Marija Golajovski Zaira went on a journey from the hell of a camp to acting success.
Marija Golajovski Zaira was born on December 4, 1936, in Kruševac, and became one of the significant figures of the Venezuelan acting scene. During more than 40 years of artistic work, she left a mark on television, film, and theatre, especially through numerous roles in telenovelas that made her recognizable to a wide audience.
Difficult childhood
She was the only child of Russian emigrants – an industrial engineer and an opera singer. Her parents belonged to the wave of people who left their homeland after the Russian Revolution and found refuge in the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Golajovski family settled in Kruševac, where they built a new life.
However, during the Nazi occupation in World War II, she and her family were detained in a camp. As a young girl, she faced hunger, fear, and uncertainty, spending her seventh birthday behind barbed wire. During that period, she also lost her father.
She spoke openly and on rare occasions about her traumatic childhood.
“I had an unhappy childhood. First under fascism, and then living under communism. Communism killed my father,” she said in an interview, adding that she was with her father when they came for him, as reported by NIN.
After leaving the camp, Marija remained with her mother Nataša, who tried to find a way to survive and secure a future for the two of them. As an opera singer, she used her voice to earn a living, and later also worked in tailoring.
“I don’t like talking about that terrible period. I think everywhere there are people who went through worse times,” Marija said on one occasion.
Moving to Venezuela
After the end of the war, Marija and her mother left Europe and moved to Venezuela. Arriving in Caracas meant the beginning of a completely different life – without knowing the language, without financial security, and without the support system they were used to.
The first years were difficult. They found help from humanitarian organizations, while her mother tried to earn a living. Despite modest conditions, Marija managed to get an education at the prestigious Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe school in Caracas. Thanks to her talent and success, as well as an understanding of her situation, she was allowed to continue her education under more favorable terms.
Over time, she began to develop a love for art. Her mother recognized her talent and encouraged her to pursue singing and acting. Marija participated in a Russian church choir, theatre groups, as well as the folklore troupe “Retablo del pueblo” (“Village Altar”).
Of special importance in her artistic development was the Argentine actress and educator Juana Sujo, who in 1950 founded the first professional drama studio in Venezuela. In that school, which later grew into the National School of Performing Arts, Marija perfected her acting, speech, and stage performance.
As a young emigrant, she had to work hard to master the language and proper pronunciation.
Name change and successful career
She began her professional career on the radio, and made her first theatre appearance in 1952 in the play Nuestra Natacha. After working in the Teatro del Pueblo, she stepped into the world of television.
In 1953, she participated in the launch of the television station Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), where she appeared in the project Los Gavilanes. That was when she received her first professional contract, which amounted to 800 bolivars per month.
It was then that the identity under which the public would remember her forever was born. The television company suggested she change her name from Marija to América, as a symbol of the country that gave her a new life, while the surname Alonso was chosen after the famous Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso.
As América Alonso, she achieved a rich career in various artistic fields. She was present on television, in film, and on the theatre stage, and her roles remained a part of the history of Venezuelan culture.
Particularly notable were her roles in the films Cangrejo (Crab), directed by Román Chalbaud, as well as La Gata Borracha (The Drunk Cat), also directed by Chalbaud. The public and critics also remember her for the achievements Una noche oriental (An Oriental Night), directed by Miguel Curiel, and Seguro está el infierno (Hell is Certain), directed by José Alcalde.
She also gained great popularity through television projects that marked the history of Venezuelan television. Among the most significant series and dramas in which she participated are Sopotocientos (Eight Hundred), La Cruz del Diablo (The Devil’s Cross), Sangre Indómita (Indomitable Blood), Soledad (Loneliness), La Loba (The She-Wolf), Cumbres Borrascosas (Wuthering Heights), and El Escándalo (The Scandal).
In addition to her work in front of the cameras, she was also active in theatre, where she collaborated with prominent directors, including Daniel Uribe Osio. Her art encompassed various forms of expression, and her name became synonymous with dedication and professionalism.
Private life and legacy
In 1959, she married producer and publicist Mario Bertullo. From that marriage, she had sons Roberto and Alejandro. One of them lives in Miami, while the other built his life in Santiago, Chile. América Alonso also had four grandchildren.
Later, she was married to Daniel Farías, who was also involved in theatrical arts. She spent the last years of her life in Miami, surrounded by family.
América Alonso passed away on May 14, 2022. She left behind a story of exceptional inner strength, artistic talent, and the ability to build one of the most successful acting careers in Venezuela out of the most difficult circumstances.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Printscreen YouTube