The creative works of Nikolai Slichenko have long become classics of Russian art. For his contribution to the development of culture, Slichenko was repeatedly nominated for high state awards. Connoisseurs of the theater consider Nikolai Alekseevich a living legend. The success of the artist and director is explained not only by his talent, but also by his inexhaustible energy and hard work.
From the biography of Nikolai Alekseevich Slichenko
The future actor, director and teacher was born on December 27, 1934 in Belgorod in a gypsy family. The family suffered greatly during the war. Father Nikolai was shot in front of his son. And later other family members also died.
When the war ended, Slichenko moved to the Voronezh region, where he worked on a collective farm. It was in those years that a young gypsy heard that the Romen musical and drama theater existed in Moscow. The young guy had a dream: he decided to become an artist of this theater.
Slichenko ended up in Moscow in 1951. A seventeen-year-old guy was hired to the theater and even entrusted with the performance of not the most significant roles. The gifted artist immediately became his own in the team, although no one made any favors to him. Nikolai diligently studied acting wisdom from prominent masters, adopting their experience and knowledge during rehearsals. Nikolai's mentors in those years were Lyalya Chernaya, I. V. Khrustalev, I. I. Rom-Lebedev.
Nikolai Slichenko's creative career
The starting point in the artist's career was the role of Lexa in the production of "Four suitors". After this work, professionals drew attention to Slichenko.
Slichenko combined his work in the Gypsy theater "Romen" with training at the higher directing courses of GITIS. People's Artist of the USSR A. Goncharov supervised his studies. Nikolay received his diploma in 1972. There were also new roles in the theater. Slichenko tried himself as a film actor. The most famous works of Nikolai Alekseevich: "Wedding in Malinovka", "My island is blue", "In the rain and in the sun".
A few years later, Slichenko was assigned directorial work at the Romen Theater. As the chief director, Nikolai Alekseevich did a lot to revive the traditions and legends of his people. For the play "We are Gypsies" he received an award from a prestigious film festival. In the 80s and 90s, Slichenko for his creative work added to the collection of awards the Order of Honor and Dignity of the Nation, the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, the Order of Peter the Great, 1st degree. In 1981 he received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. However, Nikolai Alekseevich considers his main reward to be the recognition of the audience and their gratitude.
Ancient gypsy legends, fairy tales, songs - everything that makes up the culture of this ancient people became an important part of Slichenko's work. Nikolai Alekseevich always performed old romances with great enthusiasm. The hallmark of the "Romen" theater is the romance "Black Eyes" performed by Slichenko. The actor and director did a lot to preserve the heritage of the original Roma culture.
Slichenko was married twice. In his second marriage, Tamilla Agamirova, an artist of the Romen theater, became his wife. In this marriage, Slichenko had a daughter, Tamilla. She later also became an actress in the gypsy theater.
