Aleksandra Sergeyevna Khokhlova (born Alexandra Sergeyevna Botkina, , 4 October 1897 – 22 August 1985) was a Soviet actress, theatre director, writer, and educator.
Biography
200 px, left, "Little Foxy" by Filipp Malyavin, 1902
The daughter of Sergei Botkin (1859–1910), a physician, and Alexandra Pavlovna Botkina (née Tretyakova, 1867–1959), Alexandra Sergeyevna Botkina was born in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, in what was then the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
. She had a sister, Anastasia, and was the granddaughter of
Pavel Tretyakov
Pavel Mikhaylovich Tretyakov (; 27 December 1832 – 16 December 1898) was a Russian businessman, patron of art, collector, and philanthropist who gave his name to the Tretyakov Gallery and Tretyakov Drive in Moscow. His brother Sergei Tre ...
, a philanthropist and patron of the arts. In 1914, she married actor Konstantin Khokhlov. They had one child together, a son named Sergei.
She appeared as a supporting actress in the 1916 film ''Uragan'' (Hurricane) directed by Boris Sushkevich and in the 1918 film ''Iola'' directed by
Władysław Starewicz
Ladislas Starevich (, ; August 8, 1882 – February 26, 1965) was a Polish-Russian stop-motion animator notable as the author of the first puppet-animated film '' The Beautiful Leukanida'' (1912). He also used dead insects and other animals as p ...
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. There she met
Lev Kuleshov
Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov (; – 29 March 1970) was a Russian and Soviet filmmaker and Film theory, film theorist, one of the founders of the world's first film school, the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, Moscow Film School. He was g ...
who would become her partner in film and in life. Khokhlova appeared in the 1920 film ''Na krasnom fronte'' ( On the Red Front) directed by Kuleshov; he also acted in the film, which combined archival footage with staged film sequences. Khokhlova's career in film was cut short when she fell out of favour because of her family's wealth and connections with Tsar
Nicholas II
Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...
.
Besides acting and directing, Khokhlova also taught a workshop at the state institute with Kuleshov. In 1935, she was named a
Merited Artist
Merited Artist, Honored Artist, etc., is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Union Republics, and autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern Bloc states, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states. In Russian language ...
of the Russian Federation.
With her husband, she published a memoir ''50 Let v Kino'' (50 Years in Cinema).
Khokhlova died in Moscow at the age of 87.
Selected filmography
Acting roles
* ''Zheleznaia Piata'' (
The Iron Heel
''The Iron Heel'' is a dystopian and political novel in the form of science fiction by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.
Plot
The main premise of the book is the rise of a socialist mass movement in the United Statesstrong ...
) (1919) directed by
Vladimir Gardin
Vladimir Rostislavovich Gardin 28 May 1965, born Blagonravov) Great Soviet EncyclopediaThe Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks), comedy (1924) directed by Lev Kuleshov
* ''Luch smerti'' ( The Death Ray) (1925) directed by Lev Kuleshov, Kholhlova was also assistant director
* ''Po zakonu'' ( By the Law) (1926) directed by Lev Kuleshov
* ''Vasha znakomaia'' ( Your Acquaintance) (1927) directed by Lev Kuleshov
* ''Velikii uteshitel ( The Great Consoler) (1933) directed by Lev Kuleshov, Kholhlova was also assistant director
* ''Sibiryaki (
Siberians
The Siberians or Siberiaks (, ) are the majority inhabitants of Siberia, as well as the Ethnic group, subgroup or ethnographic group of the Russians.
As demonym
The demonym ''Siberian'' can be restricted to either the Russian Siberiaks or ...
) (1940) directed by Lev Kuleshov
Directing
* ''Delo s zastezhkami'' (An affair of the clasps) (1929)
* ''Sasha'' (1930)
* ''Igrushki'' (Toys) (1933)
Assistant director
* ''My s Urala'' ( We from the Urals) (1943), directed by Lev Kuleshov