Liya Akhedzhakova

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Liya Akhedzhakova

| native_name = {{nobold|Лия Ахеджакова}}

| native_name_lang = ru

| image = Liya Akhedzhakova asv2023-10.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Akhedzhakova in 2023

| birth_name = Liya Medzhidovna Akhedzhakova

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1938|7|9}}

| birth_place = Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

| other_names =

| citizenship = {{ubl|Soviet (1938–1991)|Russian (1991–present)}}

| education =

| alma_mater = Russian Academy of Theatre Arts

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1961–present

| known_for =

| notable_works = The Irony of Fate (1975), Office Romance (1977), The Garage (1979), Sons of Bitches (1990), Promised Heaven (1991), Playing the Victim (2007)

| spouse = {{ubl|Valery Nosik|Boris Kocheishvili|Vladimir Persiyanov}}

| partner =

| children =

| parents = Yuliya Akhedzhakova

| relatives =

| callsign =

| awards =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| signature_size =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Liya Medzhidovna Akhedzhakova ({{langx|ru|Лия Меджидовна Ахеджакова}}; born 9 July 1938) is a Soviet and Russian film, stage and voice actress who received the title of People's Artist of Russia in 1994. She received two Nika Awards as the best supporting actress and the 2014 Nika Honorary Prize.

Biography

Akhedzhakova was born in Dnepropetrovsk (modern-day Dnipro, Ukraine). She grew up in a theatrical family in Maykop. Her step father, Medzhid Salehovich Akhedzhakov (1914–2012), was a Circassian nobleman{{cite web|title=Leah Akhedzhakova|url=http://movie-space.com/star/1595_/query/lang/eng/index.html|website=movie-space}} who served as the Principal Director of the National Theatre of the Republic of Adygea. Her mother, Yuliya Alexandrovna Akhedzhakova (1916–1990), was also an actress at the same drama theatre. At the age of 10, when her mother and aunt were suffering from tuberculosis, she wrote a letter to Joseph Stalin with a request for help. In response, a rare drug was delivered to her family.[https://tvrain.ru/teleshow/harddaysnight/lija_ahedzhakova_skazhu_chto_nibud_i_remont_v_teatre_prekratjat-338087/ Interview] at Hard Day's Night, Dozhd TV channel, 5 March 2013 (in Russian)

In 1956 she entered the Moscow Institute of Nonferrous Metals and Gold where she studied for eighteen months. She first appeared on stage in 1961 at Moscow Youth Theatre. In 1962, she graduated from Lunacharsky State Institute for Theatre Arts (GITIS). Her first film appearance was in Ishchu cheloveka (1973) (Russian: Looking for a Man). Her debut in this drama was awarded several prizes at international film festivals in Locarno, Switzerland and Varna, Bulgaria.[http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/6669/ Film and Theatre Star Liya Akhedzhakova Turns 70] In 1977 she joined the Sovremennik Theatre. In 1986 she played four main roles in the play Apartment Columbine directed by Roman Viktyuk.

As a film actress Liya Akhedzhakova became widely known due to her roles in Eldar Ryazanov's films, including Tania in The Irony of Fate (1975), Verochka in Office Romance (1977), Malaeva in The Garage (1979), and Fima in Promised Heaven (1991). In the 2000 film Old Hags she played alongside her stepfather.

Personal life

Akhedzhakova's first husband was Valery Nosik, an actor of Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre and Maly Theatre. Her second husband was artist and poet Boris Kocheishvili. In the summer of 2001, Liya Akhedzhakova married the Moscow-based photographer Vladimir Persiyanov.

