Photos from home archives of celebrities of Soviet cinema and theater

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Continuing to examine children's retro photographs of theater and film actors of the last century from the series "We are all from childhood" and reading brief information about their first steps to creativity, you can make a number of discoveries. But before becoming great and famous, they were also children. And some of them knew almost from birth what they would become when they grow up, and some had to go in a roundabout way to their profession, overcoming obstacles.

Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (1917 - 2001)

- Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1990).

Georgy Vitsin was born on the territory of Finland - in the city of Terijoki (now Zelenogorsk), soon the family moved to Petrograd, and a year later to Moscow. By nature, George was a very shy child, and no one could even imagine what talents lie in him. And in order to get rid of excessive shyness, he enrolled in a school theater studio, and at the age of 12 he first appeared on stage.

After school, Vitsin entered the theater school. And literally a year later he was expelled from the second year "for a frivolous attitude to the educational process." But in the fall of the same year, he passed exams at once to three theatrical universities: the studio of Alexei Diky, the Theater of the Revolution and the V. I. Vakhtangov - the current "Sliver". The young man chose the latter, and after studying for a year, he moved to the Moscow Art Theater studio, which he successfully graduated from. Having received an actor's diploma in 1936, Georgy Vitsin went to work in the theater studio of N. P. Khmelev (theater named after M. Ermolova).

Efremov, Oleg Nikolaevich (1927 - 2000)

- Soviet and Russian actor and film and theater director, teacher.

Oleg Efremov was born in Moscow in a large communal apartment, life in which became not only a part of his childhood, but also determined his development as a master. It was this extraordinary atmosphere of the Arbat house that largely predetermined the course of his life. Together with friends around the house, they attended the drama club in the House of Pioneers, together, when they grew up, they went to enter the Moscow Art Theater. However, only Efremov was taken from all the court brethren. Then Oleg promised his friends that he would play for all of them. And, as eyewitnesses recall, once in his youth, he even solemnly vowed to serve cinema and theater, having sealed this vow with his own blood.

However, upon graduation, he was not taken to the famous Moscow Art Theater. Therefore, the young actor had to start his career in 1949 at the Central Children's Theater, where he worked for eight years. Over the years, not only the young audience fell in love with him, but also the directors who gave him the main roles. Having gained authority and gained invaluable experience, Oleg Efremov tried himself as a director in his own theater, and a year later, he organized his own theater - the Sovremennik theater.

Leonov, Evgeny Pavlovich (1926 - 1994)

- Soviet and Russian theater and film actor.

Evgeny Leonov was born in Moscow into the family of an engineer and a housewife. With the beginning of the Patriotic War, he got a job as a turner apprentice at an aircraft factory, where he worked with his father. In 1943, Eugene entered the Aviation Instrument-Making Technical School, where he became involved in amateur performances. It was there that he received the nickname "our artist".

While in his third year at a technical educational institution, Zhenya entered the Moscow Experimental Theater Studio, which was directed by the choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater R. V. Zakharov, and dropped out of the technical school. In 1947, the aspiring actor graduated from the studio and immediately found himself in the troupe of the theater, which eventually became the Stanislavsky Theater.

Shukshin, Vasily Makarovich (1929 - 1974)

- Soviet film director, actor, screenwriter and writer.

Vasily Shukshin was born in the village of Srostki (Siberian Territory) to a peasant family; his father was arrested and shot in 1933. All care for the children fell on the shoulders of the mother, Maria Sergeevna. After the execution of his father and before receiving his passport, Vasily Makarovich bore his maternal surname - Popov. In the postwar years, he went to study at the Biysk Automotive Technical School, and after graduation, Shukshin had to work as a locksmith, a rigger, and a handyman in different cities of Russia.

In 1949, Shukshin was mobilized to serve in the Navy. He served as a sailor in the Baltic Fleet, then as a radio operator in the Black Sea. It was during the service that Shukshin took up literary activity. He wrote stories that he read to the guys in the service. Mobilized, he returned to his small homeland and managed to work as a history teacher, and later as a school director. In 1960 he graduated from the directing department of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (workshop of Mikhail Romm).

