Rachel Messerer
Encyclopedia
Rachel Messerer - Plisetskaya ; born 4 March 1902, — 20 March 1993) — was a Russian silent film
and theatre
actress.
Rachel, her brother Azari Azarin (an actor), sister Sulamith Messerer
(ballerina
) and brother Asaf Messerer
(ballet dancer, choreographer) became famous and started a dynasty of outstanding ballet dancers and ballet masters.
She married well-known Russian diplomat Michael Plisetski (1899–1938), they had three children: famous ballerina
Maya Plisetskaya
(1925), talented balletmaster Alexander Plisetski
(1931–1985) and Azari Plisetski (1937).
in 1925 (class of Lev Kuleshov
).
During early years of Soviet system, Rachel stared at the "Bukhkino" and "The Star of the East" studios. Ra Messerer's film career was rather short, because soon after the wedding she devoted herself to the family and her husband, who represented the Soviet Government in Spitsbergen
, being the Consul General in Barentsburg
and chief of coal mines.
On 30 April 1937 Michael Plisetski was purged
, charged with espionage and executed on 8 January 1938.
In early March 1938 Rachel was arrested. The secret police agents
demanded of Rachel to confirm that her husband was "a spy, a traitor, a saboteur, a criminal, a participant of the conspiracy against Stalin
". She refused and that was rather brave for those years. Rachel was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Rachel's daughter Maya
faced the threat of an orphanage, she was adopted by her aunt Sulamith
, and her son Alexander
was taken by the family of Rachel's brother Asaf Messerer
. These events caused many troubles to Asaf
and Sulamith
. In summer of 1939 Rachel was transferred to "The Camp Wives of traitors to the Motherland in Akmolinsk" (Kazakhstan
).
Rachel Messerer-Plisetskaya was released in 1941 shortly before the outbreak of war managed only two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War
. After the release Rachel never restarted the acting career. In those days no director would have risked their career by inviting her to a film or a play.
Nevertheless Rachel believed that her beloved husband was alive and would come back someday. On March 3, 1956 she learned the truth: in papers on rehabilitation of Michael Plisetski the execution date - 8 January 1938 was disclosed.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actress.
Family
Rachel Messerer was born in Vilno into the family of a dentist Mikhail Messerer and his wife Sima Shabad and was one of nine children. Every child got a biblical name: Pnina, Azariah, Mattany, Rachel, Assaf, Elisheva, Shulamith, Emanuel, Abinadab and Erella.Rachel, her brother Azari Azarin (an actor), sister Sulamith Messerer
Sulamith Messerer
Sulamith Mikhailovna Messerer was a Russian ballerina and choreographer who laid the foundations for the classical ballet in Japan.Sulamith studied in the Moscow Ballet School under Vasily Tikhomirov and Elisabeth Gerdt and danced in the Bolshoi Theatre from 1926 until 1950. In 1933, she and her...
(ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
) and brother Asaf Messerer
Asaf Messerer
Asaf Mikhailovich Messerer was a Russian Jewish ballet dancer and ballet teacher. He was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. From 1919 until 1921 he trained as a dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet School under Mikhail Mordkin...
(ballet dancer, choreographer) became famous and started a dynasty of outstanding ballet dancers and ballet masters.
She married well-known Russian diplomat Michael Plisetski (1899–1938), they had three children: famous ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya , born is a Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi in 1960...
(1925), talented balletmaster Alexander Plisetski
Alexander Plisetski
Alexander Plisetski was a prominent Russian balletmaster and choreographer and a younger brother of the famous Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya.- Family :...
(1931–1985) and Azari Plisetski (1937).
Career and Destiny
Rachel Messerer graduated from Institute of CinematographyGerasimov Institute of Cinematography
The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov), VGIK for short, is a film school in Moscow, Russia.-History:...
in 1925 (class of Lev Kuleshov
Lev Kuleshov
Lev Vladimirovich Kuleshov was a Soviet filmmaker and film theorist who taught at and helped establish the world's first film school .-Career:...
