Why is Galina Volchek in a wheelchair. Galina Volchek moves in a wheelchair. The son of Galina Volchek - Denis Evstigneev

Galina Borisovna VolchekRussian actress theater and cinema, director. Artistic Director of the Sovremennik Theatre. Laureate of the State Prize and People's Artist of the USSR, full cavalier of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.

Galina Volchek. Biography

Galina Volchek was born on December 19, 1933 in Moscow, in creative family cinematographer and director Boris Izrailevich Volchek and screenwriter Vera Isaakovna Maimina. Galina's father, winner of four state awards, is known for his work " Thirteen”,“ Lenin in October ”,“ White Fang", and in 1943 Boris Izrailevich became a professor at the All-Union. Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. With young years Galina watched with delight the famous people who visited their house: Julius Raizman, Mikhail Romm and others Soviet leaders art opened the world of cinema to her.

Galina Volchek recalled her childhood in this way: “I was such a downtrodden child with pigtails who boasted: how well I study, what commendable letters I have. Mom said: “All the girls are running around somewhere, stealing apples, climbing fences, and my Galya is always near the entrance.” Books to be read, intonations to be spoken with - all this was introduced into me in such a way that it gave rise to a feeling of protest. This feeling extended to small things as well as big things. Mom was good woman, but she did not understand that the personality is formed earlier than we can assume.

When did the Great Patriotic War, her family was evacuated along with the entire Mosfilm studio to Alma-Ata. At the age of thirteen, Galina was very upset by the divorce of her parents, and left with her father, she defended her right to study at the Moscow Art Theater School. Boris Izrailevich offered his daughter the Literary Institute, but Galina dreamed of a theater at the age of sixteen.

On the course of A.M. Karev, she met a teacher Oleg Efremov. After graduating from the Moscow Art Theater School in 1955, Galina Volchek with other graduates: Lilia Tolmacheva, Evgeny Evstigneev , Igor Kvasha and Oleg Tabakov, headed by Efremov, create the Studio for Young Actors, which later became known as Sovremennik. In 1962, she staged her first performance based on the play by W. Gibson " two on a swing", and ten years later, after Oleg Efremov left for the Moscow Art Theater, Galina Volchek became the chief director of Sovremennik.

Galina Volchek: “Someone had to stand at the head of the theater. I am sure that it is unrealistic to combine this work with rehearsals and performances. I also told Oleg Efremov: in order to become a director, you need to defeat your acting consciousness. It always seemed to me more important to look for new plays, to invite young directors, to give the role of leading artists, than to play myself.

In the early 1970s, the young directors of Sovremennik were Valery Fokin, Joseph Rakhelgauz, Mikhail Ali-Hussein, and novice actors Yuri Bogatyrev , Konstantin Raikin, Marina Neelova and Valentin Gaft. The most striking productions in the history of the theater were " ordinary story"Rozov by Goncharov (1966)," At the bottom"M. Gorky (1968)," Echelon"M. Roshchina (1975)," The Cherry Orchard" and " Three sisters" A. P. Chekhov (1976), " Hurry to do good" M. Roshchina (1980), " Steep route» according to E. S. Ginzburg (1989), “ Pygmalion"B. Shaw (1995)," Three comrades» by Remarque (1999).

Sovremennik is the first theater after the Moscow Art Theater to perform on Broadway. The leadership received one of the most prestigious US national awards in the field of drama theater Drama desk award.

In addition to "Contemporary" in the life of Galina Volchek there is a place for cinema. She played in such films as " Don Quixote"(1957)," Beware of the car"(1966)," Autumn marathon"(1979) and in more than twenty films. AT last time Galina Borisovna starred in the role of herself in the TV series "Mysterious Passion" based on novel of the same name Vasily Aksenov , which was released on Channel One in 2016, and which was produced by her son Denis Evstigneev.

Galina Volchek was elected a deputy State Duma Member of the Federal Assembly from the NDR faction, but she resigned her position in 1999, explaining that a serious existence in politics leads to the loss of the main thing - human relations.

In the 2000s, Galina Volchek became an academician of the Russian Academy of Cinematographic Arts " Nika».

Galina Volchek - holder of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" of three degrees for an outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, laureate of the USSR State Prize and the President's Prize Russian Federation in the field of literature and art.

To date, Galina Volchek does not act in films and practically does not play on the stage of the theater. She devoted herself to directing and continues to direct Sovremennik.

Galina Volchek: “I am a person who actively exists, pah, pah, pah! Figuratively speaking, I don’t even walk, but run through life. Say what I see in pink color, it is forbidden. But it is also not true that every day I slam all the windows and doomedly wait for the end of the world. I believe in some kind of miracle of reason in our country, a miracle of divine influence - without this it would be very difficult to live and work.”

In November 2017, Alla Pugacheva shared a photo showing her children Lisa and Harry and Galina Volchek, who has long been friends with the Diva's family. At the same time, 83-year-old Galina Borisovna was sitting in wheelchair. Volchek explained to Lisa and Harry Galkin that her “leg hurts.”

In June 2019, information appeared in the media that Galina Volchek was urgently hospitalized at the Vishnevsky Research Institute and she underwent surgery. However, almost immediately this information was refuted, and representatives of Galina Borisovna reported that the famous director went to the hospital for a routine examination.

The head of the literary and dramatic part of Sovremennik, Evgenia Kuznetsova, explained that Galina Volchek’s health was not in danger: “Galina Borisovna was hospitalized on Saturday due to scheduled examination which takes place in the Department of Cardiology of the Vishnevsky Institute.

