Larisa Belogurova: biography, personal life, family and children, acting career, filmography

Key achievements

The Soviet actress Larisa Belogurova was remembered by the audience, although there are not many films and performances in her biography. But every role she played became special:

"Genius".
"And another night for Scheherazade."
"The Adventures of Little Mook."
"Island of Lost Ships"
"The Feasts of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin."

The beautiful young actress created unusual images. She quickly achieved fame and popularity, but chose a completely different path, abandoning her acting career for the sake of faith.

The biography of Larisa Belogurova is the path of a talented, integral and sincere person. She had many opportunities to continue her rise to fame, but her convictions were stronger.

What was the fate of actress Larisa Belogurova

Many viewers remember Larisa Belogurova for her role as Nastya in the detective film “Genius.” Then the famous actor Alexander Abdulov became her partner on the set. Unfortunately, this work was one of Belogurova’s last.

Star of the perestroika period

Larisa Belogurova was born in 1960 in Volgograd (at that time Stalingrad). Since childhood, Larisa became seriously interested in dancing and even graduated from a choreographic school. But then she decided to enroll in a theater university. While still a student, Belogurova acted in films, but real fame came to her after she completed her studies at GITIS in 1985.

In 1987, Larisa Belogurova embodied the image of Vivian Kingman from the musical film “The Island of Lost Ships” on the screen. Despite the fact that this was far from the only leading role for the actress, it became one of her two most stellar roles. Another work thanks to which the public remembered Belogurova was working with Alexander Abdulov in the 1991 film “Genius”. A few months later, Larisa starred in the film “Oriental Romance” and disappeared from cinema forever.

Leaving cinema

In the 1990s, domestic cinema was going through its hardest times. Then many famous actors found themselves out of work. Larisa Vladimirovna was no exception. Despite the fact that directors sometimes invited her to act, Belogurova refused every time, since she considered a good half of the proposed scripts not worthy of any attention.

However, in those difficult years, Larisa was still lucky. She met her future husband Vladimir Tsyrkov. He studied music and served as a director in the church choir. The couple lived happily. Belogurova, having lost all hope of returning to the screen, got a job selling kitchen utensils and also began singing in church.

Illness and faith

This went on for about 10 years. And in 2002, Larisa Vladimirovna was diagnosed with cancer. Belogurova underwent treatment, and the disease went into hiding. Despite the remission, doctors recommended that the actress undergo regular examinations. But Belogurova began to avoid doctors and no longer wanted to be treated. She focused all her attention on religion. Due to the fact that the artist did not communicate with anyone, it was rumored that she had gone to a monastery. In fact, Belogurova did go to one of the monasteries, but only to record the audiobook “Notes of Abbess Taisia” there.

For more than 12 years, Larisa Belogurova lived with a terrible diagnosis. In 2015, the disease took over. The actress died at home. At that moment, her husband Vladimir Tsyrkov was next to her. Many times before, he had persuaded Larisa to go to the hospital, but she flatly refused. Several years before Belogurova’s death, the couple got married in an Orthodox church.

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short biography

The actress passed away on January 20, 2020 at the age of 54 after a serious illness, with a loved one nearby. The cause of death of Larisa Belogurova was cancer.

Childhood

Larisa Belogurova was born in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), her date of birth was October 4, 1960. There was another child in the family, Larisa’s younger brother Igor. Soon after his birth, his father left the family, his daughter practically did not remember him. The mother had a hard time with two children. Then my stepfather appeared, and life gradually began to return to order.

The girl was very close to her grandmother, Marfa Ivanovna, whom she considered an example for herself. Marfa Ivanovna died when her granddaughter was already an adult. The girl was at a film festival abroad and could not come, which she grieved for a long time. Larisa Vladimirovna maintained a warm relationship with her family. She loved her brother very much and got used to taking care of him from childhood. When Igor was 10 years old, he began to learn to play the button accordion. The girl also wanted to study music, she dreamed of a piano, but there was no money for it.

Even then she was serious and purposeful. Having learned that the sports school has a rhythmic gymnastics section, I decided to enroll there. By then she was in sixth grade, too late to start classes. But the coach, who remembered Larisa forever, could not refuse the self-confident girl.

She studied easily and quickly caught up with everyone who had studied in the section before. Just two years later she managed to get her first adult rank. A sports career seemed so obvious, but then Larisa became interested in choreography. It was impossible to combine dancing and gymnastics, so the girl chose dancing.

