Alla Kovnir Actress Date of Birth: 03.02.1975 Country: Russia

Biography of Alla Kovnir

Alla Kovnir is a Russian actress born on February 3, 1975, in Elektrougli, Moscow region. She is the niece of the famous Volgograd composer Ivan Kovnir-Poltavsky. From an early age, Alla's mother instilled in her a love for music, as she was passionate about theater and show business. Even in kindergarten, Alla showcased her acting and vocal abilities, successfully performing a song by Muslim Magomaev at a children's morning event. She also had other interests, such as biology, and dreamed of pursuing a career in this field, specifically crossbreeding different plant species. However, her dreams of biology remained just dreams.

When Alla's parents read an announcement about auditions for the Moscow Young Actors Theater, they eagerly enrolled their daughter. Although she had to spend about three hours commuting (1.5 hours each way), the time spent in the theater was not in vain. By the age of 12, she was already earning money and had leading roles in musicals, touring various countries such as Switzerland, the United States, and England.

After finishing school, Alla Kovnir applied to the Moscow Art Theater School but failed the exams. To make good use of her time, she started working as an administrator in the Young Actors Theater. A year later, she made another attempt, this time at the Russian Institute of Theater Arts (GITIS). Luckily, Alla was accepted into the experimental course of the music faculty. Upon graduating from GITIS, Alla Kovnir joined the Pokrovka Theater. As she humorously recalls, her role there was "a horse in 'Hamlet,' albeit with lines." She then starred in the musical "Voyage of Dreams." During the casting for this musical, Alla Kovnir stood out among the rest of the girls, who were conventionally beautiful and dressed in evening gowns, by wearing a long skirt and a black shawl while performing romances and folk songs. The composer Oleg Molchanov, who was on the jury, immediately noticed her. Alla Kovnir recalls, "I went on stage, our eyes met. Then he jumped out of his seat and ran up to me. Our versions of what happened next differ. I am sure he said, 'Is that you? Finally! Where have you been all this time?' Oleg insists that he just looked into my eyes and ran away. But in the end, we agree on one thing - it was love at first sight."

They dated for a while, and then Alla moved in with Oleg. They lived in a civil marriage for several years until Oleg Molchanov proposed to her. Their engagement happened spontaneously and beautifully. Alla recalls, "On Valentine's Day, I baked a beautiful cake. We were sitting in the living room watching a holiday concert - it was exactly when Philipp Kirkorov performed his song 'Valentine's Day,' which Oleg had written specifically for him. In the second verse, Oleg suddenly got down on one knee in front of me and said, 'Let's get married!' That's how we officially became husband and wife..."

In 2009, the couple welcomed their son, Gleb. Alla Kovnir's path to the screen followed a typical route for most actresses: photos left in the database of the Gorky Film Studio, invitations to auditions. After a series of small roles, she played the role of waitress Masha in the action-adventure film "Treasures of the Dead," for which she even had to learn how to handle weapons.

Finally, in 2003, Alla was cast as the lead role in the crime series "The Return of Mukhtar," where she portrayed investigator Elena Brusnikina. During the auditions, there was a funny incident where she simply fell asleep on a couch in the studio! When it was all over, she was awakened, and when asked, "Who is sleeping here?" the girl timidly replied, "I am the young, promising actress Alla Kovnir..."

Filming for the series "The Return of Mukhtar" lasted for several years and brought the actress wide recognition. In an interview, Alla admitted, "I appeared in the series for so long that when people recognize me on the streets and say, 'Look, Lena is here!' I no longer feel any embarrassment. Lena is just my second name, and I got used to it. Thank God, I have never had any negative reactions to this 'soap opera' - only positive feedback. And how could it be otherwise? After all, the series is very kind, and children love it."

However, the success of the role also posed a danger of being typecast. Not wanting to be trapped in this image, Alla Kovnir decided to break away from the series "The Return of Mukhtar" after almost five years. Since 2008, a new stage began in her career. She played Lera in the comedy film "The Golden Key," Inga in the series "Traffic Police, etc.," Lyudmila in the series "Officers - 2," and Olga Nikolaevna in the series "Courtyard."

In addition, in 2010, Alla Kovnir recorded the album "Way Home." She continued her acting career and appeared in various films and TV series, showcasing her versatility and talent.

Filmography:
2001 - "Paris Antiquary"
2002 - "Russians in the City of Angels"
2002 - "Life Goes On"
2003 - "Treasures of the Dead"
2003-2007 - "The Return of Mukhtar" TV series
2005 - "Force Majeure"
2008 - "The Golden Key"
2008 - "Traffic Police, etc." TV series
2009 - "Officers - 2" TV series
2010 - "Courtyard" TV series.