).
During early years of Soviet system, Rachel stared at the "Bukhkino" and "The Star of the East" studios. Ra Messerer's film career was rather short, because soon after the wedding she devoted herself to the family and her husband, who represented the Soviet Government in Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, being the Consul General in Barentsburg
Barentsburg
Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
and chief of coal mines.
On 30 April 1937 Michael Plisetski was purged
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
, charged with espionage and executed on 8 January 1938.
In early March 1938 Rachel was arrested. The secret police agents
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
demanded of Rachel to confirm that her husband was "a spy, a traitor, a saboteur, a criminal, a participant of the conspiracy against Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
". She refused and that was rather brave for those years. Rachel was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Rachel's daughter Maya
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya , born is a Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi in 1960...
faced the threat of an orphanage, she was adopted by her aunt Sulamith
Sulamith Messerer
Sulamith Mikhailovna Messerer was a Russian ballerina and choreographer who laid the foundations for the classical ballet in Japan.Sulamith studied in the Moscow Ballet School under Vasily Tikhomirov and Elisabeth Gerdt and danced in the Bolshoi Theatre from 1926 until 1950. In 1933, she and her...
, and her son Alexander
Alexander Plisetski
Alexander Plisetski was a prominent Russian balletmaster and choreographer and a younger brother of the famous Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya.- Family :...
was taken by the family of Rachel's brother Asaf Messerer
Asaf Messerer
Asaf Mikhailovich Messerer was a Russian Jewish ballet dancer and ballet teacher. He was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. From 1919 until 1921 he trained as a dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet School under Mikhail Mordkin...
. These events caused many troubles to Asaf
Asaf Messerer
Asaf Mikhailovich Messerer was a Russian Jewish ballet dancer and ballet teacher. He was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. From 1919 until 1921 he trained as a dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet School under Mikhail Mordkin...
and Sulamith
Sulamith Messerer
Sulamith Mikhailovna Messerer was a Russian ballerina and choreographer who laid the foundations for the classical ballet in Japan.Sulamith studied in the Moscow Ballet School under Vasily Tikhomirov and Elisabeth Gerdt and danced in the Bolshoi Theatre from 1926 until 1950. In 1933, she and her...
. In summer of 1939 Rachel was transferred to "The Camp Wives of traitors to the Motherland in Akmolinsk" (Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
).
Rachel Messerer-Plisetskaya was released in 1941 shortly before the outbreak of war managed only two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. After the release Rachel never restarted the acting career. In those days no director would have risked their career by inviting her to a film or a play.
Nevertheless Rachel believed that her beloved husband was alive and would come back someday. On March 3, 1956 she learned the truth: in papers on rehabilitation of Michael Plisetski the execution date - 8 January 1938 was disclosed.
Filmography
- 1927 — "The second wife" ( , "Uzbekgoskino", director - M.I. Doronin)
- 1928 — "Leper" ( "Uzbekgoskino")
- 1928 — "Valley of Tears" ( ("Dolina slyoz") 1-st factory Goskino, director - Alexander Razumny).
- 1929 — "One hundred and twenty thousand a year" ("Mezhrabpomfilm")
Documentary
- In 2007 of a documentary film The Star from outside was made about Ra Messerer. For the production the tapes of the Russian movie-archive "Gosfilmofond RF" were used. Produced by TC "Gamajun" - Director and screenwriter Firdavs Zaynutdinov. Cinematography by Eugene Kutuzkin. Narrator — Irina ApeksimovaIrina ApeksimovaIrina Apeksimova is a Russian stage and screen actress.Apeksimova was the child of classical musicians, Victor Nikolaevich Apeksimova and Svetlana Yakivna Apeksimova...
. Produced for REN TV. Broadcaster - the Russian TV channel "Culture".