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Lyudmila SolodenkoActress
Date of Birth: 04.09.1946
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Childhood and Early Life
- Orphanage Years
- A Stroke of Luck
- Artistic Break
- Musical Career
- Film and Television
- Retirement
- Personal Life
- In 2020, Solodénko became a widow.
Childhood and Early Life
Lyudmila Solodénko was born on September 4, 1946 (often listed as 1949) in Odessa, Ukraine. Her mother, a Soviet Komsomol member, had a brief but passionate affair with a Cuban sailor named Alejandro. Despite being officially married, Solodénko's mother left her Soviet husband to live with Alejandro without formalizing their relationship.
After Alejandro returned to his homeland, Solodénko and her mother were forced to live in a basement. Her husband, ever-forgiving, accepted the child as his own and named her in his birth certificate. However, their marriage never fully recovered, as Solodénko's mother constantly reminisced about her foreign lover and promised her daughter a future on the Caribbean island.
Orphanage Years
Heartbreak struck when Solodénko's mother developed severe tuberculosis. She was taken to a children's home for preschoolers and later to a facility for older children of foreign descent. The actress later recalled her time in these institutions with horror, describing the children as "wolf cubs" and enduring endless hunger, cold, and bullying.
A Stroke of Luck
Fate intervened when dance teacher Vassa Stepanovna, a former student of Isadora Duncan, took pity on the young girl. She arranged for Solodénko to visit her on weekends, took her to doctors, and secured additional nutrition for her. Determined to foster her artistic potential, Stepanovna first suggested ballet but encountered resistance, eventually settling on music lessons.
Although Solodénko initially showed promise as a violinist, her lack of motivation and support in the orphanage stifled her progress.
Artistic Break
Undeterred, Stepanovna encouraged Solodénko to move to Moscow and enroll in the All-Russian Creative Studio of Variety Art. There, she met and studied alongside notable actors such as Yuri Bogatyrev, Lyubov Polishchuk, and Ksenia Georgiadis.
Musical Career
In her youth, Solodénko caught the attention of bandleader Eddi Rosner, who was seeking a vocalist for his famous orchestra. After a successful audition, where she sang and danced, Solodénko joined the ensemble and adopted the exotic stage name Lona Long. Her Soviet origins were concealed from audiences, who flocked to see her in exotic costumes inspired by Indian and African cultures.
Despite her popularity, Solodénko received meager pay and faced unfair treatment from Rosner. Nevertheless, she remained with the orchestra, relying solely on herself for support.
Film and Television
Solodénko's appearances on screen were few but memorable. She made an impact in "Chronicles of the Night" (1973) as a stewardess and played a supporting role in Samson Samsonov's "The Eighth Wonder of the World" (1981). In Vladimir Grammatikov's "The Star and Death of Joaquin Murieta" (1982), she portrayed the flirtatious Diana.
Additional notable roles include the political detective series "TASS is Authorized to State..." (1984) and the science fiction anti-utopia "Kin-dza-dza!" (1986).
Retirement
Solodénko last appeared in Vladimir Motyl's historical drama "The Crimson Color of Snowfall" (2008). Since then, she has largely withdrawn from public life.
Personal Life
In 1974, Solodénko married physician Mikhail Lavrov. Their son, Andrey, was born two years later. Despite her hopes of raising a musical prodigy, Andrey opted for acting and pursued a successful career in film and television. He is the father of Solodénko's two grandchildren.
Solodénko also had a brief romance with American singer Dean Reed. After meeting in East Germany, they spent time together, and Reed expressed his desire for her to join him in the United States. Solodénko was torn but ultimately remained with her family. She was deeply saddened by Reed's untimely death.
In 2020, Solodénko became a widow.
Present DayOn her 78th birthday in 2024, Solodénko appeared on the television program "Malakhov," where she shared previously unknown details of her life. She reunited with singer Ksenia Georgiadis and was surprised by her son, Andrey, with a bonsai tree. Solodénko has also mastered the melodica and occasionally performs in the Moscow metro.
