Varvara Aleksandrovna Popova was a renowned Russian character actress of silent films, famous for her remarkable cameo appearances as a quintessential Russian "babushka" in Frosty (1965) and several other films of the 1960s.
Born on December 17, 1899, in Samara, Russia, Popova embarked on her acting journey under the guidance of the esteemed Yevgeni Vakhtangov, who regarded her as his favorite student due to her unique natural talent.
Throughout her life, Popova led a simple and modest existence, which was in stark contrast to the lavish lifestyle of many entertainers. During the 1920s and 1930s, she worked with prominent directors such as Yakov Protazanov, Leonid Obolensky, and Lev Arnshtam.
From 1922 to 1956, Popova was a permanent member of the troupe at the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, where she shared the stage with notable actors like Mikhail Ulyanov, Boris Zakhava, Mikhail Astangov, Vladimir Etush, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Nikolai Gritsenko, Yuriy Yakovlev, Andrei Abrikosov, Grigori Abrikosov, Boris Babochkin, Nikolai Timofeyev, and Aleksandr Grave, among others.
At the beginning of her acting career, Popova delivered legendary stage performances in the role of Louise opposite Boris Zakhava in Friedrich Schiller's play "Kovarstvo i lyubov" (also known as Intrigue and Love).
Despite her outstanding performances on stage and screen, Popova fell victim to backstage scheming and envy, which led to her being ignored by official Soviet critics and eventually left without work during and after the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.
In 1956, Popova made a bold and unprecedented decision to quit her acting career in protest against the tasteless Soviet propaganda, a move that was met with respect from many actors and directors for her genius and decency.
Later, Popova was cast as a typical Russian "babushka" by director Ivan Pyrev and other filmmakers, and she continued to work in the film industry until her passing.
Varvara Popova passed away on October 31, 1988, in Moscow, and was laid to rest in Vvedenskoe Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.
