The Russian theater is constantly being updated. With each new generation of actors and directors, the scenery and menu in the buffet change. The repertoire remains unchanged. Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov, a talented actor and director-reformer, tried to change this tradition
Youth of the Patriarch
During his lifetime, Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov had to experience not only recognition and fame, but also harsh criticism, and then exile. The biography of this person is interesting and instructive for the younger generation. It does not matter at all in what field of activity our young contemporary will apply his strength, an example of the steadfastness and decency of a venerable theatrical figure will be useful to him. Born into a family of enlightened, but far from theatrical cuisine, the child showed an unusual interest in acting. Love didn't come overnight.
The same age as October, as it was customary to write earlier, Lyubimov was born in 1917. Willy-nilly, he had to experience and observe all the events taking place in the country. Since his father came from a merchant class, Yuri was allowed to unlearn at school until the seventh grade. A decent education was not available to the socially alien representatives of the exploiting class in those years. But it was possible to get a working specialty of an electromechanic. As a student at a technical school, the young man became addicted to going to the theater and was seriously addicted to it.
To learn the basics of artistic skill, the young man enthusiastically attended the Moscow Art Theater School. Already in 1935, Yuri Lyubimov played his first role on stage. It was just an episode, but with a full range of sensations and impressions. In the theatrical environment, cardinal changes took place, and the aspiring actor goes to school to Boris Shchukin. The school was opened on the basis of the theater. Vakhtangov. The talented student began to receive already serious roles in the performances "The Man with the Gun", "Much Ado About Nothing" and other productions.
Taganka - all nights are full of fire
The acting career was formed gradually, without any disruptions and convolutions. However, the war made its own adjustments to the fate of many people and the country as a whole. In August 1941, Yuri Petrovich was drafted into the army. He serves in the Song and Dance Ensemble of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. Performing songs and dances on the front lines requires not only talent, but also courage. Determination he does not take. He saw with his own eyes how a soldier lives on the front line. Performances on an impromptu stage take place in the immediate vicinity of the front line. Creative brigades have come under shelling more than once.
When the war ended, Yuri returned to the peaceful stage. He was willingly invited to act in films. The cult film of that time "Kuban Cossacks" was known and loved by the audience in all corners of the Great Country. It should be emphasized that the work brought Lyubimov not only satisfaction, but also grief. Especially during the period when he began to engage in directing in all seriousness. In the early 60s, he was offered to head the Theater of Drama and Tragedy on Taganskaya Square. In a couple of years, this temple of Melpomene will become world famous Taganka.
The personal life of a charismatic and charming person developed within the framework of the current rules and prejudices. It is known that a husband and wife should not work in the same team. But what if they serve in the same theater? The first wife of Lyubimov was ballerina Olga Kovaleva. They even had a son. After the divorce, Yuri Lyubimov and Lyudmila Tselikovskaya lived in a civil marriage for almost 15 years. And again a divorce. When the seasoned director turned 60, he married a Hungarian citizen Katalina Kunz, who was already 32 years old. They had a son, Peter. The couple lived together until the death of Lyubimov at the age of 97 years.
