Lilita Ozolinya - biography, personal life, photo

Biography

For millions of viewers of the former USSR, Lilita Ozolinya is associated with Martha from the favorite melodrama “The Long Road in the Dunes.” For two decades, the silent, fragile-looking, but strong inside heroine remained an idol, a symbol of beauty and femininity. Now in the actress’s homeland they are talking about the film as “a deceitful and far-fetched product of the system,” perhaps because the story of the exile of Latvians to Siberia looks too smooth. But Lilita herself played not at the direction of the director, but as she felt, since she knew about the deportation firsthand.

One role, but what a role!

Lilita Ozolinya considers her fate happy. Although according to the Hamburg account... Film roles that could be put on a par with Martha from “Long Road in the Dunes” were no longer offered to the actress. The theater saved us: here the productions were interesting, and Lilita was not deprived of prizes. In 2009, Ozolinja received Latvia's highest award: the Order of Three Stars, IV degree. At some point, I decided to go into business and, having mastered the basics of accounting and management, opened a beauty salon. Then she switched to her own acting studio. Anything is better than waiting for proposals from directors.

Ozolinya did not experience a lack of love: for her this is one of the components of happiness. Even though personal life in an interview is a taboo topic. It is only known that Lilita got married more than once and raised a daughter. But she had no affairs with the actors who played Arthur and Richard in “The Long Road...”. Neither stormy. Not fleeting ones. No matter how much the viewers who loved her would like it...

Childhood and youth

Lilita Ozolinya was born in November 1947 in Riga. Albertina, the actress’s mother, had a distant connection with the world of cinema. Lilita denied the information that she worked as an assistant director before the war, saying that employees of the DEFA studio saw a beautiful girl on the streets of the city and offered to go to Germany to study as an artist. But Albertine’s stepmother did not let her go then.

Lilita Ozolinya in her youth (still from the film “When the rain and wind knock on the window”)

Father Arvid Ozolins was a test pilot. It is known that after the war he fell under the rink of repression because he refused to join the Red Army. Lilita's older sister, Viya, died in exile, where she went with her parents.

Apparently, my mother’s love for cinema was passed on to her daughter, because already at the age of 8, Lilita Ozolinya took the first step along this path. She went to audition for the film “Echo,” where they were looking for a performer for the role of a shepherdess. And although the first pancake turned out to be lumpy and Lilita was not taken, she did not change her dream of becoming an artist.

Movies

A cinematic biography of Lilita Ozolini began during her student years. The actress made her film debut while studying at the People's Studio. The first director to entrust Lilita with the role was her teacher Alois Branch. In his film “When the Rain and Wind Knock on the Window,” released in 1967, the young actress starred in the role of Velta.

Lilita Ozolina as Marta Ozola (still from the film “Long Road in the Dunes”)

Lilita Ozolina managed to wake up famous and mega-popular throughout the Soviet Union after the dramatic melodrama “The Long Road in the Dunes.” Alois Branch filmed the actress in the role in which the audience loved and knew her most: the gentle and feminine Marta Ozols. A heroine who, despite her apparent defenselessness, managed not to break or betray, carrying loyalty and love throughout her life.

After the release of the mini-series in 1980, streams of audience letters from all over the Union poured into the Riga Film Studio. Lilita Ozolinya was idolized. She instantly became a legend. Their daughters were named after her. Photos and posters with images of the actress were sold out instantly. They cut their hair and dressed like the heroine. For the role of Martha, the artist received a State Prize. Fans called Lilita nothing more than the Latvian sun.

What was the fate of Lilita Ozolini

Lilita Ozolina is one of the most beautiful and popular Latvian actresses, whom millions of Soviet viewers remembered in the role of Martha from the cult film of the 1980s. "Long road in the dunes". In the USSR, her name was familiar to everyone, but after the collapse of the Union, she disappeared from the screens, and they began to forget about her.

Now she is 71 years old, she still lives in Riga and still looks great. How the fate of the famous actress turned out after filming in the film, which brought her all-Union fame, is further in the review.

