The name of actress Lily (Elizaveta) Kedrova is little known in Russia, but in the USA she enjoyed significant popularity and became the only Russian actress to receive the prestigious Oscar award. She was born in 1918 in Petrograd to a family of opera singers. After the revolution, her family emigrated to France and settled in Paris. There, Kedrova began studying at a theater studio, although for a long time she did not receive serious roles. When a play by Vladimir Nabokov was staged, he recalled Lily as the 'little-eyed actress, who is called the second Komissarzhevskaya,' and who persistently asked him for a role. The writer conceded, and Kedrova brilliantly handled the task.

Starting in 1938, Lily Nikolaevna began to be invited to films, where she initially played roles of émigrés, Russian countesses, and Cossacks. Universal recognition came to her in 1964 when Greek director Michael Cacoyannis invited her to play Madame Hortensia in the film 'Zorba the Greek.' Although Kedrova did not speak English and memorized all her lines, her performance was so magnificent that the audience did not notice the language barrier. Interestingly, it was during the filming of this movie that the dance syrtaki was accidentally invented, which later came to be mistakenly considered a national Greek dance, although it has no relation to Greek culture.

The film was successful first in Europe and then in the USA, receiving 7 Oscar nominations. Ultimately, Lily Nikolaevna won the award in the category of 'Best Supporting Actress.' After that, she became sought after by directors. Subsequently, Kedrova appeared in many films not only in France but also in Hollywood, Italy, and Canada, working with masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. Seven years before her death, she retired from cinema. In her last years, she suffered from Alzheimer's disease and heart failure. Lily Nikolaevna passed away on February 16, 2000, and was buried in a Russian cemetery in Paris.