Around her person there were always a lot of rumors and speculation. Film and theater actress Lilia Zhurkina was Russian Sophia Loren, because her beauty and charm were simply unearthly. She was destined for a difficult fate: she could not boast of demand for her profession, and in her personal life there were zigzags and distortions. Nevertheless, acquaintance with the famous lyceum Yevgeny Evstigneev became crucial for the beginning actress: they loved each other, together overcoming all life's difficulties and troubles. Lilia Zhurkina died in the prime of life and left behind not so little - daughter Masha, who continued the work of her famous parents. What was her path to Olympus acting, and why was she unable to fully realize herself in the art of reincarnation? Let's consider this question in more detail.
Curriculum Vitae
Lilia Zhurkina was born on October 12, 1937 in the capital of the USSR. The mother of the girl, who was a teacher in a regular school, and could not imagine that her beloved child would someday act in films.
Yes, and Lilia herself in her youth dreamed of a career as a pilot. She simply idolized Marina Raskova and Lydia Litvyak, dreaming that she, having matured, would sit at the helm of the plane. However, the girl was destined for a completely different fate.
"Failed" teacher
After leaving school, Lilia Zhurkina decided to choose the profession of her mother and entered to study as a primary school teacher. After receiving a diploma, she began working as a teacher. Her colleagues in the workshop reacted with a certain alienation to the young specialist. It is possible that they simply envied the girl with huge voices and a flawless waist. One way or another, but Lilia Zhurkina devoted several years of her life to teaching at school, but after some time she nevertheless realized that this was not her path.
Meeting with the "great"
Once a girl accidentally collides in Moscow with the famous actor and composer from France Charles Aznavour.
Their meeting took place shortly before the maestro's performance. The star of the chanson immediately invited the teacher to her concert, and after some time invited her to have dinner with him. The meeting with the famous lyceum and determined the further choice of profession.
Studying acting
The girl decides to become an actress and enters the Moscow Art Theater School.
In 1962, Lilia Zhurkina, whose biography contains many interesting and noteworthy facts, became a graduate of the above theater university. After some time, she was enrolled in the troupe of the famous Melpomene temple - "Contemporary".
Acquaintance with the future spouse
It is here that the girl will meet with the now famous actor Evgeny Evstigneev. He was fascinated by the young beauty and began to put notes in his pocket in which he confessed his love.
At troupe meetings, Evgeni Alexandrovich specially took a place behind Lilia and quietly blew her neck. So he made it clear that he was partial to her.
The novel is still developing …
However, at first it was still difficult to believe that the aspiring actress Lilia Zhurkina would live with Evstigneev himself. The fact is that both of them were already connected by marriage. Yevgeny Aleksandrovich was married to Galina Volchek, a graduate of the Moscow Art Theater School, who was one of the most significant figures in Sovremennik. Naturally, the love affair on the side could be fatal for Evstigneev: the actor would not find a place in the troupe of the theater, to the creation of which Galina Borisovna had a hand.
Not free was Lilia Zhurkina, whose personal life at that time was the best. Her husband was Oleg Ikonnikov, who established himself as a talented sculptor. He adored his wife and never wanted to part with her.
But the romance between Evstigneev and Zhurkina still happened.
Once the troupe of the Sovremennik Theater went to Saratov to shoot the film The Bridge Is Under Construction. It was in this provincial city that Eugene and Lilia went for a walk and completely forgot about everything …
"New family"
Volchek also learned about her husband’s infidelity. During the filming of the film “The Bridge Is Built, ” she told Lily that she was not going to interfere with their relationship. But the sculptor Ikonnikov did not want to let go of the beautiful Lily. Several divorce attempts have been made. After some time, Zhurkina and Evstigneev played a wedding, of course, after that the actress could not stay in Sovremennik. The young people did not have their own housing and were forced to wander in rented apartments, living either with the lyceum Vladimir Soshalsky, or with the actor Oleg Tabakov. Only after a while did they receive a separate living space.
Career
The family idyll that reigned in relations between Evstigneev and Zhurkina began to fade over time. Evgeny Aleksandrovich was rarely left without work: directors gladly offered him roles. But his new wife rarely acted in films, mainly she appeared in the frame with Evstigneev. She was more claimed for episodic images. However, some films with actress Lilia Zhurkina still replenished the treasury of domestic cinema. This, in particular, refers to such paintings as “The Stunning Berendeev” (I. Voznesensky, 1975), “Old New Year” (N. Ardashnikov, O. Efremov, 1980), “Still Love, Still Hope” (N. Lyrchikov, 1984). The filmography of the actress has about 17 roles in the movie.
Naturally, she could not put up with the fact that she had a little work on the set. She began to quarrel with her husband. Lily was distracted from painful thoughts by the birth of her daughter Masha. For seven whole years, she will plunge headlong into the process of motherhood, only occasionally appearing on the television screen.
State of hopelessness
When Yevgeny Aleksandrovich decides to leave Sovremennik and moves to the Moscow Art Theater, he will ask Oleg Efremov to find work for her wife. But soon the doctors will diagnose Lilia Zhurkina’s neuralgia, and the path to the stage will be closed for her. Acting lack of demand will be a real blow for her. The press will write that the actress will move away from her husband, whom she was jealous of the profession, addicted to alcohol. Over time, its former beauty will begin to disappear, and the disease will only exacerbate her mental state. Journalists began to write that Lilia Zhurkina (actress) was envious of the fame and success that her husband achieved. However, Yevgeny Aleksandrovich did not pay any attention to the reproaches and subtleties of his wife. She even began to hear rumors that Evstigneev was cheating on her and that even more “broke her spirit.”
