She was considered one of the most beautiful women in 1930s, referred to as either German or Russian actress. But in fact, she was Kyiv-born and spoke only Ukrainian until she was 15.
Anna Sten, first Hollywood star from Ukraine.
Anna’s childhood and youth are surrounded by legends she had created herself. But what we know for sure is that she studied in Kyiv state theatre college and worked in Kyiv Malyi theatre.
Lead roles in Soviet films brought her to stardom in the silent cinema. Together with her husband, she left for filming in Germany and never came back. The Soviet authorities did everything to prevent her return.
After a lead role in The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov Anna Sten rose to global fame and was invited to Hollywood. However, her work there was not successful. The Wedding Night is considered a peak of Anna’s acting career – but despite Best Director prize at Venice International Film Festival, the film’s commercial earnings were meagre. The actress’s career had gradually come to nothing, and Anna started teaching acting and painting.
Anna Sten had always stressed on her Ukrainian origins and really missed her home. And she did manage to come back to Ukraine in her films. In 2010 in Odesa, Silent Nights festival dedicated a separate set to Anna Sten.
