“A unique person, a great master”: Galina Volchek died in Moscow at the 87th year of her life

Galina Borisovna Volchek, People's Artist of the USSR, artistic director of the Sovremennik Theater, died in Moscow at the 87th year of her life. This was reported in the press service of the theater.

The news about the death of Galina Volchek was commented on by the director of the Lenkom Theater Mark Varsaver. “There are no words, because the last one has practically disappeared from the Mohicans - Galina Borisovna Volchek. A unique person, a great master, a charming actress, a wonderful organizer of theatrical affairs, a true artistic director ... It is extremely unfortunate. It’s like a blow to the head with something strong and powerful, ”he shared with RT.

Actress Svetlana Nemolyaeva expressed her condolences to the relatives of Galina Volchek, and also told RT that she had known the artist since childhood: “I have long known Galya, still a girl. I was finishing grade 10, and she already studied at the Moscow Art Theater. Her dad did not want her to be an actress, acted in secret from him. "

“I really appreciated her talent, her directorial work. People like Galina Volchek created a whole layer of Russian culture. This is the grief of a whole generation. You can only express condolences to her family. Galya lived a bright and impeccably talented life, ”said Nemolyaeva.

Grigory Zaslavsky, Rector of GITIS, in an interview with RT, recalls the exceptional strength of character and the professional courage of Galina Volchek.

“She was an absolutely outstanding person. A man who gave an example of how you can be free in a non-free society, who showed that if you fight for your vision in art, you can achieve a lot - and maybe even everything ... This is an example of incredible creative and human longevity and an example of courage in the profession. Courage despite the fact that over the years she only became more beautiful and was such a regal and incredibly aristocratic lady, ”said Zaslavsky.

He also noted that Galina Volchek was invited to live and work in America, but she remained faithful to her homeland and her theater.

People's Artist of the USSR Oleg Basilashvili, in a conversation with RT, especially emphasized the importance of Galina Volchek in the lives of both actors and spectators: “This is a tragedy, this is grief, especially for those millions of people who knew her as an actress, for those hundreds of thousands of actors, from with whom she worked together, for those actors and actresses whom she brought up in the Sovremennik Theater, whose leader she has been for a long time. ”

• Flowers in the lobby of the Moscow theater "Contemporary".
• © Ilya Pitalev / RIA News

"Amazing woman"

Galina Borisovna Volchek was born on December 19, 1933. Her father was a director and cameraman, so she grew up in a creative environment. In 1955, the future artist became a graduate of the Moscow Art Theater School.

Shortly after graduation, Volchek and other pupils of the Moscow Art Theater - including Oleg Tabakov, Evgeny Evstigneev, Igor Kvasha - and their teacher Oleg Efremov organized the Young Actors Studio, which later became the Sovremennik Theater.

Since the beginning of the 1970s, Galina Volchek held the post of chief director, and in 1989 she became the art director. On the stage of Sovremennik Volchek staged 35 performances and played dozens of roles.

• Director of the Sovremennik Theater Galina Volchek at a rehearsal, 1974
• RIA News

The actress also acted in films, however, since she gave priority to the theater, she played secondary roles. She can be seen in the films “Watch out for the car”, “Autumn Marathon”, “About the Little Red Riding Hood”.

In the latter, the main role was played by the young actress Yana Poplavskaya. She shared with RT the memories of this experience: “I was warmed by love ... It was a lot of work, from that moment I had a very close relationship, then I came after college, after Pike, I came to Sovremennik.

In addition, the actress emphasized that Galina Volchek always remained feminine in the male theater environment:

“She was an amazing woman. As a rule, men run the theaters ... It was always accepted that this was a man's job, but it was surprising that she remained a woman who loved to dress beautifully ... I treat such women with trepidation. She was a woman at any job at any time of the day. ”

“A beautiful woman - from year to year more and more beautiful - she often complained of someone dislike, but it was almost an unconscious coquetry. Volchek was loved. Not just actors and spectators, but arbiters of fate and rulers of thoughts, as they say. In the “Sovremennik” hall, as in the biblical picture, people came together and peacefully coexisted, under other circumstances, who did not see each other point blank, ”recalls Yelena Yampolskaya, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture.

According to Yampolskaya, Volchek selected her inner circle "not according to ideological, not political, but exclusively according to human qualities", according to the relationship of souls.

“We are different, but forever united by it. Galina Borisovna was amazingly interesting. They came to her to the theater, home - to Vorovsky street, to the cottage. Consulted. Warm up in a kind, all-embracing look of beautiful gray-blue eyes. They shared the vicissitudes of their personal lives. In vain persuaded to quit smoking ... Our generation still found her on stage, and Volchek, of course, a great characteristic actress, but most importantly - we saw her best directorial work. Performances as sincere as if she were turning her own soul inside out. Galina Borisovna was not afraid to admit her weaknesses. Because it was uniquely strong, ”said Yampolskaya.

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Director, general director of Mosfilm Karen Shakhnazarov called the death of Volchek a loss for Russian culture.

“I knew her well, we had warm, very friendly relations. She was an outstanding woman in every way: as a person, as an artist, as an actress, as the head of the theater, ”Shakhnazarov told RIA Novosti.

Theatrical director, actress, artistic director of the Praktika theater, Marina Brusnikina, called Volchek a unique person.

“She lived so that all the people around her respected her very much. Respected for her talent, for her loyalty to the cause, for her views, for her kindness, for love. Because the theater incredibly loved her, and all generations ... At the same time, of course, I imagine what strength must be possessed in order to keep this huge theater for so many years, and she really kept it to herself. Perhaps, these combinations of some incredible qualities, so powerful, and at the same time love: for people, for business - these combinations are amazing for me in this person. ”