Orlova and Alexandrov (Russian: Орлова и Александров) is a 2015 Russian historical drama television series that depicts the long and complex relationship between Soviet actress Lyubov Orlova and director Grigory Alexandrov. The series was created by Vitaly Moskalenko and written by Vladimir Sotnikov, Anna Berseneva, and Moskalenko. It first aired on Channel One Russia from March 16 to 26, 2015. The drama portrays the couple’s personal and professional lives against the backdrop of Stalinist Russia, as well as the creation of some of the most iconic films of the Soviet era, such as Jolly Fellows, Circus, and Volga-Volga.
Contents
Plot
The series begins in the 1920s, where the aristocratic Orlova family struggles to survive after the Russian Revolution. Orlova, who sells milk in Moscow, meets Alexandrov and filmmaker Ivan Pyryev. Orlova’s father dies, and she is forced to marry a man named Andrei Berzin. Meanwhile, Orlova gets accepted into the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre under the guidance of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, while Alexandrov starts collaborating with Sergey Eisenstein on films. Over the next several episodes, Orlova’s career flourishes as she becomes involved with Alexandrov, and their personal and professional lives become increasingly intertwined. Orlova’s first major role in Jolly Fellows causes tension on set, as she and Alexandrov face romantic jealousy, political conspiracies, and sabotage by their colleagues.
As the series progresses, Orlova and Alexandrov navigate a turbulent political landscape, where their films face censorship and political interference from Soviet authorities, including Boris Shumyatsky and Lavrentiy Beria. In one episode, the couple secretly marries in a church, and later, Orlova faces intense scrutiny and accusations of complicity with the state. Meanwhile, Alexandrov is accused of musical plagiarism, and a power struggle between him and other filmmakers such as Eisenstein and Pyryev develops. Personal betrayals, including Orlova’s miscarriage and suspicions of an affair between Alexandrov and his assistant, add to the drama. By the final episodes, Orlova and Alexandrov, having experienced career and personal setbacks, continue to work together, with their relationship enduring under Stalin's regime.
Cast
Olesya Sudzilovskaya as Lyubov Orlova
Anatoliy Beliy as Grigory Alexandrov
Nikolay Dobrynin as Leonid Utyosov
Yulia Rutberg as Faina Ranevskaya
Vitaly Khaev as Sergey Eisenstein
Andrey Smolyakov as Maxim Gorky
Roman Madyanov as Igor Ilyinsky
Olya Pavlovets as Olga Ivanova, Alexandrov's first wife
Alexey Fateev as Ivan Pyryev
Alexey Vertkov as Nikolai Erdman
Lyudmila Chursina as Evgenia Nikolaevna, Lyubov Orlova’s mother
Alexandra Ursulyak as Nonna, Lyubov Orlova’s sister
Yevgeny Knyazev as Joseph Stalin
Adam Bulguchyov as Lavrentiy Beria
Boris Khvoshnyansky as Boris Shumyatsky
Irina Egorova as Liya Shumyatskaya
Sergey Chirkov as Vladimir Nilssen
Dmitry Surzhikov as Andrei Berzin
Andrius Paulavicius as Franz
Guram Bablishvili as Sergo Geladze
Dmitry Sukhomlinov as Eduard Tisse