Bright, beautiful, talented actress Tatiana Lyutaeva started her career with a memorable role as Anastasia Yaguzhinskii in the film Svetlana Druzhininoj “Midshipmen, forward!” Today, her filmography includes more than 140 works. Being in Cyprus for the play “Free Love”, the actress told us about her creative projects.

Tatiana, for those who are interested in your work, a special place is reserved for your creativity. Not so long ago, you were a first time writer, director and performer in one of the roles in your own movie. How did you get the idea for its creation?
On the cinema day, on August 27, I suddenly was “shaken” and wanted to remove myself from the pressure. Two years ago, my daughter, Agnes (Agnes Ditkovskite — Russian actress) and another actor of a similar age encouraged me. Like-minded at that time, I had already resolved issues of make-up and costumes, so I told Nikolai Vyacheslavovich Rastorguev about my ideas and he also encouraged me, saying that producing it would be great. All that remained was to organise the equipment.

My friend, Kate Zaletaeva, an art director, gladly joined our team. Director and operator Andrew Katorzhenko, a very talented professional and ideological wonder, was recommended to join us. It was at that time, while filming in Torzhok, that I was on crutches, with torn ligaments. I went to see him with Kate, travelling 300 km from Moscow, in order to secure his consent, which he graciously provided. Then, the unexpected happened. A famous male actor abandoned his role. Suddenly, the name of Volodya Ilyin came to me. We had filmed together in the early 90s, in Dmitry Meshieva’s “Over the Dark Water”. He is a great actor and a true long shot. When I came to him in Istria, our meeting went well and he agreed to take the part. I realised that I had gathered all the parts to make the film, so we started shooting. We have already managed to shoot in natural autumn settings and are now finalising the material for winter. Soon, we will see the light of a full feature film, with lots of locations, beautiful camera work and with excellent acting.

Please tell us about your feelings while working?
I was just shocked by what I felt in terms of adrenaline. I was very worried because it was a very important project. And, for my part, it was a great audacity to take on this kind of experiment. Still, I had a team that did not just listen to me, but “burned together” with me. These were some incredible feelings, incomparable to anything else. I did not betray my profession, but it was completely different than anything that I had ever experienced before in terms of atmosphere and feel. Here, you are responsible for everything! When something goes right, it transforms into a great happiness.

Tatiana, where are you shooting now? Are there any interesting projects going on at the moment?
I recently co-starred in Karen Shakhnazarov’s film “Anna Karenina”, in the role of Countess Vronsky. It was a very interesting project. In the theatre, I played Sergei Aldonin (Bulgakova) and also play Dima Dyuzheva in the play “Free Love”. I am also busy in the play “Wolves and Sheep” by Vladimir Dolinsky and Kirill Grebenshchikov. It is a lot of work, with great plans for the future. There are many interesting offers.

Tell me how you now have the need for internal peace and privacy?
You know, we are such public people that are perceived as precious stones or simply as a sacrament for some. The possibility of privacy is narrow. You can see this often in the theatre, as your heart is torn between professional and personal commitments. When you are constantly at this work, even dreams are only dreams when it comes to making more time for yourself.

Tatiana, how do you feel in Cyprus?
Cyprus is this holy land. I’ve been visiting for quite a long time in Cyprus with my children. Then, I shot here with Oleg Chernov, in the old port. This was a long time ago. I did not have time to visit the holy places. I would love to fly here again. It is nice that there are so many of our fellow citizens there, all speaking in Russian, and, of course, the climate. We flew from snowy Moscow and plunged into the sea, with a warm sun caressing us… It is an amazing island!

Tatiana, let me thank you for your time to talk to us. I want to convey the audience’s love for you. We look forward to welcoming you to new projects on the charming island of the goddess of love and beauty, Cyprus.