Palme School

"Ours" in Hollywood or Leonardo DiCaprio is the grandson of a Russian grandmother

While the whole country is rejoicing at Yura Borisov's nomination for an Oscar, let us remember another actor, Leo DiCaprio, who has come a long way to the coveted statuette. In Russia, many people know that DiCaprio had a Russian grandmother and consider him "their own". Why does an American actor, the son of German immigrants, call himself half-Russian?

Where did DiCaprio get his Russian blood

If you look at the biography of the actor, you can trace that his mother Irmelin was half Russian, half German. While his father Giorgio - half German, half Italian. So Leonardo is half German after all. And during a meeting at an international forum in 2010 the actor told Vladimir Putin that he was half Russian. It is unclear which grandfather he was referring to, maybe his grandmother's husband also had Eastern roots.

The fact that Leonardo's grandmother - mom Irmelin - was born in the Russian Empire in 1915. And at the age of two years her parents, fleeing from the revolution, fled to Germany. There the family of Elena Smirnova (so she was called in her maidenhood) lived until the Second World War. The actor's grandmother married in Germany for the German Wilhelm Indenbirken. And in 1943, at the height of the war, gave birth to a daughter Irmelin. A few years later, in 1955, the family moved to the United States and lived in the "German" neighborhood.

Leonardo DiCaprio in an archival interview with Alyona Doletskaya. talks about his relatives:

"My grandmother was Russian - Smirnova - and to me she is the epitome of inner strength and wholeness. She went through poverty, war and emigration. My grandmother, grandfather and the rest of the relatives on their side are real sturdy Russians with a difficult fate that didn't break them. ...And the more I meet people in my life, the more I realize that my Russian grandparents were the most "real" ones. Even in times of deafening poverty and despair, they had a backbone and a sense of dignity that I don't see in many people now."

Does DiCaprio know Russian

Unfortunately, no. Leonardo speaks English, German and Italian. Perhaps his grandmother simply did not have time to teach him Russian. When DiCaprio was 11 years old, his grandmother Helena and her husband left the United States back to Germany. But in interview from the Tiger Forum in 2010, the actor told Putin that his grandmother spoke Russian. That is, she would be able to communicate with him in her native language.

Despite the family's break with Russian history more than 100 years ago, his grandson respects it and keeps the memory of his ancestors alive.

Why it is important to keep in touch with the history of your ancestors


Helena's grandmother had not been to Russia since emigrating, but her parents instilled in her a love of Russian culture. Leonardo said that as a child. his grandmother introduced him to Dostoyevsky. and shaped his character.

We wrote more about why it is important to stay connected to the homeland in this article.

Many parents of our students say that it is important for them to raise their children in an awareness of their identity when they emigrate. They want their children to know the history of their parents and to accept their multicultural identity.

Palme School supports the traditions of Russian culture in Russian language lessons. For this purpose, we introduce historical characters - writers, musicians, scientists. We teach both bilinguals and children who do not yet speak Russian.

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Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator
Sign up for a free lesson
Submit a request for a free first session with a guidance counselor to get to know each other, determine your goals, and match your child with an educator