Glikeriya Bogdanova-Chesnokova

Glikeriya Bogdanova-Chesnokova was a popular Russian comedienne, dancer and singer who performed about three thousand concerts for the servicemen during the Second World War, and was also known for her hilarious gags and funny faces, notably in the film Mister Iks (1958).

She was born Glikeria (Lika) Vasilevna Bogdanova on May 16, 1904, in Russia (at that time the Russian Empire). Her parents were of mixed Ukrainian and Siberian Cossacs ancestry. She attended Gymnasium in St. Petersburg and was fond of theatre and arts; her mother arranged for her regular visits to the Mariinsky Opera in St. Petersburg. In 1917, at age 13, she made a reckless move by joining the revolutionary crowd on their way to storm into the Tsar's Winter Palace during the Russian Revolution.

From 1919-1922 she studied acting at Academic School of Russian Drama at Aleksandrinsky (now Pushkin) Theatre in St. Petersburg; she was also seriously engaged in comedy, vocal and dance classes. Her classmates were such actors as Nikolay Cherkasov, Yuri Tolubeev, Nikolai Simonov, Boris Chirkov, Aleksandr Borisov, Vasili Merkuryev, Konstantin Adashevsky, and other notable actors. In 1920, while a student, she made her stage debut as Lucille in Molière's 'Le bourgeois gentilhomme' on the Aleksandrinsky stage. From 1920-1924 she was a permanent member of the troupe at Aleksandrinsky Theatre. At that time she married a fellow actor, Dmitri Vasilchikov, and they had one daughter, named Lidia. From 1924-1930 she worked together with her actor/director husband, with a touring troupe, then at Kharkov State Theatre of Musical Comedy, albeit her first marriage did not work, and she returned to St. Petersburg (then Leningrad).

From 1932 - 1941 she was a stand-up comedienne and a singer in Leningrad. At that time she worked with the legendary Leonid Utyosov and his "Tea-Jazz" Big Band at the Leningrad Music Hall. Her numerous performances with Leonid Utyosov helped her professional and personal growth. Maestro Leonid Utyosov was very happy to have her as a principal star, as he commented, "Lika can make people laugh just by making one of her funny faces, and then... she begins to dance..." Although, she did not have a pretty face, Bogdanova-Chesnokova was adored by public and critics alike: for her hilarious gags, for her funny and grotesque masks, and for her effortless style. She also had numerous successful performances with the Leningrad Theatre of Miniatures under the leadership of Arkady Raykin. At that time she was married to actor Semen Chesnokov, and their daughter, named Olga, was born in 1940. Although, she was already a popular stage actress, she had trouble being accepted by the rigid Soviet film community during the 1930s. She made her film debut as an uncredited cabaret actress in Spring Song (1941).

Bogdanova-Chesnokova performed before the soldiers who defended the city of Leningrad besieged by the Nazis, during the Second World War. It is believed that she gave about three thousand performances, often giving three or four full shows daily. At that time she worked with a small troupe of actors, and they were constantly moving along the front-lines around Leningrad, and also performed shows at hospitals to lift the spirits of the wounded veterans. One night during her performance, the Nazis started a deadly bombing attack, her troupe was trying to escape in a truck, but the driver got killed. Bogdanova-Chesnokova, who never had driven a car before, jumped in the driver's seat and managed to escape from the inevitable death and saved the lives of her fellow actors. For that feat she was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner.

From 1945-1983 she was a permanent member of the troupe at the Musical Comedy theatre in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Her most memorable stage performances were in classic musical comedies by Johann Strauss, Emmerich Kálmán, Franz Lehár, and Isaak Dunaevskiy, as well as in many other plays and shows. During the 50s she also performed in the popular stand-up comedy number with Boris Vyatkin, they had numerous gigs at the Leningrad Circus for three years, and toured about the Soviet Union. At that time she emerged as an important character actress and gave memorable performances in such films as Tiger Girl (1955) , Mister Iks (1958) , and Twelve Chairs (1971) among other films.

Bogdanova-Chesnokova was designated Honorable Actor of Russia (1965), People's Actor of Russia (1970), and was awarded the State Prize of the USSR. She received numerous decorations, including the Order of the Red Banner. She died on April 17, 1983, and was laid to rest in the Necropolis of Masters of Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her artistic tradition and heritage is carried on by her grandson, Yuri Borisovich Pravikov, who is a writer in Russia. A comprehensive biography of Bogdanova-Chesnokova was written by Sergei Kapkov, and was published in Russia in 2004.