Actress

Tamara Kolesnikova was accepted to Leningrad Academy Drama Theater named after A. Pushkin in 1965, right after she had graduated from the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music, and Cinematography (V. Merkuriev and I. Meierhold’s class). The actress inherited the best traditions and features of the Russian drama school from her famous teachers: heartedness, sincerity, exquisite psychology approach, intensive quest of expressive artistic language, incessant workability in the process of shaping a role, reverent attitude to the Theater. Still a student, she played on the school stage such diversified drama roles as Ludmila in the “Belated Love” by A. Ostrovsky and Tatyana Bessemenova in “Summerfolk” by M. Gorky.  

In the very first seasons at the Alexandrinsky Theater Tamara Kolesnikova played a great number of bit part and several major roles, among which were Yulia Tafayeva from the “Ordinary Story” by I. Goncharov (1966),   Ren? and, later, Consuelo (“Life of Saint Exupery” by L. Malyugin, 1966), Olga “A Boarder” by I. Turgenev (1968), Ismena (“Antogone,” by Sophocles, 1969), Svetlana (“Fairness is my Job” by L. Zhukhovitsky, 1969), Natasha (“In the Depths” by M. Gorky, 1969), Bozhena (“Rush Hour” by Ye. Stavinsky, 1970), Dunyasha (“The Cherry Orchard,” by A. Chekhov, 1972), Saskia (“Rembrand,” D. Kedrin, 1977), and many others. Tamara Kolesnikova’s roles were not limited by lyrical characters only. She had a big success in the truly sharp character roles which were breaking her usual line of roles. Even her Arkadina in A. Chekhov’s “Seagull” (1990) had some grotesque features. In more than 40 years of service at the Alexandrinsky Theate, Tamara Kolesnikova played more than 60 roles. In 2000, together with director Tamara Anisimova, the actress produced a mono-performance “Emily” dedicated to the life and creative work of an outstanding American poetess Emily Dickinson. A penetrating and lyrical, this truly confessing performance became a true personal landmark for the actress. At present, Tamara Kolesnikova is engaged in Valery Fokin’s performance “Inspector General” (2002), where she plays the role of Khlopova.

At present, Tamara Kolesnikova is engaged in Valery Fokin’s performances The Inspector General (2002), where she plays the role of Khlopova, and Ksenia. The History of Love by V. Levanov (2009). She is engaged in the group scenes of W.Shakespeare's Hamlet (Director Valery Fokin, 2010).

In 1991-2001, Tamara Kolesnikova participated in performances of Alliance Francaise in St. Petersburg and played major roles in Moliere’s plays and also the role of Hermione in “Andromache.”