Political views

During the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis on the night before the storming of the White House, Akhedzhakova and several other popular actors attended a live broadcast at the "reserve studio" outside of the Ostankino Technical Center. She expressed support to Boris Yeltsin while also criticized the army for "not protecting us" from the old Soviet Constitution and encouraged people "to wake up", or "the Communists will return".[http://www.ntv.ru/video/609302/ White House, Black Smoke] documentary by NTV (Russia), archive footage at 57:50 (in Russian)Zheleznova N. L., Panova A. G., Surkov A. P. (1994). Moscow. Autumn-93. Chroincles of the Confrontation // From the speech by Lia Akhedzhakova given on central television on October 4, 1993. — Moscow: Respublika, p. 396-397 {{ISBN|5-250-02452-1}} Yeltsin watched the broadcast in his office. He later wrote in his memoirs, "I will always remember Akhedhakova – shocked, fragile, but firm and courageous".The Invention of Russia: The Rise of Putin and the Age of Fake News, by Arkady Ostrovsky, Penguin, Jun 7, 2016 - History, page 159. She was criticized for her speech by Alexander Prokhanov, Alexander Rutskoy, Stanislav Govorukhin and others who blamed intelligentsia for escalating the conflict.Dmitri Furman (2010). Spiral Motion: The Russian Political System alongside Other Political Systems. — Moscow: Ves Mir, p. 71-72 {{ISBN|978-5-7777-0480-1}} ([http://dmitriyfurman.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Dmitriy_Efimovich_Furman_Dvizhenie_po_spirali_Politicheskaya_sistema_Rossii_v_ryadu_drugih_sistem.pdf Russian pdf] at the official Dmitriy Furman's website)Alexander Rutskoy (1995). [http://library.sakharov-center.ru/vse-fondy/488/view_bl/96904/krovavaya-osen.html The Bloody Autumn: Diary of 21 September - 4 October 1993]. — Moscow, p. 256 {{ISBN|5-900248-27-5}}[http://echo.msk.ru/programs/personalno/757682-echo/ Personal Opinion] with Alexander Prokhanov at Echo of Moscow, March 16, 2011 (in Russian)Yuri Saprykin. [https://www.afisha.ru/article/pundits-akhedzhakova/ Council of Ancients: Lia Akhedzhakova] interview at Afisha, February 4, 2013 [https://web.archive.org/web/20130208173023/https://www.afisha.ru/article/pundits-akhedzhakova/ archived] (in Russian)Oleg Kashin (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=7nXvCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT179&dq Putin's Reaction. What Is Good and What Is Bad]. — Moscow: Algorithm {{ISBN|978-5-4438-0517-7}}Stanislav Govorukhin. [http://www.tula.aif.ru/politic/details/161349 "People are protesting, that's good, but I don't trust the leaders of opposition"] interview at Argumenty i Fakty, 10/02/2012 (in Russian)

Akhedzhakova is a critic of contemporary Russian politics. She has protested the law that prohibits adoption of Russian children by US citizens, the persecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the incarceration of Vasily Aleksanyan. Together with Eldar Ryazanov, Yuri Shevchuk, Andrey Makarevich, Andrei Konchalovsky and others, she has expressed opposition to Russia's policy toward Ukraine. Following the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, she publicly read a poem by Andrey Orlov, Requiem for MH17, where he apologized as a Russian for the incident. In 2013, Akhedzhakova received a prize from the Moscow Helsinki Group for "the protection of human rights by means of culture and arts".{{Cite web|url=https://www.svoboda.org/a/25293190.html|title="Сделать ничего нельзя"}} She spoke out in opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web|date=8 February 2023|title=84-year-old theater star Liya Akhedzhakova banished from stage, together with D. L. Coburn's 'The Gin Game'|url=https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/02/08/84-year-old-theater-star-liya-akhedzhakova-banished-from-stage-together-with-d-l-coburn-s-the-gin-game|author-last=|author-first=|access-date=8 February 2023|work=Meduza}}

According to Eldar Ryazanov, "she sympathizes with the weak, and despises the cruel. In this, her artistic credo coincides with the stance of the great Chaplin".

In April 2023. Russian- and English-language independent news website Meduza reported that Vitaly Borodin, head of the Federal Security and Anti-Corruption Project, asked Russia’s Prosecutor General to launch a criminal case against Akhedzhakova. He claimed that Akhedzhakova has criticized “the state organs’ and the president’s decisions and policies with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He accused the actress of "treason" and "discrediting" the armed forces. Akhedzhakova denied the allegations. Borodin recommended labeling Akhedzhakova a "foreign agent".{{cite news |title=Snitch instigates criminal case against state-honored film and theater star Liya Akhedzhakova |url=https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/04/11/snitch-instigates-criminal-case-against-state-honored-film-and-theater-star-liya-akhedzhakova |work=Meduza |date=11 April 2023}} As a result of these accusations, she had to leave Sovremennik Theatre where she has been working for many years.