Galina Volchek. Personal life

First husband Galina Volchek became famous Russian actor theater and cinema Yevgeny Evstigneev, with whom they raised their son Denis Evstigneev, who later became a director.

Galina Volchek: “Life is dedicated to the theater, the rest is trifles. I am still amazed how Zhenya Evstigneev and I did not die of hunger, giving a quarter of a small salary for a rented room in a communal apartment. Five-kopeck Mikoyan cutlets managed to make up in a different way, serving it under a tomato, then fried slices ... And what companies gathered in our "mansions" on Gorky Street! We very successfully rented a room a stone's throw from Mayakovka, where Sovremennik was located at that time, and after the performances the troupe often filled up with us for tea.

Galina Borisovna lived with Evstigneev for nine years. As Volchek herself later said, it was she who initiated the divorce from Yevgeny Aleksandrovich. Volchek's friends believe that Volchek owes such a great zeal for work not only to his character, but also to rather tragic circumstances. Galina Volchek's first husband, from whom the director gave birth to a son, Denis, cheated on her for several years.

“My friends say to me: “You are a fool, you believe him, and he has had an affair with Irina for two years now.” I called her to me, directly asking: “Do you love him?” She was so wide-eyed, because they are long time hid, ”Volchek herself recalled the unpleasant past.

However, later Volchek revised her views on life and said that love for Evstigneev was not only a great and bright feeling, but also "a desire to show everyone what he is."

The second time Galina Volchek married a professor at a construction institute Mark Abeleva but this union did not last long. According to Abelev, for a long time he tried to get through to Volchek, but she was adamant and always devoted more time to the theater than to her family.

Mark Abelev on the reasons for the divorce from Volchek: “We broke up because I was jealous of the theater. In addition, she did not dare to have children, I think, because of her love, namely the love of the theater and the profession. It seemed to me then that our marriage was dead. Theater every day.

For another ten years, Galina Borisovna lived in a civil marriage, after which she finally concluded that family life- not for her.

As Galina Volchek joked, she "had two husbands, several novels and one misunderstanding."

Galina Volchek. Filmography

  • ROLES IN MOVIES
  • 1996 Twenty minutes with an angel (film-play)
  • 1992 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film performance)
  • 1985 Tevye the milkman (film-play)
  • 1983 Black Castle Olshansky
  • 1983 Unique
  • 1977 Pro Little Red Riding Hood
  • 1976 Little Mermaid
  • 1976 Just Sasha
  • 1975 Mayakovsky laughs
  • 1975 Waves of the Black Sea
  • 1973 My destiny
  • 1970 King Lear
  • 1969 Own
  • 1967 First courier
  • 1966 Theatrical meetings of the BDT in Moscow (film-play)
  • 1965 Bridge under construction
  • 1963 Cheka officer
  • 1962 Sinful Angel
  • 1958 Soldiers were walking...
  • 1958 Vasisualy Lokhankin (short)
  • 1957 Don Quixote
  • DIRECTOR
  • 2009 Hare. Love story (film-play)
  • 2008 Steep route (film-play)
  • 2006 The Cherry Orchard(film performance)
  • 2003 Three Comrades (film-play)
  • 1992 Difficult people (film-play)
  • 1992 Anfisa (film-play)
  • 1988 Echelon (film-play)
  • 1987 Bolsheviks (film-play)
  • 1982 Hurry to do good (film-play)
  • 1976 Forever Alive (film-play)
  • 1974 Dombey and Son (film-play)
  • 1972 At the bottom (film-play)
  • 1971 Own Island (film-play)
  • 1970 Ordinary story (film-play)

Galina Volchek is a Soviet and Russian theater director, actress and teacher, who in 1989 received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. In the theatrical environment, she is, following the example, called the "Iron Lady" - they idolize and fear, respect and bow. Galina did a lot in her life to raise culture to high level, for which she became a Knight of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.

Galina Volchek was born in the early 30s in Moscow, in a family that was directly related to the stage and cinema. Galina's mother, Vera Maimina, is a Soviet screenwriter, and her father, Boris Volchek, is a famous director and cameraman who filmed Soviet hits Pyshka, Thirteen, Lenin in October and others.

As a child, Galya loved reading, so she rarely free time girls passed without a favorite book in their hands. Seeing his daughter's interest, his father pushed Galina to enter the only Literary Institute named after him in the Union. But it is unlikely that a child who has absorbed the acting and directing life from the cradle would have chosen a different path. Galina entered the Moscow Art Theater School, where she studied until 1955.

Theatre

The theatrical biography of Galina Volchek is full of significant events from the very beginning. A year after graduation, Galina Volchek, together with Lilia Tolmacheva, founded the new Studio of Young Actors, which would soon turn into the cult Sovremennik Theater.


And if in the late 50s Volchek appeared on stage as an actress, then in 1962 Galina Borisovna began directing, which will go down in the history of Soviet and Russian art. Looking ahead, we note that in 10 years Galina will become the chief director of the theater, and in the late 80s she will head the theater as an artistic director.

In 1984, Galina Volchek played Martha in the production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and this role becomes last appearance Volchik in the theater as an actress. Since then, the artist has been focusing on her directing career.

Volchek's first directing experience brings tremendous success. It was a production of William Gibson's play "Two on a Swing", which did not leave the stage of Sovremennik for more than 30 seasons. Two more significant works of the director are "An Ordinary Story" based on the novel and the play "Three Comrades" based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque. The first of them brought Galina Volchek the State Prize of the USSR, and the second in 1999 "raised Moscow on the ears" and made a splash.