Choreography

Larisa studied in the Volzhanochka ensemble. One day, the director invited the soloists of the Leningrad Music Hall to a lesson so that they could conduct a master class for the children. Larisa Belogurova was noticed and strongly recommended that she study seriously. After this, she entered the choreographic studio that existed at the music hall, from which she graduated in 1979.

Belogurova became a soloist at the Leningrad Music Hall and performed successfully in the USSR and abroad. Then she moved to Moscow and entered GITIS in the direction of “variety and circus art”, graduating from the institute in 1985.

Fig. 1: GITIS

Childhood

Soviet theater and film actress Larisa Belogurova was born on October 4, 1960. Her biography began in the hero city of Stalingrad (now the city is called Volgograd).

From early childhood, Larisa was surrounded by kindness and care that came from her close relatives. It was her parents who were the first to notice the talent of the future actress and sent her to the choreographic school at the Leningrad Music Hall. The girl benefited from dancing lessons: she learned to hold herself on stage, improved her coordination of movements and got rid of embarrassment.

After graduating from the choreographic club, Larisa made her way into the first composition of the music hall. She began performing with other, more experienced dancers. But Belogurova always set ambitious goals. Therefore, when choosing a higher education institution, Larisa settled on the main “forge of personnel” for cinema - GITIS.

A few years later, she successfully graduated from a theater university and got a job at the Mossovet Theater. The main director gave Larisa one of the main roles in the acclaimed production of “The Infanta”.

However, the girl did not consider herself ready to work on stage. She decided to continue her studies in theater and entered the acting department at the School of Dramatic Art. In this educational institution, she was noticed by Anatoly Vasiliev, a famous production director.

The experienced master admired the beauty of young Belogurova. But in addition to external data, he also discerned the most important quality for an artist - talent. Under his leadership, Larisa graduates from the acting course with honors and the road to Soviet cinema opens before her.

Film work

The young actress first appeared on the silver screen in the film “The Sixth” in 1981. Larisa Vladimirovna was unusually beautiful, and she was immediately noticed. The image of a romantic beauty suited her perfectly, and viewers met their favorite actress again in the musical comedy “Free Wind.” Belogurova also played in the fairy tales “And Another Night of Scheherazade” and “The Adventures of Little Muk.” Besides everything, the girl was very flexible. This is probably why directors offered her exotic roles. Her abilities were especially evident in the film “The Island of Lost Ships.”

Fig. 2: Still from the film “Another Night of Scheherazade”

Only in 1985, after her role in the drama “Farewell, Greens of Summer...” the actress herself understood and realized her range. She was seen as a performer of serious roles. Having played in V. Rubinchik’s film “The Renegade,” Larisa saw the attractiveness and power of dramatic plots.

The audience remembered her work in the film “The Feasts of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin,” unusual for that time, based on F. Iskander, where she played the beautiful Nina, the wife of Lavrentiy Beria.

In 1990, she starred in the film “Broken Light” with Vera Glagoleva.

“...She starred with me - beautiful, wonderful Larisa. And before the film we met at festivals. She is a very beautiful person, both internally and externally...”, Vera Glagoleva later recalled.

One of the most striking was her role in the film “Genius” in 1991, where Larisa Belogurova played together with the brilliant Alexander Abdulov. Abdulov in the role of the “honest swindler” Nenashev and Belogurova in the image of his beloved Nastya were remembered by the audience. After playing this role, the actress became truly famous.

In 1992, Belogurova played in V. Titov’s film “Oriental Romance.” This role was the last in the list of her film works.

Further filming became impossible for various reasons. One of them is work at the Anatoly Vasiliev Theater.

Movies

Larisa Belogurova's appearance dictated the images: directors invited a fragile girl of unearthly beauty to play the role of romantic heroines. Director Samvel Gasparov entrusted the actress to play Olga, a pupil of Mikhail Kozakov’s hero, in the detective action film “The Sixth”. The stars gathered on the set: Sergei Nikonenko, Mikhail Pugovkin, Vladimir Grammatikov.

Larisa Belogurova in the film “The Sixth”

2 years later, in 1983, the premiere of the musical melodrama “Free Wind” directed by Jan Fried took place, where Larisa Belogurova played the key character - the daughter of the deceased sailor Stella. The film is based on the operetta of the same name by Isaac Dunaevsky. The filming partners were Andrei Kharitonov and Tatyana Dogileva.

