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Margarita TerehovaActress
Date of Birth: 25.08.1942
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Biography of Margarita Terekhova
- Childhood and Youth
- Theater
- Films
- Personal Life
- Illness
- Margarita Terekhova Now
Biography of Margarita Terekhova
Margarita Terekhova is a theater and film actress, honored artist of the Russian Federation. She gained popularity for her roles as Countess Diana in the film "A Dog in the Manger," Milady in the film "D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers," and Donia Marta in "Pious Martha." Terekhova was a star of Soviet cinema, captivating audiences with her subtle acting skills and vibrant red hair. After the collapse of the USSR, she appeared on screens only four times. As she got older, she faced health problems, rarely leaving her home and no longer receiving new roles or performing on stage or film sets.
Childhood and Youth
Margarita Terekhova was born on August 25, 1942, in Turinsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast. She spent her childhood in Tashkent. The choice of Tashkent was not accidental – the girl frequently fell ill, and she needed a warm climate. In school, she was passionate about basketball and became the captain of the Uzbekistan youth team. During those years, Margarita did not think about an acting career. She lived in the same neighborhood as Yungvald-Khilkevich, the future director of "The Three Musketeers." He recalled that even back then, Margarita was very beautiful, and she always had a crowd of admirers following her. With her bright, active, independent personality, along with her slim legs and well-developed bust, Margarita left a lasting impression on the boys.
Margarita Terekhova graduated from school with a gold medal and enrolled at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Tashkent University. However, after two years, she lost interest in exact sciences, withdrew her documents, and went to apply to the theater institute in Moscow. Margarita arrived late when admissions for the theater institute had already closed. Her only chance remained to try to get into the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). However, the admissions committee did not recognize the future star of Soviet cinema behind the appearance of a provincial girl. Margarita did not give up and decided to apply to the school-studio at the Moscow Art Theatre, which she successfully got into. Her talent as an actress revealed itself in the first few months, and Terekhova became a leader in the troupe. The female members of the collective were envious of her and did not hide it. However, such treatment did not upset the student – her independent character helped her survive. Terekhova even had to cut her long hair because she didn't have time to take care of it.
Theater
In 1964, Margarita Terekhova graduated from the school-studio and became an actress at the Moscow Art Theatre, which she dedicated almost 20 years of her career to. Terekhova had a diverse repertoire in the theater. She appeared as Cleopatra in the play "Caesar and Cleopatra," played Mari in "Through the Eyes of a Clown," Sonya in "Crime and Punishment," and Elizaveta in the play "Royal Hunt." Terekhova left the Moscow Art Theatre in 1983. Over the next three years, the actress worked in "Balagancheek," a theater collective she organized with Igor Talkov. In 1987, she returned to her native theater and made her debut as a director.
Films
Margarita Terekhova's first film role took place in 1965 in the movie "Hello, It's Me!" In the film "Running on Waves," she played two roles. In 1970, the premiere of "Belorussian Station" took place, in which Terekhova also starred. In 1974, Andrei Tarkovsky invited the actress to play the lead role in the film "Mirror." It was said that Tarkovsky was in love with Terekhova, and she became his muse. A trusting relationship developed between the director and the actress, who played the two main roles in his film. It was Terekhova to whom he later told about a spiritualist session during which the "spirit of Boris Pasternak" predicted the number of films Tarkovsky would make in the future.
Soon, Terekhova's filmography expanded with roles in the film "Daytime Train," where she played alongside Valentin Gaft, and the melodrama "Who Will Go to Truskavets," in which her partner was Alexander Kaidanovsky. The actress became famous throughout the Soviet Union in the late 1970s when the films "A Dog in the Manger," "Pious Martha," and "D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers" were released. After her role as Milady in "The Three Musketeers," Terekhova firmly established herself as a sex symbol. In the 1980s, films such as "It Could Have Been Different," "Let's Get Married," and "Original Russia" were released, but they did not generate the same excitement among the audience. Later, the actress appeared in the comedy "It" that mocked bureaucracy and the war drama "Our Father." In 1990, Terekhova received the Grand Prix of the San Remo Film Festival for her role in the film "Only for the Mad." This film received several prestigious awards. Afterwards, Terekhova's repertoire included small roles in the art-house drama "The Trail" and the TV series "Kings of Russian Detective." In 1996, she was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the Russian Federation." From that year, the renowned actress stopped appearing in films. In 2005, Margarita unexpectedly returned to acting. On March 20, 2006, the premiere of the film "The Seagull," an adaptation of Chekhov's play, took place. Margarita Borisovna played the leading role of Irina Arkadina and also served as a screenwriter and director. Her son and daughter, Alexander and Anna Terekhova, also played major roles in the film. After this, Margarita Borisovna wanted to continue working in film. The actress asked her screenwriter friend Marina Sheptunova to write a script about Xenia Blessed, a role that Terekhova wanted to play herself, but Sheptunova flatly refused. Rumor has it that this refusal triggered a deterioration in the actress's mental health: she became too engrossed in the role of Xenia Blessed, which affected her perception of reality. In 2012, the actress was declared the face of the 10th Moscow International Film Festival of Russian Cinema. Aleksey Batalov presented Terekhova with a commemorative award.
