Elena Molchenko Movie actress Date of Birth: 04.05.1963 Country: Belarus

Elena Molchenko: A Biography

Elena Molchenko is a renowned actress in the film industry. Her acting career has been filled with ups and downs, but she has always strived for new goals and achievements. Many theater enthusiasts remember Elena Vasilyevna Molchenko (Fatyushina) as a promising actress at the Mayakovsky Theater. She was married to the famous actor Alexander Fatyushin, who played the role of Gurin in the legendary film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears." Later in her career, Elena became a star of popular television series. Born on May 4, 1963, in Minsk, Elena's parents were simple and honorable people whom she considers as her role models. Like many girls, Elena dreamed of performing on stage. In 1981, after finishing school, she went to Moscow and successfully passed the entrance exams at GITIS. After receiving her diploma, Molchenko joined the Mayakovsky Theater, where she continues to work to this day. She has played numerous roles, including Princess Milolika and Baba Yaga in children's plays, as well as Iskra Polyakova in "Tomorrow Was War" and Madame Popyatnik in "Sunset." Her first role as the Firebird in the play "Ivan the Prince" turned out to be fateful for Elena. She once got injured when a set decoration fell on her nose and cheek. Elena disguised the wound with makeup and glitter and went on stage, leaving the audience unaware of the accident. To her surprise, Alexander Fatyushin called her that evening to check on her well-being and offer assistance. Fatyushin, who was thirteen years older than Elena, had been her idol since their school years, and she was thrilled to work with him on the same stage. However, there were rumors about Fatyushin's personal life. It was said that he had a long affair with Natalya Gundareva, but in reality, he had serious relationships with actress Irina Kalinovskaya, who was married and hesitant to divorce. Love quickly blossomed between Fatyushin and Molchenko. After a performance, Alexander accompanied Elena to her dormitory, and a few days later, unexpectedly introduced her as his fiancée while visiting a sick relative. Their lavish wedding came as a surprise to their colleagues, who thought that Elena reciprocated the feelings of her fellow GITIS classmate and theater partner Anatoly Lobotsky. Their marriage, hastily arranged, turned out to be surprisingly strong. Alexander was a passionate sports fan, and Elena grew to love football and hockey. They often played together on stage, such as in the plays "Bankrupt" and "Children of Vanyushin." The couple dreamed of having children, but despite medical reassurances, their dream remained unfulfilled. Their relationship was also complicated by Alexander's stubborn nature, jealousy, and his inclination towards alcohol, which had previously caused his breakup with Kalinovskaya. Fatyushin and Molchenko were together for seventeen years until Alexander's death in 2003. It was said that he died of a heart attack after his favorite team lost a game, although Elena attributes his death to complications from pneumonia. Elena Molchenko has always considered herself a theater actress, even though she started appearing in minor roles on screen in 1986 and participated in films such as "The Cherry Orchard," "Tomorrow Was War," "Megre at the Minister's," and "Tango with Death." In 1994, Elena played a supporting role in the crime series "The Code of Silence 2," in which Fatyushin portrayed the protagonist. However, her involvement in the highly popular television series "Simple Truths" became a breakthrough for both the audience and the actress herself. In all 350 episodes of the series, she portrayed the role of a school deputy principal and created a character that perfectly embodied the ideal teacher, although Elena herself claimed to be far from it. Deputy Principal Apraksina was reserved, confident, strict, and yet very attentive to her students. Molchenko's restrained elegance in the role even became the benchmark for teacher dress codes. The unusual success of "Simple Truths" opened up new opportunities for Elena Molchenko on the small screen. To date, she has appeared in nearly twenty series, including popular ones like "Cadet School" and "Ranetki." Additionally, she played Maxim's mother in cyberpunk films "On the Game" and "On the Game 2," and Alexandra Usova's mother in the controversial director Valeria Guy Germanika's series "A Brief Course in a Happy Life." The actress continues to work on new television projects, remains busy with performances at the Mayakovsky Theater, and collaborates with the "Bat" Theater, the Kazantsev Center, and the Chekhov Theater. In 2011, Elena Molchenko remarried actor Igor Vorobyov. Unlike her first wedding, this one was private and only known to their closest friends. In a way, Elena and Igor were brought together by a shared tragedy - several years earlier, Vorobyov had lost his wife, actress Galina Gladkova. With her husband's consent, Elena retained her previous legal surname, Fatyushina, in her passport.