Xenia Desni (Ukrainian: Ксенія Десні; 19 January 1894 – 27 May 1962) was a Ukrainian silent screen era actress who predominantly appeared in German films.

Early life

Densi was born Ksenia Desnytska in Kyiv, Ukraine. She and her family fled the Russian Revolution. They first moved to Constantinople, where she began her acting career in Vaudeville. She later moved to Berlin. She later was involved in films directed by Johannes Guter.

Career

Desni began her successful career at the beginning of the 1920s with the movie Sappho, followed by a number of successful productions such as Leap Into Life, Die Prinzessin Suwarin, Wilhelm Tell, Die Andere, Ein Walzertraum, Familie Schimek, and Madame wagt einen Seitensprung. Her career declined shortly after the advent of sound, after which she appeared in only one film, Kriminalkommissar Eyck. She was the mother of actress Tamara Desni. Her daughter became a star of British films during the 1930s and 1940s.

Selected filmography