Mar 14, 2023
ZORBA THE GREEK … BOUBOULINA … LILA KEDROVA … A GRAVE IN PARIS’S RUSSIAN CEMETERY

Lila Kedrova, a Russian-born actress, is best remembered for her role as Bouboulina, or Dame Hortense, in the 1964 film “Zorba the Greek.” Directed by Cypriot filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis, the movie is based on the novel by Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis. Kedrova co-starred alongside Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, and Irene Papas, and her portrayal of Bouboulina earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1964.

Kedrova’s Life and Career

Lila Kedrova was born on October 9, 1918, in Saint Petersburg (then Petrograd), Russia. Her parents, Nikolai Nikolayevich and Sofia Gladkaya Kedrova, were both singers and composers. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the family left Russia for Berlin in 1922 and then moved to Paris in 1928. In Paris, Kedrova began her acting career, taking on small roles in stage plays. Her breakout role came in 1964 when Cacoyannis offered her the part of Dame Hortense in “Zorba the Greek.” Kedrova later reprised the role in a musical adaptation of the movie, winning a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 1983.

Kedrova’s Final Years and Resting Place

Lila Kedrova passed away on February 16, 2000, in Ontario, Canada, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and pneumonia. She was 72 years old. Her ashes were brought to Paris and interred at the Russian cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, alongside her family members.

Visiting Kedrova’s Grave

If you’re in Paris or France and wish to visit the Russian cemetery where Lila Kedrova is buried, you can take the RERC metro line towards Dourdon la Fôret or Saint-Martin d’Etampes and get off at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. From there, take the 104 bus to the cemetery, alighting at the Piscine stop. The cemetery is a short walk from there and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kedrova’s grave is under the name Elisabeth Nikolayevna Kedrova, and its number is 411.

The young Kedrova

Zorba the Greek: The Film and the Book

“Zorba the Greek” is a story about a young Greek writer who goes to Crete to reopen a disused lignite mine. On his journey, he meets Alexis Zorba, a peasant and former miner. The movie, featuring memorable music by Mikis Theodorakis, showcases the relationship between the writer and Zorba, with the latter teaching the former about life and love. The film has become a classic, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching or reading the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, which was first published in English in 1953.

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