Biography of Irina Gorbacheva
Irina Anatolyevna Gorbacheva is a promising film and theater actress (“Pyotr Fomenko’s Workshop”), a star of the Instagram network – this positive girl with a wide smile and an endless variety of images already has more than a million subscribers. In 2020, she was nominated for a Golden Mask Award for her role as Elena (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”).
Actress Irina Gorbacheva: “Arrhythmia changed me and my attitude towards the profession”
Sindeeva : My guest today is actress Irina Gorbacheva. Irina, hello! I'm so glad you finally made it. Irina is an actress from Fomenko’s workshop, a film actress and a very famous blogger. You know, I’m probably not the first person to tell you about this, that I saw you in the theater. But then, well, in general, I’m all Fomenkovki, or what do you call it? The Fomenkovites are wonderful. Then Instagram suddenly appeared, how great it was that the actress found such a completely unexpected realization. And then, of course, the film “Arrhythmia” happened again, in addition to other films, which, as I wrote on Instagram, made me completely fall in love with the actress Irina Gorbacheva. So thank you.
Gorbachev : Mmm, how nice!
"ARRHYTHMIA"
Sindeeva : Irin, I, of course, will start with “Arrhythmia”, because this film, with which I have been living for six months, well, probably, maybe a little less. When I watched it and then read Yuri Saprykin’s review, which I liked the most. He wrote that there is a film that is not love, but there is a film about love. And “Arrhythmia” is about love, despite the fact that, in general, it is also quite an everyday story, in general, it is not so beautiful. But after this film, I also wanted to hug and kiss my husband. And what does this film mean to you?
Gorbacheva : For me, this film is probably, first of all, a milestone work. Well, that is, because I, well, if we go straight through history, that is, I haven’t had a leading role in any feature film for a long time. That is, from some of my big works there, I understand that there was “Compensation” once at the very beginning of Vera Storozheva, then for me “Young Guard” happened there, that’s it. And this kind of serious work is the first work that for me, well, is already in some kind of adult state. That is, I’m not a teenager either. Plus, again, the theatrical experience, well, it can’t be removed anywhere. That is, he, on the contrary, helps you. And here for me it was some kind of work in which suddenly everything came together. That is, this was my first labor of love. That is, when everything came together. That is, you liked the script, you really liked the director...
Sindeeva : Which you didn’t know.
Gorbacheva : Which before that, yes, sort of, well, that is, I watched very little, I knew Bori’s work. Next is Sasha Yatsenko. And then filming began, and that was also funny, because when the first days of filming were there, I had to go to Yaroslavl, and I had very little time, and I slept in the car there, so it was a five-hour drive, then back . And I just remember that on the first day I wanted to be a little naughty, like, what, like, sleep for three hours, and then there’s a shift! That is, for some reason I wanted to include some whimsical actor who would like to sleep, and what kind of organization is that? Well, that is, when you start turning on something that, in principle, artists always turn on or often turn on when they are not working for love. That is, when you don’t yet know what the process will be. That is, tests are tests, but that’s all, as it were, the swimming begins. And after the first day, well, all my questions disappeared. All my whims disappeared on their own, because I just internally, I realized, well, I’m ready to not get enough sleep at all, whatever, because you know, in the name of what.
Sindeeva : From what? What did it come from? You read the script, right? You understood what this film was about. I mean, what? Is this the merit of the director who managed to do this on set? How is this chemistry?
Gorbacheva : Then I explained it to myself by saying that everything worked out. Well, that is, starting with the producers who gave time, firstly, for the script to be written. Well, that is, Borya wrote with...
Sindeeva : Boris Khlebnikov.
Gorbacheva : Yes, Boris Khlebnikov with Natasha Meshchaninova. They wrote, it turns out, for almost a year. That is, they were given this time. That is, this is also a thing that... is a component of some good, let’s call it that, project, yes. Because they give you time to do everything without rushing, consistently. Then the casting was also very long. That is, Borya did...
Sindeeva : Who was in your place? Did you compete with anyone?
Childhood and youth
The future actress was born on April 10, 1988 in sunny Ukrainian Mariupol; later the family moved to Moscow. She has an older brother Denis and a twin brother Igor. The family was not rich, but very friendly. Ira grew up as an extremely flexible and artistic girl, she was known as a “prankster”, except that she had a complex because of her height.
When Irina was still in elementary school, her mother died. Caring for three children fell entirely on the father's shoulders. From the age of 14, Irina worked: in the market, in a store and even in a factory, while still managing to attend a theater group.
After graduating from secondary school, Irina worked as a waitress for a year, then a friend’s mother advised her to go to the theater. She managed to enroll in the acting department of the Shchukin School the first time, in the course of teacher Rodion Ovchinnikov.