Galina Volchek was the first Soviet director to break through the cultural blockade between the Soviet Union and the United States. She staged several performances of Russian classics in American theaters, including the famous Broadway, where the Russian troupe played for the first time since 1924. And these were not just performances "for show". Volchek's tour was marked by one of the most prestigious US national awards in the field of drama theater - the Drama Desk Award, which was awarded to a non-American theater for the first time in the long history of this award.

The famous director shared her experience with the new generation, and she taught mostly not in Russia, but abroad. For example, recently Galina Volchek gave a course of lectures and practical exercises at New York University.


Galina Volchek's latest production today was William Gibson's Two on a Swing in 2015. This is the same work that started Volchek's directorial career. Fans see this as a mystical and cyclical meaning and note with sadness that the first work can be chosen by the director to be staged specifically in order to be the last.

Films

On the screen, Galina Volchek made her debut in 1957 in the film adaptation of the Spanish classic novel Don Quixote, playing the role of a strong maid Maritornes. Then there were roles in the films Sinful Angel, A Bridge Under Construction, King Lear and others.


Sometimes the actress appeared only in episodes, but she made them bright and unforgettable. For example, in the tragicomedy Beware of the Car, she simply played a buyer of a tape recorder in a store, but managed to attract the attention of the audience in ten seconds.

In the fairy tales "About Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Little Mermaid" Volchek has the negative roles of the mother wolf and the sea witch, but in them the actress perfectly realized her own talent. The films "Autumn Marathon", "Unicum" and "Tevye the Milkman" were also successful.

In 1996, the actress stopped acting in feature films, but began to appear annually in documentary projects.


In the new millennium, Galina Volchek starred in a number of films dedicated to her colleagues: “The Life of Desdemona. ”,“ Unknown ”,“ . Frantic actor”, “Three loves”, “. From hate to love”, “. A man with a past” and others.

The actress also starred in the multi-part documentary projects “To Remember”, “Idols” with and “Film About the Film”, where she also talked about her colleagues, and not about herself. So far only books have been written about Galina Borisovna herself: “Galina Volchek. In an absurd and tragic mirror” Gleb Skorokhodova, “Galina Volchek. Usually outside the rules” and “Galina Volchek. By itself” by Marina Raikina.

Galina Volchek also tried herself in cinema as a director. True, for a long time she simply filmed her best theatrical performances "An Ordinary Story", "Hurry to Do Good", "The Cherry Orchard" and many others. But she also had experience in filming according to original scenarios, for example, the heavy psychological dramas Echelon and Steep Route.


Galina Volchek on the set of the series " mysterious passion"

In 2015, Galina Volchek suddenly returned to television as an actress in a feature series. The actress played herself in the drama "Mysterious Passion", an adaptation of the novel of the same name. The series tells about real creative people of the last century, who, for the sake of the artistry of the story, have fictitious, but easily decipherable names.

Personal life

Officially, Galina Volchek was married twice. The first husband of the actress is the famous actor Yevgeny Evstigneev, with whom she lived for 9 years and gave birth to a son. The son of Volchek and Evstigneev also could not leave the world of cinema and became a director. The child did not save acting marriage, Volchek and Evstigneev dispersed.


Volchek claims that it was she who initiated the divorce from Yevgeny Aleksandrovich. Despite subsequent relationships, the actress no longer had children, the son from Evstigneev remained only child Galina Volchek.

Galina's second husband is Soviet scientist Mark Abelev, doctor technical sciences, who taught at the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute. Their union also did not last long, and the couple divorced.

The third marriage of Galina Volchek was civil, lasted almost 10 years, but the director prefers not to remember this period. In her own words, she "had two husbands, several affairs and one misunderstanding." After this relationship, she did not try to create a family anymore, believing that it was impossible to completely surrender theatrical activities and at the same time be happy family man.


The main hobby of Galina Volchek, as the director likes to say, is “making stars”. Of course, you can’t argue that thanks to Galina Borisovna, the world learned about a huge number of artists. But if we talk about hobbies, then it is worth noting that Volchek is not bad at modeling clothes and has created a number of memorable outfits.

In 1995, Galina Volchek agreed to put forward her own candidacy in the elections to the State Duma and entered the federal list of the All-Russian Socio-Political Movement Our Home is Russia electoral association.


For four years, the director sat in the State Duma and worked as a member of the Committee on Culture, but in 1999, by her own decision, she left the walls of parliament.

Galina Volchek now

Recently, the health of the 83-year-old star began to fail. The director often ends up in hospitals, the last time Galina Volchek was on March 21, 2016 with suspected pneumonia. After the state of health of Galina Borisovna stabilized, the director returned home.

Today, Galina Volchek moves in a wheelchair, but details about the director's health were not disclosed. The press did not come to a consensus on this matter: some argue that Galina Borisovna is confined to a wheelchair and no longer walks, others adhere to an optimistic theory that the director is simply trying not to burden himself and give the body a rest.


At the same time, the wheelchair does not prevent Galina Volchek from organizing creative evenings, meeting friends and attending social events.

April 28, 2017 Galina Volchek received the title of Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation with the wording "for special labor services to the state and people." Also in 2017, Galina Borisovna celebrated a double theatrical anniversary: ​​60 years as she works in Sovremennik, 45 of them - main director.

