Anastasiya Vertinskaya Movies and Career Information

Anastasiya Alexandrovna Vertinskaya (Russian: Анастасия Александровна Вертинская) (born December 19, 1944, Moscow, USSR), a Soviet and Russian actress whose mass popularity and high critical acclaim made her one of the most distinguished figures in the history of the 20th century Soviet cinema. Praised initially for her striking teenage charms (after the sensational 1961 debut), she quickly evolved into a diverse, versatile and highly original actress, garnering praise from all quarters, home and abroad. Part of Vertinskaya’s appeal has always been her unconventional good looks, the actress having been described variously as ‘the Soviet Vivien Leigh’ and ‘anti-Soviet-looking Soviet beauty’. Her reputation of the nation’s most secretive movie treasure well maintained, Vertinskaya through the years managed to avoid journalists and TV cameras, making her private life the subject of rumours and insinuations. In the 1990s, disillusioned with the state of cinema at home, she went to teach her art abroad and spent 12 years in France, England, USA and Switzerland. In 1988 Vertinskaya was given the People's Artist of Russia title; she is also an Order of Honour laureate (2005). Anastasiya