Tatiana Doronina

Who is Tatiana Doronina?

Tatiana Vasilyevna Doronina is a popular Soviet/Russian actress who has performed in movies and the theater. She is generally regarded as one of the most talented actresses of her generation and was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1981.

Born in Leningrad, little Tanya frequented performances at the Bolshoi Drama Theater and Pushkin Theater. After graduating the famous MKhAT theatre school in Moscow, she returned to Leningrad and joined the Bolshoi Drama Theatre directed by Georgy Tovstonogov.

After moving to Moscow Doronina worked at the Mayakovsky Theater and then at MKhAT. Her major roles were Arkadina in The Sea-Gull by Chekhov, Dulcinea del Toboso in a play by Alexander Volodin, Queen Elizabeth of England and Mary Stuart in Vivat Regina.

“All the films she starred in, though regrettably few, are now considered classics. Most directors believed she was too theatrical for the movies and refused to take her on. Georgy Natanson reversed that unfair judgment by giving her the lead parts in The Elder Sister and Once More about Love. Both had a tremendous success making Doronina a huge film star. Young girls imitated her hair-do and her manner of speaking.