Filmography

  • 1970 - "King Lear"
  • 1975 - "Waves of the Black Sea"
  • 1977 - "About Little Red Riding Hood"
  • 1979 - "Autumn Marathon"
  • 1983 - "Unique"
  • 1983 - "Black Castle Olshansky"
  • 1985 - Tevye the Milkman
  • 1992 - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
  • 2008 - "Contemporary"
  • 2010 - " Catherine III»
  • 2015 - "Secret Passion"

Galina Borisovna Volchek. She was born on December 19, 1933 in Moscow. Soviet and Russian theater and film actress, theater director, teacher. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1969). People's Artist of the RSFSR (1979). People's Artist of the USSR (1989). Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation (2017).

Father - Boris Izrailevich (Ber Izrailevich) Volchek (1905-1974), a famous Soviet film director, screenwriter, cameraman, professor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, winner of three Stalin Prizes, as well as the State Prize of the USSR. Originally from Vitebsk, his neighbor was famous artist, in his youth, he even engaged in stirring the paints of the great master.

Mother - Vera Isaakovna Maimina (1908-1989), graduate of VGIK, screenwriter.

Galina is from a Jewish family, although, according to her, she always felt like a person of Russian culture. She has never seen her Jewish grandparents, she does not speak Yiddish. She was raised by a Russian nanny. Although she never hid her origin - for a long time she bore the middle name Berovna. And only when the father changed the name Ber to Boris, then she made changes to the documents.

Galina's parents broke up when she was a schoolgirl. The girl decided to stay with her father. AT adolescence showed her difficult character, started smoking early (because of which she even brought her father to tears), tried to appear older than her age, lightened her hair and actively used cosmetics.

With early years I plunged into a creative atmosphere not only thanks to my father and mother, but also to my friends. So, one of her neighbors studied at VGIK on the same course as and. In spite of young age Galina, students admitted her to them, communicated on an equal footing.

At the age of 14, for the first time, she clearly showed her acting talent - for the sake of the guy she was in love with then - she agreed to play his aunt. And in this capacity she came to his school. She recalled: “I was 14 years old. I put on my mother’s heels, found a hat - she probably got it from my grandmother from my mother. The hat is completely old-fashioned, with a veil. I covered my eyes with this veil, made up my lips to look older. ".

In 1955 she graduated from the School-Studio. V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko at the Moscow Art Theater of the USSR, course A.M. Kareva.

Then she became one of the founders - together with - of the Moscow theater-studio Sovremennik. From a young age, she played age roles. Acting work Volchek are always large characters, growing to a type, a symbol, but not losing their earthly basis.

Theatrical works of Galina Volchek:

1956 - Nyurka-bread cutter - "Forever Alive" by V. Rozov;
1957 - Claudia Vasilievna - "In Search of Joy" by V. Rozov;
1959 - Nina - "Two Colors" by A. Zak and I. Kuznetsov;
1959 - Zoya - "Five Evenings" by A. Volodin;
1959 - Mother - "Crackers of Silence" by O. Skachkov;
1960 - First maid of honor - "The Naked King" by E. Schwartz;
1960 - Mother - "The Third Desire" by V. Blazhek;
1961 - Kistyakov - "Moscow time" L. Zorin;
1962 - Actress - " Older sister» A. Volodin;
1962 - Petra - "The Fifth Column" by E. Hemingway;
1963 - Mother - "Appointment" by A. Volodin;
1963 - Rookie - "Without a cross!" according to V. Tendryakov;
1965 - Saleswoman, Ch. Intellectual - "Always on sale" by V. Aksenov;
1967 - Miss Amelia Ivens - "The Ballad of a Sad Courgette" by E. Albee;
1967 - Trader - "People's Volunteers" A. Svobodin;
1967 - Lida Belova - "Traditional Collection" by V. Rozov;
1972 - Larisa's mother - "Do not part with your loved ones" by A. Volodin;
1972 - Actress - "From Lopatin's Notes" by K. Simonov;
1983 - Anna Andreevna - "Inspector" N.V. Gogol;
1984 - March - "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" by E. Albee.

Being the youngest graduate of the Moscow Art Theater School, she, together with her classmates, created the Sovremennik Theater, which was headed by the young Oleg Efremov, under his leadership she came up with amazing performances that became symbols of the Khrushchev “thaw”, and when Efremov left for the Moscow Art Theater, she became the main director, and then the artistic director of the famous theater.

Since 1972 - the chief director of the theater, since 1989 - artistic director of Sovremennik.

As Volchek said, she herself was not going to become a theater director. Oleg Efremov pushed her to this. Moreover, at first she herself was even offended, deciding that this humiliates her acting talent. However, then she was able to reveal herself precisely as a brilliant theater director and artistic director.

She recalled: “Neither during my studies, nor in the first years of work at Sovremennik, I was not going to be a director. Although Oleg Efremov gave each of us such an opportunity: Igor Kvasha, and Lilya Tolmacheva, and Oleg Tabakov were staged. And even Evstigneev !.. For some of the "contemporaries" one director's test was enough, and in my case Oleg insisted that I put on one performance, then another ... And then he called me and said: "Gal, don't be upset. But we will transfer you from the acting staff to the director's staff. It will be more convenient for us for all. "How I cried then! Although what kind of actress was I? Especially in the cinema. She played some small roles, mostly half-monsters. But I felt like it’s terrifying to part with the fate that I “prescribed” for myself since childhood, but it turned out that I prescribed it for myself in vain.”

