Alisa Brunovna Freindlich (born 8 December 1934) is a Russian actress. Since 1983, Freindlich has been a leading actress of the

Bolshoi Drama Theater Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater (; literally ''Tovstonogov Great Drama Theater''), formerly known as Gorky Bolshoi Drama Theater () (1931–1992), often referred to as the Bolshoi Drama Theater and by the acronym BDT (), is a theater in Sa ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. She was awarded the title of the

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

in 1981.

Biography

Alisa Freindlich was born into the family of

Bruno Freindlich Bruno Arturovich Freindlich (10 October 19099 July 2002) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1974). His daughter Alisa Freindlich is also a famous actress. Biography A native of Saint Petersburg and German ancestry, B ...

, a prominent actor and

. She is of German and Russian ancestry. Her father and paternal relatives were

ethnic Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The constitution of Germany, implemented in 1949 following the end of World War ...

living in Russia for more than a century. In her childhood years, Freindlich attended the drama and music classes of the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she survived the 900-day-long Nazi

siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...

and continued her school studies after the war. In the 1950s, Freindlich studied acting at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema, graduating in 1957 as actress. From 1957 to 1961, she was a member of the troupe at

Komissarzhevskaya Theatre The Komissarzhevskaya Theatre () is a theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is named after Vera Komissarzhevskaya. History It was founded in 1942 as the City Theatre (at the time, the city, then Leningrad, was Siege of Leningrad, besieged b ...

in Leningrad. Then she joined the

Lensovet Theatre Lensovet Theatre, officially Saint Petersburg State Academic Lensoviet Theatre (in , literally St Petersburg Academic Theater of the Leningrad City Council), also known as Lensovet Academic Theatre and Lensoviet Theatre, is a theatre and theatri ...

company, but in 1982, she had to leave it following her divorce from the theatre's director,

Igor Vladimirov Igor Petrovich Vladimirov (; 1 January 1919, Dnipro, Yekaterinoslav – 20 March 1999, Saint Petersburg) was a Soviet film and theater actor, theater and film director, and teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1978). From 1960 until his death in ...

. Thereupon director

Georgy Tovstonogov Georgy Aleksandrovich Tovstonogov (, – 23 May 1989) was a Russian-Georgians, Georgian theatre director. He was the leader of the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater, Gorky Bolshoi Drama Theater which was renamed after him in 1992. Biography G ...

invited her to join the troupe of

. Although Freindlich put a premium on her stage career, she starred in several notable movies, including

Eldar Ryazanov Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov (; 18 November 1927 – 30 November 2015) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, poet, actor and pedagogue whose popular comedies, satirizing the daily life of the Soviet Union and Russia, are celebrat ...

's enormously popular comedy ''

Office Romance ''Office Romance'' () is a 1977 Soviet comedy film directed by Eldar Ryazanov. The film's plot is based on the stageplay ''Co-workers'' (') written by Ryazanov and Emil Braginsky, and tells the story of Ludmila Kalugina, head of a statistical bur ...

'' (1977), the long-banned epic ''

Agony Agony may refer to: Concepts * Agony, a terminal state of the body before death *Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering *Agony in the Garden, Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane Comics * ''Agony'' (book), ...

'' (1975) and

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (, ; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter of Russian origin. He is widely considered one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Works by Andrei Tarkovsky, His films e ...

's sci-fi movie ''

Stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring t ...

'' (1979). Another notable role was Queen

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...

in the Soviet TV series ''

D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers ''D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers'' (, ''D'Artanyan i tri mushketyora'') is a three-part swashbuckler musical miniseries produced in the Soviet Union and first aired in 1978. It is based on the 1844 novel ''The Three Musketeers'' by Alexandre Dum ...

'' (1978) and its later Russian sequels, ''

Musketeers Twenty Years After ''Musketeers Twenty Years After'' (, translit. ''Mushketeri dvadsat' let spustya'') is a four-episode Russian musical film directed by Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich based on Alexandre Dumas' 1845 novel '' Twenty Years After''. Filming began ...

