The key facts

  • Ekaterina Raikina died on November 3 at the age of 88; the farewell took place on November 6 at Konstantin Raikin's Higher School of Performing Arts
  • After the funeral service, the actress will be cremated and interred at Novodevichy Cemetery in her parents' grave
  • Konstantin Raikin spoke at the ceremony, speaking of his sister's 'immeasurable kindness'

Farewell and funeral plans

Ekaterina Raikina, daughter of People's Artist of the USSR Arkady Raikin, died on November 3 at the age of 88. The farewell ceremony began on November 6 at 10:30 at Konstantin Raikin's Higher School of Performing Arts in Moscow; RIA Novosti reports this with reference to Gazeta.Ru. After the civil memorial service, a funeral service is planned at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God 'Joy of All Who Sorrow', after which the actress will be cremated, and the urn with her ashes will be interred at Novodevichy Cemetery — in her parents' grave.

Her brother's words and the order of the ceremony

The deceased's brother, actor Konstantin Raikin, spoke at the ceremony. According to a publication by StarHit, he called his sister 'angel-like' and 'a divine person of immeasurable kindness', noting that her desire to bring joy to others was hard to compare with anything, and recalled how she prepared him for entrance exams. The actress's son and granddaughter were the first to arrive to say farewell; they declined to speak with journalists. Everyone who wishes is allowed into the theatre, but relatives ask that no photographs be taken.

The actress's creative career

Ekaterina Raikina was born on April 15, 1938, in Leningrad. She first took the stage at the age of 12 in the role of Cosette, replacing a performer who had fallen ill in the Yevgeny Vakhtangov Theatre's production of 'Les Misérables' during the theatre's tour in Leningrad. In 1959 she graduated from the B. V. Shchukin Theatre School and was accepted into the Vakhtangov company, where she served for about 50 years. Her roles included Lucille in 'The Bourgeois Gentleman', Zelima in 'Princess Turandot', Cinderella and the Princess in 'Puss in Boots', and dozens more productions.