Fateeva, Natalia Nikolaevna (born in 1934)

- Soviet and Russian actress.

Natalia Fateeva was born in Kharkov. Her father was a military man, and her mother was the head of a fashion studio. It was from her father, who had good vocal abilities and played the piano, that Natasha took her creative abilities.

After graduating from school, Fateeva, as planned, applied to the Kharkov Theater Institute. After a while, a pretty student was invited to the post of announcer. But soon after that she was expelled from the institute. Natalia did not despair and, without hesitation, went to conquer in Moscow. There she enters VGIK and starts life from scratch.

Demyanenko, Alexander Sergeevich (1937 - 1999)

- Soviet and Russian theater, film and television actor, master of dubbing. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1991).

Alexander Demyanenko was born in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). His father was an artist of the Opera House, a teacher of theatrical skills in one of the city's conservatories. Almost immediately after the birth of his son, Demyanenko Sr. leaves the family to create a new one. However, some time later, he leaves his second wife and returns to Alexander's mother, but not for long. Soon, Sergei Demyanenko again leaves the family for a new lover. Despite such inconstancy of his father, Sasha always loved and respected him very much.

From an early age, Demyanenko Jr. dreamed of an acting career, so after graduating from school, without hesitation, he went to Moscow to enter the Moscow Art Theater. Having failed in the exams, he returned home and entered the Faculty of Law. But the dream of an acting career has not gone anywhere. Therefore, having thoroughly prepared, a year later he again goes to Moscow. This time, Alexander successfully passes exams at once to two prestigious universities - the Shchukin School and GITIS. I went to study at GITIS.

Mironov, Andrei Alexandrovich (1941 - 1987)

- Soviet theater and film actor, pop artist. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1980).

Andrei Mironov (surname at birth - Menaker) was born in Moscow and almost immediately on the theater stage. His mother's contractions began right during the performance. The boy grew up in a creative acting family. His father, Alexander Menaker, known for musical feuilletons, as well as a director, and his mother, Maria Mironova, played in the Theater of Contemporary Miniatures and at the Moscow Art Theater and also acted in films. The fate of this actor, as they say, was a foregone conclusion from his very birth.

In 1948, Andrei Menaker was supposed to go to first grade. And due to anti-Semitic sentiments in the country, his parents were advised to change his last name - so Andrei became Mironov. It must be said that at school the future actor was a leader and a restless ringleader, but he did not want to study, he especially did not like exact sciences. But from a school family he participated in theatrical performances, and in high school he went to the studio at the Central Children's Theater.

Despite the fact that in early childhood Andryusha dreamed of becoming a football goalkeeper, and his parents, in turn, predicted a career for him as an interpreter, in 1958 Mironov entered the theater school. Shchukin. The members of the examination committee did not even know that they were facing the son of those very famous “Mironova and Menaker”. Andrei's parents did not know about admission either, touring the country. Mironov was enrolled in the course of Joseph Rapoport.

Zolotukhin, Valery Sergeevich (1941-2013)

- Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1987).

Valery Zolotukhin was born into the family of a collective farm chairman in the village of Bystry Istok in the Altai Territory. When the boy was 7 years old, trouble happened to him. He fell out of the second floor window. True, he escaped with a severe bruise of the knee, but the boy received medical assistance completely inappropriate. Because of which, he almost remained a cripple for life. The paramedic put the boy in a cast from hip to ankle. But then lice started up under the shell, Valery began to comb his leg with everything he could get. Fortunately, the paramedic had to remove the gypsum, which literally saved the little Valerka. Parents sent their son to a sanatorium, and there they made a terrible diagnosis - bone tuberculosis. Doctors said that he would never walk on his own. And until the eighth grade, the future actor walked on crutches, not paying attention to the ridicule of schoolchildren.