This was followed by work in the fairy tale film about Little Flour, directed by Elizaveta Kimyagarova (played Princess Amina) and the film “Tranquility is Cancelled.”

Larisa Belogurova in the film “And Another Night of Scheherazade...”

In the mid-1980s, Larisa Belogurova again found herself in the spotlight of viewers and film critics: the fairy tale film “And Another Night of Scheherazade...” was released. Director Tahir Sabirov entrusted the actress with the role of Princess Malika.

In Albert Mkrtchyan’s melodrama “Legitimate Marriage,” Belogurova appeared in an episode, playing a policewoman. Natalya Belokhvostikova and Igor Kostolevsky shone in the film.

Larisa Belogurova in the film "Farewell, green summer..."

In the social drama “Farewell, Greens of Summer...” Larisa Belogurova for the first time had to move away from the role of a romantic heroine: the actress reincarnated as a girl who yielded to the will of her parents and married an unloved man.

In 1986, the artist was again entrusted with a role in an unusual role: Larisa played the teacher and class teacher of a difficult teenager, Anna Pavlovna. Valentina Telichkina, Alexey Zharkov, Dmitry Kharatyan and a dozen other stars of Soviet cinema appeared in the 2-episode social drama “It Was Not Byle,” filmed at the Odessa Film Studio.

Larisa Belogurova in the film “Island of Lost Ships”

The following year, Soviet viewers saw the actress in two striking projects. In the musical film “Island of Lost Ships,” Larisa Belogurova showed off her choreographic talent. The tandem with Konstantin Raikin turned out to be successful.

Belogurova’s equally striking work was the image of Maria in the 2-part fantasy film “The Apostate.” This is a joint project of Belarus, Austria and Germany. Director and screenwriter Valery Rubinchik entrusted Larisa with the main role, which she shared with Grigory Gladiy and Nikolai Eremenko Sr.

Larisa Belogurova and Valentin Gaft in the film “The Feasts of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin”

In the 1980s, Larisa Belogurova drew a line with her role in the historical tragifarce “The Feast of Belshazzar, or a Night with Stalin.” Director Yuri Kara gathered top stars on the set of the project - Evgeny Evstigneev, Valentin Gaft, Alexey Petrenko, Alexander Feklistov. Gaft played Lavrenty Beria, and Larisa Belogurova played his wife Nina.

In the same year, the premiere of Boris Nebieridze’s historical drama “The Mountains Are Smoking” took place, in which viewers saw their favorite in the image of Baroness von Steinberg.

Larisa Belogurova in the film "Genius"

With her work in the drama “Broken Light,” a film by Vera Glagoleva, filmed in the form of a parable of prescience, Larisa Belogurova opened the 1990s. She played a minor, but memorable role of the actress Galka. The main characters were embodied on the screen by Glagoleva and Grigory Gladiy.

In 1991, the detective film “Genius” was released, which became the event of the year. Belogurova played the beloved girl of the charming swindler Nenashev, who was brilliantly portrayed by Alexander Abdulov. 30-year-old Larisa looked organic in the image of a 20-year-old girl.

Larisa Belogurova in the film “Oriental Romance”

The role in “Genius” is called a stellar one in the artist’s filmography. Larisa Belogurova found herself at the zenith of fame and popularity. No one could have imagined that next year the beauty would appear in the last project in her life - the film “Oriental Romance”. With the role of Mamlakat, she said goodbye to the audience.

Later, Belogurova’s husband, Vladimir Tsyrkov, said that his star wife was repeatedly offered to star in soap operas and gangster TV series, but Larisa did not see herself in the proposed images. She was hardly persuaded to play the heroine in the multi-part comedy melodrama “All Men Are Svo...”, but at the last moment Belogurova was replaced by Lada Dance. Larisa took the news calmly.

Larisa Belogurova

Yesterday's movie star got a job at a company that sold kitchen utensils. Larisa Belogurova did not communicate with her former colleagues, did not favor journalists, and did not allow strangers into her closed world.

The mysterious disappearance of the artist beloved by millions and the lack of information gave rise to rumors that Belogurova became a nun. But yesterday’s TV star did not imprison herself in a cell: Larisa visited the temple to record an audiobook of the memoirs of the abbess of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Taisiya Solopova. In the last decade, faith has occupied a huge place in the artist’s life.

