Svetlana Toma

Svetlana Andreevna Toma (Russian: Светлана Андреевна Тома, born Svetlana Andreevna Fomichyova (Russian: Светлана Андреевна Фомичёва); May 24, 1947 in Chişinău, Moldova) is a Moldovan actress. She debuted at the Moldova-Film studio in 1966. She worked in Moldova and Russia.

She is the mother of actress Irina Lachina.

Toma gained global fame after starring in the film Queen of the Gypsies directed by Emil Loteanu, which brought the actress huge international success.. The picture was bought by 112 countries. This record still has not been beaten, by Soviet or Russian films.

The artistic alias Toma is usually pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable. However, the actress herself points out that originally (with emphasis on the second syllable) it was the surname of her great-grandmother from her mother's side, of French origin.

Toma was born as Svetlana Andreevna Fomichyova in 1947 in Chisinau. Her father was Andrei V. Fomichev (originally from the village Somovka Dobrinsky District of Lipetsk region), chairman of the "Truth" collective farm in Balti MSSR area. Mother, Ides Saulovna Sukhaya (? -1987) in 1930 was a member of a communist underground movement (messenger) in Bessarabia; together with sisters Bertha, Sarah, Rebecca, Ada and Anna she kept in her basement a collection of banned literature. Her parents met while her father studied at the Chisinau Agricultural Institute, where her mother worked as a secretary.

Svetlana Toma graduated from the acting department; an objective course of Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. Her diploma was from the Chisinau Institute of Arts named after Musicescu. She starred in many Moldovan films, and later in the films of the Moldovan director Emil Loteanu. Notable films include "Red Meadows" (1965), Lăutarii (1972), Queen of the Gypsies (1976) (the role of gypsy Rada), Anna Pavlova (1983).

Member of the CPSU since 1978.

She also acted in films of the other famous directors: Vladimir Vengerov - "The Living Corpse" (1969), Yan Frid - "Pious Martha" (1982), Pavel Chukhray - "People in the ocean" (1979), Vladimir Basov - "Seven shouts in the ocean" (1981), Valeriy Ahadov - "Family business Gayurovyh"(1974), Rustam Ibragimbekov - "Solo for baritone and Orchestra" (1977) and others.

In the 90s she performed with a large concert program as well as toured with a combination company.

In 1999, together with other artists, she took part in the project of Victor Merezhko and composer Eugene Bednenko "The Stars of Theater and Cinema are Singing", where she was a performer of retro songs. The outcome of this project was a concert and a CD, released in the US and on the "Radio MPS."

Today she performs in the play "Hostages of love" (N. Demchik, dir. G. Shaposhnikov, HRC "Russart") (combination company).

Svetlana Toma had a long and complex personal relationship with Emil Loteanu, whom she was going to marry.

Her first husband was former classmate, actor Oleg Lachin (who died in an accident in April 1973 at the age of 26). They had one daughter, Irina Lachina, born in 1972.

Svetlana's daughter and granddaughter are also in film business. Daughter Irina Lachin is an actress. Granddaughter Maria Budrina, born in 1991, is a film director.

Her second husband (2000-2005) is a playwright Andrey Vishnevsky.

People's Artist of Moldova (2008). Honored Artist of Russia (2001).

• Absolving the Arts Institution from Chişinău (1965–1969) as a movie and theater actress, she debuted at the Moldova-Film studio in 1966.
• Svetlana Toma is a vegetarian.
• Her last project was Russian telenovela Bednaya Nastya.
• She was the presenter at 7th Annual Russian Academy of Cinema Arts Awards in 1993.

• Poor Nastya (2003) as Sychikha
• Vorovka 2. Schastye na prokat (2002)
• Annual Russian Academy of Cinema Arts Awards (1993) as herself
• Luceafărul (1987) as Veronica Micle
• Kapitan Fracasse (1984) as Serafina
• Blagochestivaya Marta (1980)
• Sluchai na festivale (1976) as Viorica