Chulpan Nailevna Khamatova (
Russian: Чулпан Наилевна Хаматова;
Tatar: Чулпан Наил кызы Хаматова;
Latvian: Čulpana Hamatova, born 1 October 1975) is a Russian actress.[1][2][3]
Biography
Early life and theater career
Chulpan Nailevna Khamatova was born on 1 October 1975 in
Kazan,
Tatar ASSR, in what was then the
Soviet Union. Her parents Marina Galimullovna Khamatova and Nail Khamatov are both engineers.[1][2] Her name, Chulpan, means "morning star" (i.e.
Venus) in
Tatar (she is of
Volga Tatar origin). Her younger brother
Shamil Khamatov [
ru] is also an actor.[4]
As a child, she was engaged in figure skating and from the eighth grade studied at the mathematical school of the
Kazan Federal University. She was accepted at the
Kazan State Finance and Economics Institute but ended up changing her mind and entered the Kazan Theater School. Teachers Juno Kareva and Vadim Keshner, assessing the prospects of the beginning actress, advised and helped Khamatova continue her studies in Moscow, and she entered
Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, the course of Alexei Borodin.[1][2]
Khamatova performed on the stages of several Moscow theaters: Russian Academic Youth Theater (Dunya Raskolnikova in Crime and Punishment and Anne Frank in Anne Frank's Diary), the Theater of the Moon, the Anton Chekhov Theater (Katya in Pose of the Immigrant), the Open Theater Julia Malakyants (Silvia).[1][2]
In 1998 she was invited to the troupe of the Moscow
Sovremennik Theatre. She debuted in the role of Patricia Holman (Three Comrades by
Erich Maria Remarque). She also received roles in the plays Three Sisters (Irina), Mamapapasynsobaka (Andria), The Storm (Katerina), The Naked Pioneer (Masha Mukhina) and Anthony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra), as well as the role of Masha in the new version of the play Three Sisters. In 2008, Khamatova took part in the performance of the
Theatre of NationsStories of Shukshin (directed by Alvis Hermanis), where she played nine of 10 stories.[1][2]
Film career
Khamatova has starred in a number of German-language films, and she is considered to be a leading Russian actress.[5][6]
In 2007, together with professional ice dancer
Roman Kostomarov, she took part and became the winner of the
Channel One figure skating competition Ice Age.[2][3]
Personal life
Khamatova was married to the
Russian actor and composer
Ivan Volkov [
ru] from 1995 to 2002. In 2003, she dated ballet dancer
Aleksei Dubinin (Russian: Алексей Дубинин). On 1 October 2009, she married Russian actor and director
Aleksandr Shein [
ru]. She has three daughters: Arina Ivanovna Volkova (b. 4 April 2002), Asya Alekseievna Dubinina (b. 2003) and Iya Aleksandrovna Shein (b. 27 April 2010).[8][9][10] Her marriage to Shein ended in 2017.[citation needed]
Khamatova is known for her social activities, she draws public attention to the problems of children with cancer. In 2005, she and
Dina Korzun organized the concert "Give me life" at the stage of
Sovremennik Theatre to help children with hematological diseases. In 2006, Khamatova became a co-founder of the
Podari Zhizn ("Make the gift of Life") charity foundation which helps children suffering from oncological and
hematological diseases. By the summer of 2009, the fund had collected and sent for treatment of these diseases more than 500 million
rubles. One of the permanent sponsors of the fund is Armen Sargsyan[11][12][13]
In 2012, Khamatova publicly supported Russian president
Vladimir Putin during the
presidential election campaign. According to Russian journalists, Khamatova was put under pressure to save her charity foundation.[14][15][16] In 2019, Khamatova said that she would never have done that if she could imagine that he would start the
war in Donbass.[17] On another occasion, she said that she is actually apolitical, but the charity in Russia is heavily dependant on the support from the state.[18]
In February 2022, Khamatova was one of signatories of the petition started by
Mikhail Zygar to protest the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.[19][20] On holiday when the war started, she accepted that she needed to stay in exile in
Latvia, realising that she could not return to Russia without being forced to deny the war or apologize for not supporting it.[21][20][22] She stated that after she signed the petition, "it was made clear to me it would be undesirable for me to go back," adding "I know I am not a traitor. I love my motherland very much."[20] In April 2022, she publicly spoke at an anti-war rally in the Latvian capital of
Riga.[23]
2008 – Awarded a star on the Alley of Fame at the Russian Film Star Square [3]
2009 – George 2007 Award (in honor of George Melyes) from Russian Live Journal [3]
2009 – Living Theater Award for best female role in Shukshin's Tales[3]
2010 – Person of the Year 2009 Award in the nomination for Proactive Civil Initiative [3]
2010 – In the Right Track Award in honor of V. Visotsky for years of work in the name of saving lives and helping preserve health in children, for asceticism, for spiritual generosity and for faith in humanity [3]
2012 – Russian Federation National Artist Award for vast achievements in cinematography and theatrical arts [3]