She wanted to become an actress since childhood, and her first part she got in the result of manipulation. She doesn’t have any life philosophy, but she appreciates love in people the most. On the life principles and views of the legendary actress, a theater, work with her daughter, performances at the frontline and denial to perform in Russia – the way Ada Rogovtseva herself sees it in the section “Who is…” from DUMKA.
About childhood, life and own principles
In the fifth grade, I realized that I want to be a good actress to give my heart to people, it was at that level. And then you understand that without wit and without knowledge, and without patience, without courage, nothing will happen.
If not an actress, I would have been a journalist. As it often happens, I joined the Theater Institute by accident. I went there together with my friend.
I do not know how it is with men, but there are women who are born old since childhood I had been a serious, wise, old woman. Maybe not very clever, but wise, very wise.
Life philosophy? I don’t have it. There is only one world-wide philosophy – God and love.
The greatest thing I appreciate in people is love. Love for the sun, for rain, for snow and snowflakes. For daughter, mom, dad, sister, brother. This love is great gratitude to the manifestations of life.
My age was crossed by the death of my son. It became irrelevant how old I was and whether the next years would be ahead. Thus the sense of age is just the realization that something’s going bad in the body all the time. It’s annoying.
The last marriage proposal was made to me when I was 60. I laughed so much that my stomach almost burst. The groom to be was offended. Imagine: I had lived with my husband for 46 years. How can you imagine someone else next to you?
I don’t have too much of femininity. I am some kind of a woman-man because since childhood on my shoulders there was so much of responsibility! So many people needed not only my attention but also material support. I had to earn a lot of money to keep them alive. And this responsibility became a feature of my character. Is it femininity? It’s a stage and a screen that don’t allow my womanhood fade away.
About theater, art, and fame
A theater does not convince you. Artists don’t convince but try to get to the truth, justice, honor, and dignity. And to convince – never in their life. For then it will be propaganda.
I manipulated to get my first leading part. When for a long time I couldn’t make one episode, where I had to cry very emotionally, director Les Shvachko told me: “Ada, go home. You can’t do it, we have another actress. And, by the way, you were expelled from the institute.” I was crying so hard! And at that time they turned on the cameras and filmed the episode.
You can’t finish anything at all. How do actors finish? In our world to finish is when anybody needs you anymore, but as long as you are needed and your legs can walk, the artists do not think about it. There are those who act in their 90ies because they are needed.
Authorities should be interested in artists that are working. It is its own concern, not the artists’. That is, authorities should create conditions for creativity – there is no other way.
About working with daughter
I have been working with my daughter Kateryna Stepankova for the last couple of years. She is a director. And now when I’m offered some play, I say: I can’t, because I have my own director until the end of my life.
We’re not even friends. Such friendship is rare even among men. Between us, we have a male friendship with advice, support, and a kind word… Thanks to her I live in this world. Especially now, when Kostya passed away, I wouldn’t have lived, if it weren’t for Kateryna. She knows how to shout at me and cry with me, grasps my shoulders firmly and looks into my eyes the way it takes my breath away.
About trips to the front and war
I often go to the front and I want to say that until you hug a soldier, look into his eyes and hear how he, out of breath, tells you about his dreams – you know nothing about the war.
I have many different awards, which I am proud of, but the trust of soldiers on the front remains the true and most valuable reward for me.
I’m going there to tell something good to those people. It’s them who are ready to die there! People live there every day.
When we came there I asked: what is this smell? It was summer. And it was corpses that smelled. They couldn’t remove bodies, because everything was mined. We were in such places where it’s better not to be present for a human being. And its better for this planet not to have such places. But there is no fear. Why? Because their fear is worse.
Even though it’s not too much – to perform in front of the military or to bring them some theatrical play, when an adult men say to me: “It would be better if you’d become our Minister of Defense,” their words are more precious to me than all my numerous orders and even the “stars of Hero” that I have on my chest.
You may not go fight physically, but your heart is with those who are in battle. When you’re not standing aside when for everyone who died, you would take his place and do the same. It is such a shared pain and shared hope
About performances and filming in Russia
I don’t know how our artists are working there. Because of the wages? I believe that in general, a person does not have to choose between money and conscience, dignity. Such a choice simply doesn’t exist.
I’m working for “Banderites” and me myself I am “Banderite”. They did not abandon me. It’s me myself who abandoned the opportunity to work there. A producer has called me for half a year, invited to act in some plays! And I say: to whom will I give my soul? Will they hear me? I can’t consider them as friends, they are against my land
They asked me more than once. But I never agreed. I said: “My dear, and in front of whom, I am going to act? In front of those who think that there is no such a state as Ukraine? In front of those who think that there is no such a language? That it is a fictional language? In front of those who think we are eating children?” I have no one to persuade from the stage. I don’t know how to do it.
By Dmytro Zhuravel
The publication was collected from numerous interviews, speeches, and appeals of the material’s protagonist.
