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Aleksandra VertinskayaRussian artist and TV presenter.
Date of Birth: 09.04.1969
Country:  Russia |
Content:
Alexandra Vertinskaya - Russian Artist and TV Presenter
Childhood and YouthAlexandra Ilyinichna Vertinskaya was born on April 9, 1969, in Moscow, into the famous Vertinsky dynasty. Her grandfather, Alexander Vertinsky, was a star of the stage in the first half of the 20th century, and her grandmother, Lidia Vertinskaya, was a renowned actress and artist. Their eldest daughter, theater and film artist Marianna Vertinskaya, was married to architect and educator Ilya Bylinkin, and it was in this marriage that Alexandra was born. After divorcing her first husband, Marianna Vertinskaya married actor Boris Khmelnitsky, with whom she had a daughter named Daria Khmelnitskaya when Alexandra was 9 years old. With such a rich family history, Alexandra Vertinskaya could not help but dedicate her life to art. She studied at the art school of the Vasily Surikov Institute, and after receiving her secondary education certificate, she graduated from the same university. Alexandra continued her education in Paris, where she interned at the National Academy of Arts under the painter Yuri Cooper for 2 years.
Artistic Career
Although Alexandra's mother wanted her to become an actress, she followed in her father's footsteps. From a young age, her father taught her how to draw, and her grandmother, who also graduated from the Surikov Institute, helped develop her talent. During her school years, Vertinskaya studied at the Tretyakov Gallery and practiced drawing on the streets of Moscow, depicting old houses. In her adult years, Alexandra exhibited her paintings in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, and other European countries, as well as in Russia. In her work, Vertinskaya loves to use non-traditional materials such as cardboard, archival drawings, and gold paper to create layers of depth. Thanks to her work, Marianna Vertinskaya's daughter traveled extensively, kept up with fashion trends, and became known in Moscow not only for her paintings but also for her style. In 2004, Alexandra was invited to co-host the show "Take This Off Immediately!" with Tasha Strogaya. In this project, Vertinskaya spent 3 years dressing up fashion-forward characters.
She was also a guest designer on the show "Apartment Question" and decorated private projects such as homes and restaurants, with assistance from her father. As Vertinskaya admitted, Ilya Bylinkin meticulously planned every detail of the interiors, and she inherited this trait from him. For Alexandra, comfort and logic are paramount. In addition, she worked as a host on the shows "House with a Mezzanine" and "A-la Russe." Thanks to television, Vertinskaya traveled through the Russian countryside and explored local crafts such as Gzhel, Palekh, and Zhostovo, which she calls "Russian brands."
Personal Life
Since the late 1990s, Alexandra's personal life has been connected to Yemelyan Zakharov. The future spouses met on New Year's Eve through mutual friends, although at that time, Zakharov was married. Falling in love at first sight with the stranger, Yemelyan left his family and married his new love in 1997. A year after their wedding, in the summer of 1998, the couple welcomed their daughter, Vasilisa.
Zakharov, a medical professional by education, continued his family's business of collecting antiques and artworks. In the mid-2000s, Yemelyan and his partner opened the "Triumph" gallery in a historic mansion in the center of Moscow, exhibiting contemporary artists as well as works by Renata Litvinova and Gosha Rubchinskiy. Another project of the collector is the club-gallery "Dacha" in Rublevka, which was decorated by Alexandra. In this creative atmosphere, Vasilisa also grew up, visiting museums and attending art lectures from the age of 3.
The couple owns a house in Italy, where they spend a lot of time. It was there, in June 2010, that Alexandra and Yemelyan welcomed their youngest daughter, named after her great-grandmother, Lidia.
In 2017, Vertinskaya and Zakharov purchased an apartment in the center of Moscow, which the artist herself decorated. Following her father's advice, the decorator removed unnecessary doors and walls, leaving only a private area for the daughters isolated. However, due to the abundance of family antiques, paintings, and other artworks, additional partitions and niches had to be added later.
Current Life
Vertinskaya continues to pursue her artistic career. In the spring of 2021, the artist held a solo exhibition of her paintings at the Fifth Avenue gallery in Moscow. The exhibition predominantly featured floral motifs, which seemed to ask the viewer whether they could create a semblance of paradise.
Alexandra has planned her next exhibition for the spring of 2022. For this exhibition, she has prepared bronze sculptures, which she transported from Italy to Moscow, where the show will take place.
She shares her own artwork, travels, and family life on her personal Instagram profile, regularly updating it with fresh photographs and videos.