Honours and selected awards

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result
scope="row" \| 1970 \| Honored Artist of the RSFSR \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1973 \| Prize of the 8th International Film Screening in the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Varna \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1975 \| Prize of the 8th All-Union Film Festival in Chișinău \| Sports Films \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1979 \| Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR \| Laureate of RSFSR State Prize \| Office Romance \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1991 \| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page91833.html 1991 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian) \| Best Supporting Actress \| Promised Heaven \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1994 \| People's Artist of Russia{{cite web \| url =http://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/acter/w/sov/251/bio/\|title=Ахеджакова Лия Меджидовна\|language=Russian\|publisher=Kino-teatr.ru\| date=3 October 2014 \| accessdate = 24 Dec 2014 }} \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 1999 \| Order of Honour \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2001 \| "Olmypia" National Award \| National Prize of Public Recognition for Women's Achievements \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2006 \| Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" \| Cavalière (4th class) \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2006 \| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page90341.html 2006 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian) \| Best Supporting Actress \| Playing the Victim \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2008 \| Star of Theatre Prize \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2008 \| Award of "Star teatral" \| Civic Courage \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2013 \| Award of "Star teatral" \| Best Actress \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2013 \| Award of the Moscow Helsinki Group \| \| \| {{won}}
scope="row" \| 2014 \| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page97286.html 2014 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian) \| Honorary Prize \| \| {{won}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Award

! Category

! Work

! Result

scope="row" | 1970

| Honored Artist of the RSFSR

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1973

| Prize of the 8th International Film Screening in the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Varna

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1975

| Prize of the 8th All-Union Film Festival in Chișinău

| Sports Films

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1979

| Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR

| Laureate of RSFSR State Prize

| Office Romance

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1991

| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page91833.html 1991 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)

| Best Supporting Actress

| Promised Heaven

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1994

| People's Artist of Russia{{cite web | url =http://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/acter/w/sov/251/bio/|title=Ахеджакова Лия Меджидовна|language=Russian|publisher=Kino-teatr.ru| date=3 October 2014 | accessdate = 24 Dec 2014 }}

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 1999

| Order of Honour

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2001

| "Olmypia" National Award

| National Prize of Public Recognition for Women's Achievements

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2006

| Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"

| Cavalière (4th class)

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2006

| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page90341.html 2006 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)

| Best Supporting Actress

| Playing the Victim

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2008

| Star of Theatre Prize

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2008

| Award of "Star teatral"

| Civic Courage

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2013

| Award of "Star teatral"

| Best Actress

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2013

| Award of the Moscow Helsinki Group

| {{won}}

scope="row" | 2014

| Nika Award[http://kino-nika.com/page97286.html 2014 Laureates] at the official Nika Award website (in Russian)

