Published on: 2026-08-27
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Faina Ranevskaya (born Fanny Feldman) was born on August 27, 1896, in Taganrog into a wealthy merchant family. When the girl turned 14, she became seriously interested in theater and began studying at a private theater studio.
Having seen the play “The Cherry Orchard” based on Anton Chekhov’s work, she was so impressed that in the future she took the pseudonym Ranevskaya in honor of one of the heroines.
In 1915, the future actress moved to Moscow; at that time, she also joined the troupe of the Malakhovsky summer theater in the Moscow region, and later — the Kerch troupe of Madame Elizaveta Lavrovskaya. Afterwards, there were the First Soviet Theater in Crimea, the Theater of the Revolution, the Baku Workers’ Theater, the Stalingrad Dramatic Theater, Alexander Tairov’s Chamber Theater, the Central Theater of the Red Army, and many others. But the strongest connection was formed with The Mossovet Theatre, now subordinated to the city’s Department of Culture, — a theater to which the actress devoted more than a quarter of a century.
The Stalin Prize and a Case of Severe Jealousy
At the Mossovet Theater, Faina Ranevskaya served from 1949 to 1955, and also from 1963 to 1983. Her first role within its walls was that of Sumburova in the play “The Fashionable Shop” based on the work of Ivan Krylov. And just a year later, for her performance as Agrippina Solntseva in the production “Dawn over Moscow” based on the play of the same name by Anatoly Surov, the actress received the Stalin Prize of the second degree. Awards were not new to her: a few years before this, she had been awarded the title of People’s Artist of the RSFSR and the USSR, as well as another Stalin Prize for the role of Losev’s wife in the play “The Law of Honor” of the Moscow Drama Theater (now — Vladimir Mayakovsky Theatre).
In 1951, the premiere of “The Storm” took place — an updated version of the 1925 play. It was the original “Storm” directed by Evsey Lyubimov-Lansky that opened the path to wide recognition for the theater, which at that time was only two years old. The author of the play, sailor Vladimir Bill-Belotserkovsky, a participant in the Civil War, received a letter of gratitude from Joseph Stalin after one of the performances.
The new version of the production was undertaken by the chief director of the Mossovet Theatre, Yuri Zavadsky. He added new scenes and characters to the story, among them the speculator Manka—played by Faina Ranevskaya. The witty actress came up with her own lines, and thanks to her brilliant performance, Manka the speculator practically overshadowed the other characters. In the end, the director was forced to remove her from the play altogether.
Because of her capricious nature, many directors feared Ranevskaya, and Zavadsky was no exception. He respected her, recognizing her unquestionable talent; nevertheless, humorous situations occurred between them. Several recollections include episodes resembling anecdotes or comedic scenes from films. Once, during a tour, the actress felt unwell, and the director took her to the hospital. It turned out to be a heart attack, and doctors had to urgently stop it. When Ranevskaya felt better, Yuri Aleksandrovich asked what the diagnosis was. “Chest toad,” was the answer. At that time, that was how angina pectoris was called. Zavadsky was horrified, but the very next minute he was humming, looking out the car window: “Chest toad, chest toad.”
The most touching, the very last
In 1966, Faina Ranevskaya played the lead role in the play “The Curious Savage” by the American playwright John Patrick. Her character, Ethel Savage, inherits a huge fortune after her husband’s death and spends it quite extravagantly — helping people fulfill unusual wishes. The three children of her husband from a previous marriage, learning about this, decide to commit the woman to a psychiatric hospital. The play is full of humorous moments. For example, when the young people come to question the stepmother about where she put the remaining money, she fools them by provoking strange deeds that later make front-page newspaper headlines.
In her interviews, Faina Ranevskaya said that Ethel Savage was one of her favorite characters. However, she eventually declined the role herself: her stage partner Vadim Beroev passed away, and it became too painful for Ranevskaya to go on stage and perform in comedies.
One of the most touching roles in the performances at the Mossovet Theatre was the role of Lucy Cooper. The production “Silence Beyond” based on the script by American writer Vinny Delmar premiered in 1969 and immediately became a notable theatrical event.