Theatrical performances Galina Volchek:

1962 - "Two on a swing" by William Gibson;
1964 - "On the wedding day" by Viktor Rozov (together with Oleg Efremov);
1966 - "Ordinary History" by I.A. Goncharov, staged by Viktor Rozov;
1967 - "Bolsheviks" by M. Shatrov (together with Oleg Efremov);
1968 - "At the Bottom" by Maxim Gorky;
1969 - "The Princess and the Woodcutter" by Margarita Mikaelyan (together with Oleg Dal);
1971 - "Own Island" by Raymond Kaugver;
1973 - "Climbing Mount Fuji" by Chingiz Aitmatov, Kaltai Mukhamedzhanov;
1973 - “Weather for Tomorrow” by Mikhail Shatrov (staged jointly with Joseph Reichelgauz, Valery Fokin);
1975 - "Echelon" by Mikhail Roshchin;
1976 - "The Cherry Orchard" by A.P. Chekhov;
1977 - " Feedback» Alexander Gelman;
1978 - "UFO" by Vladimir Malyagin;
1980 - "Hurry to do good" by Mikhail Roshchin;
1981 - "Search-891" by Julian Semenov (together with Valery Fokin, Mikhail Ali-Hussein);
1982 - "Three Sisters" A.P. Chekhov;
1983 - "Contemporary" talks about himself "(together with Galina Sokolova);
1984 - “Risk” by Oleg Kuvaev (staged jointly with Valery Fokin);
1986 - "Twin" by Mikhail Roshchin;
1988 - "Plakha" by Chingiz Aitmatov;
1989 - "Stars in the Morning Sky" by Alexander Galin;
1989 - "The Steep Route" by Evgenia Ginzburg, staged by Alexander Getman;
1990 - "Murlin Murlo" by Nikolai Kolyada;
1991 - "Anfisa" by Leonid Andreev;
1992 - "Difficult people" by Yosef Bar-Yosef;
1992 - "Death and the Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman;
1993 - "Title" by Alexander Galin;
1994 - "Pygmalion" by Bernard Shaw;
1996 - “We are going, we are going, we are going ...” Nikolai Kolyada;
1997 - "The Cherry Orchard" by A.P. Chekhov;
1999 - "Three Comrades" by Erich Maria Remarque, staged by Alexander Getman;
2001 - "Three Sisters" by A.P. Chekhov;
2003 - "Anfisa" by Leonid Andreev;
2007 - "Hare love story";
2008 - "Three Sisters" by A.P. Chekhov;
2009 - "Murlin Murlo" by N. Kolyada;
2013 - "The Gin Game" by D. L. Coburn;
2015 - "Two on a swing" by W. Gibson.

Volchek became the first Soviet director to break through the cultural blockade between the US and the USSR. In 1978, in Houston, at the Alley Theater, she staged Echelon by M. M. Roshchin. In 1990, in Seattle, as part of the cultural program of the Goodwill Games, two performances by G. Volchek were shown: “Three Sisters” by A.P. Chekhov and "The Steep Route" based on the book by E.S. Ginzburg.

A special place in the touring history of Sovremennik is occupied by a tour in New York in 1996-1997. For the first time since the famous tour of the Moscow Art Theater, which took place in 1924, the Russian troupe played on Broadway. "Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard" by A.P. Chekhov and "The Steep Route" by E.S. Ginzburg were received by the American audience with great success. The Broadway tour of Sovremennik was marked by one of the most prestigious US national awards in the field of drama theater - the Drama Desk Award, which for the first time in its long history was awarded to a non-American theater, moreover, by an absolute majority of votes.

She always believed that the life of the theater is in the change of generations, and therefore she gathered a young troupe and invited young directors.

"Who am I - an actress or a director? A director!"- said Volchek.

Repeatedly invited to performances in theaters in Germany, Finland, Ireland, USA, Hungary, Poland and other countries.

Galina Volchek in the cinema

She made her debut on the screen in 1957 in the film "Don Quixote" directed by Grigory Kozintsev, playing the role of Maritornes.

Galina Volchek in the film "Beware of the car"

In 1969 she played her first leading role- in the detective story of Leonid Agranovich "Own". Her heroine is the wife of the convicted swindler Zoya Mamonova.

In 1975, she played the main role in the comedy "Mayakovsky laughs" - based on the play "Bug" and the script "Forget about the fireplace" by V. Mayakovsky. On the screen, she appeared in the images of Madame Renaissance and the hack actress.

Galina Volchek in the film "Mayakovsky laughs"

The actress showed herself to be a master of the episode, showed talent in characteristic secondary roles. It is worth noting her work in the films "King Lear" (Regan), "My Destiny" (anarchist Olga Nefyodova), "Waves of the Black Sea" (Madame Storozhenko), "Just Sasha" (Nina Petrovna), "About Little Red Riding Hood" (She-Wolf ), "Autumn Marathon" (Varvara), "Unicum" (Emma Fedorovna).

Galina Volchek in the movie "Autumn Marathon"

In October 1995, she was included as a candidate in the federal list of the electoral association "All-Russian Social and Political Movement "Our Home - Russia"". She was elected a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the second convocation, was a member of the Committee on Culture. In 1999, she left the walls of Parliament.

She was engaged in theatrical pedagogy abroad a lot. Recent invitations include a course of lectures and workshops, as well as a performance at the New York University Tish School of the Arts. Galina Volchek, one of the few women who was invited to the jury of the Major League of KVN, was also the chairman of the jury of the open Russian film festival Kinotavr-2005.

Galina Volchek. Alone with everyone

Illness of Galina Volchek

Since 2014, the actress began to progress with a disease of the spine, namely, an intervertebral hernia. She appeared incl. due to excess weight which presses on intervertebral discs creating unbearable pain.

