Nikolai Cherkasov is a Soviet film and theater actor. People's Artist of the USSR was awarded five Stalin Prizes, Lenin Prizes, awards at film festivals. He was a holder of five orders and several medals.
Nikolai Konstantinovich created the image of the state hero of Soviet cinema. The actor became famous for his roles in the epoch-making films "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible". The paintings have become exemplary textbooks for generations of directors, critics and actors.
The beginning of the creative path
The biography of the future artist began in 1903 in St. Petersburg. The boy was born on July 27 in the family of a person on duty at the Baltic railway station. Parents were creative people. Music was often played in the house. Musical talent in Nikolai and Konstantin, his younger brother, was discovered by his mother. She became the first teacher of sons.
Since school, Nikolai has shown artistic skill. He parodied teachers from the elementary grades. The student did this so talentedly that the teachers forgave him even low academic performance. True, by the end of the school year, the boy always took up his mind and successfully moved on to the next class.
Since 1917, the boy became interested in the artistic life of his hometown. Having learned about the recruitment of extras to the Mariinsky, he went there. Very soon the young man who passed the selection took the stage in "Internationale" and "Boris Godunov".
The young artist was educated at the Mimists' studio. Then there were the first roles. The talented actor took part in all the performances. At the same time, he studied ballroom dance at the creative laboratory of the Institute of Arts. Since 1929, Cherkasov was entrusted with the performance of mimic roles in classical ballet productions. The choreographers highly appreciated Nikolai's work. The artist was a Brahmin in La Bayadere, an evil genius in Swan Lake, Don Quixote in the ballet of the same name by Minkus. The actor performed the Negro dance in The Fairy of Dolls. Recognition brought him work in "Twelfth Night". The artist was noticed by the creative elite of Petrograd.
Family and art
Cherkasov played in "Khovanshchina", "Prince Igor", "The Queen of Spades" warriors. Nikolai submitted documents to the institutes of screen and stage arts. The choice was made in favor of the second university. The student joined the "Dance Trio" with Chirkov (Patashon) and Berezov, portraying Charlie Chaplin, in the form of Pat. This work helped to equip the artist's personal life.
The student trio enjoyed incredible success among the audience. Young people played at club parties, and on a professional stage, and on the stages of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Nina Weybrecht, a student of the Faculty of Art History, turned her attention to the performer of the role of a melancholic comedian. She then also pursued an artistic career and became a stage actress. The young people met, and in 1930 they became husband and wife.
A year later, the first child appeared in the family, daughter Victoria. Then the second daughter Nina was born, and in 1941 the son Andrey was born. He subsequently chose a scientific career. Andrey Nikolaevich Cherkasov - Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, employee of the Research Institute of Highly Pure Preparations.
After completing his studies, Cherkasov became a member of the troupe of the Leningrad Theater of Young Spectators. Since the spring of 1931, the artist played in the troupe of the drama theater, and then moved to the Academic named after Pushkin, where he remained until the end of his life.
Film career
Film career began in 1933. The debutant became recognizable for the role of Kolka in the comedy film "Hot Days" by Heifits and Zarkhi. Then the directors offered the artist to play Professor Polezhaev in the "Deputy of the Baltic". The painting won the Grand Prix at the Paris International Exhibition. In the first film adaptation of Captain Grant's Children, the incredibly popular Song of the Captain was performed by the artist himself, who played Paganel.
In Peter the Great, Nikolai Konstantinovich became Tsarevich Alexei. He was able to portray on the screen the enemy of domestic transformations as an active and strong-willed person. Simultaneously with filming on stage, Cherkasov played the Emperor Peter himself.
At the end of 1938, the premiere of Eisenstein's painting "Alexander Nevsky" took place. The success was so great that the profile of Cherkasov in the role of a Russian prince was engraved on the order of the name of the commander. Successful cooperation continued with the biographical film "Lenin in 1918", where the performer reincarnated as the writer Maxim Gorky.
For the sake of working on the image of Ivan the Terrible in 1943, the artist refused to shoot with Luchino Visconti in Leopard. The artist was so engrossed in the work that even after the director's command, he could not immediately stop and stop acting. For some time, Cherkasov continued to act. As a result, Eisenstein included these shots in the film "Grips after Stop, or Where the Creative Energy of the People's Artist Goes."
Last years
But at first, Cherkasov resolutely refused to participate in "Spring" by Aleksandrov himself. Lyubov Orlova begged him to change his opinion. Only after her persuasion, the already famous performer agreed to star in the popular musical comedy.
Cherkasov played in many films. His final film work was the famous Don Quixote in the film of the same name by Kozintsev. The main role brought the performer the prestigious awards of the film festivals in Stratford and Vancouver as the best actor.
Nikolai Konstantinovich died in 1966, on September 14. The archive of personal belongings of the famous artist was donated to the State Museum of Political History by his son.
From 1984 to 1993, the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography was named after Cherkasov. In honor of the artist, he named the ship of the Black Sea Shipping Company and one of the streets of his hometown.