'' (1992) and ''

The Secret of Queen Anne or Musketeers Thirty Years After ''The Secret of Queen Anne or Musketeers Thirty Years After'' (; translit. ''Taina korolevi Anni, ili Mushketeri tritsat' let spustya'') is a 1993 Russian swashbuckler film directed by Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich based on Alexandre Dumas' 184 ...

'' (1993). In 1999, Igor Vladimirov, Freindlich's second husband, died after a long illness, and three years later, her father, Bruno Arturovich, also died.

2000–present

On her 70th birthday, she was visited by

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

in her Saint Petersburg apartment, who awarded her with the

State Prize of the Russian Federation The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates ...

. She also received a

Nika Award The Nika Award (sometimes styled NIKA Award) is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars. In 2022 nominees were announced, b ...

in 2005. In 2004 film, Freindlich starred in ''

On Upper Maslovka Street ''On Upper Maslovka Street'' () is a 2004 Russian drama film directed by Konstantin Khudyakov. Plot The film tells the story of an elderly woman Anna Borisovna, who in the past was a successful sculptor, and the director of the amateur theater P ...

'' after a 10-year hiatus. Her partner on the set was the young actor Yevgeny Mironov. She starred as 87-year-old sculptor Anna Borisovna, who lives out her life in an old workshop. Despite the mixed reception of the film by film critics, Freindlich's acting was highly praised by journalists and critics. Yeaterina Tarkhanova, a columnist for ''film.ru'', noted that she "performs the "old woman sketch" absolutely flawlessly: plastically, facially, intonation." Igor Mikhailov from ''kino.ru'' said: For this role, Freindlich was awarded her second Nika Award for Best Actress. In 2009, Freindlich starred in

Room and a Half ''Room and a Half'' (Russian: ''Полторы комнаты, или сентиментальное путешествие на родину'') is a 2009 Russian biographical film. It won three Nika Awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Khr ...

, which won a Nika Award. She starred as the mother of the poet

Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union, Brodsky ran afoul of Soviet authorities and was expelled ("strongly ...

. On 7 December 2009, on the stage of the Great Hall of the Central House of Actors named after Yablochkina, the Theatrical Star 2009 award ceremony was held. Freindlich was nominated "For Best Improvisation" for her role as Madeleine in ''Lessons of Tango and Love''. On 5 December 2014, in honor of Friendlich's 80-year anniversary, an exhibition dedicated to the history of her family, titled ''Theater Dynasties of Freindlich'', was opened in St. Petersburg at the Museum-Apartment of Samoilov Actors, Stremyannaya, 8. As of 2019, Freindlich was performing in nine productions of the Bolshoi Drama in Saint Petersburg, where she is a leading actress.

Personal life

Freindlich is a member of the

United Russia The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...

party.

Selected filmography

* ''

Unfinished Story Unfinished Story () is a 1955 Soviet romantic drama film directed by Fridrikh Ermler. Plot The local doctor Yelizaveta Maksimovna is a beautiful woman and a wonderful sympathetic person. She is lonely, although she is cared for by a confident ...

'' (1955) as episode * ''

Talents and Admirers ''Talents and Admirers'' (, Romanized as Talanty y poklonniki) is a play by Alexander Ostrovsky premiered on December 20, 1881, in Maly Theatre. The author started working upon this 4-act comedy in August 1881 and finished it on December 6 of that ...

'' (1956) as episode * ''Immortal Song'' (1957) as gymnasium student * '' The City Turns the Lights On'' (1958) as Zina Pichikova * ' (1960) as Galya * ''

Striped Trip ''Striped Trip'' () is a 1961 Soviet adventure comedy film directed by Vladimir Fetin, with the acclaimed tiger tamer Margarita Nazarova in the main role. The movie was seen by 45.8 mil. viewers on the year of release, becoming the Soviet box o ...

'' (1961) as barmaid * ' (1964) as Natasha Bukova * ' (1965) as Tanya * ''

Adventures of a Dentist ''Adventures of a Dentist'' () is a 1965 Soviet Union, Soviet Black comedy, dark comedy film directed by Elem Klimov on Mosfilm. It is currently available to view through the The Criterion Collection, Criterion Channel, and is occasionally screen ...

