May 10 marks the 85th anniversary of the French actress and singer of Russian origin Marina Vlady (full name – Ekaterina Marina Vladimirovna Polyakova-Baidarova). She was born in 1938 in the French commune of Clichy-la-Garenne. Her father was the opera singer Vladimir Polyakov, who fled Russia during the First World War, and her mother was the daughter of a Russian general, the ballerina Milica Envald, who moved to France in 1919.

Marina was the youngest among four daughters in the family. Following the sisters, who were fond of art, she also began acting. At the age of 11, she starred with one of them in the Italian film “Summer Thunderstorm”. Later, the sisters formed the Polyakov Sisters trio, performing Russian folk songs, and also played in Chekhov’s Three Sisters at the Heberto Theater in Paris. After the death of her father, Marina took the pseudonym “Vladi”.

She has acted in many Italian films, acting in both dramatic and comedic roles. Often, Vladi was offered the role of girls of Slavic origin in films based on the works of Russian authors.

In 1970-1980, Marina Vlady lived with Vladimir Vysotsky, gaining great fame in the USSR. After his death, she married for the fourth time and spent 23 years married to oncologist Leon Schwarzenberg, who died in 2003. Since the 80s, she rarely acted in films. She published a collection of short stories “Milica’s Stories”, a book of memoirs “Vladimir, or Interrupted Flight”, a number of novels, memoirs and essays.

The life and work of Marina Vladi is in the photo gallery of Gazeta.