes more than 50 roles, as well as 25 voice-over projects.
- Despite the fact that the official cause of the actress’s illness is considered to be brucellosis, which she allegedly contracted after drinking fresh milk at the market, some researchers of her biography do not agree with this opinion. Thus, they indicate that Savinova’s examination was carried out almost a year after the alleged infection, and the diagnosis was most likely one of the versions of the actress’s unexplained illness. In addition, Ekaterina Savinova could have had mental problems and hallucinations much earlier. Moreover, the artist’s relatives claimed that she was inclined to hide her health problems from others until the very end.
- There are also many questions raised by the situation why a woman, whose mental health did not allow her to communicate with people, was left by her husband and relatives unattended at home, which allowed her to commit suicide.
December 2020 marked the ninetieth anniversary of the birth of Ekaterina Savinova. This woman was many times gifted by nature and could have become one of the most beautiful actresses of Soviet cinema, along with Lyubov Orlova and Marina Ladynina. But her fate turned out differently - having sparkled in the role of Frosya Burlakova, Savinova’s star went out forever.
Ekaterina Savinova was given beauty, acting talent, a magnificent voice, but she did not get the fate of a star.
Revenge of the all-powerful Pyryev
On December 26, 1926, one of the most talented Soviet actresses of the 60-70s was born - Ekaterina Savinova, whose name is less known to many than her famous role of Frosya Burlakova.
Katya Savinova was a first-year student at VGIK when she was offered a cameo role in the film “Pages of Life.” And although her name was not even listed in the credits, the girl was sure that she was created for the cinema. And her confidence was soon confirmed.
In 1949, Katya ended up with Ivan Pyryev himself. He filmed “Kuban Cossacks”, and the aspiring actress got the small role of Lyubochka. Savinova handled it brilliantly. Young, with sparkles in her eyes, an open smile and dimples on her cheeks, the audience noticed and fell in love with her. However, it was this role that played a cruel joke on the artist, crossing out all her hopes and dreams.
The director of the musical comedy Ivan Pyryev was a famous connoisseur of female beauty and youth. Naturally, he could not pass by Katya. And as the actress’s husband, director Evgeny Tashkov, later said, Pyryev did not hesitate to make her a raunchy proposal right on the set, for which he immediately received a resounding slap in the face.
Pyryev had never received such a lesson, and here it was from a young artist. And he took revenge for his humiliation. After “Kuban Cossacks,” Savinova ended up on the so-called Mosfilm blacklist. The directors called her for auditions, which she passed brilliantly, but then turned her down.
So, she was supposed to play Maryutka in the film “Forty-First” by Grigory Chukhrai. Ekaterina had already been approved for the main role, but Chukhrai had to withdraw her candidacy. Pyryev at Mosfilm was all-powerful, they were afraid of him and did not go against his will. Savinov and Vsevolod Pudovkin, who approved her for the main role in “The Return of Vasily Bortnikov,” were banned from filming. Only the actress’s husband, Evgeniy Tashkov, risked going against Pyryev.
Lack of talent
Ekaterina Savinova came to Moscow from the Altai Territory, the village of Eltsovka: everyone who has ever watched the film “Come Tomorrow...” remembers this name. In 1944, when the girl turned 18, she ended up in the capital. As in the film about Frosya Burlakova, Katya was late for the entrance exams at VGIK. But she needed somewhere to live, so she successfully passed the competition and entered the land management institute.
In the winter, just before the session, Savinova learned that the actor and teacher Vasily Vanin (“Valery Chkalov”, “Kotovsky”) was taking an additional course. The girl could not miss this chance and went to Vanin. However, he soon expelled her due to “lack of acting talent.”
Savinova did not give up and in the summer she again went to take exams at VGIK. This time she ended up in the studio of Boris Bibikov (the same conservatory professor from “Come Tomorrow...”) and his wife, actress Olga Pyzhova. Evgeniy Tashkov also enrolled in the same course as Savinova.
They met under very piquant circumstances. The young man, like Katya, came from the village. He was born and raised in the village of Bykovo, Volgograd region. And when he settled into the dormitory, it turned out that the men's rooms were already occupied. Then the commandant invited Tashkov to spend the night with the girls; they had a free bed. The situation was twofold, but the guy had no choice.
