Polish actress Pola Raksa
Born April 14, 1941 in the city of Lida, Grodno region of the Belarusian SSR, Apolonia Raksa is a Polish film, theater and television actress. A charming fairy of Polish cinema, Raksa played many significant roles in well-known films.
The girl grew up, finished school, entered Wroclaw University, began to study polonistics, and occasionally performed in the student theater “Pun.” And … a miracle happened. Of those miracles, which girls often dream about and who nevertheless do not so often wait for them in life.

Once, photo correspondent took picture of Pola in a dairy cafe. Photo of a beautiful student appeared on the cover of the magazine Dookola Svyata. And then, the director and professor of the Lodz Higher School of Theater and Cinematography Maria Kanevskaya saw the photo. She found Pola and invited her to appear in her film about children “Satan from the seventh grade” (1960).

However, in reality everything was not so radiant. Wanda, the niece of the professor, in the performance of Pola Raksa turned pale and inexpressive. The girl herself felt how she conceded to her partner, the student of the theatrical institute, Józef Skvark. Indeed, it was difficult for her to move in front of the camera, and express what was in her soul. In short, Wanda could have remained one and only role of Pola. Nothing more than an episode in life.

But the movie was already beckoning, prolonged, carried away – even by its difficulty. Pola Raksa entered the Lodz Higher School of Theater and Cinematography. She did her best in mastering the profession, and was very hardworking. Even when Pola Raksa became a famous actress, her colleagues and directors noted her tirelessness and greedy, passionate attitude to business. And in the years of study … Jan Krechmar, rector of the Lodz Higher School, who was against the participation of his students in the filming, spoke of Pola Raksa as an exception. Raksa starred in three films and started the fourth, not missing a single semester. Gradually, her skill developed. But to find professionalism was much easier than her own place in art.

Finally, popularity and recognition came to her. But it turned out that popularity has another side.

For twelve years of working in the film, Pola Raksa has appeared in eighteen films. There were empty, insignificant ones among them, such as “The Beast of God”, “The Case of a Song”, “Chasing Adam”. That softness and femininity of Pola Raksa fascinated directors, and the actress never deceived expectations. Sensing the purity and poetry of the best heroines of Raksa, the directors began to consider her an ideal performer of roles in films for children.

Widespread fame in the USSR was due to the military series “Four Tankmen and a Dog”, where she played nurse Marusya nicknamed “Ogonyok.” After the release of the latter in the Soviet Union, the young actress had an army of fans in the USSR. Soviet girls copied even hairstyle of Pola Raksa. According to a poll of readers of the “Soviet screen”, Pola Raksa – the best actress in 1967.

Also, Soviet film studios began inviting the talented Polish actress. For example, the Riga film studio invited Raksa to star in the film “Nocturne” in a duet with Gunar Cilinsky. Also, “Mosfilm” offered Raksa to work in the wonderful adaptation of Bogomolova’s “Zosya” (directed by Mikhail Bogin). And for the last role, Polish actress received the prize of the magazine “Soviet Screen” at the International Moscow Film Festival in Moscow.

As for her private life, in 1964-1970, she lived happily in marriage with the director and cameraman Andrzej Kostenko. In the marriage, their son Martin was born.

Meanwhile, in the 1970s and 1980s, Pola Raksa conducted programs on television, and sometimes appeared on the theater stage. Interestingly, in 1994, the actress broke with the movie, taking up the design of clothing.

Beautiful actress of Polish cinema Pola Raksa – laureate of the II TV dramatic theater festival prize for her role in the play “Romeo and Juliet” (1965). Besides, she is Laureate of the Silver Mask Award (1967, 1969, 1970). Awarded the Golden Cross of Merit in Poland (1974), honored worker of culture of Poland (1979).

Beautiful Polish actress Pola Raksa

Based on the article in the magazine “Actors of foreign cinema”. 1976, #10 issue
Magazine ‘Sputnik Kinozritelya’, 1966, 1968.