Theater

In 1993, Larisa Vladimirovna graduated from Anatoly Vasilyev’s directing course, created at the School of Dramatic Art. Working in the theater required a lot of time and energy. She treated everything she did very responsibly and gave her all. According to the memoirs of her husband, Vladimir Tsyrkov, theatrical performances took up all her time and a lot of energy. Film work was completely excluded. Soon she joined the group, which went on tour abroad.

Larisa Vladimirovna was a very subtle, emotional person. In the mid-1990s, she went to the monastery for the first time, and it made a very strong impression on her. Thus began her journey to faith.

Leaving the theater and further work

Sincere and deep faith in God turned out to be incompatible with further work in theater and cinema. Given the beauty of the actress, she was offered quite explicit film roles, which she was forced to refuse. As her husband recalls, at first there were quite a lot of offers, but gradually they became fewer and fewer.

“... Only once did she agree to come to an audition with her former theater partner, who was selecting actors for the series “Balzac's Age, or All Men Are Theirs...”.” As a result, Lada Dance was approved for the role, and Larisa crossed herself with relief.”

After leaving the theater, she completed courses for goldsmiths. But it turned out that this business is not so much profitable as it is costly. The materials were expensive, and the sewing itself turned out to be hard work that impaired vision.

Visits to the monastery in Kolomna were frequent. Here the actress was offered to try herself in audio recordings of Orthodox books. She enthusiastically set to work, and the audiobook “Notes of Abbess Taisia” appeared.

Fig. 3: Abbess Taisiya Leushinskaya

Later, she got a job as a representative in a company that produces environmentally friendly plastic tableware. Sales were not very good, but the actress was great at personal presentations. In the early 2000s, it turned out that Larisa Belogurova had an oncological disease - cancer. At first the treatment was successful, a long remission occurred, but later the disease returned.

Why Larisa Belogurova left cinema

Viewers remembered Larisa Belogurova for her roles in the films “Free Wind”, “Island of Lost Ships”, “Genius”. Her partners on the set were Konstantin Raikin and Alexander Abdulov.

After the rapid start of her film career, she was predicted to have fame and a bright future in the acting profession, but at the peak of her popularity she suddenly disappeared from the screens. Then there were rumors that the actress had entered a monastery, and in 2020 news appeared of her sudden death. What really happened to one of the most beautiful actresses of the 1980s. – further in the review.

Actress in her youth

Larisa Belogurova was born in 1960 in Stalingrad (Volgograd). As a child, she was fond of sports and did rhythmic gymnastics. She didn’t seriously think about anything other than a sports career until she became interested in dancing in high school. After graduating from school, she entered the choreographic department of the studio at the Leningrad Music Hall, where she soon became a leading artist. And then her fate took a sharp turn again.

The actress who left cinema at the peak of her popularity

Larisa Belogurova

The spectacular music hall soloist was noticed by directors who advised Larisa to try her hand at acting. In 1985 she graduated from GITIS, and in 1993 from the acting and directing course at the Anatoly Vasiliev School of Dramatic Art. Many of her colleagues paid attention to the bright beauty, naturalness and organic nature of the actress, and directors bombarded Belogurova with offers.

One of the most beautiful actresses of the 1980s. Larisa Belogurova

Larisa Belogurova in the film *Sixth*, 1981

She began her film career in the role of a romantic heroine: Olga in the military drama “The Sixth”, Stella in the musical comedy “Free Wind”, the oriental beauty Amina in the fairy tale film “The Adventures of Little Muk”, Malika in the fairy tale “And Another Night of Scheherazade...” . It seemed that she grasped the essence of each role on the fly, as the actress herself said: “Intuition is in the nature of acting. The conscious and intuitive should not collide, but coexist... This is awareness that comes after long dialogues with the director - not only about the character of the hero, his psychology, but also about specific actions on the set. Plus an element of acting independence, when something subconscious and intuitive comes into play.”

Still from the film *Free Wind*, 1983

Larisa Belogurova in the film *Free Wind*, 1983

At the end of the 1980s. Larisa Belogurova gained popularity after the release of the musical film “Island of Lost Ships,” where she played with Konstantin Raikin. Although they didn't spend much time together on set, it was very productive. The actress recalled: “We were terribly sorry that we met only towards the end of filming. And everything that was done on the screen was improvisation, and only improvisation. Ginzburg even filmed our rehearsals.”

