Elena Maksimova
Elena Alexandrovna Maksimova (23.11.1905—23.09.1986) was born in Moscow to a grocer father (he sold non-perishable goods) and a housewife mother, who was often ill. Apart from her, there were two other daughters in the family. Following her father's death in 1920, her mother was forced by poverty to send all three daughters to Orphanage No. 55, located in the Sokolniki district. Shortly after, in 1922, her mother also passed. Thus, at the age of 17, she was left completely orphaned. From an early age, Elena Maximova had dreamed of becoming an actress. When she finished schooling in 1925, she immediately went to the film studio attached to ‘Moskprofobor’ (Москпрофобр) to sit her entrance exams. There was only one free place available, and it went to Elena – as the most talented of all the applicants. From 1925 to 1927, she trained under the guidance of renowned film masters Vladimir Gardin and Konstantin Eggert. Alongside her studies at the film studio, Elena Maksimova had to work as a press operator at a button factory. She worked in film since 1927, appearing in productions by various film studios in Moscow and Leningrad. Between 1940 and 1964, she was an actress at the Soyuzdetfilm studio (now the Gorky Film Studio). Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (30 September 1958). The characters she portrayed were distinguished by their realism and attention to everyday detail. Her heroines were most often active, energetic and impetuous, yet she was equally at home with gentle, lyrical roles. She served Soviet cinema for nearly fifty years, and her work was modest and selfless — rarely in supporting roles, but more often in small cameos.
Filmography
A Small Favor
A Small Favor
Streak of Luck
Streak of Luck
To My People!
To My People!
Assol
Assol
The Secret Agent's Return
as Utkin's neighbour
The Secret Agent's Return
as Utkin's neighbour
The Secret of the Notebook
as Glafira Petrovna
The Secret of the Notebook
as Glafira Petrovna
Carnival
as visitor of the pawnshop
Carnival
as visitor of the pawnshop
Rebirth
as домработница Дарья Алексеевна
Rebirth
as домработница Дарья Алексеевна
We'll Be Waiting, Come Back
as babushka
We'll Be Waiting, Come Back
as babushka
Shot In The Back
as Вера Николаевна
Shot In The Back
as Вера Николаевна
The Soldier and the Elephant
The Soldier and the Elephant
Without Father
as Glafira
Without Father
as Glafira
This Disturbing Winter
This Disturbing Winter
Storm on the Land
Storm on the Land
The Last Meeting
as Drenched Passerby
The Last Meeting
as Drenched Passerby
Conscience
Conscience
Birds Over the City
Birds Over the City
Fulfillment of Desires
Fulfillment of Desires
Duration of the Day
Duration of the Day
The Red Snowball Tree
The Red Snowball Tree
This Merry Planet
as мать Прошки
This Merry Planet
as мать Прошки
The Sky Behind the Clouds
The Sky Behind the Clouds
Right to Jump
Right to Jump
Alkin songs
as бабка Анфиса
Alkin songs
as бабка Анфиса
Declaration of Love to G.T.
as Old Woman
Declaration of Love to G.T.
