Olga Chekhova Actress Date of Birth: 13.04.1897 Country: Russia

Biography of Olga Chekhova

Olga Leonardovna Knipper-Chekhova was a renowned actress of the Moscow Art Theatre (MHAT). However, there was another Olga Chekhova who was also an actress and a star of international level. In Russia, her name was silenced for a long time. Olga was born in a family of engineer Konstantin Knipper, alongside her siblings Ada and Lev. Olga, the middle child, stood out for her beauty and intelligence. She was interested in theater, so her parents sent her to Moscow to live with her beloved aunt, Olga Leonardovna Knipper-Chekhova. Olga quickly adapted and successfully performed in the famous plays of Stanislavski, such as "The Cherry Orchard," "Three Sisters," "Hamlet," and others.

Olga Knipper, the renowned actress and the wife of Anton Chekhov, fell in love with her two cousins, Mikhail and Ivan Chekhov. She chose Mikhail, a well-known actor, as her husband. They got married when Olga was 17 and Mikhail was 23. However, their marriage was short-lived, possibly because two creative personalities rarely coexist harmoniously. Mikhail's close friend, Mikhail Smyslyaev, offered another version: "Misha Chekhov separated from his wife. It is not as unexpected as it may seem, but still surprising. The reason behind it may be the ugly role played by Misha's mother - an egotistical woman who clung to her son with her despotic love, Natalya Alexandrovna. Poor Misha, the last years of his life were like a nightmare. Smoky, poorly ventilated rooms, spending hours (even until 9 in the morning) playing cards. Some kind of insane tenderness between an old woman and a young man who had become an old man and a pessimist." In 1916, Olga and Mikhail had a daughter, also named Olga, and in 1917, their marriage ended.

In January 1921, Olga managed to obtain permission from Lunacharsky for a six-week trip to Europe for health reasons, and she traveled to Germany. Olga was only 23 years old at the time. Later, she would say, "Those years taught me to distinguish between what is important and what is secondary in life." From Mikhail Chekhov's memoirs: "I remember when she was leaving, already dressed, she saw how deeply I was affected by the separation, and she caressed me and said, 'You are so ugly, well, goodbye. You will forget soon.' And after giving me a friendly kiss, she left." Olga Chekhova left her husband but kept his famous surname. She maintained a good relationship with him and his new family. They both moved forward without dwelling on past grievances and lived in the present. Mikhail Chekhov deeply loved his daughter Olenka and bequeathed his small ranch near San Francisco to her.

In Germany, Olga tried to establish her personal life again by marrying Friedrich Jaroš. However, she soon separated from him, dedicating herself entirely to her art. Chekhova made her film debut in Friedrich Murnau's "Schloß Vogelöd" (1921), which was a great success. This was followed by "Dance of Death" (1922), which was also successful. She became recognized and in demand on screen, exceeding the expectations of her fans. "Why Get Married," "The Modern Girl," "A Woman in Flames," "The Agony of Love," "The Great Passion," and many more films featured Olga Chekhova. Throughout her film career, Olga Chekhova appeared in approximately 140 movies, but none of them were shown in the USSR. She mainly portrayed aristocrats and adventurers. Her beautiful and almost impassive face attracted and fascinated audiences. Her penultimate film was titled "The Talent to Be Happy" (1953), in which Chekhova played herself: she indeed had the talent to live happily despite the circumstances.

Despite being in the Third Reich, which was not an ideal environment for the arts, Olga Chekhova lived comfortably and played leading roles in cinema and theater. She was esteemed and loved by Hitler, and Göring's wife favored her. When the war ended, Soviet soldiers came to the house where the actress lived with her daughter and granddaughter, Vera. Upon learning who she was, Olga Chekhova was arrested. She was initially interrogated in Berlin and then transported to Moscow on a military plane. Miraculously, she was not thrown into a damp basement, nor was she shouted at. The officers who interrogated her were courteous, spoke German and French, and conversations felt like discussing international matters. From these conversations, a 36-page dossier was created, an unusual confession that described the Nazis and their collaborators, their morals, characters, and habits. Olga did not hide anything.