According to the director’s recollections, he came into the room in the absence of the hostesses, immediately lay down on the free bed and turned to the wall so as not to embarrass them. Soon the girls arrived. And Evgeny drew attention to the voice of one of them: beautiful, deep, bright.
As the director said in one interview: he really wanted to turn around and look at the owner of an amazing voice, but he did not dare. And the next day he identified this girl and noticed her beauty and blond hair.
Soon the young people began to become friends. No one helped both of them, so they lived poorly, from hand to mouth. And everyone tried to feed their loved one something. They got married immediately after graduating from VGIK. When Tashkov proposed to Savinova, she cried.
the main role
After VGIK, Katya entered the conservatory. Her unique voice of three and a half octaves was quickly noticed. Savinova was invited to work at the Bolshoi Theater, but she refused. Then she was offered her own orchestra and work on the stage, but this did not interest her either.
She dreamed of cinema. And the artist sang for her own pleasure, impressing her friends and colleagues with the beauty of her voice. But the actress didn’t work out with movies. Pyryev put a big end to her career. She was not even offered episodic roles, except perhaps as an ice cream saleswoman or a postwoman. The husband supported the actress when she received one refusal after another.
And then they wrote a script together, in which they told moments from their lives. But in order to get rid of Pyryev’s influence, the film crew had to go to the Odessa film studio. And even there, Tashkov had to convince management that Savinova was capable of playing the main role in this film.
As a result, the film “Come Tomorrow,” filmed in 1963, brought Catherine the love of the audience. This story about a talented girl with an amazing voice is still loved and watched with pleasure, although this year the musical comedy turned 54 years old. And Frosya Burlakova became the only main role for Savinova.
New milk
In 1951 in Crimea, during the filming of the film “The Country Doctor” by Sergei Gerasimov, the actress loved to go to the local bazaar, where she bought fresh milk. She, like a real village girl, missed such milk and drank it with pleasure. The milk in one of the cans she bought was contaminated with brucellosis.
The artist did not know for a long time that she had become infected. And then, when the disease began to manifest itself, she could not understand what was happening to her health.
While working on Come Tomorrow, Tashkov noticed that Ekaterina was not feeling well. It turned out that her temperature was 37.4. And in the conversation it turned out that the elevated temperature had been present for six months. Evgeny Ivanovich naturally asked why she didn’t tell anyone about this.
To which Savinova modestly noted that she was already used to it. The couple turned to doctors. But experts could not determine what was happening to the 37-year-old woman, until one old professor from Odessa advised looking for an infection in the actress’s body. Unfortunately, the insidious disease has already taken root and struck the artist’s most vulnerable spot – the nervous system.
After the premiere of “Come Tomorrow,” the couple began to tour the country with concerts. And Tashkov noticed that Savinova began to change: she said that she heard voices, talked to someone in an empty room. Due to untimely treatment, Ekaterina Fedorovna developed a condition very close to schizophrenia. She spent several months in Kashchenko, from where she emerged as a normal person. But then things got worse again.
Over time, moments of enlightenment became fewer and fewer, and periods of exacerbation stretched out. The actress, to her horror, understood what was happening to her and suffered greatly because of it. She realized that she could no longer do what she loved, and that she was becoming a burden to her family.
In the spring of 1970, Ekaterina Fedorovna went to her sister in Novosibirsk. Her husband was filming “His Excellency’s Adjutant” at that time. They regularly called each other, the actress was interested in the filming process. There were no signs of trouble.
On April 25, Evgeny Tashkov received terrible news: Ekaterina Savinova threw herself under a passing train. They say that the station attendant tried to stop her, but did not have time. The actress kept hearing voices that she should die for the sake of her son on the rails. She was only 43 years old. Her only son Andrei Tashkov was 12 years old at the time. He grew up and became a famous actor, continuing the work of his mother and father.
Ekaterina Savinova was buried at the Kleshchikha cemetery in Novosibirsk.
The 85th anniversary of E. Savinova’s birth in 2011 was marked by the opening of the actress’s house-museum in the village of Yeltsovka, where she lived from birth until she left for Moscow in 1944. The museum was created in the house where Savinova’s childhood friend Evdokia Burlakova lived, whose surname passed on to the heroine of the film “Come Tomorrow.”
https://sensum.club/