Oddly enough, while still a teenager, Valery began to dream, but what is there to dream about, he firmly believed that he would someday become an artist. At the end of school, a limping village boy went to Moscow to conquer GITIS. And what is most interesting - he was accepted, but not anywhere, but to the operetta department, where it is simply necessary to dance with ease. For a long time he hid his lack of a dance class, overcoming the pain from exertion and, worrying that an exacerbation would not begin. Valery Zolotukhin scrupulously polished his acting skills, studied far from carelessly. Moreover, in the fifth year, he managed to marry the beautiful Nina Shatskaya, who seemed to Valery, and not only to him, to be inaccessible.

Filatov, Leonid Alekseevich (1946 - 2003)

- Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, film director, poet, writer, publicist, TV presenter, People's Artist of the Russian Federation (1995).

Leonid Filatov was born in Kazan. The family moved frequently, as my father was a radio operator and spent a lot of time on expeditions. Leonid's childhood was spent in Penza. When the boy was seven years old, his parents divorced and Leonid went with his mother to Ashgabat to stay with relatives.

While still a schoolboy, he began to publish in the Ashgabat press. In 1965, after school, he came to Moscow, hoping to enter the directing department of VGIK. Having failed the exams, he decided to go to the acting department of the Shchukin School, and was accepted. He graduated from drama school in 1969, in the same year he became an actor of the Moscow Theater on Taganka.

Zadornov, Mikhail Nikolaevich (1948 - 2017)

- Soviet and Russian satirist, playwright, humorist, actor. Zadornov's monologues have always been topical, full of subtle irony, and their heroes are perfectly recognizable in everyday life, therefore all the satirist's performances invariably scattered into quotes, gathered a lot of spectators and were held with great success.

Mikhail Zadornov was born in Jurmala. His father, Nikolai Pavlovich Zadornov, was a writer working in the historical genre. Mom - Elena Melkhiorovna Matusevich - came from an old noble family, was a housewife. While still in school, the future satirist began to get seriously involved in theater. According to eyewitnesses, in one of the children's performances young Mikhail played the role of a turnip so masterly that he was repeatedly pulled out for an encore.

Despite the success in the acting field, after school, Mikhail Zadornov decided to enter the Riga Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers. There was a good national handball team, and Mikhail was fascinated by this game since childhood. However, due to the rupture of the meniscus, the future satirist had to give up sports. In 1969, Zadornov transferred to the Moscow Aviation Institute, where he received a diploma in mechanical engineering. After graduation, he stayed at the university to work as a researcher, and along the way participated in the work of the youth theater "Russia".

In his student years, Mikhail acted in this theater as a playwright and director. Under his leadership, the theater gained fame in the Soviet republics. The first publications of Zadornov were published in 1974, and in 1982 Zadornov made his television debut with the monologue "A Student's Letter Home" about the misadventures of an unlucky student.

Samokhina, Anna Vladlenovna (1963 - 2010)

- Soviet and Russian theater and film actress, TV presenter and singer.

Anna Samokhina (Podgornaya) was born in Guryevsk. Later she lived in Cherepovets, where the future actress spent her childhood. It is difficult to call these years happy for her. The parents were given a dorm room, where life was creepy, especially for the little ones. Together with their sister, due to the lack of space in the room, they had to sleep on a mattress in the corner of the shared kitchen. The worst thing was that my father drank very heavily. Therefore, fights, screams and breaking glass in the lives of children were already commonplace. By the age of thirty, Ani's father finally drank himself and died. Mom was forced to raise her daughters herself. Soon they managed to get a room in a communal apartment, but living in a communal apartment was also not easy. Neighbors often swore, drinking and stabbing were not uncommon. In the midst of all this nightmare, the future actress was growing up.

Mom bought a piano because she dreamed that her daughters would receive a musical education. She wanted the children to have a better life than hers. After the eighth grade, Anya entered the theater school of the city of Yaroslavl and studied at the course of Sergei Tikhonov. After graduating from college, she was assigned to the city of Rostov-on-Don in the Youth Theater.