Still from the film *When the rain and wind knock on the window*, 1967

Actress in her youth

Lilita Ozolinya was born in 1947 in Riga into the family of a test pilot and an assistant director. Her father refused to join the Red Army and was repressed; her older sister died in exile where the family was sent - she froze to death on one of the exile trains. Lilita inherited her love for the world of cinema from her mother, and at the age of 8 she began participating in screen tests. True, then she was denied the role, but she did not give up her dream. At school age, Ozolinya wanted to become a doctor, but at the age of 18 she entered the People's Studio of Film Actors at the Riga Film Studio, and after graduation she continued her studies at the acting department of the Latvian Conservatory.

Lilita Ozolinya

Actress in her youth

While still studying at the People's Studio, Lilita played her first film role. One of the teachers, director Alois Branch, entrusted the 20-year-old student with a role in his film “When the Rain and Wind Knock on the Window.” This beginning of her creative path was symbolic - this director not only opened her path to the world of cinema, but 13 years later made her famous throughout the Union in the 7-episode melodrama “A Long Road in the Dunes.” About Branch Ozolinya said: “Alik is more than a director for me, we were close friends.”

Personal life

In Long Road to the Dunes, Lilita appears in a swimsuit for a couple of minutes. Many years later, Ozolinya is just as irresistible, slender and elegant. It is known that a woman keeps herself in shape through regular exercise. The personal life of the honored artist of the Latvian SSR is a secret behind seven seals. The actress, willingly agreeing to an interview, immediately mentions a taboo topic - family.

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Actress Lilita Ozolinya
From some media sources it is known that Lilita got married more than once. It is unknown for what reasons the unions broke up, but no one has ever heard negative reviews from the actress about her ex-husbands.

In one marriage, Ozolini had her only daughter, Liliana. She is a journalist by profession, for some time she served as director of the Latvian television channel MTV, then went into business.

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According to unconfirmed reports, in one of the marriages the actress had a child, a daughter, Liliana. The girl decided to choose a career path for herself that was different from her mother. She is a journalist by profession. It is also known that for some time she was the manager of the Latvian television channel MTV. Currently, she is developing her own business.

A question that has always been interesting to viewers who watched films with Lilita’s participation is which of her colleagues she had a romantic relationship with. According to the actress herself, she never had affairs with colleagues on the set or theater stage. She had exclusively friendly relations with the actors working with her in the same project.

Since the actress is a very secretive person, it is impossible to find a photo on the Internet where she would appear before fans in the company of some man. At the same time, there are more than enough photographs on the Internet where a celebrity is captured in one or another creative image.

Lilita Ozolinya now

Now Lilita (it is not customary to call her by her patronymic in the Baltics) lives in Riga and has been faithful to the Dailes Theater since 1996. The salary in the theater is only enough to pay for utilities, so she first opened a beauty salon, then a communication art studio for children and adults. They teach speech techniques, leadership and personality psychology, philosophy, and conduct classes on image creation. Liliana also works there.

Lilita Ozolinya now (still from the film “Hero”)

As the actress said in a conversation with Yulia Menshova, host of the “Alone with Everyone” program, the name leaves an imprint on fate. According to legend, Lilith is Adam’s first companion, whom he did not like because of her authoritarianism, stubbornness and rigidity. Ozolinya is an independent and strong person, theoretically ready to be weak, but in reality she directs life herself.

Lilita Ozolinya: I didn’t like handsome men

Years have no power over Lilita - today she is as good as 30 years ago

The famous actress spoke about her deepest desire

Having played only Martha in the film “Long Road in the Dunes”, she could rest on her laurels all her life. The multi-part film, filmed almost 30 years ago, brought OZOLINA all-Union fame. Her photographs were instantly sold out at Soyuzpechat kiosks, and young mothers named their daughters after her heroine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lilita began to rarely appear on Russian screens. But viewers still love and remember her. Therefore, while in Riga, we simply could not help but meet with the wonderful actress. And they went to the Dailes Theater, where she has been serving for many years.

As soon as the star appeared in the cafe of the famous Riga theater, we immediately recognized her. Lilita Ozolinya is still pretty - tall, fit, impressive blonde. - Hello, what should I order? – the actress asked, sitting down at the table. “You are my guests and don’t worry about anything.” We decided to cheer ourselves up with coffee, and Lilita brought herself orange juice. – I already drank coffee today, it’s not very healthy, so I prefer fresh juices.

