Irina Petrovna Kupchenko is a renowned Russian actress, born on February 29, 1948, in Vienna, Austria, to a Soviet Army officer and a teacher of English. Her actual birthday was changed to March 1 due to a leap year. She grew up in Kiev, Ukraine, where she studied languages at Kiev University before moving to Moscow.
Kupchenko pursued her passion for acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre, graduating in 1970. Her breakthrough role came in 1969 as Lisa in "A Nest of Gentry" directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. She went on to collaborate with Konchalovsky and other renowned directors, including Ilya Averbakh, Yuli Raizman, and Nikita Mikhalkov.
Throughout the 1970s to 1990s, Kupchenko was a leading actress in the former Soviet Union, sharing the screen with iconic actors like Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Mikhail Ulyanov, and Oleg Yankovsky. Since 1970, she has been a member of the Vakhtangov Theatre troupe in Moscow, performing alongside notable actors such as Mikhail Ulyanov, Vasiliy Lanovoy, and Yuliya Borisova.
Kupchenko's most memorable stage performances include roles in Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," "Anna Karenina," and "Richard III." She created the character of Clodia Pulcher in "Martovskie Idy" in 1994 and has delivered critically acclaimed performances as Roxana in "Cyrano de Bergerac" since its 2001 premiere.
The esteemed actress has received numerous accolades, including being designated People's Actor of Russia. She is a professor of acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre and is married to actor Vasiliy Lanovoy, with whom she has two sons.
