French-Russian actress, writer and singer Marina Vlady, who gained widespread recognition in European cinema and appeared in more than 80 films, has died. The Cannes Film Festival award winner passed away at the age of 88 at her home, surrounded by loved ones.
This was reported by Est Républicain, citing a statement from her family to AFP.
The actress’s children said Marina Vlady died “at home, surrounded by her loved ones and her animals”. They described her life as “long, beautiful and full”.
Marina Vlady was born into a family with Russian roots and began her film career at a very young age. At 16, she received the Suzanne Bianchetti Prize as the most promising actress for her role in André Cayatte’s 1954 film “Avant le déluge”.
In 1963, she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for “Le lit conjugal”.
Career in French and Italian cinema
Throughout her career, Marina Vlady worked with many renowned directors, including Jean-Luc Godard, Orson Welles, Bertrand Tavernier, Chris Marker and Ettore Scola.
She appeared both in auteur cinema and in popular comedies of the 1970s. Among her notable works were Jean Yanne’s “Tout le monde il est beau, tout le monde il est gentil” and Bertrand Tavernier’s “Que la fête commence”.
In addition to acting, Vlady was also involved in music. Together with her sisters, she recorded two albums under the stage name Les Sœurs Poliakoff.
Marriage to Vladimir Vysotsky
In 1969, Marina Vlady married Soviet poet and singer Vladimir Vysotsky. She moved to Moscow, where she lived until his death in 1980.
She later wrote about their relationship in the book “Vladimir ou le vol arrêté”, published in 1987 and later adapted for the stage.
In total, Marina Vlady published around ten books, including her 2005 memoir “24 images/seconde”.
Civic activism
Vlady’s life was also marked by public activism. Her children said she was involved in various social movements, from opposition to the Algerian War to support for migrants’ rights and the right to housing.
Together with her last partner, physician and political activist Léon Schwartzenberg, she helped establish DAL (Droit au logement), an organisation focused on the right to housing.