Konstantin Raikin and Larisa Belogurova in the film *Island of Lost Ships*, 1987

Still from the film *Island of Lost Ships*, 1987

Larisa Belogurova’s finest hour and her calling card was the film “Genius,” where she starred opposite Alexander Abdulov. She played the beloved girl of the charming swindler Nenashev, and they were such a beautiful couple and together they looked so organic on the screens that they were immediately credited with having an affair in real life, which in fact did not happen. None of the viewers knew that the actress who played the 20-year-old heroine was already 30.

Larisa Belogurova in the film *Island of Lost Ships*, 1987

Larisa Belogurova and Alexander Abdulov in the film *Genius*, 1991

In this film there was a scene in which the actress had to appear naked. Belogurova had an ideal figure, but something else stopped her. Actress Natalya Kolyakanova said: “She constantly struggled with modesty. Larisa was shy, vulnerable and chaste. She had to play frank roles, but at heart she remained a very pure person. Apparently, this dissonance took its toll in the end. Lara tried to fight him, breaking through her shyness. But alas..."

Still from the film *The Adventures of Little Mook*, 1983

It would seem that after such a rapid start, the actress is guaranteed further success in the profession. But in 1992, she played her last film role - in the melodrama “Oriental Romance”, and since then she has disappeared from the screens forever. Her fans speculated, there were rumors that Belogurova dedicated her life to God and went to a monastery. There was some truth in this, but in reality it was not entirely true.

Larisa Belogurova in the film *And Another Night of Scheherazade...*, 1984

The actress’s husband, Vladimir Tsyrkov, whom she met at the School of Dramatic Art, said: “The 90s came, another generation of actors came, but she was still from Soviet cinema. Larisa became unclaimed. They offered to star in some TV series or films with bandits, but she was not interested. Once they persuaded me to take part in the filming of the film “Balzac’s Age, or All Men Are Theirs...” - as a result, Lada Dance was approved instead of Larisa. I can’t say that she later regretted it, she calmly accepted this situation and found herself in a new field: she became interested in cooking. Larisa got a job in a company selling kitchen utensils. It didn’t bring much income, but the work was to my liking. She didn't like giving interviews or talking about herself. She had absolutely no vanity, which is usually inherent in people of her profession. I tried to keep people at a distance so as not to get into my soul...”

Still from the film *And Another Night of Scheherazade...*, 1984

Belogurova was worried about her creative unfulfillment, but this did not become a tragedy for her. And soon her life took on a new meaning. After leaving cinema, the actress came to God. Her colleague and friend Vera Glagoleva said: “She radiated light and was very kind. Perhaps in acting she did not find the truth of life that she was looking for, and decided to embark on the divine path, where she felt harmony.” Larisa Belogurova indeed often visited the monastery, but there she recorded audiobooks of religious content (“Notes of Abbess Taisia”). Together with her husband, she sang in the church choir and donated money to charity.

Still from the movie *Genius*, 1991

In 2002, the actress was diagnosed with cancer. She immediately underwent treatment, and the disease subsided. Belogurova did not undergo examinations for a long time, and after a long remission, she learned that the problems had reappeared. However, this time the actress categorically refused to go to the hospital and continue the fight for life. Her husband said: “I insisted that she go to the doctors and do something, but it was useless.” She accepted the illness and did not want anyone to interfere with the natural course of events: “God gives and he takes away.” On January 20, 2020, Larisa Belogurova passed away. At that time she was only 54 years old.

The actress who left cinema at the peak of her popularity

She once said: “Game is spontaneity, free floating: everything again, everything for the first time. This is a rejection of the past. I do what I feel at this moment, and if I started over, I would do it differently. And the past would not exist again...” This was probably all she was...

Personal life

The actress was the wife of Vladimir Tsyrkov. They met at the theater, where Vladimir led the choir. Having met as adults, they were very close and got married in a church. The couple did not have children, but Larisa Vladimirovna was a very warm person, she loved her nephews and took care of them, bringing gifts.

Despite the small number of film works, the actress managed to win the love and respect of viewers and colleagues. The news of her death was unexpected and very sad for everyone.

March 26, 2019