'' (1965) as Masha * ''The City and the Song'' (1968) as singer * ''

To Love To Love () is a 1968 Soviet romantic drama film directed by Mikhail Kalik and Inna Tumanyan. The film consists of four short stories, each of which asks the audience a question: "What is love?" Plot First Story On a rainy day, three couple ...

'' (1968) as Anya * ' (1969, TV Movie) as Marusya * ''Yesterday, Today and Forever'' (1969) as defendant's wife * ''

Family Happiness ''Family Happiness'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is an 1859 novella written by Leo Tolstoy, first published in '' The Russian Messenger''. Plot The story concerns the love and marriage of a young girl, Mashechka (17 years old), and the ...

'' (1970) as Anna Semyonovna Kapitonova * '' The Secret of the Iron Door'' (1970) as Lyusa Ryzhkova, Tolik's mother * '' My Life'' (1973) as Kleopatra Polozneva * ' (1973) as Yevgenia Sinegrach * ''

Melodies of Vera Quarter Melodies of Vera Quarter ( Georgian: ვერის უბნის მელოდიები) is a 1973 Soviet musical comedy-drama film directed by Giorgi Shengelaia. Plot Pavle, who is a poor cart-driver has two girls, Maro and Tamro. The ...

'' (1973) as Alisa Akvamarinskaya * ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' (1973, TV Movie) as Katherina * ' (1974) as Anna * '' The Straw Hat'' (1974, TV Mini-Series) as Baroness de Champigny * ''

Blue Puppy ''Blue Puppy'' (, translit. ''Goluboy shchenok'', alternative translations - Pale Blue Puppy/Slate puppy) is a 1976 Soviet animated film. The lyrics and screenplay were written by Yuri Entin, loosely based on the tale by Hungarian writer . ...

'' (1976, Cartoon) as Blue Puppy (singing voice) * ''Always with Me...'' (1976) as Tanya Ilyina * ''

The Princess and the Pea "The Princess and the Pea" () is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a princess who is tested to become the wife to a lonely prince. The tale was first published with three others by Andersen in a cheap booklet on 8 May 18 ...

'' (1977) as Queen Mother * ''

'' (1977) as Lyudmila Prokofyevna Kalugina * '' Old-Fashioned Comedy'' (1978) as Lydia Vasilievna Zherber * ''

'' (1979) as Stalker's wife * ''

'' (1979, TV Mini-Series) as Anne of Austria Queen * ''Sergey Ivanovich Retires'' (1980) as Natasha * ''Three Years'' (1980) as Polina Rassudina * ''Dangerous Age'' (1981) , Lilia Ivanovna Rodimtseva * ''Two Voices'' (1981) as Yekaterina * ''

'' (1981) as Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova * ''

A Canary Cage ''A Canary Cage'' () is a 1983 Soviet drama film directed by Pavel Chukhray. Plot The film follows an encounter between two teenagers in crisis whose paths cross at a train station. They are both trapped and both trying to find or make up ways ...

'' (1983) as Olesya's mother * ''

A Cruel Romance ''A Cruel Romance'' () is a 1984 Russian romantic drama directed by Eldar Ryazanov. It is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's classic play ''Without a Dowry'' (1878). which had earlier been adapted into a film in Without a Dowry (1937 film), 1937. The m ...

'' (1984) as Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova * ''Success'' (1985) as Zinaida Nikolayevna Arsenyeva * ''

A Simple Death ''A Simple Death'' () is a 1985 Soviet drama film directed by Alexander Kaidanovsky, based on Leo Tolstoy's ''The Death of Ivan Ilyich''. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Valeriy Priyom ...

'' (1985) as Praskovya Fedorovna * '' Forgive Me'' (1986) as Elizaveta Andreyevna * ''The Secret of the Snow Queen'' (1986) as Snow Queen * ''Chekharda'' (1987) as Margarita Vasilievna Kudryavtseva, accompanist and second conductor * ''Weekdays and Holidays of Serafima Glukina'' (1988) as Serafima Glukina * ''

'' (1992, TV Mini-Series) as Queen Anne of Austria * ''

'' (1994) as Queen Anne of Austria * ''

Katya Ismailova ''Katya Ismailova'' () is a 1994 Russian drama film directed by Valery Todorovsky. It is based on the novella '' Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District'' by Nikolai Leskov. Plot The film tells about a woman who for the first time in her life felt ...

