2025 Essays

Antonina Khanzhonkova

Kovalova, Anna

Antonina Khanzhonkova, the first wife of the legendary Russian film producer Aleksandr Khanzhonkov, is known as the true uncrowned “tsarina” of Russian imperial cinema. In his brilliant memoir, film director Viacheslav Viskovskii wrote that “Khanzhonkov’s studio set the tone of everything. Madame Khanzhonkova was in charge of the entire business (both production and distribution), and Khanzhonkov, without violating the truth, could identify himself as Menelaus did: ‘I am the Tsarina’s husband’” (Viskovskii 3). Viskovskii even clarified that “I will refer to Khanzhonkov, who was the official head of the studio. Still, I will mean the actual chief and dictator, Madame Khanzhonkova.” Indeed, according to various evidence, she acted as a producer, film director, casting director, and screenwriter while contributing to all stages of film production from set design to editing. The first attempt to give an overview of Antonina Khanzhonkova’s career was made by Michele Leigh in 2015. This profile builds off of that important article, which was based mostly on secondary sources, by revisiting Khanzhonkova’s legacy mainly through primary materials.