The tragic fate of Barbara Kosmal - daughter of actress Barbara Brylskaya

Barbara Brylska is a star of Polish and Soviet cinema. In our country, her most famous role is Nadya Sheveleva, in the main hit of the New Year holidays, Eldar Ryazanov’s film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” The successful actress was not too lucky in her personal life. Only in her third marriage did Brylska find happiness and give birth to two children - a daughter, Barbara, and a son, Ludwig. The daughter followed in her mother’s footsteps and also became an actress, but her life, alas, was cut short during the takeoff.

After two unsuccessful marriages, Barbara Brylska no longer believed in women's happiness. She was already approaching 30, and there was only work in her life. Meeting the doctor Ludwig Kosmal changed everything. The actress came out of depression and finally believed that there was a place for simple family joys in her life.

They married in October 1970, and in 1973 Barbara, who was 32, gave birth to their first child, daughter Basya. The actress perceived this event as a miracle. She dreamed of children for many years, but was unable to give birth in either of her two previous marriages. Daughter Barbara grew up beautiful and smart, to the delight of her parents. She inherited acting talent from her mother and made her film debut at the age of 15.

The girl starred with her mother in the historical drama “Hour of the Full Moon.” The first acting experience turned out to be successful and famous directors paid attention to Basya. Modeling agencies also noticed her - at the age of 18, Barbara Kosmal began her modeling career. At first, the girl starred for Polish magazines, but soon she was offered cooperation by the Parisian agency Marilyn Agency.

She agreed and spent a whole year in France, participating in photo shoots for fashion magazines. Then Barbara went to Japan, where she worked under a contract for several months. There she celebrated her 20th birthday, which turned out to be her last. In between filming and shows, the girl managed to realize herself as an actress. She played a minor role in the film “The Flying Dutchman” and one of the main roles in the film “Shadow Motif”.

Barbara Kosmal received an offer from the master of Polish cinema, Jerzy Hoffman. The director wanted to cast a girl in his historical drama “With Fire and Sword” in one of the main roles. But these plans were not destined to come true. On May 15, 1993, the girl went on a car ride with her close friend Ksawery Zulawski, the son of director Andrzej Zulawski.

At one of the turns, Xavier, who was speeding, lost control, the car was thrown off the road and hit a tree on the right side. It was there, in the passenger seat, that Barbara sat. The 20-year-old girl died instantly, and the culprit of the accident escaped with only minor bruises. This was not the first accident Barbara had with Zulawski. Before this, the reckless driver Xavier had once already crashed a car where his girlfriend was with him. But then everything worked out, although the girl spent some time in the hospital.

Ksawery Zulawski became the director. The feeling of guilt for the tragic death of his friend did not leave him and he dedicated his first film, “Chaos,” to Barbara Kosmal. In one of his interviews, he said about this picture like this:

Barbara Brylska believes that cruel fate intervened in the fate of her daughter. During pregnancy, she went to a fortune teller and she told her that there would not be two Barbaras in one family and one would certainly leave. The actress remembered these words only after the tragic death of her daughter. Brylska said that after Basya’s death, she cried every day for three years. To numb the mental pain, she had to take powerful sedatives.

Barbara Brylska did not find support in society. The press discussed her family drama, and those around her closely followed her every step. Even Basya's funeral turned into a farce. At this difficult moment, everyone was discussing the actress’s costume in which she walked behind the coffin. Later, Brylska will write about this:

The star admitted that it was so hard for her that she thought about suicide. She was saved by the fact that there was another child in the family - son Ludwig, born 9 years later than Basya. The actress devoted her life to the heir, but never forgets about her daughter. Brylska constantly goes to Barbara’s grave, and for the first three years she left letters on the tombstone.

She stopped writing to her daughter after a mystical incident. One day the phone rang in the actress’s apartment, and she heard her daughter’s voice on the receiver. At the other end of the line they asked how she was doing, and then the all-clear beep started. Brylska decided that it was Basya’s soul asking her not to disturb her, and she did not write any more letters to the next world.