"I Wept": Natalya Trubnikova's Tragic Story
It was hard not to fall in love with Princess Milisenta
Being a princess became both a reward and a curse for actress Natalya Trubnikova. After starring in the fairy-tale film «31 June», she was predicted a phenomenal career that could have taken her to the Cannes red carpet. Instead, her star burned out as quickly as it had ignited, and until her death she could only dream of cinema without acting in it.
At 15, Natalya already shone at international dance competitions
«My Feet Were Bleeding. I Didn»t Complain at Home: I Was Afraid They«d Take Me Away»
Natalya and Anatoly«s parents disapproved of their marriage, but the young couple proved their love was stronger
Natalya and cinema existed in parallel universes for many years, never intersecting. The girl dreamed of the stage and ovations, but she wanted to shine not as an actress but as a ballerina.
Natalya appears on screen for only a few minutes in the third episode
From age three, Trubnikova studied dance, and with each perfect fouetté she moved closer to the Bolshoi Theatre. It seemed her place in the troupe was assured. Even before graduating from ballet school, she conquered European theatres and performed on the same stage as Maya Plisetskaya. Bloodied toes and constant training could break anyone, but not Natalya.
Not only viewers but also her partner Nikolai Yeryomenko fell in love with the beautiful actress, but Natalya remained faithful to her husband
«At the school we were put on pointe. Our feet bled. We covered wounds with raw egg membrane and then a bandage. But blood still seeped through our pointe shoes. I didn»t complain at home: I was afraid they«d take me out of the school,» Natalya later shared.
After failures in cinema, dancing kept Natalya from falling into depression
Trubnikova didn«t notice that among those who admired her success were envious individuals who didn»t humbly bow before her talent. When she was just a step away from her dream, she was cut off forever.
Straight chestnut hair became a permanent part of Natalya«s image
«After graduating, I was assigned to the Bolshoi Theatre, but when I arrived, they crossed it out and wrote »Stanislavsky Musical Theatre«. I sobbed. I couldn»t work for a year,« Natalya said in an interview.
In recent years, Natalya rarely gave interviews
Rumors suggested that rivals envious of Natalya«s beauty and grace had a hand in it. According to another version, an influential man whose advances she rejected closed the Bolshoi»s doors to Trubnikova.
Natalya lived 71 years
Natalya lost all taste for life. She didn«t understand why she should keep trying or doing anything. Love reawakened the former Natalya. She was once paired with dancer Anatoly Kulakov. At first rehearsals, their relationship didn»t click.
«There were small lifts. Usually a ballerina, when approaching her partner, gathers and tenses, but here she didn»t. I protested: «Natasha, who taught you pas de deux? Why didn»t he teach you?«» Anatoly recalled.
Despite his remark, Kulakov couldn«t take his eyes off Natalya, who captivated with her beauty and kind smile. Natalya, in turn, wasn»t offended by the criticism but instead worked even harder to prove her skill.
Romantic feelings flared between the partners, and two years later they married and never parted again, facing all hardships hand in hand. And there were many problems. With Anatoly, Natalya had to forget about foreign trips. The dancer was not allowed abroad, considered potentially unreliable.
At home, Natalya endured constant nagging from her mother-in-law, who endlessly suspected Trubnikova of infidelity and hinted at it to her son. However, Anatoly, 10 years older than his beloved, trusted her unconditionally and supported her wholeheartedly when she began receiving film offers.
«You»ll Be Approved Because You«re a Princess»
According to the ballerina, she first received film offers right on the tram and happily agreed to auditions. However, they often ended in rejection. Mark Zakharov broke the streak of failures when he was casting actresses who could dance well for the film «12 Chairs» (18+).
Natalya was approved for the role of a ship captain. She was to dance alone and with Mironov and two other girls. However, in the final version, her role was greatly reduced. Before filming, it turned out that one of the dancers didn«t have special footwear — cothurni — and couldn»t perform. Natalya came to the aid of her crying colleague and volunteered to bring her own from home.
«I took a taxi. Went home. Got the cothurni. When I returned, I was the one crying. While I was away, they didn»t film the group dance, but everything planned for me at the helm was instead filmed with a mulatto woman,« Natalya couldn»t believe her eyes.
Even facing injustice, Natalya remained true to herself and her principles. She wasn«t ready to compromise for a role and always helped those in need. Another rule that often cost her roles — no nude scenes. Natalya couldn»t agree to explicit filming and repeatedly lost roles that were within reach.
After a series of failures, the role of her life finally came: Natalya auditioned for «31 June».
«When I was invited to screen tests, I was sure they wouldn»t approve me, as always. In the dressing room, I met Innokenty Smoktunovsky, and he said: «You»ll be approved because you«re a princess.» And so it happened,« the actress said on the program »Fate of Man« (16+).
Natalya landed the role of Princess Milisenta — calm and reasonable, yet fearless, ready to stand up for herself and her love. Trubnikova seemed born for this image. Over years in theatre, she learned to convey passion with her eyes alone while remaining impassive. However, after release, the film was shown only once.
«Unfortunately, the film had a double fate. On one hand, happy and successful, but then it was shelved for eight years. We thought nothing would come back,» Natalya said on the program «Stars Aligned».
Dancer and actor Alexander Godunov, who played musician Lemison, left the Soviet Union and sought asylum abroad. His defection affected the fate of «31 June». Hidden meanings were sought in the film, affecting everyone involved.
Natalya, unknowingly, ended up on a blacklist. She could have starred in «The Magicians» (0+), «Mary Poppins, Goodbye!» (0+), but after each audition, the answer was the same — rejection.
«There was such an order. Don»t approve ballet artists for leading roles because they don«t need language, they dance. The language of dance is international, and they can leave and stay anytime,» Natalya shared on the show «Stars Aligned» (16+).
«It Was a Very Heavy Blow for Me»
Natalya didn«t keep knocking on closed doors and devoted herself entirely to theatre. First she performed, then she taught aspiring artists. After »31 June«, she appeared in only 14 works, not all of which saw the light. This became Trubnikova»s main disappointment, which she regretted most.
«I regret that I acted in films, but much didn»t reach cinemas and television,« she admitted sadly.
Another great pain for Natalya was children. All her life the actress lived in harmony with her husband, and for a long time the topic of children didn«t even arise.
«We had such teachers who turned us completely toward ballet. And we saw and heard nothing else,» Trubnikova explained.
When Natalya thought about starting a family, it was already too late. She gave all her unshared love to her students, husband, and cats. Specifically for the fluffy ones, Trubnikova built a comfortable «cat house» in the yard and went every day to feed them.
In 2022, Natalya suffered a heavy loss: her husband Anatoly went to the store and died on the way.
«He suffocated. It was a very heavy blow for me,» Natalya said.
The actress struggled with the loss of the man with whom she had spent nearly 50 years of her life. She suffered from Parkinson«s disease, lost a lot of weight and became haggard, and her voice turned almost to a whisper.
On 11 August 2026, a neighbor found Natalya dead in her apartment.