“One face”: Irina Gorbacheva showed her twin brother and father
Irina Gorbacheva celebrated her 31st birthday on April 10. The star of the films “Ari,” “Coach,” “Speakerphone” left Moscow and spent the holiday with her family. The artist is very attached to him and his brothers and tries to find time to communicate. The actress’s mother died when she was in elementary school, and the care of three children fell on the shoulders of Anatoly Gorbachev.
Irina posted on Instagram a selection of photographs of herself with her father, and one shot with her twin brother Igor.
“I’m 31... I’m where it’s warm and daddy! As before, words are actions. I want to be consistent, not be afraid of anything or anyone, breathe deeply in any situation, live one day at a time, do everything out of love and from the heart! Let it be so! Bro! Happy birthday,” Gorbachev captioned the photos.
Irina Gorbacheva with her father Anatoly and twin brother Igor. Gallery of 5 photos
Irina was congratulated by fellow artists. "Gorgeous! Buddy! Happy birthday,” wrote Anna Chipovskaya. “Ira, you are beautiful and amazing! Happy birthday! Always be on the move, searching and finding the truth! Love and creative breakthrough,” Kamil Larin from Quartet I supported her.
“Irina, you are beautiful! With or without hair, in a skirt or sweatpants, dancing or screaming songs in a taxi, because there is a spark!
Never extinguish it in yourself! Happy birthday,” fans chimed in. Many noted Gorbacheva’s resemblance to her father and brother: “Similar to dad,” “Genes in action, the similarities are obvious,” “Identical people” (the authors’ spelling and punctuation have been preserved. - Ed.).
Irina Gorbacheva with her twin brother Igor
@irina_gorbacheva
Irina Gorbacheva with her twin brother Igor
Irina Gorbacheva is one of the tallest Russian actresses. For a long time, the actress’s unconventional androgynous appearance scared off producers, and at castings she was repeatedly rejected for leading roles. “Well, Ir, we can’t put you with this partner, he’s shorter, you look inorganic. How to play love here?” the actress said in an interview with the SNS portal.
Desperate to break into cinema, Gorbacheva began recording funny sketches herself and posting them on Instagram.
The tactic turned out to be successful: Irina now has 1.5 million subscribers. And in 2020, the name of the actress was heard by all film experts: Gorbacheva brilliantly played the wife of the main character in the film “Arrhythmia.” This role brought Irina 4 awards for best actress, including Golden Eagle and Nika. Last year, Gorbacheva, together with the “I” quartet, starred in the film “Hands-free.”
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A post shared by Irina Gorbacheva (@irina_gorbacheva) on May 20, 2018 at 3:34pm PDT
On this topic: Lolita, Maria Shukshina and 8 more of the tallest Russian artists
Photo: Persona Stars; @irina_gorbacheva
Theater career
Even while studying at the institute, Irina showed herself to be a talented actress, ready to take on the most complex projects. Gorbachev was cast in the most controversial and striking roles, including Joan of Arc in the play of the same name. She was involved in the productions “A Man Came to a Woman,” “About Love and Friendship,” “The Widow’s Steamer,” and “Employees.”
In 2010, Irina became a certified actress and received an invitation to the trainee group of the Moscow theater “Pyotr Fomenko Workshop”. Irina joined the theater troupe at the beginning of 2013.
Sometimes Irina Gorbacheva could be seen on other stages: in the theater. Vakhtangov she took part in the play “Mademoiselle Nitouche”, and at the A.R.T.O. Theater - in the play “Macbeth”, playing Lady Macbeth.
In 2020, for her role as Elena in the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, Irina was nominated for the Golden Mask Award in the Drama - Best Actress category and was nominated for Supporting Actress.
Today, Gorbachev still appears on stage in productions of “Giants of the Mountain”, “Mother Courage”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Dowry”, “Three Sisters”, “Last Dates”, “One Absolutely Happy Village”, “Sailors” and whores”, etc.
The rise of an acting career
During her student years, the aspiring actress played on the stage of the Vakhtangov Theater, and when the time came to start her career, she wanted to go into clownery. Previously, the girl took part in performances of the Academy of Fools, and she really liked this experience. Having opted for the P. Fomenko Workshop troupe, Irina played there in more than 10 performances: “Sailors and Whores”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Dowry”, “The Madwoman of Chaillot” and others. For her role as Elena in the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, she was nominated for an award for Best Actress. Among the actress’s latest works, we can note the role of Catherine Haupt in the play “Mother Courage”.
Still from the film “New Life”.
