Vitebsk actress Tatyana Likhacheva: "I am not afraid of old age..."
What tricks actresses don't resort to in order to stay in the age of "ingénue" roles. And time, as we know, is relentless. And the "transitional" period of life obliges one to go on stage in so-called age-appropriate roles. And actresses sometimes react painfully to it. Tatyana Likhacheva, Honored Artist of Belarus, who has been serving the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre for 40 years, has not felt the discomfort of this transition. With the ease inherent in youth, she entered the period of maturity. Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Rogneda, Golda... And although theatrical Vitebsk has not forgotten Likhacheva's lyrical and character heroines — Juliet in the play "Romeo and Juliet", Hanna in "Symeon the Musician", Zina in the play of the same name — it accepts her in age-appropriate roles with the same affection.
— How do you feel? After all, you are far from forty now...
— Richard Bach has a statement that is applicable to age as well. He says that there is no problem in which there is not a priceless gift for us. Aging is not only a problem for some women, but also a drama. Personally, I am not afraid of old age, why be afraid of what is inevitable.
— Where does such a positive charge come from?
— From my Greek mother. She was born in the mountains of Georgia, in a Greek village called Ivanovka. Our ancestors settled in those places during the Turkish persecutions. Until I came of age, I was sent to my grandparents for the whole summer. That's where I absorbed a healthy outlook on life. I am convinced that every woman is beautiful in her own way. Not to mention flawless beauty. All my friends are also beautiful. I can express my admiration for the beauty of a person I see for the first time. But over the years, I began to realize that I could embarrass them, so I started doing it more carefully. I like to look at beautiful things, to eat appetizing and delicious food... What we eat, in the literal and figurative sense, is what we become. What we nourish our souls with, that is what we generate into the world.
— Do you visit Greece often?
— Last year, I visited Thessaloniki for the first time: I was visiting relatives who emigrated to Greece after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Of course, I didn't speak Greek with my cousins and their children, although I knew the language in childhood, but I felt a sense of kinship. I also went on excursions. I ended up in the city of Epidaurus, which has the most ancient theater. Ancient drama festivals are held there. The acoustics were amazing: even a whisper can be heard in all 55 rows. Leading theaters of the world are lining up to perform on this orchestra. And in such a place, where 15,000 spectators gather, I suddenly had an irresistible urge to sing. I don't know what prompted me to do it, perhaps genes pushed me, or maybe a craving for transformation. And I sang a rock-style song in Belarusian, which I perform in the play "Ladzya rospach," playing the role of Death. When I sang, I experienced mystical feelings: it seemed as if I was acting in an ancient drama and conversing with the gods. By the way, the role of Death is one of my favorites: Korotkevich put the universal worldview philosophy of life into the mouth of this character.
— Has your husband's opinion as an actor and stage partner always been important to you?
— Our creative partnership with Gennady Shkuratova was successful, we valued each other's opinions. Perhaps if it weren't for the theater, our marriage would have fallen apart: both are strong personalities, such temperaments... Did we clash? Of course! But we knew how to extinguish conflicts: after all, we had to perform together in the evening, and for the sake of our sons. A look during the performance could tell you: the conflict was resolved.
— Why, in your opinion, do acting families often break up?
— I don't know about others. But we were afraid of losing each other, although outwardly everything looked different. I have friends, Gena has filming. "Aren't you afraid someone will take him away?" — acquaintances would ask. I wasn't afraid: Shkuratova was devoted to one woman. He looked at women with a gaze that was, how to put it correctly, brotherly, perhaps, not the kind of male gaze with which a man expresses personal affection for a woman. And women couldn't cross this line of his decency, even if they wanted to. Therefore, I was calm about our union. "Well, it happens, you might suddenly feel something kindred, warm feelings towards a man, how about you?" — I asked Gena. And he told me: "Why should I feel that when I have you." He was loved everywhere he went: nature had done its best for him. My husband was very handsome, both outwardly and in soul. People went to the theater "for Shkuratova." Gena was a wonderful actor. And he masterfully played his role of a healthy person for six months before his death: when heart problems began, he managed to convince me that there was nothing to worry about. When Gena passed away, no one believed he was gone: calls were coming in, and people were asking, "Is this a prank or a mistake? Confused with Shmakov? (Fyodor Shmakov is a People's Artist of the USSR. — ed. note)... I took a long time to recover, as if I had turned to stone for three months. About seven years have passed, and I still can't comprehend that Gena is gone.
— What would you like to say to the directors you've worked with?
— I am grateful to each of them for the experience. And for their style. And although I prefer psychological theater, I also work with interest with directors who have a set form. I've also tried physical theater, where the creative mass in the person of the actor embodies their idea. And such performances are also needed. I will also say this: I am infinitely devoted to my theater, and I always need a director. I hope they will still find me useful.
Valentin Zhdanovich, Sovetskaya Belorussiya