On December 19, 2016, a documentary film about the life and work of the actress titled "Margarita Terekhova: Alone in the Looking Glass" was released. On May 15, 2017, the film was re-aired on the channel "Vremya."
Personal Life
In her youth, Margarita Terekhova had a vibrant and emotional personality, which, combined with her irresistible looks, made her an unattainable dream for many peers. Meeting with Vyacheslav Butenko, a geodesy student and future husband, became a turning point for the young man. He was determined to spend his life with the beautiful stranger at all costs. He hastened to retrieve his documents from the university and went to take entrance exams at the school-studio of the Moscow Art Theatre, where he successfully passed. It took him a year to win the girl's heart, after which they got married. The marriage lasted three years, coinciding with the completion of Margarita's studies.
Margarita met her second husband, Bulgarian actor Savva Hashimov, on the set of "Running on Waves." Savva was married, but he divorced his wife and moved to Moscow for Margarita. The couple lived in a dormitory. The young couple was happy, fully dedicating themselves to their craft without paying attention to their unsettled living conditions.
In 1967, Margarita became pregnant, and Savva proposed to legalize their relationship. In August of the same year, their daughter Anna was born. However, their marriage lasted only two years, and the couple separated. The reason for the breakup was simple – he could not live in Moscow, and she did not want to leave for Bulgaria.
In 1977, Margarita Terekhova was on a film shoot in Tajikistan, where she met Saifiddin Turayev, the owner of a factory. A romantic relationship developed between the actress and the businessman, and in 1981, Margarita gave birth to her son Alexander. Turayev was married, so Margarita did not tell her son anything about his father. She revealed the secret of his birth many years later.
Margarita's third marriage was to director Georgi Gavrilov, which lasted for 15 years. Gavrilov participated in raising Margarita's daughter and her son. However, their relationship came to an end in 1995. The couple divorced, and after that, Terekhova never remarried. Gavrilov immigrated to the United States three years after the separation.
Margarita Terekhova had other romantic relationships as well. In her youth, she almost became the wife of director Alexey Gabrielovich, the son of the renowned writer Evgeny Gabrielovich. She was also rumored to have had affairs with Andrei Tarkovsky and Igor Talkov. The screen star herself keeps the events of her past life secret from the press.
Illness
The media has spread rumors about Terekhova's memory problems, mental illnesses, and even alcoholism. Journalists sought interviews with the actress and showcased Margarita Terekhova's dire situation. She would only come to the theater to eat at the buffet, would stumble over her words, forget why she came, and what she was talking about. However, there was no confirmed information about her health condition in the press.
On March 4, 2016, a charity concert was held at the House of Actors in Moscow to raise money for the treatment of former Soviet cinema stars who were unable to support themselves. Funds were also intended for Terekhova, whose diagnosis was publicly announced as Alzheimer's disease. However, the charity event turned into a scandal. After the press release of the event, outraged fans and journalists bombarded the families of the actors with questions as to why they allowed their relatives to fall into such a dire situation. It turned out that the actors for whom money was being raised were not aware of the campaign. Margarita's daughter made a statement that her mother was ill but did not need financial assistance. The Terekhov family promised to donate all the collected funds to the "Zhivoy" Foundation, which helps those in genuine need.
Margarita Terekhova Now
In 2018, it was announced that Margarita Terekhova's health had deteriorated. Margarita Borisovna is now at the final stage of her illness. According to her son, the moment when the progression of the disease could have been slowed down was missed. Currently, the focus is on providing care for the actress, which requires significant financial resources.
In early 2019, Margarita's brother and sister appealed to her fans for assistance through the First Channel broadcast. Anna mentioned that her salary as a theater actress is not enough to cover the cost of her mother's treatment and the two caregivers who are constantly with Margarita Borisovna. Alexander Terekhov also faces financial difficulties. The Union of Cinematographers promised to provide assistance.