This is about an elderly couple — Barkley and Lucy Cooper, who are cold-bloodedly separated by their own adult children, who refuse to help the old people buy out the house. Faina Georgievna’s partner was Rostislav Plyatt, and the director of the play Anatoly Efros believed they created a brilliant duo. Efros revealed the actress’s talent from an unexpected side, breaking her typecast. Accustomed to shining with irony and bold wit, Ranevskaya appeared quite differently — melancholic, thoughtful, and infinitely sad. She took on this role without hesitation, explaining that after reading the play she felt “compassion for these old people.” Faina Georgievna wrote: “The play is American, but letters come to me from our old ladies, where they thank me — for the fact that children have begun to treat them better…”
Anatoly Efros feared that he would not be able to find a common language with her.
“I came to rehearsal like, probably, an inexperienced trainer comes to a lioness… For some reason she tolerated me, but each time that patience was put to a serious test again. She was either extremely trusting or not trusting at all — mean jokes aimed at me seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, but for now she was muttering something extremely delicate. So, it was on this thin wire that we balanced,” the director wrote.
The fears were not justified: Ranevskaya had enormous respect for him, calling him not a director but a creator. He easily admitted his mistakes, consulted with the actors, and all this, without a doubt, won over Faina Georgievna.
As a result, theater critics recognized the play as a true exemplar of acting craftsmanship, and the scene in which Barkley takes his wife to their favorite restaurant for one last dinner is still studied in theater universities today.
“Then — silence.” The story of the last performance with Faina Ranevskaya
The last play at the Mossovet Theater in which Faina Georgievna performed a new role was the comedy “Truth is Good, but Happiness is Better,” staged in 1980. If it were not for the actress, this play might never have appeared in the repertoire: after reading a book about the playwright Alexander Ostrovsky, she realized she really wanted to act in a production based on his work. It is known that the book about him, borrowed from the library, was returned by Faina Georgievna with an inscription on the cover: “Ranevskaya’s favorite playwright.”
Sergey Yursky staged “Truth…” Initially, he offered Ranevskaya the role of the nasty and despotic old woman Barabosheva, but she preferred to transform into the elderly nanny Filitsata — a kind and compliant character: “I’ve played so many monsters. I want to play a good person.”
The theater carefully preserves the legacy of its legendary actress. On September 10, the exhibition “Love and Memory of the Heart” will open here in honor of the 130th anniversary of her birth — it will showcase archival documents and photographs, as well as multimedia materials.
Significant roles
Faina Ranevskaya was not very fond of cinema, although she acted in many films, and often joked about it. Nevertheless, it was precisely cinema that gave her nationwide love, recognition, and popularity.
She appeared on screen for the first time in 1934 in Mikhail Romm’s film “Puff,” playing the French aristocrat Madame Loiseau.
She has more than 20 film roles to her credit, and although none of them were leading roles, the actress managed to turn them into masterpieces. For example, many remember her as Lyalya in the film “Foundling” (1939) and the intonation with which she delivers the famous line: “Mulya, don’t annoy me.” By the way, over time she frankly grew to dislike this line: it was shouted after Ranevskaya everywhere she appeared.
In the 1947 musical film “Spring,” the actress played the role of the lively housekeeper Margarita Lvovna. The famous phrase “Beauty is a terrible force” was coined and gifted to her character by Faina Georgievna herself. Originally, the role was conceived as very small, almost insignificant, but Ranevskaya was able to turn it into something much more.
Despite her overall dubious attitude toward cinema, the actress treated one role with great tenderness — that of the Stepmother in “Cinderella” (1947). Preparing for the role, Ranevskaya was ruthless with herself: she lost a lot of weight, and while applying makeup, she placed cotton balls in her cheeks and lifted her nose to create the character’s distinctive facial features.
The actress can also be seen in the films “The Man in a Case,” “Dream,” “Careful, Grandma!” and others.
Despite a multitude of roles and nationwide love, Ranevskaya remained a very lonely person in her life. At the end of her journey, she confessed: “My God, how life has slipped away, I never even heard nightingales sing.”
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