Tatyana Samoilova, the Soviet-era Russian film star best known for her roles in "The Cranes Are Flying" and "Anna Karenina," has died. The Russian Union of Cinematographers said Samoilova died overnight on May 5 in a Moscow hospital where she was being treated for heart problems. She had just turned 80. Samoilova shot to stardom with the leading role of Veronika in "The Cranes Are Flying," a tragic story of love cut short by the outbreak of World War II.The film was a huge success in the Soviet Union. It also won the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, the first and only Russian film to win the prestigious award. Samoilova received a "Special Mention" at Cannes for her performance.
Tatyana Samoilova Dies At 80
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Tatyana Samoilova as Veronika in the film "The Cranes Are Flying," a tragic love story set in World War II, which turned the actress into a household name.
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Tatyana Samoilova pictured in Paris in 1961 with an Etoile de Cristal prize for best international actress, which she won for her role in "The Cranes Are Flying."
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Samoilova at an "Order of Victory" awards ceremony at the French Embassy in Moscow in 1960.
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Tatyana Samoilova playing the title role in "Anna Karenina" (1967).
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Tatyana Samoilova at the opening of the Moscow Premiere festival of Russian movies in August 2009.