Gretta Lanzetti

GRETTA LANZETTI (1942-2021)

Gretta Mikhailovna Lanzetti was born on June 11, 1942, during the Second World War in Habarovsk city in the Far East of Russia. Her parents were Ekaterina Kulinich, a GP and a violinist and conductor from an Italian musical background Mikhail Lanzetti.

Life was very hard as people were starving and lacked basic services like electricity, housing, roads. They lived in a crude wooden house with only a tiny wood stove that could not heat the interior when temperatures dropped to -50 in winter. Very short but hot summers followed, it was a tough life.

Gretta’s mum was always hungry, surviving on eating rye galushki, small pieces of dry bread soaked in water and made into a soup. Starvation continued for years till finally after the opening of the second front, American planes started dropping parcels of food on the Far East. The tins of food from the air, full of powdered eggs, potato flour people called “The Second Front”.

Gretta was sickly as a child and the doctors did not have much hope for her survival due to malnutrition and lack of immunity. But lucky for penicillin, just discovered by Australian microbiologists saved her life and it did the lives of many others then and since.

A few years later when the war was over the family moved to Moscow. In her teenage’s years, Gretta loved to perform. She would dance sing and constantly created small spectacles for neighbours, involving other kids in those performances. People saw her talent and praised her.

At the same time, she fell in love with the cinema and loved going to see films that were captured by Russian army forces in Europe, the so-called trophy movies. As well as captured Italian and German films, she saw Hollywood musicals and would amaze her parents by singing the songs she’d seen on the screen. Her talents finally landed her in the world of popular entertainment where she organized concerts and participated in festivals, singing and dancing. Working in theatres, concert halls and even stadiums Gretta captivated audiences, both adults and kids.

As soon as she appeared in any company anywhere people looked at her with curiosity and admiration. She was known as “the celebration beauty”. It was as if a fresh breeze of air had entered the room, they said.

Her humour was irresistible. She could make people laugh and immediately she’d become the centre of any party effortlessly as her gifts, easy light, cheerful attitude won people over, especially Fred Korolkevich her husband, the film producer whom she met when entertaining on the riverboats and with whom they had so many happy years.

We’ll always remember you, Grettochka, a beautiful woman, mother, wife, actress, entertainer, and a great person living by good moral principles, a real optimist and survivor. We love you and our love is sent to you through eternity.

Lanzetti-Korolkevich-Rubbo family

See Fred Korolkevich

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