'' (1994) as Irina Dmitrievna * ''Women's Logic'' (2003-2006) as Olga Petrovna Tumanova * ''

'' (2005) as Anna Borisovna * '' A Room and a Half'' (2009) as

Brodsky Brodsky, feminine: Brodskaya ( Ukrainian: Бродський, Russian: Бродский) is a toponymic surname derived from Brody, a town in Ukraine. The name is common among Ashkenazi Jews. The Czech surname Brodský (feminine: Brodská) is deriv ...

's mother * ''

The Return of the Musketeers, or The Treasures of Cardinal Mazarin ''The Return of the Musketeers, or The Treasures of Cardinal Mazarin'' () is a 2009 Russian musical comedy film directed by Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich. The film begins with the deaths of Aramis and Porthos in a fight, the suicide of Athos, and th ...

'' (2009) as Queen Anne of Austria * '' Bolshoi'' (2017) as Galina Beletskaya * '' Thawed Carp'' (2017) as Lyudmila Borisovna * '' Parents of the Strict Regime'' (2022) as mother

Honors and awards

Honorary titles: *

Honored Artist of the RSFSR Honored Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Zasluzhenny artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achievements in the ...

(1965) *

People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, actors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achiev ...

(1971) *

(1981) *Honorary Member of the

Russian Academy of Arts Russian Academy of Arts (RAA / rus. РАХ, Росси́йская акаде́мия худо́жеств) is the State scientific Institution of Russian Federation, eligible heir to the USSR Academy of Arts. A founder of RAA is the Governmen ...

State awards and incentives: * RSFSR State Prize of Stanislavsky (1976) for the performance of roles Shchegoleva, Kovaleva, Kid plays in "The Man from", "Kovalev of the province," IH Butler, "The Kid and Carlson," by

Astrid Lindgren Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (; ; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Emil of Lönneberga, ...

] *

in Literature and Art in 1995 (27 May 1996) for the outstanding performance of roles of the classical repertoire * State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Art in 2000 (6 June 2001) for the performance of the Russian State Academic Bolshoi Drama Theatre Tovstonogov "Arcadia" play by Tom Stoppard * State Prize of the Russian Federation for year 2007 (19 May 2008) for creating artistic images that have become classics of domestic theatrical art and film * Diploma of the President of the Russian Federation (8 December 2010) for a great contribution to the development of domestic theater and cinema art. Orders: *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

(1986) *

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...

(17 December 1994) for services to the people associated with the development of Russian statehood, the achievements in labour, science, culture, arts, strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...

: *4th class (13 February 2004) for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art. *3rd class (5 February 2009) for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of fruitful activity. *2nd class (28 October 2019) for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic culture and arts and many years of fruitful activity. * Order of Honour (25 September 2014) Other awards, prizes, promotions and public recognition: *

for Best Supporting Actress (movie "Moscow Nights", dir. Valeri Todorovski; 1994) * Honorary citizen of St. Petersburg (2001) * Nika Award for Best Actress (movie "In the Upper Maslovka", dir. Konstantin Khudyakov; 2005) * " Golden Mask" Award for best dramatic actress ("Oscar and the Pink Lady",

; 2006)

Notes

References

External links

*
Unofficial Fan Club of Alisa Freindlich

Alisa Freindlich at Peoples.ru

Eldar Ryazanov about Alisa Freindlich and making of Office Romance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freindlich, Alisa 1934 births Living people 20th-century Russian actresses 21st-century Russian actresses Actresses from Saint Petersburg Academicians of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences "Nika" Russian people of German descent Russian film actresses Soviet film actresses Russian stage actresses Russian voice actresses Soviet stage actresses Soviet voice actresses Honored Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the USSR Recipients of the Nika Award Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates Honorary members of the Russian Academy of Arts Recipients of the Golden Mask