Natalia Soldatova Actress Date of Birth: 11.02.1979 Country: Russia

1. Natalia Soldatova: A Biography
2. Childhood and Passion for Dance
3. Acting Career and Education
4. Personal Life and Return to Acting
5. Later Career

Natalia Soldatova: A Biography

Natalia Soldatova, an actress, was born on February 11, 1979 in Moscow. Her father worked as a senior engineer, while her mother, a pedagogue by profession, was a deputy principal at a school. Soldatova emphasizes in her interviews that her name is spelled with an "i" instead of the usual "ya." When she was born, her father decided that Natalia sounded more original and vibrant than Natalya, softening her rather harsh patronymic name, Eduardovna. Therefore, her birth certificate was issued with her name spelled as Natalia.

Childhood and Passion for Dance

Soldatova admits that she was a fierce fighter in her childhood. Having been raised by parents with a strong sense of justice, she was always ready to defend what she believed was right. As for cinema and theater, Soldatova did not dream of pursuing a career in this field. She loved to dance and had been practicing ballroom dancing for nine years. After finishing school, she planned to apply to a choreographic school to become a dance teacher. However, her friend Tatiana Spirina dissuaded her from this path, saying, "Natasha, you will dance for a while and then stop, but you can act on stage as much as you want. So, it's better for you to become an actress." It was at the suggestion of her friend that Soldatova made her debut in film. This happened when she was in the eleventh grade. Her friend informed her that director Naumov was looking for a girl to play the role of a homeless girl in his new film, "The Secret of Nardo, or the Dream of the White Dog." Natasha went for auditions and was soon approved. She believes that this happened because of her resemblance to Belokhvostikova, who played the lead female role in the film. Soldatova recalls, "When I put on big glasses, everyone on the set said that I looked very much like her." After being approved for the role, Soldatova was asked to find clothes for her character in her own wardrobe. Not wanting to look shabby, she brought her mother's coat with a sable collar to the shoot, which was her best and new item. The coat became the first sacrifice to art. Soldatova reminisces, "I suggested to the director to remove the rich collar, but he looked at it and said it would be perfect for my homeless girl. I did everything with that coat - jumped in the snow, fought... When my mom saw the film, she laughed for a long time, and I laughed with her..."

Acting Career and Education

The premiere of the film "The Secret of Nardo, or the Dream of the White Dog" took place several years later, in 1999. In 2001, Naumov re-edited this film, incorporating footage from two of his other films, resulting in the film "Clocks Without Hands." This is how our protagonist had a delayed double debut in the film industry. The film shoot completely changed Natalia Soldatova's life, and she knew for sure that she would become an actress. In 1996, she graduated from high school and decided to apply to the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) for the acting department. Her first attempt was unsuccessful, as she did not get a government-funded spot. The only option left was to study on a paid basis. This is when actor and teacher Timofey Ivanovich Spivak, who was impressed by Soldatova's talent, intervened. He invited her to the Institute of Contemporary Art, promising to transfer her to GITIS as soon as a government-funded spot became available. It happened just as he had promised. From the second year onward, Natalia Soldatova studied at GITIS under the guidance of Vladimir Andreev. While studying at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Soldatova met her love. Alexey was also studying there, pursuing his third higher education. Natalia was appointed the class monitor, and she often consulted with him on organizational matters. Soon, the girl realized that Alexey's attitude towards her was more than just friendly. At first, she did not have any feelings for him; on the contrary, she did not even like him. As Natalia herself admits, "In my childhood, I imagined my chosen one as a fairytale prince. Handsome and not balding... I didn't think that my husband would look like this..."

Personal Life and Return to Acting

The more Natalia pushed Alexey away, the more he wanted to win over the stubborn girl, which only fueled their relationship. "Once, I accidentally cut my hand on glass, and he immediately rushed to GITIS, where I had transferred to by that time, and brought healing ointment. And once, when I was on vacation in the village, I was urgently called for shooting in Moscow. So, Leshka came to pick me up and drove me there, even though the journey took five hours each way..." recalls Natalia. Step by step, Alexey managed to gain Natalia's favor and ultimately her love. They got married during their second year of studies...

During her time at GITIS, Natalia Soldatova worked for two years at the Moscow Theater named after Yermolova. However, when she was about to graduate (she graduated in 2000 with honors), she gave birth to her son Grigory. After the birth of her first child, Soldatova decided to dedicate herself to her child. She said, "...if you serve the theater, you have to give yourself completely to it. If you are led somewhere, you have to drop everything and focus solely on that. You cannot be the center around which everything revolves." Soldatova left the theater and started working at a gymnasium, teaching senior classes. As she says herself, she taught various subjects but through the lens of acting.

Soldatova took a break from the film industry as well. She said, "My husband and I agreed that for a year and a half, I would focus on our child. I never even thought that I would miss out on any opportunities and not be able to return to my profession. Maybe I don't have acting ambitions?" She returned to her acting career by appearing as Ali in the TV series "Sibirochka" directed by Vladimir Grammatikov. This was followed by roles as Lucy in the film "Full Speed Ahead!" and Natasha Gerasimova in the film "Cherubim" directed by Nikolay Geiko. Soldatova received her first major role in the film, playing Anna Terekhina in the Ukrainian director Nikola Kapitan's TV series "I Thank You for Everything." Soldatova was chosen for this role in an unusual way. In 2005, she registered with a Moscow acting agency, and within a week, she received an invitation to audition for a Ukrainian TV series. The auditions took place in Moscow, and the footage was sent to Kiev for the director. Nikola Kapitan approved the relatively unknown actress based solely on the tape. Soldatova is still amazed by this circumstance and says, "They don't just approve lead characters based solely on a tape. Kolya and I still laugh about it. When I ask him, 'Kolya, why?! Why did you choose me instead of some famous face?' - he just says, 'It seemed right to me...'"

While the producers were not impressed by Natalia's appearance, thinking she was too simple and "ordinary," the director managed to convince them of his choice, and the subsequent shooting proved him completely right.

Later Career

After the TV series "I Thank You for Everything," Natalia Soldatova began to regularly appear on the big screen. In 2007-2008, she starred in the TV series "Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno" (Vincent Danilevsky), the musical melodrama "The Ice Queen" (Elena), the adventure melodrama "Turquoise Ring" (Natasha), the detective drama "The Main Clue" (Svetlana Klimova), and the melodrama "Take Me With You" (Lera). Soldatova particularly appreciates her work in Ekaterina Shagalova's film "Once in the Provinces." The actress played the role of Angela, a mother struggling with alcoholism, who cares for a year-old baby. Soldatova said, "My role is completely opposite to what I have played so far - I have to play a young mother struggling with alcoholism. I am grateful to the director for approving me for this role and giving me a very important opportunity - to try playing something I am so far from, which is incredibly interesting to me."

Among Soldatova's works in 2010-2011 were Yulia in the melodrama "Angelica," Nastya in the detective film "Night Shift," Svetlana in the melodrama "Gulchitai," and Lilya in the melodrama "Dove." Natalia and Alexey live in a happy marriage. They had their second child in 2010. According to Natalia, Alexey is currently the backbone of their family, working as a manager in the administrative group of an independent theater project.