Renowned Soviet and Russian actress Vera Alentova, celebrated for her leading performance in the Oscar-winning film “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears,” has passed away at the age of 83, as reported by the Pushkin Drama Theater on Thursday.

Alentova gained global recognition for her role as Katerina Tikhomirova in the 1979 film, which earned the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Her character’s evolution from a struggling young woman to a prosperous, self-sufficient resident of Moscow secured Alentova’s status as one of the most prominent actresses of her time.

According to the Moscow news platform Msk1.ru, Alentova was transported on a stretcher earlier on Thursday after she felt unwell during a farewell ceremony for fellow actor Anatoly Lobotsky.

Neither the Pushkin Drama Theater nor Msk1.ru provided details about the cause of her death.

Born in 1942 in the northern town of Kotlas, located in the Arkhangelsk region, Alentova was raised in a family of artists. She graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School in 1965, quickly establishing herself as a leading talent in Soviet theater and film.

Shortly after her graduation, she joined the Pushkin Drama Theater, where she spent more than fifty years, earning praise for her roles in both classical and modern works.

Throughout her career, Alentova featured in over 30 films and television series and received various accolades, including the U.S.S.R. State Prize in 1981. She was honored as a People’s Artist of Russia and awarded the Order of Friendship in 2001.

Alentova was married for 48 years to actor Vladimir Menshov, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 82.

She is survived by her daughter, actress and television host Yulia Menshova.