as Old Woman
New Year's Abduction
as Maksimova
New Year's Abduction
as Maksimova
Time to Live
Time to Live
Ivan Makarovich
Ivan Makarovich
The Gypsy
as Lushchilikha
The Gypsy
as Lushchilikha
Such a Big Boy
as Filippovna
Such a Big Boy
as Filippovna
Afterlight
Afterlight
Someone Else's Name
as Babushka
Someone Else's Name
as Babushka
The Conscience
as Елена Евгеньевна
The Conscience
as Елена Евгеньевна
The Stars of the Day
The Stars of the Day
Они не пройдут
as The passenger of the tram
Они не пройдут
as The passenger of the tram
Beloved
as Нина Петровна
Beloved
as Нина Петровна
Sorcerer Island
as Marya Stepanovna
Sorcerer Island
as Marya Stepanovna
Black Business
as Aunt Masha
Black Business
as Aunt Masha
Father of a Soldier
as Borya's grandma
Father of a Soldier
as Borya's grandma
Early in the Morning
as мать Жени Горохова
Early in the Morning
as мать Жени Горохова
Null kolm
Null kolm
The Green House
as Marfa Nikolayevna
The Green House
as Marfa Nikolayevna
Summer is Short in the Mountains
as Praskovya Savvishna
Summer is Short in the Mountains
as Praskovya Savvishna
Meeting at the Crossing
as woman in boat
Meeting at the Crossing
as woman in boat
The Judgment
as woman at a court hearing (uncredited)
The Judgment
as woman at a court hearing (uncredited)
No Fear, No Blame
as janitor
No Fear, No Blame
as janitor
Yevdokiya
as Maryushka
Yevdokiya
as Maryushka
In Transit
In Transit
Miraculous One
Miraculous One
The Song of Koltsov
as Aleksey Koltsov's mother
The Song of Koltsov
as Aleksey Koltsov's mother
The Sun Shines to Everyone
as Pelageya Ivanovna
The Sun Shines to Everyone
as Pelageya Ivanovna
In the Silence of Steppe
as Anfisa
In the Silence of Steppe
as Anfisa
Strict Woman
Strict Woman
A Home for Tanya
as Makarikha
A Home for Tanya
as Makarikha
King of Diamonds
King of Diamonds
The Volunteers
as (uncredited)
The Volunteers
as (uncredited)
Rains
Rains
"Чудотворец" из Бирюлёва
as Манефа
"Чудотворец" из Бирюлёва
as Манефа
Quiet Flows the Don
as Кошевая
Quiet Flows the Don
as Кошевая
The Tight Knot
as Sasha's mother
The Tight Knot
as Sasha's mother
Height
as Berestova
Height
as Berestova
Polyushko, pole
Polyushko, pole
For the Power of the Soviets
For the Power of the Soviets
Other People's Relatives
as Varvara Stepanovna
Other People's Relatives
as Varvara Stepanovna
Two Captains
as aunt Dasha
Two Captains
as aunt Dasha
The Grasshopper
as krestyanka iz Glukhova
The Grasshopper
as krestyanka iz Glukhova
The Frigid Sea
as Dergachikha
The Frigid Sea
as Dergachikha
Incident in the Taiga
Incident in the Taiga
Admiral Ushakov
as Wife of doctor Yermolaev (uncredited)
Admiral Ushakov
as Wife of doctor Yermolaev (uncredited)
The Country Doctor
The Country Doctor
First-Year Student
as Woman with flowers
First-Year Student
as Woman with flowers
The Old Courtyard
as жиличка
The Old Courtyard
as жиличка
Личное дело
as Vitya Surikov's mother
Личное дело
as Vitya Surikov's mother
Stepan Razin
as Woman in the crowd (uncredited)
Stepan Razin
as Woman in the crowd (uncredited)
Pugachev
Pugachev
Aerograd
as Mariia Kudina
Aerograd
as Mariia Kudina
Men and Jobs
as Worker woman (uncredited)
Men and Jobs
as Worker woman (uncredited)
A Personal Affair
A Personal Affair
Killing to Live
Killing to Live
And Quiet Flows the Don
as Daria Melekhova
And Quiet Flows the Don
as Daria Melekhova
Earth
as Natalia, Vasyl's bride
Earth
as Natalia, Vasyl's bride
Ranks and People
as Modest's servant - Anna na shee
Ranks and People
as Modest's servant - Anna na shee
The Other Woman
as Provincial lady
The Other Woman
as Provincial lady
The Last Attraction
as Polly
The Last Attraction
as Polly
A Bright City
as Marusenka
A Bright City
as Marusenka
The Peasant Women of Ryazan
as Lukerya
The Peasant Women of Ryazan
as Lukerya