Legendary Actress Vera Alentova, Star of ‘Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears,’ Passes Away at 83

Renowned Soviet and Russian actress Vera Alentova, celebrated for her leading role in the Oscar-winning film “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears,” has passed away at the age of 83, as reported by the Pushkin Drama Theater on Thursday.

Alentova gained international recognition for her performance as Katerina Tikhonova in the 1979 film, which earned the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Her character’s transformation from a struggling young woman to a successful and independent inhabitant of Moscow solidified Alentova’s status as one of the most prominent actresses of her era.

According to the Moscow news outlet Msk1.ru, Alentova was taken away on a stretcher earlier that day after feeling unwell during a farewell gathering for fellow actor Anatoly Lobotsky.

Neither the Pushkin Drama Theater nor Msk1.ru provided details regarding the cause of her death.

Born in 1942 in Kotlas, a town in the Arkhangelsk region, Alentova was raised in a family of artists. She completed her studies at the Moscow Art Theater School in 1965 and quickly became a leading presence on the Soviet stage and in films.

Shortly after graduation, she joined the Pushkin Drama Theater, where she spent more than fifty years, receiving praise for her performances in both classic and modern works.

Throughout her career, Alentova appeared in over 30 films and television series, earning numerous accolades, including the U.S.S.R. State Prize in 1981. She was honored as a People’s Artist of Russia and received the Order of Friendship in 2001.

She was married for 48 years to actor Andrei Myagkov, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 82.

Alentova is survived by her daughter, actress and television host Yulia Myagkova.