Nikolai Cherkasov is a Soviet film and theater actor. People's Artist of the USSR was awarded five Stalin Prizes, the Lenin Prize, and awards at film festivals. He was a knight of five orders and several medals.
Nikolai Konstantinovich created the image of the state hero of Soviet cinema. The fame was brought to the artist by roles in the epochal films "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible." The paintings have become exemplary guides 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 duty on a station of the Baltic Railway. Parents were creative people. The house often sounded music. The musical talent of Nikolai and Konstantin, his younger brother, was discovered by his mother. She became the first teacher of sons.
From school, Nikolai showed artistic skill. From the elementary grades, he parodied teachers. The student did this so talentedly that the teachers forgave him even poor performance. True, by the end of the school year, the boy always took up his mind and successfully transferred to the next class.
Since 1917, the boy became interested in the artistic life of his native city. Learning about the set of extras in the Mariinsky, he went there. Very soon, the young man who passed the selection appeared on the stage in the Internationale and Boris Godunov.
The young artist was educated in the studio of mimists. Next were the first roles. A talented lyceum participated in all the performances. At the same time, he studied ballroom dancing in the creative laboratory of the Institute of Arts. Since 1929 Cherkasov was entrusted with the performance of mimic roles in classical ballet productions. The work of Nikolai was highly appreciated by the choreographers. The artist was a brahmin in La Bayadere, an evil genius in Swan Lake, Don Quixote in the Minkus ballet of the same name. Negro dance lyceum performed in the "Fairy Dolls". Recognition brought him work in "Twelfth Night." The performer was noticed by the creative elite of Petrograd.
Family and art
Cherkasov played in Khovanshchina, Prince Igor, and The Queen of Spades warriors. Nikolai submitted documents to the institutes of screen and stage art. The choice was made in favor of the second university. The student joined the Dance Trio with Chirkov (Patashon) and Berezov, who portrayed Charlie Chaplin, in the form of Pat. This work helped to equip the artist's personal life.
The audience of the student trio was incredible success. Young people played at club parties, and on the professional stage, and on the stages of St. Petersburg and Moscow. A student of the art history department, Nina Weybrecht, turned her attention to the performer of the role of the melancholy comedian. Then she also chose an artistic career and became a theater actress. Young people met, and in 1930 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, son Andrei was born. He subsequently chose a scientific career. Andrei Nikolaevich Cherkasov - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, an employee of the Research Institute for Highly Pure Preparations.
After graduating, Cherkasov joined 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 Pushkin Academic where he remained until the end of his life.
Film career
In 1933, a film career began. Recognition to the debutant brought the role of Kolka in the comedy film Heifitz and Zarcha "Hot Days". Then the directors invited the artist to play Professor Polezhaev in the “Baltic Deputy”. The painting won the Grand Prix at the Paris International Exhibition. In the first film adaptation of “Children of Captain Grant, ” the incredibly popular “Song of the Captain” was performed by the artist himself, who played Paganel.
In Peter the Great, Nikolai Konstantinovich became prince Alexei. He managed to portray on the screen the enemy of domestic transformations as an active and strong-willed person. Along with the filming on the 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 Cherkasov’s profile in the role of the Russian prince was engraved on the order of the commander. Successful cooperation continued with the biographical picture "Lenin in 1918", where the performer turned into writer Maxim Gorky.
For the sake of working on the image of Ivan the Terrible in 1943, the artist refused to shoot with Lukino Visconti in Leopard. The work captivated the artist so much that even after the director’s command, he could not immediately stop and stop playing. For a while, Cherkasov continued to act. As a result, Eisenstein included these shots in the film "Captures after" stop ", or Where does the creative energy of a national artist go."
