The biography of this actor is inseparable from the history of the country. German Orlov grew up and matured together with the Soviet Union. It is very important to emphasize that he did not keep in memory the resentment and annoyance of the past and the people with whom he had to communicate.
Childhood and youth
For more than sixty years, German Timofeevich Orlov performed, worked, served on the stage. There are few, if any, similar precedents in the history of Russia. The future People's Artist was born on November 24, 1921 in the family of a village doctor. Parents at that time lived in the village of Krasnye Doliny, Voronezh province. The father treated the peasants. The mother was engaged in housekeeping. The battles of the Civil War were still raging in the district. Shooting at ball nights is commonplace. After a while, the family moved to the village of Ruzino near Moscow.
Here the boy went to school. All his free time Herman spent in a drama studio, which operated at a local club. A variety of performances and sketches were staged on a modest stage. In their productions, young actors tried to speak out on topical topics. At that time, the collectivization of agriculture was actively pursued, and the pioneers in every possible way ridiculed the insidious and stupid kulaks. Orlov, being a pioneer, played the main role in the play "How the Children Found Surplus Grains at the Fist."
In 1934, the head of the family was called up to serve in the Navy, and the Orlovs moved to Kronstadt. Near the house where they settled was the Theater of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. According to the actor, it was a gift of fate. The boy was immediately accepted into the theater club, at the theater, where he spent all his free time. After school, Herman was enrolled in the theater to serve as a cabin boy. In 1940 he decided to get a specialized education at the Leningrad Theater Institute. When the war began, Orlov from the first days was called up to serve as a sailor in the Baltic Fleet Theater.
Theater of war
To support the morale of the fighters in the battle zone, special artistic brigades were formed. These collectives "roamed" along the fronts and performed in front of the personnel of units and subunits. Theater artists refused to evacuate from besieged Leningrad. German Orlov laid out a special program to be performed in front of people who, in a few hours, will go into a deadly year. Together with other performers, he performed on ships and airfields, in the front line and the legendary Oreshek fortress, making his contribution to the Victory over the enemy.
In one of the sectors of the Leningrad Front, in the fall of 1941, Orlov was wounded. Not to say that it was difficult, but I had to spend two months in the hospital. After his recovery, he continued his "tour" performances in different sectors of the front. The repertoire included the satirical composition "Baron von der Pschik". The audience liked her more than anyone else. From the moment the allies began to supply military equipment and humanitarian aid to the Soviet Union, the sailor Orlov began to sing the greeting song "Captain James Kennedy is on the destroyer."
Creativity and touring
When the war was over, the country breathed a sigh of relief. German Orlov retired from the army and found himself in civilian life. The sailor didn't even have civilian clothes. As I was in a peakless cap and a striped vest, I came to work at Lenconcert. I must say that here he was well known and accepted without any bureaucratic delays. He began to work, in the literal sense of the word, from the next day. During that chronological period in Leningrad, there was a program for raising the cultural level of the population. The venues for artists were located in parks, on the embankment and even in courtyards.
According to the rules for a pop concert with a large number of participants, the presenter or entertainer performs at the beginning and at the end of the event. At the same time, he must fill in the pauses that arise between performances. German Orlov was considered a born entertainer. Firstly, he had an excellent reaction and instantly responded to any remark from the audience. Secondly, I knew a huge number of poems, anecdotes and various jokes, jokes. And, no less important, he sang professionally.
Orlov's creativity, although not always, was appreciated by the authorities. In 1946, Herman became a laureate of the All-Union Contest of Variety Artists. After a short period of time, he created his own team and began touring the country. Orlov composed the repertoire for his ensemble in such a way that the artists could perform both in theater halls and on the heels of free land in the Siberian taiga. The famous collective was regularly invited to perform in front of Soviet soldiers in Hungary, Germany, and Poland.
Family circumstances
Herman Orlov's creative career took shape gradually. He was loved by the audience in all parts of his native country, where he gave a concert at least once. The authorities were more restrained towards the artist. Orlov was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR only in 1986. He became People's Artist of Russia in 2002.
When there was free time between tours, Orlov acted in films. The filmography of the pop artist has almost three dozen tapes. The personal life of German Timofeevich was calm. In his first marriage, he had a son. The wife soon died of cancer. Orlov lived with his second wife until his death. People's Artist of Russia died on December 7, 2013.