Galina Volchek was seen by Dr. Ilya Pekarsky, one of the most famous vertebrologists and spinal surgeons in Israel. However, Galina Borisovna refused the operation. It interfered with the operation and diseased heart.

The media also reported lung problems and hypertension.

In March 2016, Volchek was hospitalized at the Botkin hospital after suffering flu on her legs.

In 2017, Galina Volchek first appeared in public in a wheelchair - when the President of Russia presented her with the Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation award in the Kremlin.

Growth of Galina Volchek: 163 centimeters.

Personal life of Galina Volchek:

About her personal life, Volchek said that she "had two husbands, several novels and one misunderstanding."

About marriage with Evstigneev, Galina Volchek said: “I was attracted by his inner insecurity. I experienced something maternal in some way, because he was cut off from his parental home, from his mother, whom he loved, but who, due to circumstances, gave him only that "What could give, and Zhenya's intellectual and spiritual potential was much richer. And the most important thing for me was that I immediately saw in him a great artist, and therefore a personality ... Despite all the talk, we got married. At first it was psychologically difficult period in relations with my father, his new wife and my nanny (and we all lived together in the same apartment).At some point, when the situation had already heated up to the limit, I declared with my characteristic maximalism: separately!" And we practically went out into the street. For a while we had to spend the night even at the station. We moved eight times, because we rented one or another room, until we got a separate one-room apartment. Because of such a homeless life, we did not have no furniture, no belongings. Over time, dad fell in love with Zhenya, respected him and shot him in all his films, at least in a small episode. "

She filed for divorce from Evstigneev when she convicted her husband of treason. “I don’t know how to be the second. And I don’t even know how to be the first. Only the only one,” she explained. Upon learning that her husband was cheating on her, she packed Yevstigneev’s things, called the woman whom she was told her husband had met, and escorted him out with the words: “Now you don’t have to deceive anyone.”

However, they were able to keep good relationship and after divorce. Later, when Galina Borisovna staged the play "At the Bottom", and Evstigneev was already working not at Sovremennik, but at the Moscow Art Theater, she invited him to her production and he agreed.

Second husband- Mark Yuryevich Abelev (born in 1935), Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor at Moscow Institute of Engineering, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, taught at the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute. Were married in the period 1966-1976.

The second husband was very jealous of Galina, tried to control her every step, often made scenes. According to rumors, their marriage broke up when Mark Abelev suspected Galina of an affair with director Georgy Tovstonogov.

The actress was credited whole line other novels, in particular, with the actor Gennady Pechnikov.

The actress's friends told reporters that Galina Volchek was always liked by men and there were always many fans of the opposite sex near her.

Galina Volchek. Wife. Love story

Filmography of Galina Volchek:

1957 - Don Quixote - Maritornes, a woman in an inn
1958 - Soldiers were walking ... - a nurse in a restaurant (not in the credits)
1958 - Vasisualy Lokhankin (short) - Varvara
1962 - Sinful Angel - Aphrodite, wife of Stavridi
1963 - An employee of the Cheka - the wife of an arrested speculator
1965 - A bridge is being built - Rimma Borisovna Sinaiskaya
1966 - Theatrical meetings of the BDT in Moscow (film-play)
1966 - Beware of the car - buyer of the tape recorder
1967 - The first courier - Aunt Nyusya from Moldavanka
1969 - Own - Zoya Ivanovna Mamonova, wife of a convicted swindler
1970 - King Lear - Regan, Lear's daughter
1973 - My destiny - Olga Dmitrievna Nefedova, anarchist
1974 - Dombey and Son (film-play) - Skewton
1975 - Mayakovsky laughs - Madame Renaissance / hack actress
1975 - Waves of the Black Sea - Madame Storozhenko
1976 - The Little Mermaid - Innkeeper / Witch
1976 - Just Sasha - Nina Petrovna, Lena's mother
1976 - Forever Alive (film-play) - Nyura
1977 - About Little Red Riding Hood - She-wolf
1979 - Autumn Marathon - Varvara, "Thumbelina", Buzykin's classmate
1983 - Black Castle Olshansky - episode
1983 - Unicum - Emma Fedorovna, head of the laboratory of the research institute
1985 - Tevye the Milkman (film-play) - Golda
1987 - Oleg Efremov. To have a theater (Oleg Efremov. For The Theater To Be...) (documentary)
1992 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film-play) - Marta
1996 - Twenty minutes with an angel (film-play)
1996 - Broadway of Our Youth (documentary)
2002 - To be remembered. Galina Sokolova (documentary)
2002 - Life of Desdemona. Irina Skobtseva (documentary)
2005 - Unknown Oleg Efremov (documentary)
2007 - A film about a film. Autumn marathon (documentary)
2007 - Three loves of Evgeny Evstigneev (documentary)
2007 - Mikhail Ulyanov. The Man Who Was Trusted (documentary)
2007 - Everyone chooses for himself ... (documentary)
2007 - Evgeny Lebedev. Furious Actor (documentary)
2007 - Eternal Oleg(documentary)
2007 - big-big baby. Yuri Bogatyrev (documentary)
2008 - I am a seagull ... Not that. I'm an actress. Tatyana Lavrova (documentary)
2008 - Mikhail Kozakov. From hate to love (documentary)
2008 - Alexander Vampilov. I know I won't be old... (documentary)
2010 - Equals one Gaft (documentary)
2010 - Natalia Selezneva. Eyes Wide Open (documentary)
2010 - Lydia Smirnova. Woman for All Seasons (documentary)
2010 - "Idols" with Valentina Pimanova. Tatyana Lavrova. Didn't love, didn't live long... (documentary)
2010 - Konstantin Raikin. High Security Theater (documentary)
2010 - Catherine III (documentary)
2010 - Gaft, who walks by himself (documentary)
2011 - Three lives of Evgeny Evstigneev (documentary)
2011 - Elena Yakovleva. InterLenochka (documentary)
2013 - Sergey Garmash. The man with the past (documentary)
2013 - Unknown Mikhalkovs (documentary)
2013 - Igor Kvasha. Against the Current (documentary)
2013 - Igor Kvasha. Personal pain (documentary)
2013 - Another Andrey Myagkov (documentary)
2013 - Garik Sukachev. It's All Right (documentary)
2014 - Yankovsky (documentary)
2015 - Mysterious passion - Galina Volchek

