The career of Tamara Makarova spanned seven decades of Soviet cinema, beginning with her 1927 debut in the film Somebody Else's Coat. Over a productive life that bridged the Russian Empire and the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union, she transitioned from a featured performer in early silent features to an influential drama teacher and mentor in Moscow.
Early Career and Education
Born in Saint Petersburg in 1907, Makarova pursued her theatrical education at the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. In 1924, she enrolled in the MASTFOR theater program, where she encountered Sergei Gerasimov. The two formed a personal and professional partnership, marrying shortly after meeting. Her initial screen roles included a can-can dancer in The New Babylon in 1929 and parts in productions such as The Deserter and The Conveyor of Death in 1933.
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Makarova gained significant recognition throughout the 1930s and 1940s. She starred as Dr. Zhenya Okhrimenko in Seven Brave Men (1936) and took on roles in Komsomolsk and The Great Dawn in 1938. Her performance as Agrafena Shumilina in The New Teacher (1939) earned her a Stalin Prize, second degree, in 1941. Following the conclusion of World War II, she appeared in notable projects including The Stone Flower, where she portrayed the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, and The Young Guard, playing the role of Yelena Koshevaya.
Pedagogy and Later Work
After moving to Moscow post-war, Makarova dedicated much of her time to teaching at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, an institution later named for her husband. She continued to act, appearing in films such as The Journalist (1967), The Youth of Peter the Great (1980), and Lev Tolstoy (1984), where she played Sophia Tolstaya. She remained an active member of the Association of Filmmakers of the USSR until her death in 1997.
State Recognition
Her contributions were heavily decorated by the Soviet state. She was named an Honored Artist of the RSFSR in 1942 and a People's Artist of the USSR in 1950. Among her honors were the Order of the Badge of Honour (1939), two Orders of Lenin (1977, 1982), and the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1987). In 1982, she was designated a Hero of Socialist Labour. Her final years saw recognition from the Russian Federation, including a 1995 Nika Award for lifetime achievement.
Fast facts
- Born: 1907, Saint Petersburg
- Died: 1997, Moscow
- Education: Russian State Institute of Performing Arts
- Award: Hero of Socialist Labour (1982)
- Award: People's Artist of the USSR (1950)
- Notable Film: The Stone Flower (1946)
- Burial Site: Novodevichy Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Where is Tamara Makarova buried?
She is buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
What subjects did Makarova teach?
She worked as a drama teacher at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.
Achievements
- Order of Lenin — 1977
- Order of the Badge of Honour — 1939
- Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class
- Order of Friendship of Peoples — 1987
- Worked as actor, screenwriter and drama teacher
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