Russian actress Olga Zabotkina

Film Cheryomushki
Film Cheryomushki

Russian actress Olga Zabotkina (January 18, 1936, Leningrad – December 21, 2001, Moscow) was the Soviet ballet dancer and actress, soloist of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1960). Her great-grandfather Dmitry Stepanovich was a military engineer, vice governor of Arkhangelsk. Father Leonid Dmitrievich (1902-1942) studied at the Nicholas Cadet Corps. Olga Zabotkina graduated from the Vaganova ballet school in 1953. From this year to 1977, she performed at the Leningrad Kirov Theater (now – the Mariinsky Theatre). Olga Zabotkina was one of the brightest dancers of Leningrad stage.

Don Cesar de Bazan, 1957 film
Don Cesar de Bazan, 1957 film

For a half decades of work at the Kirov Ballet Theatre Olga Zabotkina danced in over 25 ballet performances and a variety of operas.

She was the first performer of the parties:

  1. Colored Girls (“Path of Thunder” by Kara Karayev),
  2. the Court of dancers (“Legend of Love” Arif Melikov),
  3. Mistress of the festival (“In the port entered the “Russia” by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi),
  4. lezginka (“Mountain Girl” by Murad Kazhlaev).

Among the other parties and dances in her repertoire were:

  1. Cleopatra (“Egyptian Nights” by Anton Arensky),
  2. maid of restaurant (“Romeo and Juliet” by Sergei Prokofiev),
  3. Mercedes and street dancer (“Don Quixote”),
  4. Aisha and Gaditanskaya Maid (“Gayane” and “Spartacus” by Aram Khachaturian),
  5. Spanish dance (“The Nutcracker” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Bizet’s opera “Carmen”) and much more.
Two Captains, 1955 film
Two Captains, 1955 film

In 1965, Olga married Leningrad musician bassoonist – Sergey Krasavin, who was 5 years younger than her. By the time he was twice the winner of the international competitions of musicians: in Prague (1959) and in Leningrad (1963), and soon became one of the winners of the same competition in Munich (1966). Accordingly, in the orchestra of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, he sang the first bassoon.

Olga Zabotkina married for the second time after 10 years.

At the beginning of 1980 in Leningrad toured the famous poet-parodist Alexander Ivanov. Speaking in St. Petersburg, he fortunately met with Olga Zabotkina. And fell in love with this gorgeous woman at first sight. Olga’s exquisite beauty combined with an extraordinary mind, a magical grace, good taste always attracted men.

They were married on February 20, 1980, Alexander left Moscow for Leningrad. The society in both capitals then were discussing this marriage. They couldn’t understand why this belle Zabotkina suddenly gave heart to Ivanov. Idle gossip agreed Olga felt talent. When Ivanov became a television presenter, Olga Zabotkina had to leave the stage to move to Moscow and become secretary of her husband. She watched his image, advised to change the hairstyle, chose costumes, edited texts … Olga did not miss a single program of her husband. And all the feasts, friendly gatherings, birthdays and other celebrations she attended consistently.

Alexander and Olga solidly built two-bedroom cooperative apartment in a prestigious building at the metro “Airport”. The childless couple took care of their pets: endless cats, dogs, birds. In 1990, in an interview to journalist Evgeny Stepanov, Ivanov very briefly but succinctly described his personal life: “The family have little – I and my wife Olga Zabotkina, former ballerina of the Kirov Theatre. We don’t have children, but there is a cat Alarek and dog Avva.”

She survived her husband for several years. The last few years she was very sick, almost did not go out, invited no one. “I do not want you to see me like this,” – she replied to a friend on the phone. She died in Moscow on December 21, 2001. By the will of the deceased her ashes were taken to St. Petersburg from Moscow. She was buried at the Smolensk cemetery.

Olga’s life was not easy. She lost her happiness to be the mother due to the tough life circumstances. It would seem that this divinely beautiful woman should sparkle with diamonds living in happiness. But God has given her a lot of tests, starting with her besieged childhood in Leningrad and ending with the severe form of the disease. She did not like publicity, although for the actress and ballerina – it sounds nonsense.

Russian actress Olga Zabotkina photo