People’s Artist of Russia Tatyana Vladimirova died at 73. The death was reported by the Theater Et Cetera site, where she had worked for three decades.
“For thirty years she was part of the Et Cetera theater, taking on the role of a nanny in the theater’s first performance of Uncle Vanya. She skillfully aged into the image of an old man with quiet wisdom and kindness, embodying the correct national character. In every new production she carried a role, whether episodic or leading, and she performed with remarkable skill. Tatyana Vladimirova could play absolutely anything,” reads the message.
The theater staff mourned the loss of a remarkable actress, noting that Vladimirova was one of a kind and that her departure leaves an even smaller circle of capable performers. They cannot imagine the theater without her, especially in the play Fires, where Vladimirova portrayed the extraordinary Nahual.
“Tatiana Vladimirova was loved by the audience, directors wanted to work with her, and we all loved her deeply. There is profound sorrow in our theater. She was central to our community, wise, tactful, easy to communicate with, cheerful, and never discouraged. Living without her will be a difficult adjustment for us,” the theater press service added.
He sat on Stalin’s lap
Tatyana Vladimirova was born on August 29, 1950. Her mother was a signalman and her father a military man, so she often accompanied her family on business trips. Vladimirova spent her childhood in Moscow, did not attend kindergarten, and was cared for by nannies and grandparents.
“I lived on the third floor, and Svetlana Alliluyeva lived on the fourth floor. I grew up with Katya and Yosik, and I even recall a story from when I was three years old about sitting on Joseph Stalin’s lap, though that may have been a childhood tale,” Vladimirova recalled in an interview on a video channel.
Vladimirova disliked the house of her childhood and believed it colored her view of the capital: “I never liked Moscow. There wasn’t much city I didn’t want to stay in.”
She graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School in 1973 and began a search for work, facing rejection due to rumors about her appearance. A classmate eventually offered her a puppet theater role, and she embraced the opportunity with gratitude.
“When a baby starts to obey you, it speaks in your own voice and you look at yourself from the outside. It was happiness,” she said of early experiences in acting.
The actress fell in love with director Felix Grigoryan and followed him to Tomsk, where he led the local drama theater. They returned to Moscow nine years later, but Vladimirova still struggled to find work. An acquaintance of her husband offered work in Arkhangelsk, and Vladimirova, who adored the north, moved there for two years while Grigoryan worked in Moscow. Later, the director received a position in Omsk, and the family planned to move. Vladimirova discovered her husband’s affair and left with her son for Moscow, eventually joining She et Cetera where she spent the rest of her career.
One of her final screen appearances arrived unexpectedly when director Vladimir Mirzoev invited her to audition for a project, though they had not previously worked together. Despite a tight schedule, she secured a role in the TV series Bataklık.
She recalled the moment of opportunity: “He wanted me to scream in a bad voice. I thought, my God, what happiness! Of course, I doubted I’d be chosen, but I was thrilled to meet him.” The project encountered delays and a postponement due to events, but she persisted. Two days before the premiere she completed the shoot for the final scenes, feeling a mixture of nerves and exhilaration.
The actress is remembered for her portrayals as Nanny Marina in Uncle Vanya, Agafya Tikhonovna in Marriage, Katerina in The Tempest, Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard, and Katrin in Mother Courage. On screen, audiences affectionately recall her as Natalya Dmitrieva in Sklifosovsky and Baba Nyura in Swamp.