Her film debut took place in 2008, when Gorbacheva appeared in the film “Indigo”, playing a small role there. At the same time, she starred in the detective story “Law and Order: Criminal Intent -3,” where she created the image of Masha. In 2010, the actress gained her first success and recognition thanks to her role in the film “Compensation,” for which she received an award at the Trans-Baikal Film Festival. It is not surprising that after this work many directors paid attention to her. In 2015, another successful project appeared in her filmography: in the military drama “Young Guard,” Irina got the role of Ulyana Gromova.
In 2020, fans of the actress were able to appreciate her performance in the drama “Arrhythmia,” which left no one indifferent. The film earned many admiring words from viewers and critics, and was also awarded. According to Gorbacheva, it was not difficult for her to embody the role of Katya on camera, since the heroine’s story echoes her real life. In 2020, several new works of hers are expected, the premieres of which the audience is already waiting for: “I’m Losing Weight,” “The Story of an Appointment,” “Coach” and others. Irina captivated the general public not only with her acting, but also with her funny videos published on her Instagram. She never writes texts for her video improvisations on the topic of the day, since ideas come to her mind completely by accident.
Film career
Irina made her film debut in 2008, starring in two episodic roles: in the TV series “Law and Order: Criminal Intent 3” and the film “Indigo”. In 2010, the film “Compensation” was released, starring Gosha Kutsenko and Lyubov Tolkalina.
Gorbacheva got a supporting role in this project - the girl Lena, who, together with her sister Kristina (Polina Kutsenko), after the death of her mother, learns that their long-lost father has become a successful businessman. For this role, the girl received the “Best Actress” award at the First Transbaikal Film Festival.
Two years later, the actress played her main role in the military science-fiction mini-series “Fog-2”. The film did not receive such high ratings from critics and viewers, but Irina’s performance was appreciated.
All subsequent roles were radically different from each other: the fighting wife of an officer in the series “Shores of My Dreams”, Komsomol activist Nastya in the series “Two Winters and Three Summers”, prostitute-drug addict Angela in the series “A Matter of Honor”, etc.
In 2020, the actress was offered the role of Ulyana Gromova in the series “Young Guard”, where, in addition to the actress, Katerina Shpitsa, Yuri Chursin, Yuri Borisov were involved. Many critics liked the embodiment of the image of a member of the headquarters of an underground anti-fascist organization, but there were also many who found Irina’s acting style provocative and completely unsuitable for this role.
The next year brought Gorbacheva two leading roles at once - in the drama “I Can Knit” and “Transfiguration”, which in June were presented at Kinotavr and the Moscow International Film Festival, respectively. In the same year, Irina took part in the dubbing of the French film “Love Out of Size,” voicing Coralie, the heroine of actress Stephanie Papanian.
Childhood and youth of Irina Virganskaya
The girl went to a regular Stavropol school. I always loved reading books and showed great success in my studies. She graduated from school with excellent marks and received a gold medal. Irina wanted to study in Moscow, but caring parents did not let their only daughter go far from them. The girl chose the State Medical Institute in Stavropol. The photo of Irina Virganskaya in her youth and adulthood shows how much she looks like her mother.
After the father of the family was transferred to Moscow to a leadership position, his wife and daughter went with him. Irina at that time was already married to Anatoly Virgansky. The girl continued her medical education in the capital, eventually receiving the specialty of a general practitioner.
Vlog
On her long-established Instagram page, Irina Gorbacheva occasionally posted funny videos that were appreciated only by her friends and a few subscribers. In the summer of 2015, the girl began filming 15-second humorous videos in different images - an unsuccessful actress of Balzac's age, an average grumpy grandmother, a foreigner who came to Russia and is surprised by everything new...
One of these videos of Irina was published on her page by a famous model and TV presenter - within a few days, the fame of the cheerful and unusual actress Gorbacheva and her absurd funny sketches spread throughout the network, and Irina acquired thousands of fans.
Subsequently, the number of images of Irina increased - fans especially loved the funny animal couple named Misha and Leva. By mid-2020, the number of her Instagram followers approached two million.
Irina Gorbacheva: “I felt inferior because I didn’t have a mother”
Irina Gorbacheva
Before 31-year-old Irina Gorbacheva became a famous blogger and actress, she had to go through difficult trials. When Irina was a child, her mother fell ill with cancer and died some time later. As a little girl, Gorbacheva was not ready for such a difficult event, and her father and grandmother, who raised her, preferred not to discuss this topic.
Irina admits that she had to cope with the situation herself. Because of this, Gorbacheva had problems communicating. According to the actress, she felt uncomfortable at school; it seemed that everyone knew about her grief and it was unpleasant for her. She was embarrassed to take food on coupons when others bought it for money. Irina felt different from everyone else, which at this age made friendships with peers even more difficult.