Directed by Galina Volchek:

1970 - Ordinary story (film-play)
1971 - Own island (film-play)
1972 - At the bottom (film-play)
1974 - Dombey and Son (film-play)
1976 - Forever Alive (film-play)
1982 - Hurry to do good (film-play)
1987 - Bolsheviks (film-play)
1988 - Echelon (film-play)
1992 - Difficult people (film-play)
1992 - Anfisa (film-play)
2003 - Three Comrades (film-play)
2006 - The Cherry Orchard (film-play)
2008 - Steep route (film-play)
2009 - Hare. Love story (film-play)

Prizes and awards of Galina Volchek:

USSR State Prize in the field of literature, art and architecture in 1967 (in the field of theatrical art) (November 1, 1967) - for the play "Ordinary History" at the Moscow Sovremennik Theater;
Honored Artist of the RSFSR (12/30/1969);

People's Artist of the RSFSR (05/30/1979);
People's Artist of the USSR (08/18/1989);
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class (2008, December 17);
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (2003, December 19);
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (1996, April 15);
Order of Friendship of Peoples (1993, December 17);
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1976);
Order of Merit, III degree (Ukraine, 2004, April 19);
Prize "Own track" (2001);
Two Olympia awards Russian Academy business and entrepreneurship - 2002 and 2003;
Prize of the President of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art in 2001 (2002, January 30);
International Prize of K. S. Stanislavsky (2002);
Georgy Tovstonogov Prize "for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art" (2006);
Theater Star Award (2011);
Golden Mask Award for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art (2013);
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV degree (2013) - for great services in the development of national culture and art, many years of fruitful activity;
Distinction "For Services to Moscow" (Moscow, 2006) - for merits in the development of theatrical art, a great contribution to the cultural life of the capital and many years of creative activity;
Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation (2006) - for his great contribution to the development of theatrical art and many years of creative activity;
Prize of the city of Moscow in the field of literature and art (nomination "Theatrical Art") (2013) - for preserving the traditions of the theater and fruitful work with young directors, actors and artists;
Theater Award "Golden Mask" (Moscow, 2014) - for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art;
Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation (2017) - for special labor services to the state and people. The award was presented on April 28, 2017 in the Kremlin by the President of Russia.


Galina Volchek manages everything at her age. She is a popular actress, whose theatrical and film works are known to many admirers of her artistic talent.

The artist brought up more than one generation of the most prominent actors and actresses of the Russian film industry. Talented woman awarded large quantity various awards. Among them, in a special place is the title of "People's Artist of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" and the order received for services to the Fatherland.

In her piggy bank there are awards from the most prestigious film festivals, including several as a director. She is - self-sufficient personality who achieved everything on her own. Her life and creative destiny are of interest to many lovers of Soviet and Russian cinema.

This dramatic artist became famous in the last century. Fans of Soviet cinema even then knew everything about her, including height, weight, age. How old is Galina Volchek is also not a secret behind seven seals. Soon the star of the Russian film industry will celebrate his 84th birthday. But our heroine does not like to talk about age. She declares that this is of no interest to anyone, and the mere memory of the number of years she has lived has a depressing effect on her.

The actress has a height of 163 cm and a weight of 63 kg. But in recent times weight data is constantly changing. This is due to the state of health of the artist.

Galina Borisovna Volchek, whose photos in her youth and now are significantly different, has recently been confined to a wheelchair. But admirers of her talent and relatives hope that this strong woman be able to deal with health problems.

Biography and personal life of Galina Volchek

The childhood years of the actress fall on the most harsh years in the history of our country. The girl was born at the end of December in 1934. She was born with black hair, so her parents decided to name her Tick.

She recalls that she was terribly proud that Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, became her hometown. On becoming famous actress provided by her family. Father - Boris Izrailevich Volchek was a famous film director in the Soviet Union. He wrote scripts for many Soviet films and then directed them. Mother - Vera Isaakovna Maimina was a very famous screenwriter.

From childhood, the young girl was fond of reading books. Having studied well at school, our heroine goes to study at the Moscow Art Theater, where the biography and personal life of Galina Volchek began. Since 1955, the star of the Soviet and Russian cinema works in the "Studio of young actors". Popular artists in the future become her colleagues: Oleg Efremov, Evgeny Evstigneev and many others. Later, the well-known Sovremennik appeared from this "Studio".

Our heroine conquered the audience with her theatrical roles. For example, she brilliantly played in "Three Comrades" and "Ordinary History", with which she traveled almost the whole world and conquered theater lovers and critics with her talent.