| Honorary Prize

| {{won}}

Selected filmography

=Film=

Class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1968 \| The Retirning \| Petya \|
1970 \| The Blue Bird \| Young boy \| Voice
1970 \| Valiant Robin Hood \| Little John \| Voice
1973 \| Glasha and Kikimora \| Pioneer cyclist \| Voice
1973 \| Looking for a Man \| Anna Kuznetsova \|
1974 \| Tanya \| Mistress, housekeeper \|
1974 \| Ivan and Marya \| Princess Agrippina \|
1975 \| The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! \| Tanya, Nadya’s friend \| Television film
1975 \| Poshekhonskaya Starina \| Polka \|
1975 \| Near the Black Sea \| Viola Smyr \|
1976 \| In Secret to the Whole World (Po sekretu vsemu svetu) \| Yelizaveta Nikolaevna, geography teacher \|
1976 \| Twenty Days Without War \| Clock woman \|
1977 \| Zhikharka \|Zhikharka \| Voice
1977 \| Two Maples \| Ivanushka \| Voice
1977 \| Crane in the Sky \|Roza Kozodoeva \|
1977 \| Office Romance \| Vera "Verochka", secretary \|
1978 \| The Handsome Man \| Lupacheva \| Television film
1978 \| When I Will Become a Giant \| Julietta Ashotovna, nicknamed “Smiley”, English teacher \|
1978 \| Black Wizard's Gift \| Pugalitsa \|
1979 \| Speak My Language \| Claudia \|
1979 \| Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears \| Olga Pavlovna, club manager \|
1979 \| The Garage \| Malaeva \|
1980 \| Say a Word for the Poor Hussar \| Loulou \| Television film
1981 \| The Eighth Wonder of the World \| Yuliya Yermolina \|
1981 \| Where Did Fomenko Disappear to? \| Alina \| Television film
1981 \| Vacation at Own Expense \| Irina \| Television film
1982 \| Alice Through the Looking Glass \| The White Queen/The Sheep \|
1983 \| Something From the Provincial Life \| Merchutkina \| Television film
1983 \| Talisman \| Grandmother \|
1983 \| Mama Anush \| Anush \|
1984 \| Little Favor \| Toma \| Television film
1984 \| Copper Angel \| Rosita \|
1984 \| Fairy Autumn Gift \| Fairy of sorrow \|
1986 \| Ara, bara, pukh! \|Alla \| Voice
1986 \| Chameleon Game \| Irma \|
1986 \| Occasion \| Violetta \|
1986 \| Wingspan \| First-class passenger (herself) \|
1987 \| Dialog. The Mole and the Egg \| Egg \| Voice
1987 \| Another Life \| Roza \|
1988 \| Ferocious Bambr \| Mouse \| Voice
1988 \| A Sinner \| Zina \|
1989 \| Vagrant Bus \| Zina, administrator \|
1989 \| Sofia Petrovna \|Maria Erastovna Kiparisova \|
1990 \| Should a Hedgehog be Prickly? \| Mother hedgehog \| Voice
1990 \| In the Footsteps of Bambr \| Mouse \| Voice
1990 \| Dope For an Angels \| Nina \|
1990 \| Sons of Bitches \| Nanaytseva \|
1990 \| Mordashka \| Zoya Nikolaevna, Yuliya's mother \|
1991 \| Glasha and Kikimora \|Kikimora \| Voice
1991 \| Trap for Bambr \| Mouse \| Voice
1991 \| For a Rainy Day \|Mother Hedgehog \|Voice
1991 \| Promised Heaven \| Afimya "Fima" Stepanovna \| Nika Award for Best Actress (1991)
1992 \| Birth of Hercules \|Olga's mother \|Voice
1992 \| I Wanted to See Angels \| Zhenya’s mother \|
1992 \| Seven Forty \| Tkachuk \|
1993 \| Ant Hedgehog \|Mother Hedgehog \| Voice
1993 \| Abyss, Seventh Circle \|Olga's mother \|
1994 \| Tren bren \| Masha \|
1995 \| Moscow Vacation \| Speculator \|
1997 \| Dandelion Wine \| Lena Auffmann \|
2000 \| Old Hags \| Lyuba \|
2005 \|Gorynych and Victoria \|Violetta Polikarpovna Lurie \|
2006 \| Playing the Victim \| Waitress in Japanese restaurant \| Nika Award for Best Actress (2007)
2006 \| Andersen. Life Without Love \| Gadalkal \|
2006 \| Strange Christmas \| Lucia \| Television film
2007 \| Potapov, to the Board! \| Taisiya Ivanovna \|
2007 \| Branch of Lilac \| Anna Sergeevna, Zverev’s wife \|
2007 \| Thumbelina \| Mouse \|
2007 \| Photo of My Girl \| Lyubov Grigorevna, Paul’s mother \|
2007 \| The Funeral Party \| Mariya Ignatyevna, healer \|
2008 \| Four Ages of Love \| Zima \|
2009 \| The Book of Masters \| Baba Yaga \|
2009 \| Bankrupt \| Matchmaker \|
2010 \| Love-Carrot 3 \| Yelizaveta Nikolaevna \|
2011 \| Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf \| Baba Yaga \| Voice
2012 \| Moms \| Svetlana Semyonovna \|
2017 \|The Meek \|Human rights activist \|
2018 \|Summer \|Landlady \|
2021 \|Halley's Comet \|Yanga Lvovna Artemyeva, mother of Yulia Borisovna, grandmother of Taisiya and Daria \|
2022 \|Golden Neighbors \|Stepanovna \|

Class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1968

| The Retirning

| Petya

1970

| The Blue Bird

| Young boy

| Voice

1970

| Valiant Robin Hood

| Little John

| Voice

1973

| Glasha and Kikimora

| Pioneer cyclist

| Voice

1973

| Looking for a Man

| Anna Kuznetsova

1974

| Tanya

| Mistress, housekeeper

1974

| Ivan and Marya

| Princess Agrippina

1975

| The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!

| Tanya, Nadya’s friend

| Television film

1975

| Poshekhonskaya Starina

| Polka

1975

| Near the Black Sea

| Viola Smyr

1976

| In Secret to the Whole World (Po sekretu vsemu svetu)

| Yelizaveta Nikolaevna, geography teacher

1976

| Twenty Days Without War

| Clock woman

1977

| Zhikharka

|Zhikharka

| Voice

1977

| Two Maples

| Ivanushka

| Voice

1977

| Crane in the Sky

|Roza Kozodoeva

1977

| Office Romance

| Vera "Verochka", secretary

1978

| The Handsome Man

| Lupacheva

| Television film

1978

| When I Will Become a Giant

| Julietta Ashotovna, nicknamed “Smiley”, English teacher

1978

| Black Wizard's Gift

| Pugalitsa

1979

| Speak My Language

| Claudia

1979

| Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears

| Olga Pavlovna, club manager

1979

| The Garage

| Malaeva

1980

| Say a Word for the Poor Hussar

| Loulou

| Television film

1981

| The Eighth Wonder of the World

| Yuliya Yermolina

1981

| Where Did Fomenko Disappear to?