In good weather, Lilita likes to take a walk near her home theater

“Lilita Arvidovna, ” I turned to Ozolina and immediately heard: “Oh, please, don’t tell me “Arvidovna,” in Latvia it is not customary to call her by her patronymic. - Fine. By the way, the Old Testament Lilita was a lady with a cool nature. Did your name somehow influence your destiny? – Lilith was Adam’s wife, very powerful, and God took pity on the man, he pushed her into the abyss. But then Adam often sat by the abyss and looked down with longing. Maybe the name somehow influences fate, but I’m happy with it. My daughter's name is Liliana. I gave the child part of my name, and the second part is her destiny. – Are you a strict mother? - No. I wanted my daughter and I, when she grew up, to become friends, to be able to walk arm in arm around the city and talk about everything. This is what is happening now. One day Liliana told me: “You know, I just can’t understand how you managed to do everything - get me ready for school, cook for us all during the day, help me do my homework in the evening and play in the play.” This was the best compliment for me. – What does your daughter do? – She graduated from the Faculty of Journalism, is engaged in business, and teaches in my studio. We have many teachers in various subjects, people of various professions and ages come to us. We deal with speech, leadership psychology, personality psychology, philosophy, and give lessons on creating an image. There are also children's groups. I don’t know how everything will work out next. Now the situation in Latvia is difficult, ten percent are already unemployed. People will not be able to come to us if they have no money to buy food.

“Long Road in the Dunes”: with Romas RAMANAUSKAS and Uldis DUMPIS...

Letters were put in boxes

– In Soviet times, in your homeland they called you “the Latvian sun.” The state should greatly encourage a star of this level. “The house where we like to gather as a family was built by my father, I bought an apartment for myself, and a car, too, although it was stolen, but that’s okay. Our theater is going through hard times; we have to rent out the halls. But thanks to our director, we receive our salaries regularly. True, it is enough to pay for utilities and telephone. The theater will exist, I’m sure, but restoring our film studio will require a lot of effort, money and time. It is a great pity that our Union of Cinematographers has collapsed.

...and beloved partner Juozas KISELIUS

– What do you think is the secret of the success of the film “Long Road in the Dunes”? – The fact that everyone who watched it found in it consonance with their own life. The director of the film, Alois Branch, told me: “Lilita, do as you feel. You know better than me how it was.” (Alois Branch directed the famous detective stories: “Mirage”, “Double Trap”, “Check of the Queen of Diamonds.” - M.S.Sh. ) Yes, from the stories of my parents, I really knew how it was. My father, a Latvian pilot, was repressed. My mother followed him into exile, and my older sister Viya died on one of the exile trains. She was simply frozen. As a child, I listened to my parents' stories about these times and perceived them as a fairy tale. So the work in this film is a tribute to my parents. When I acted in several scenes, I realized: this film is about all of us. Viewers wrote me a lot of letters, I put them in banana boxes. Then she took her to a country house and burned it. I left only one box, but I read all the messages that were in it.

"Long road in the dunes"

– In the film, two men are in love with your heroine: Richard Lozberg, played by the brilliant Romas Ramanauskas, and Arthur Banga, played by the late Juozas Kiselius. Have any of these men courted you in your life? – Meet with Romas, ask him. As for me, I have never liked handsome men. I liked ugly ones that had a secret. Juozas was just a man with a secret. Lord, he left very young, he was not even 41 years old. As they told me, he felt bad with his heart, a doctor, a woman, came in to see him. He couldn’t sit when the lady was standing in front of him, he stood up, and immediately his heart broke. Over the years, I realized that for family happiness one must choose Richards who never betray. We see Romas now, but rarely. He has some strange habit. He comes to Riga for three days, and calls me when there are a couple of hours left before the train leaves. But I can’t quit what I had planned and get ready so quickly. – Do you regret that you did not enter medical school, but, on the advice of Alois Branch, began acting in films? – Why regret now? Alik is more than a director to me; we were close friends. When he offered to star in his film, I was still a schoolgirl. “You will always have time to get into medical school,” Alik convinced me. In recent years, this talented director has worked in the housing commission of the Riga City Council. Alik had a massive heart attack and died overnight. People strewn his grave with a huge number of white calla lilies - a symbol of love and death. He deserved it. They say about him: “In Italy - Fellini , in Russia - Ryazanov , and here - Branch.” He made his last film commissioned by the Catholic Church.