In 1945, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. In July, a reception was held at Goebbels' residence to celebrate the upcoming capture of Moscow. Unexpectedly, Goebbels addressed the Russian actress. Here is how she remembered the encounter: "We have an expert from Russia - Frau Chekhova," Goebbels said. "Don't you think that this war will be over before winter, and we will celebrate Christmas in Moscow?" "No," I calmly replied. Goebbels coldly responded, "And why not?" "Napoleon realized the vastness of Russian territories," I said. "There is a huge difference between the French and us. We came to Russia as liberators. The Bolshevik clique will be overthrown by a new revolution!" Goebbels leaned forward and sneered, "Interesting, madam. So, you do not trust German military might? Are you predicting a Russian victory...?" "I am not making any predictions, Herr Minister. You asked me whether our soldiers will be in Moscow by Christmas, and I gave my opinion. It may be right or wrong." Goebbels looked at me suspiciously for a long time. There was a prolonged silence..." Whether this scene unfolded exactly as described or if Olga Chekhova recalled it in a more favorable light for herself is difficult to determine. What is clear is that during the war years, it was not easy for her to determine her loyalty - to Russia or to Germany. She had to navigate carefully. However, it is known that she categorically refused to perform in war reports from the Eastern Front. When she appeared on the radio, she sang not patriotic songs but purely lyrical ones. She also toured Vienna, Munich, and Prague.

While in Moscow, Olga was not allowed to meet her relatives - after all, she was still a prisoner. However, during a performance at the Moscow Art Theatre, Olga Knipper-Chekhova, while bowing, noticed a beautiful woman who stood up early and waved her hand slightly. The veteran actress was frightened as this woman resembled her niece. This incident deeply disturbed the actress as having a relative abroad, especially in Nazi Germany, and being close to Hitler was horrifying. It is worth mentioning that Anton Chekhov's sister, Maria Pavlovna Chekhova, destroyed all the photographs of Olga Chekhova - as if she wanted to erase her existence.

On July 26, 1945, Olga Chekhova safely returned to Berlin. Why was she arrested? Why was she interrogated? Why was she released? These questions remain unanswered. From then on, speculations abound. Who was Olga Chekhova? Whose side was she on - the Soviets' or the Germans'? Or perhaps both?

An interesting episode occurred in early 1945 when Himmler wanted to arrest her. After learning about it, Chekhova herself called Himmler, asking him to conduct the operation in the morning, so she could have her coffee beforehand. Himmler complied. When a group of SS officers led by Himmler entered her house, they found her drinking coffee with... Hitler. Stirring her spoon in the cup, he muttered through his teeth that Himmler's visit was not his best joke. Another fact is that the case file of Olga Chekhova at the Lubyanka contains a report from the Chief of SMERSH, Viktor Abakumov, on which high-ranking Kremlin officials wrote a cold question that felt like death: "...What should be done with Chekhova?" On November 14, 1945, the newspaper "Kurier," published in Berlin under the control of the French military authorities, reported that "the famous actress Olga Chekhova was awarded a high Russian order for bravery - personally by Stalin..." Similar news was published in several newspapers. Gradually, the noise surrounding Olga Chekhova subsided, and she focused on rebuilding her life in the post-war era. Her fame as a movie star helped her. "Some people ask for a photo as a memento. In return, I receive white bread and wine from the French, vodka, sugar, and grain from the Russians, and cigarettes from the Americans in most cases. A pack of cigarettes is more valuable than gold on the black market..."

In the incredibly difficult post-war conditions, Olga Chekhova continued to perform in theater and film. She played her last theater role in 1964 when she was already 67 years old. She retired from cinema ten years earlier. What should she do? Switch to playing "comic old women" or give up the stage altogether? Or, as she wrote in her book, "disappear inconspicuously, become a housekeeper in some intellectual family abroad? It's not the modest means that scare me - I have experienced hunger, known hardship, and survived - but... it's the monotony of days succeeding each other, the thing I have feared my whole life." At 60, she embarked on a new life. She sold her house in Berlin and moved from Berlin to Munich, where she opened a cosmetic salon. "It is not shoes that need polishing first, but the skin," she said. "One's confidence and vitality depend on it." In 1955, she became the head of the company "Olga Chekhova Kosmetik Gesellschaft." "Life does not disappoint us - we disappoint life. Bitterness makes a person ugly," Chekhova wrote in her book. She advised every woman in a depressed state to value time above all: "Every second, every minute, every hour lived without joy is irretrievably lost..." She passed away in 1980 at the age of 83 from brain cancer. Her daughter Olga died in a plane crash at the age of 50. Her granddaughter, Vera Chekhova, is alive and, like her grandmother, serves Melpomene. Ironically, one of the films in which Olga Chekhova appeared was called "The Man Who Wanted to Live Twice." She indeed lived two lives - one in Russia and another in Germany - leaving a significant impact on the culture of both countries.