“Living without envy”

Some critics argue that with her exotic, fairy-tale-like, lyrical appearance and huge, dark eyes she should have been born earlier, in the era of silent movies. Her record includes more than 40 roles in films and more than 50 roles in theater. For over 45 years now, Larysa Kadochnykova has been working at the Lesia Ukrainka Kyiv Theater. However, the niche of Ukraine’s poetic film prima donna is rightfully hers.

COLLEAGUES

Which actors were your idols?

“Innokentii Smoktunovsky was for me an idol of an actor’s perfect mastery. I was astonished by his ease, power to convey deep, dramatic emotions, and impulsivity. For a long time Oleg Yefremov was a paragon of ideal person. He loved all actors and considered them his children. I had warm, friendly relations with Yevgenii Yevstigneyev, who had God’s gift for acting. How easily could he improvise! When Yevgenii played the King in The Naked King, the actors who were not engaged in the performance would crowd backstage to peek at his unsurpassable, ever new acting.

“Bohdan Stupka was for me a more recent example of an actor’s perfection (we co-starred in White Bird with Black Mark). I believe that Orest’s part was one of his first film successes. I always followed his career and I was impressed with his last movie parts the most, especially in Oleg Pogodin’s Home. Bohdan had unusual eyes – I wish I had noticed earlier. It is the look that determined his character’s nature.

“Every time he cleared a new age barrier, Stupka was nevertheless able to remain a hero. No matter what part he played, main or cameo, he was always in the center of attention, due to his look, mimics, voice, and plastique. Every time we saw a new man, a new character, and a contemporary hero. He had an intricate actor’s mastery, whose technique is beyond my comprehension. His death was a tragedy for me. He was such a powerful man-mountain, a legend of our time. With him, we lost a part of that cultural and artistic epoch.

“We had great personal relations. He seldom answered phone calls recently. But if I was lucky to get through, there would always be jokes.

“Such a pity that my generation are passing away, the people who were so close, and so hard to part with: Bohdan Stupka, Kostiantyn Stepankov, Boris Khmelnitsky, Mikhail Kozakov… My bonds with Khmelnitsky were as tight as with a girlfriend. Whenever I came to Moscow, he would meet me, drive me around in his car, check me in at a hotel, and take out to dinner.

“I have particularly vivid memories of the time when the two of us frequented public rehearsals of Yurii Liubimov’s Hamlet at the Taganka Theater. Liubimov trained his actors to feel the audience’s attention and response from the very start. Later, it helped the actors through the first night. The house was always overcrowded during rehearsals. Boris introduced me to Vladimir Vysotsky. The two men shared such traits as true kindness, generosity, and openness. Now you cannot often find that in people.

“I have warm memories of Ivan Mykolaichuk, with whom I co-starred in four films. He was an exceptionally handsome, talented, and intelligent man, but rather reticent. His characters are all philosophers. Ivan found the framework of acting too tight for himself, so he wrote scripts and made films. It has been 25 years since he died, yet I still refuse to believe that he is gone.

“Life brought me together with wonderful people. I was lucky to meet and co-star with Yevgenii Yevtushenko in Savva Kulish’s Take-Off. Yevtushenko has such a powerful personality, he is like a separate, full-fledged state. When he reads his poems, you cannot take your eyes off him. It was next to impossible to get a seat at his concerts, but I was lucky once. The house was overcrowded, there were loudspeakers placed outside the concert hall, so the crowd in the street could also hear the poet. The women in the audience were sobbing out loud. Yevgenii won the audience with one glance, word, or gesture. He was always enamored, his muses often replaced one another, leaving the poet with entire collections in their honor.”

DIRECTORS

You have worked with many famous film directors. Which of them impressed you most, and stayed in your memory?

“All the directors I have worked with are unique in their own way. I think Mikhail Reznikovich’s was a symbolic personality in my career. The characters we created together are perhaps my highest achievement: Larisa Ogudalova in Without a Dowry, Olga Knipper-Chekhova in My Ironic Happiness, Desdemona in Othello, and Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest. It is not so easy to work with Reznikovich the director. But once you understand him and do what you must do, without blindly copying the part but rather living it, you will get a good piece of work.

“With the director Yurii Aksionov I worked in three productions, The Inspector General, The Last One Madly in Love, and The Quartet. He has an excellent perception of the authors, and every time he finds and reveals a new feature or quality in them. He was never particularly happy, constantly remarking that something needed refinement and further search. However, he never sulked, flew into a temper, or yell. With him, I created three great, fascinating, and distinct characters. His productions are always a success, collecting crowded houses.

“Working with Roman Viktiuk was thrilling and unusual. He has a system of his own for working with actors. Viktiuk completely gave up the conventional technique and instead offers his own, based on emotion and sensuality. On stage, he is intrigued by the triangle ‘man – woman – sex.’ Yet for its embodiment he ignores vulgar tricks and employs instead sophisticated theatrical methods: symbolic, plastic, and acoustic. Roman taught the actresses how a woman must move in a feminine way, how she must gesticulate, speak, even breathe. He believes in clear-cut scores for parts, therefore he polished a character’s inner emotional line to perfection. And although I only played cameo roles in his Sacred Monsters and Lady without Camellias, they were in the limelight no less than the main parts. I think working with such a master was a great experience for me.

“I also had quite a good experience working with Eduard Mytnytsky. He, too, has his own approach to building a character’s image, and he relies on inner psychology more heavily. I made only an episodic appearance in Five Poods of Love – but it was very clear-cut, well-planned, and the character made several appearances throughout the play.

“As for film directors – well, Serhii Parajanov totally failed to impress me at first, due to his funny southern looks. Back then, I idolized Oleg Yefremov, and no one could be near as good. Parajanov and Yurii Illienko played a decisive role in my life, because I made my ultimate choice in favor of Ukraine. When we arrived in the Carpathians to film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, I was totally overwhelmed by everything: the atmosphere of the mountains, nature’s wild energy and beauty, the mentality of the local people, and their melodious language. I was fluttering on the wings of love and infatuation, forgetting the bustling Moscow and my beloved Sovremennik Theater. The filming was great, and I discovered another Parajanov for myself: a patriot, philosopher, and a great master.

“Working with Oleh Biima was also stimulating. He has a perfectly tuned inner perception and intuition, and a gift to steer the actor in the right direction. In this, Oleh is somewhat like Artur Voitetsky. When Artur invited me to play in his film A Story of Love, I was scared at first, for he only cast actors from Moscow. I was stunned at his invitation and feared to let him down. But due to his wonderful, unhurried, and gentle manner of working with actors, we did good. The Moscow tour of the Lesia Ukrainka Theater coincided with the film’s first show. People would recognize me in the street, compliment me, and give flowers. Voitetsky had planned to make a film about Tevye the Milkman, starring me and Stupka, but unfortunately, this was not to happen.”

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What is your secret of youth and happiness?

“You must live without envy, and fall in love at all times. Of course, it is hard when you have a family. But love heals all maladies, it rejuvenates, gives strength and inspiration. You must be kind, have a positive attitude, delve into good books, but never go into your shell. And most of all, spend more time with friends, cherish and value these relationships.”