| Alina

| Television film

1981

| Vacation at Own Expense

| Irina

| Television film

1982

| Alice Through the Looking Glass

| The White Queen/The Sheep

1983

| Something From the Provincial Life

| Merchutkina

| Television film

1983

| Talisman

| Grandmother

1983

| Mama Anush

| Anush

1984

| Little Favor

| Toma

| Television film

1984

| Copper Angel

| Rosita

1984

| Fairy Autumn Gift

| Fairy of sorrow

1986

| Ara, bara, pukh!

|Alla

| Voice

1986

| Chameleon Game

| Irma

1986

| Occasion

| Violetta

1986

| Wingspan

| First-class passenger (herself)

1987

| Dialog. The Mole and the Egg

| Egg

| Voice

1987

| Another Life

| Roza

1988

| Ferocious Bambr

| Mouse

| Voice

1988

| A Sinner

| Zina

1989

| Vagrant Bus

| Zina, administrator

1989

| Sofia Petrovna

|Maria Erastovna Kiparisova

1990

| Should a Hedgehog be Prickly?

| Mother hedgehog

| Voice

1990

| In the Footsteps of Bambr

| Mouse

| Voice

1990

| Dope For an Angels

| Nina

1990

| Sons of Bitches

| Nanaytseva

1990

| Mordashka

| Zoya Nikolaevna, Yuliya's mother

1991

| Glasha and Kikimora

|Kikimora

| Voice

1991

| Trap for Bambr

| Mouse

| Voice

1991

| For a Rainy Day

|Mother Hedgehog

|Voice

1991

| Promised Heaven

| Afimya "Fima" Stepanovna

| Nika Award for Best Actress (1991)

1992

| Birth of Hercules

|Olga's mother

|Voice

1992

| I Wanted to See Angels

| Zhenya’s mother

1992

| Seven Forty

| Tkachuk

1993

| Ant Hedgehog

|Mother Hedgehog

| Voice

1993

| Abyss, Seventh Circle

|Olga's mother

1994

| Tren bren

| Masha

1995

| Moscow Vacation

| Speculator

1997

| Dandelion Wine

| Lena Auffmann

2000

| Old Hags

| Lyuba

2005

|Gorynych and Victoria

|Violetta Polikarpovna Lurie

2006

| Playing the Victim

| Waitress in Japanese restaurant

| Nika Award for Best Actress (2007)

2006

| Andersen. Life Without Love

| Gadalkal

2006

| Strange Christmas

| Lucia

| Television film

2007

| Potapov, to the Board!

| Taisiya Ivanovna

2007

| Branch of Lilac

| Anna Sergeevna, Zverev’s wife

2007

| Thumbelina

| Mouse

2007

| Photo of My Girl

| Lyubov Grigorevna, Paul’s mother

2007

| The Funeral Party

| Mariya Ignatyevna, healer

2008

| Four Ages of Love

| Zima

2009

| The Book of Masters

| Baba Yaga

2009

| Bankrupt

| Matchmaker

2010

| Love-Carrot 3

| Yelizaveta Nikolaevna

2011

| Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf

| Baba Yaga

| Voice

2012

| Moms

| Svetlana Semyonovna

2017

|The Meek

|Human rights activist

2018

|Summer

|Landlady

2021

|Halley's Comet

|Yanga Lvovna Artemyeva, mother of Yulia Borisovna, grandmother of Taisiya and Daria

2022

|Golden Neighbors

|Stepanovna

=Television=

Class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1977 \| Dunno In The Sunny City \| Bukovka \| Episode 7–8, voice
2003 \| Fifth Angel \| Sara \|
2004 \| Narrow Bridge \| Nina Petrovna \| TV mini-series
2005 \| Kazaroza \| Mariya Antonovna \|
2011 \| Dear My Man \| Ashkhen Ovanesovna Oganyan \|

Class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1977

| Dunno In The Sunny City

| Bukovka

| Episode 7–8, voice

2003

| Fifth Angel

| Sara