Vera Kholodnaya

Vera Vasilyevna Kholodnaya (née Levchenko; Russian: Вера Васильевна Холодная; Ukrainian: Віра Василівна Холодна; 5 August 1893 – 16 February 1919) was a Russian cinema actress. She was the first star of Imperial Russian silent cinema. Only five of her films still exist, and the total number she acted in is unknown, with speculation ranging from 50 to 100.

She predominantly acted in the genres of drama, melodrama, and short films, working with directors such as Yevgeni Bauer, Pyotr Chardynin, and others. Her co-stars included Vitold Polonsky, Vladimir Maksimov, and Osip Runich.

She gained fame for her roles in films such as The Song of Triumphant Love (1915), Mirages (1915), A Life for a Life (1916), Forget the Fireplace... (1917), and many others. Only five films featuring Vera Kholodnaya have survived, though the actual number of her films may range from 50 to 100. Even after her death at the age of 25, her popularity endured during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War. The official cause of her death was Spanish flu, but it sparked numerous rumors and myths.