Our heroine entered into marriage twice. For the first time, her colleague at Sovremennik, Evgeny Evstigneev, from whom she gave birth only son. The second time the woman married a scientist. But they were very different, which led to a divorce.

Family and children of Galina Volchek

Our heroine is proud that she was born in a creative family. Father and mother were constantly busy with work. But this did not prevent them from paying great attention to their daughter Galochka, as they called her. The girl dreamed that her family and children would be very happy. Parents supported the girl in her desire to become an artist.

In the media of that era, it was written that the family and children of Galina Volchek were a taboo topic for our heroine, but this is not so. She always spoke in detail about loved ones.

The only thing the star of theater and cinema regrets is that she was able to give birth to only one son. Denis is very popular now. He is a famous director and producer. He currently lives civil marriage with a girl named Ekaterina.

The son of Galina Volchek - Denis Evstigneev

Galina Volchek gave birth to her only son at the end of October 1961. Interestingly, the boy did not have a name for 2 weeks. The young mother herself wanted to name him Alexei, and her husband, Evgeny Evstigneev, wanted to name the first-born Vladimir. Galina's mother helped. She offered to name the boy as fate would say. Having written 15 names on pieces of paper, the parents pulled out a note with the name Denis, so the boy was named that way.

The son of Galina Volchek - Denis Evstigneev is now a very famous director. He is the owner of numerous awards not only from the Russian Federation, but also from the Soviet Union.

Denis has never been married. He was on the threshold of this several times, but each time something prevented him. He has no children, but Galina Volchek hopes that her son will someday give her a grandson or granddaughter.

Former husband of Galina Volchek - Evgeny Evstigneev

A boy was born on one of the autumn rainy days of 1926. The family lived in poverty. After studying only a few classes at school, Eugene went to work. His father arranged for a factory in which the future popular theater and film artist worked for several years. The only outlet for the young worker was participation in a theater group at his native factory. Immediately after the war, he enters one of the theater schools.

This is where the acquaintance with future wife. They needed to play a married couple. After the kiss, according to the stories of Yevgeny Evstigneev himself, he, as an honest man, was obliged to marry. Soon happy union strengthened after the birth of his son Deniska. Early 70s popular actors parted, but until the end of the days of Evgeny Evstigneev, they communicated as friends.

Former husband of Galina Volchek - Evgeny Evstigneev played in in large numbers movies. They are still watched by movie lovers, although the popular artist died in the early 90s of the last millennium.

Former husband of Galina Volchek - Mark Abeleev

The second husband of the popular artist was in no way connected with cinema and theater. The boy was born in the mid-30s. According to his passport, his birth falls on the year 35, but in fact the boy was born in 1934. For what reason it was recorded a year later is unknown.

Since childhood, he had a dream to connect his life with science. The young man graduated from one of the technical universities in Moscow.
Galina Volchek met Mark at one of the parties with mutual friends. What attracted her to a man, the movie star is now at a loss to answer. Soon they began to live together. But after a few years the marriage broke up.

Now ex-husband Galina Volchek – Mark Abeleev writes annually scientific work. He is the director of the Center for Innovation. After a divorce from Galina Volchek, Abelev never married again, he has no children.

This year Galina Borisovna will celebrate her 85th birthday. It is known that Volchek big problems with health, namely with the spine. famous actress and the theatrical figure suffers from a herniated disc. This happened, among other things, due to excess weight, which puts pressure on the intervertebral discs, creating unbearable pain and making it difficult to move without support. The disease began to manifest itself especially acutely in 2014.

Why is Galina Volchek in a wheelchair?

Galina Volchek, artistic director of the Sovremennik Theater, was brought to a memorial service for Nina Doroshina in a wheelchair. Black glasses and a mourning shawl added to the sadness of the actress and director, who was already far from a blooming appearance. She looked emaciated and sick.

Galina Borisovna will celebrate her 85th birthday this year. She is older than all the leading artists of Sovremennik - Leah Akhedzhakova, Valentin Gaft, Marina Neelova. And she outlived everyone with whom she began to build Sovremennik - Nina Doroshina, Oleg Tabakov, Oleg Efremov. But over the years, it is becoming more and more difficult for her to lead, to stage performances, to stay in the ranks.

Galina Volchek has big health problems. Many, when they first saw her in a wheelchair, even whispered that the famous director was paralyzed. In fact, she has serious problems with the spine - intervertebral hernia. Volchek is a lady with forms, so the weight of her body presses on the intervertebral discs, creating unbearable pain and making it difficult to move without support. At the same time, since 2014, the disease, as they say in the theater, has been progressing.

Volchek has been in intensive care several times

Volchek was observed by Dr. Ilya Pekarsky, one of the most famous vertebrologists and spinal surgeons in Israel and the world, who once treated Evgeni Plushenko. But Galina Borisovna refused the operation. After all, everyone who is familiar with this problem knows that spinal surgery is one of the most dangerous. An MRI is performed, and only if it turns out that the hernia is compressing spinal cord or its roots, surgical intervention is prescribed, but even it does not guarantee 100% success. And Volchek is prevented from being operated on by a sick heart. It is worth noting that constant stress and nerves in the life of the artistic director and director also led to lung problems and hypertension.

Behind last years Volchek was taken to the intensive care unit several times with various diagnoses. The position of artistic director of a complex creative team brings stress and nervous situations every day. Hence the hypertensive crises, and cardiac arrhythmias. One can only hope that strong-willed character Galina Borisovna will help her not to give up and defeat the disease.

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