Raisa Gichaeva

Born November 7, 1939 in Grozny, in 1957 she started studying at the Institute of Theater, Music, and Cinematography from which she graduated in 1962 as a theater and movie actress. Having returned to the Chechen Republic she began her career with the Nuradilov Drama Theater. One of her most prominent parts was that of Mayma the healer (comedy "Bozh-Ali" by Khamidov); since that time, people have referred to Raisa Gitchaeva as Mayma, so perfect was the image she once created.
Of special importance in the career of the actress are parts of mothers which revealed the tragic nature of her talent. All those parts are full of kindness, spiritual warmth, sagacity and internal force. Such were the parts she performed in Khakishev"s plays "The Vaynakhs" Songs" and "The Land of Fathers" granted the State Prizes of the Chechen Republic and the Russian Federation. The plays were based on old Chechenian folk lore.
For the first time, the actress appeared on the screen as a hero in "Alexandra" by Alexander Sokurov. After that, there followed other invitations from various film directors.
In her theater, Raisa Movzhdiyevna is referred to as "A truly Chechenian actress who has spent her entire life working for the theater to develop and flourish. She is duly honored with the title of the Folk Actress of the Chechenian Republic and the Honored Actress of the Russian Federation". Her awards iclude citations from the RF Ministry of Culture, the RF Theater Union, etc.
Among the most prominent achievements of the actress on the stage there are: Nurse (Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet"), Violet (Mdivani, "Theresa"s Birthday"), Mayma (Khamidov, "Bozh-Ali", City Mayor (a male part, Ustinov, "City Without Love"), Tchumuk (Abdullayev, "Bachelors"), Emily (Shakespeare, "Othello"), Matchmaker (Gogol, "Wedding"), etc.