Biography of Wera Witaljewna Glagolewa

Vera Vitalyevna Glagoleva (born 31 January 1956 in Moscow; died 16 August 2017 in Baden-Baden), rendered in German as Wera Witaljewna Glagolewa, was a Soviet and Russian actress, director, screenwriter and producer. She became known through film roles from the 1970s onward; later she directed her own films and worked with international performers. In 2011 she received the title People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

Childhood and path to film

Glagoleva was born in Moscow. She entered film without classical acting training and was discovered for roles after school. She made her debut in 1975 in Na kraj sveta.... This practical beginning shaped her work: she was not built up primarily as a theatre actress, but learned camera work, editing rhythm, performance and production directly on set.

Actress in Soviet cinema

In the following years Glagoleva appeared in Soviet and Russian films, often in roles that connected quiet determination, vulnerability and inner tension. Her known works include Ne strelyayte v belykh lebedey, Vyyti zamuzh za kapitana and Bednaya Sasha. Her characters were often quietly drawn; decisions appeared in looks, pauses and everyday situations.

Direction and her own films

Glagoleva first directed a film in 1990. In the following decades she repeatedly worked behind the camera and also contributed to screenplays and production. Her 2014 film Dve zhenshchiny (Two Women) is based on Ivan Turgenev's play A Month in the Country and starred Ralph Fiennes, Sylvie Testud and Aleksandr Baluev. The project placed her work between Russian literary tradition, contemporary cinema and international co-production.

Awards

In 1995 Glagoleva received the title Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation. On 21 March 2011 she was named People's Artist of the Russian Federation. In 2016 she received the Moscow Prize for Literature and the Arts. These honours reflect long work in a film and television environment that changed from the Soviet system into contemporary Russia.

Family and later years

Glagoleva was first married to actor and director Rodion Nakhapetov; the marriage produced two daughters. She later married businessman Kirill Shubsky, with whom she had another daughter. In later years she remained active as an actress and director and continued working on film projects.

Farewell

Vera Glagoleva died in Baden-Baden on 16 August 2017 from cancer. She was 61 years old. Her career connects Soviet film roles, Russian television, her own directorial work and the move of an actress behind the camera.