The famous Riga theater "Dailes", where the star has served for 43 years

Seeks consonance with himself

– Share your beauty secret... – Do you want me to be like an open book? It won't work that way. In my studio I also teach the art of communication. I know that you journalists want to hear the truth from me. I am telling you the truth, but the truth will remain with me. I don't reveal my secrets to anyone. I’ll just say that I have several exercise machines, my own set of exercises, but I don’t do exercises in the morning because I get up early. I just strive for harmony with myself. I've already achieved something. I learned patience and restraint. When I was young, I could cry continuously for any reason, but now this doesn’t happen. I try not to offend other people, do good, and it comes back to me. According to my horoscope, I am Scorpio, and this insect is the only sign that can destroy itself. – Have you ever had to act like a Scorpio? “We’ll wait until my funeral, and then you’ll hear when I did the right thing and when I didn’t.” – Lilita, this is a very sad topic. - No, this is life. I am approaching this step by step and, while I am alive, I want to find harmony with myself. I am a believer, Lutheran. But I want to communicate with God myself, I cannot accept intermediaries. I don't need a priest to tell me what I should do. I come to my father’s house, hug my birch tree, tell it what’s on my soul, and feel a surge of strength. But that doesn't mean I don't go to church. I just don't want it to become a responsibility for me. I definitely celebrate religious holidays. The main one for me is Christmas. I remember my parents telling me that I shouldn’t talk at school about what was happening at home. Now, fortunately, those days have passed and there is no shortage of goods. – Do you like to cook? - Very! But sometimes I feel sorry for this time, and after a feast I don’t like to wash the dishes. But I do it all. It’s good that there are many cooking programs where you can find interesting recipes. I really like watching Yulia Vysotskaya cook. From her I learned the recipe for a gorgeous Christmas cake. It lasts for a month, but every day it needs to be poured generously with rum or cognac. All my family loves him. - You have a big family? - Yes. But I don’t let anyone into my house except my family. I prefer not to talk about my family. – Do you have a secret desire? – Fame, recognition, roles are good. But the main thing for a woman is to leave a person behind and raise him in such a way that he will not be ashamed. I repeated this more than once and after the birth of my daughter I did not lose faith in it. Now I want to become a grandmother so I can babysit my grandchildren.

INFORMATION * Lilita OZOLINYA was born on November 19, 1947. * Graduated from the People's Studio of Film Actors at the Riga Film Studio, the Latvian Conservatory. Vitola. * Since 1966 - actress of the Art Academic Theater named after. Jan Rainis. * Laureate of the USSR State Prize. * Starred in the films “Long Road in the Dunes”, “Double Trap”, “A Brief Instruction in Love”, “Meet Me in the Subway”, “Walk”, etc.

Filmography

1968 - “Around the Turn - Turn”
1969 — “Rays in Glass”
1973 — “Check of the Queen of Diamonds”
1975 — “In the claws of a black cancer”
1976 — “Sonata over the Lake”
1978 — “Night Without Birds”
1980 — “Long Road in the Dunes”
1982 - “The Personal Life of Santa Claus”
1985 — “Double Trap”
1985 — “Meet me in the subway”
1986 - “He, She and Children”
1990 — “The Zitarov Family”
2000 - “Ticket to Riga”
2004 — “Red Chapel”
2008 — “Someone else’s life”
2011 — “Kept by Fate”
2016 — “Hero”
2016 — “Chronicle of Melania”

Movie

In 1969, the girl graduated from the studio of film actors. “When the Rain and the Wind Knock on the Window” is Lilita Ozolini’s first film. Despite the fact that she played the role of a negative heroine, it was impossible not to love her. A beautiful, slender, tall blonde caught my eye from her first appearance in the frame. Velta, as performed by her, will forever be remembered by fans of Lilita’s talent. Her temperament was so explosive that she outshone other actors. Energetic, vicious and, on top of that, with a difficult character, the heroine performed by Lilita immediately attracted the attention of many directors. A series of wonderful films followed - “Sonata over the Lake”, “Oleg and Aina”, “Around the Turn - a Turn”, “Rays in the Glass”, “Check of the Queen of Diamonds”.