Valentina Kovel is a Soviet and Russian film and theater actress. The People's and Honored Artist of the RSFSR and the USSR was awarded a Special Diploma of the First Festival of Contemporary Drama in Smolensk.
Kovel called the famous theater director Tovstonogov his favorite performer, Valentina Pavlovna. The actress was never shy to seem funny. Until the last days, she sought to maintain optimism and vitality.
The beginning of the path to the top
The biography of the future actress began in 1923. A girl was born in Petrograd on January 23 in the family of the head of the Murmansk Directorate of the Glavsevmorput.
The child loved sports. Valya was involved in basketball and dreamed of a professional career. After school, Kovel planned to receive education at the Lesgaft Institute. However, the school director recommended a talented girl a theatrical career. Valentina decided to try, and in 1941 she became a student in the studio of the famous actor Leonid Makaryev.
The beginning of training coincided with the beginning of the war and the blockade of the city. Valya worked in the hospital, managing to sing and dance for the wounded. Students and teachers were evacuated in the winter of 1942. Kovel shared all the hardships of wartime with her friend Dina Schwartz. Together, the girls began work in the BDT years later. Even in terrible times, Kovel tried not to lose optimism, hoping that soon all the horrors would end.
In 1945, a graduate was invited to the troupe of the Pushkin Theater (modern Alexandrinsky Theater). She made her debut on stage novice lyceum in the role of Zoya Tolokontseva in "Years of Wanderings."
Family and career
The audience remembered a small role for a long time thanks to the talented play of Kovel and the skillful copying of the behavior of “experienced fighters” by the young performer. Critics reacted favorably to the artist’s first work. She received praise reviews.
The first spouse of the performer was artist Igor Dombek. A child appeared in the family, daughter Ekaterina.
Kovel attributed Poliksen to her favorite roles in “Truth is Good, But Happiness is Better, ” Nastya in “At the Bottom, ” Marya Antonovna, the daughter of the mayor, in “The Inspector General”. By the beginning of the fifties, a meeting with the future husband, actor Vadim Medvedev, was held at the Pushkin Theater.
Together, young people were never bored. Both were connected not only by love, but also by true friendship. W about that the couple officially became husband and wife, formed a family, at first, none of those who knew them believed.
Together, the couple began work in the BDT team at Tovstonogov. The director taught Valentina the profession, inner monogues, the ability to fill scenes. To the most valuable skills of artists, he attributed the most complete. silence in the hall during their performances. Valentina Pavlovna said that earlier she believed that laughter among the audience was luck for a fun play, it turned out that silence was much more important.
Accustomed to the typical repertoire, the artist had a debut with Tovstonogov. Valentina Pavlovna was entrusted with the role of Lida Belova, an employee of the savings bank, in the production of "Traditional Collection". This and all subsequent work after it was strikingly different from the usual role. There was no eccentric-comedic beginning in them, but there was sincerity, discreetness. Game characters required the highest skill.
Universal performer
They said about Valentine that the actress was not afraid to appear ridiculous on stage. She managed to play equally brilliantly the brawler Brandakhlystova in the opera farce "Death of Tarelkin" with Manefa in the comedy "For every sage is quite simplicity", and experiencing difficult trials of Esther in "Prices" by Miller, Beatrice in "The influence of gamma rays on pale yellow nails ", Lisa in" Valentine and Valentine ", Anya Nice in the play" Last Summer in Chulimsk ".
The ostentatious performer preferred not simple comedies, but a tragicomedy genre. Her work critics called sniper accuracy.
Equally well the artist managed both the image of Vera Sergeyevna Kuzkina, the wife of a speculator and an alcoholic in "Energetic People", and the mare of Vyazopurikha in "History of the Horse." The director himself especially singled out Kovel for her courage.
Valentina Pavlovna became the darling of the whole troupe for her vivid character, honesty and directness. The actress in relation to herself and others was demanding, but she was responsive, she always came to the rescue. Kovel was especially distinguished by her incredible optimism and a striking sense of humor. She always radiated energy, was hospitable.
According to the recollections of friends and colleagues, in everything, the talented Kovel even managed to pick mushrooms brilliantly quickly. During the time when others managed to collect a few pieces, she already had half the basket. Valentina Pavlovna was famous for her famous "Kovel girls". Actresses from all theaters gathered at them.
