Very often in the world of theatrical or cinematic art, stars are formed in such a way that the most beautiful and talented actors and actresses, blessed by God with the ability to live many lives, the children of worthy and famous parents, did not receive the only personal happiness that could allow their planets to lighten gray reality for many, many years, giving grateful spectators the great magic of theater and cinema.
Kunn
A Muscovite with an exotic name Künna was born on September 26, 1934 in the aristocratic family of an academician and former ballerina.
The curiosity of her name was explained by the fact that her senior official father, Nikolai Mikhailovich Alekseev, was a Yakut by nationality. He called his daughter Künna, which means “sun” in translation from his native language.
From her parents, the girl inherited a special beauty, sophistication, intelligence and creative gift. But she, unfortunately, did not get simple human happiness. Mom and dad soon parted, and the girl began to bear her mother's maiden name - Ignatov.
The origins
Kunna Ignatova’s father, Nikolai Mikhailovich, was an academician-ethnographer, as well as a leading librarian in Yakutia. Dressed luxuriously, smelled of expensive perfumes, was known as a great connoisseur of the real Russian language. He was the grandson of the philanthropist and merchant Stepan Alekseev, a person who flaunted a golden watch presented by the tsar, and is well known for Yakutia.
The mother of the future movie star, Tatyana Nikolaevna Ignatova, was a professional ballerina in her youth, so she retired very early. She was an attractive, thin and small woman. When her marriage to Kunna’s father broke up, she herself began raising her only daughter. In this she was helped by Nikolai Andreyevich Ignatov, her father, who was a naval officer, captain of the first rank, commander of the first submarines of tsarist Russia, and then the Soviet Union.
His only love and wife, Kunna’s maternal grandmother, was Odessa citizen Alexandra Alexandrovna Zhukovskaya.
They died in 1956, on the same day.
This is what their grandson Peter Sokolov says about those events.
Alexandra Alexandrovna died in the hospital. It was decided - not to tell Nikolai Andreyevich, to prepare first. But there was someone who hurried to express condolences. “Died?” - only asked Nikolai Andreevich, picking up the telephone. Then he dropped it, sat on the floor and died. Previously, I did not attach importance to the date of death, then we were not religious. But they died on the seventh of July, when they begin to serve the morning of the next day, remembering Saints Peter and Fevronia - symbols of fidelity and conjugal love, who have lived together their whole lives and died on the same day ...
However, they did not succeed in having children. Therefore, they adopted the little girl Tanya, who later became the mother of one of the most beautiful actresses in the Soviet Union.
Brilliant take-off
After leaving school, in 1953, Künna Ignatova entered the Shchukin Theater School. Two years later, Leonid Gaidai, who at that time was engaged in the selection of actors for filming, noticed the young and bright beauty student.
So Ignatova gets into the world of cinema - she was taken in the lead role in the new film "Liana".
This film was a stunning success. In the wake of its popularity in the country, the name of new cigarettes, grape and tomato varieties, and even wine - “Liana” instantly appeared.
In 1956, Leonid Gaidai made his new film, The Long Way, in which Kuhn also played one of the central dramatic roles.
After graduating from the Schukin School, a young but already well-known actress got a job at the Moscow Drama and Comedy Theater, where she immediately began to be given leading roles in such performances as “Quiet American”, “On a Farm Near Dikanka”, “Flatmates” and other theatrical productions.
In parallel with work in the theater, Künna continues to act in films. In January 1960, a wonderful lyrical picture "The Tale of the Newlyweds" was released on the screens of the country.
Photos of Kunna Ignatova are increasingly flashed in the press, they begin to recognize her on the streets.
The audience very warmly received this amazingly good film.
Then, in 1962, the fantastic and technically bold film “Planet of the Storms” followed, the creative ideas of which were subsequently used by Hollywood in the person of the famous director James Cameron.
"Planet of the storms" was her last iconic film work, after which the personal life of actress Kunna Ignatova finally went astray.
Vyacheslav Sokolov
While still a student at the Shchukin Theater School, Ignatova hastily married actor Vyacheslav Sokolov.
However, the couple they were very beautiful and romantic, both were born on the same day, September 26, and together dreamed of becoming famous in the acting field.
In 1958, when Sokolov's young wife was already in her last year, the couple had a son, Peter, who became the only son of the actress.