“I felt inferior because I didn’t have a mother. In childhood, everything is perceived easier, but the first three years were very difficult. We didn't talk about it at all within the family. And I still digest this as an adult,” the blogger shares.
As a child, Irina often argued with her brother
For many years, Irina and her two brothers had to share one small room measuring eight square meters together. Due to the lack of personal space, relatives often quarreled, fought and were not particularly close. The girl did not want to turn to her family for help - she was her own protector and support.
Irina Gorbacheva: “It was difficult to tell my dad how much I didn’t love him”
“A lot of people didn’t like me. During recess, I rushed around, ran, jumped - I was a bright child. I was a little out of control. And of course, I aroused the hostility of some girls. I was pinned down a couple of times in the toilet. We had to fight back,” recalls Gorbacheva.
The actress notes that she began working as a teenager. At the age of 14, Irina got a job at a factory and began receiving a salary. Despite all the advantages of the job, Gorbacheva believes that this alienated her even more from her family.
“When I went to work illegally and received money, there was already a surge there. “I turned away from my loved ones,” the artist says with regret.
The actress stayed away from her father and grandmother for a long time
The absence of a mother also affected relationships with the opposite sex. Until the age of 16, Irina refused to even kiss boys; any intimacy frightened her. “There were big problems with feeling like a girl. Grandma and dad didn’t talk to me about anything like that. I didn't understand what a girl was. I grew up hanging out with boys. She was “the guy” in the company, but didn’t wear a skirt,” the actress admits in an interview with the YouTube channel “vMeste.”
By the way, during his university years the blogger managed to overcome his fears. The girl began dating men, and later married photographer Grigory Kalinin. The couple lived in marriage for three years, after which they decided to leave. Now Irina pays more attention to creative projects and enjoys solitude.
Photo: Legion-Media, Instagram
Personal life of Irina Gorbacheva
Since 2020, Irina has been married to actor Grigory Kalinin, star of the TV series “The Island”.
The girl saw him for the first time on TV - the film “Fog” was on. According to the actress, then she thought: “Wow! Handsome as a man and interesting as an artist.” Before this, none of the Russian actors interested her in principle.
In 2010, Irina and Gregory met on the set. Sitting with a fake mustache glued on, the actor seemed unapproachable and even narcissistic to Gorbachev. The next meeting took place in the company of mutual friends, at a karaoke club. By the middle of the evening, the young people decided never to part again, and two days later they moved in together.
In March 2020, the lovers got married in one of the capital's registry offices. Irina’s originality was evident here too - she came to the ceremony in a long black dress.
In October 2020, the media learned about the divorce of the spouses, and the documents were drawn up last summer.
Children
Ksenia Virganskaya was born in 1980. From a young age she loved to do ballet, so she graduated from a choreographic school. But due to health problems, I had to leave my favorite activity. The girl studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, which she graduated in 2003. In the same year, when she was 23 years old, Ksyusha tied the knot with businessman Kirill Solod. But the family did not last long. Ksenia and Kirill divorced.
In 2006, the girl married again. Her chosen one was Dmitry Pyrchenkov. This young man works in show business circles. The family lives happily and raises their daughter Sasha. Ksenia herself works a lot in the field of PR, and is also a correspondent for “Gracia” magazine. During her student years, Ksyusha had experience working as a model on famous catwalks in Paris, but now this field of activity does not attract her.
Irina Virganskaya’s youngest daughter, Anastasia, was born in 1987. Like her sister, she graduated from MGIMO with a degree in journalism. She married PR professional Dmitry Zangiev in 2010. The girl herself initially worked for the magazine “Grace”, after which she changed jobs and became the chief editor of one of the Internet sites about fashion. Nastya is keenly interested in fashion, showing new collections. The children of Irina Virganskaya are quite public and famous, often appearing at social events.
Irina Gorbacheva now
The fame that came from the social network turned out to be very useful for Irina - they began to vying with each other to invite her to a variety of projects. In 2017, Gorbacheva starred in the critically acclaimed “medical” melodrama “Arrhythmia” by Boris Khlebnikov; Alexander Yatsenko became her partner on the set. The film won the main prize at Kinotavr, and viewers who had the opportunity to see the film before its release in Russia claimed that Arrhythmia restored their faith in Russian cinema.
During the same period, Irina took part in the filming of several high-profile projects. These are “Ikaria” (dir. Yavor Gyrdev), “Draft” (dir. Sergei Mokritsky) and “Coach” (dir. Danila Kozlovsky), as well as the comedy “I’m Losing Weight” with Alexandra Bortich and Sergei Shnurov (dir. Alexey Nuzhny) and “Kilimanjara” (dir. Ekaterina Telegina).
