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Anniversary of the First Screen Aksinya – Emma Tsesarskaya

On June 3, 2019, it is the 110^th anniversary of Emma Vladimirovna Tsesarskaya, a cinema actress, the RSFSR Honoured Actress (1909 – 1990). She acted the role of Aksinya in the first filming of the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” by M.A.Sholokhov.

Emma Tsesarskaya was approved for this role without tests long before the start of the filming by the directors Olga Preobrazhenskaya and Ivan Pravov. The premiere of the silent film version, which brought the actress the national fame, took place on May 14, 1931. Tsesarskaya was thought by many of the viewers to be a real Cossack woman. Illustrating the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” by M.A.Sholokhov the artist Orest Vereisky portrayed Emma Tsesarskaya as the image of Aksinya.                                  

M.A.Sholokhov got acquainted with E.V.Tsesarskaya in 1929, when the filming of the novel began. He came to the film set, saw the cast chosen, felt excited to see the image of Grigory acted by A.Abrikosov. The writer highly appreciated the acting by E.Tsesarskaya. As the actress remembered, M.A.Sholokhov repeatedly watched the film. Later on, M.A.Sholokhov and E.V.Tsesarskaya maintained their friendly relations. After the actress’ husband was arrested in 1937, she, as the wife of “the people’s enemy” was forbidden to act in films. M.A.Sholokhov helped E.V.Tsesarskaya to continue her career as an actress.

Later, Emma Tsesarskaya starred in two more films based on Sholokhov’s works: the films “The Shame Child” (1961) and “When Cossacks Cry” (1963).

Natalya Kirsanova
Yekaterina Karbysheva