However, their marriage was very short-lived. Even during the filming of the film "The Long Way" in 1956, Kunna Ignatova met the then-famous actor Vladimir Belokurov, to whom she left, after two years of his persistent courtship. Almost immediately after the birth of Peter.
Vladimir Belokurov
Vladimir Vyacheslavovich, Honored and People's Artist of the RSFSR, was older than his chosen one, who at that time was only twenty-four years, for thirty years.
He sought the heart of Ignatova very beautifully and persistently. What, for example, were worth only basins with roses, carefully cut off from the stems, so that, God forbid, not hurt his tender fingers on the thorns that he gave her daily.
Vladimir Belokurov understood that his young wife was too beautiful and desirable for all men without exception, who somehow surrounded her, and who were much younger and more attractive than he was in his 54 years.
And so that the young beautiful bird would not fly away, he put her in a cage. Having married Vladimir Vyacheslavovich, Kunn Ignatov, at the insistence of her husband, began to play only in those films in which he played himself, even in the most insignificant role. Afraid of losing his young wife, Belokurov did everything to never lose sight of her and always be able to control.
Gradually, the life of the famous and vibrant Künn, who had never known peace from numerous offers for shooting, firmly entered the lack of demand. The artist could not and did not want to forget the former popularity and adoration of the audience who circled her head so recently. Seeing the suffering of his wife, Vladimir Belokurov got her into the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography, to teach acting. Künn's eyes shone again.
However, this time Belokurov did not let her go too far from him either - he himself taught a course in this educational institution.
One way or another, their marriage lasted fourteen years.
Oddly enough, Pyotr Sokolov, the son of Künna, recalling that period, speaks of Belokurov with gratitude. Vladimir Vyacheslavovich was very warm about the boy.
Already at a very mature age, having sorted out my life, I realized that he did only good to me. Unobtrusively, not demanding anything in return. He forgave me for climbing into his room, carrying imported cigarettes for adult friends-hooligans, and fired his pistol, which, fortunately, turned out to be the starting one. I realized that he was a real husband, a real man and a talented artist ...
The only thing Belokurov could not forgive to his young wife was that she did not allow him to adopt Petya.
Being infrequently occupied with roles in the theater and even less in films, Kunna Ignatova again lost the usual attention of the audience. Life with a rapidly aging husband became a burden to her more and more. And when in 1972, Vladimir Vyacheslavovich fell seriously ill and fell ill, she left her husband, who was actually dying, for a young actor.
Alexander Dick
Alexander Yakovlevich was fourteen years younger than Künna. When meeting with the actress, he was only twenty-three.
Despite everything, even soon after the death of Vladimir Belokurov, next to young Alexander, Ignatova’s life acquired colors and paints. In the husband’s small apartment, in which the couple began to live after their wedding, which happened in 1972, guests often gathered. The gatherings with them almost always grew into noisy festivities. Kunna Ignatova’s personal life was changing rapidly. Around the young faces flashed peers and peers of her husband and, looking at them, it seemed, the actress herself was getting younger.
Roles in the cinema and theater were still not given to her, probably in memory of the deceased husband, Vladimir. Therefore, Künn and Alexander Dick toured the country, giving concerts.
Sad ending
Over the last ten years of her life, the actress was unclaimed, only occasionally appearing on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, in extras. Her life was filled with loneliness, madness and alcohol.
Her husband, Alexander Dick, whose acting life was in full swing, leaving for the next tour, forgot the keys at home. On February 18, 1988, when he returned, he rang the doorbell. However, no one unlocked it for him. When the door was hacked in the presence of the police, Künna was found unconscious on the floor of the bedroom, but still alive.
February 20, never regaining consciousness, the actress died.
The strange death of Kunna Ignatova at the age of only 53 years caused a lot of rumors. Many saw a bruise on her temple. There were versions of suicide and even the murder of the actress. However, doctors issued a dry verdict - death as a result of a stroke. Perhaps falling, the unhappy woman hit the corner of the table.
Descendants
Today, the only son of the actress, Peter Sokolov, has become a famous cultural figure and winner of various awards in drama and directing. His life is connected with the world of theater.
Künna still had grandchildren - Savvaty and Arseny, as well as granddaughter Lisa.
Kunne Ignatova was not destined to see her grandchildren - all of them were born after her death. Savvaty, Arseny and Lisa graduated from the Orthodox St. Tikhon University.
Elizabeth became an artist-restorer. All loved ones consider her very similar to grandma Künnu in her youth.