Background
Rachel Messerer was born in Vilnius into the Lithuanian Jewish family of dentist Mikhail Messerer and his wife Sima Shabad, and was one of nine children.
Rachel Messerer was born in Vilnius into the Lithuanian Jewish family of dentist Mikhail Messerer and his wife Sima Shabad, and was one of nine children.
Rachel Messerer graduated from Institute of Cinematography in 1925 (class of Lev Kuleshov).
Every child got a biblical name: Pnina, Azariah, Mattany, Rachel, Assaf, Elisheva, Shulamith, Emanuel, Abinadab and Erella. And grand-daughter (since 1971) Anna Plisetskaya, another ballerina. During the early years of Soviet system, Rachel starred at the “Bukhkino” and “The Star of the East” studios.
On 30 April 1937 Michael Plisetski was purged, charged with espionage and executed on 8 January 1938.
In early March 1938 Rachel was arrested. These events caused many troubles to Asaf and Sulamith.
In summer 1939, Rachel was transferred to the “Camp for Wives of Traitors to the Motherland in Akmolinsk” (in Kazakhstan). Rachel Messerer-Plisetskaya was released in 1941, only two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
After her release, Rachel never restarted the acting career.
In those days, no director would have risked his career by inviting her. On March 3, 1956 she learned the truth: in the papers on rehabilitation of Michael Plisetski, the execution date of his execution was disclosed: 8 January 1938.