Many of the legendary actors of the Soviet period ended their lives in poverty and oblivion. Among them was a unique actor Nikolai Kryuchkov. But the modern viewer knows his work, is happy to review films with his participation, although for contemporaries they appear in a slightly different meaning and understanding.
Ustin Rykalin from “Virgin Soil Upturned”, Klim Yarko from “Tractor Drivers”, Major Bulochkin from “Sky Quiet” - these film heroes were presented to us by Nikolai Afanasevich Kryuchkov. Despite all the merits to the fatherland, high-profile titles and a huge number of awards, the unique actor in recent years spent in oblivion, vegetated in poverty, the authorities and the union of filmmakers did not pamper him with attention. Actors such as Nikolai Kryuchkov must be remembered, and their biography and career path should serve as an example for contemporaries.
Biography of actor Nikolai Kryuchkov
Nikolai Afanasevich Kryuchkov was born into a working Moscow family at the end of 1910, December 24, according to the old style. The boy’s father worked as a loader, and his mother worked as a weaver and was engaged in a house, children. Nikolai received primary education, but from the age of 9 he was forced to start working. His father's health was undermined by injuries during the First World War and the revolution, and the boy, in fact, became the main man and earner in the family.
From 9 to 14 years old Nikolay Afanasevich worked at the Trekhgornaya manufactory, then he entered the FZU, where he received the profession of an engraver-knurler. Along with his studies, the young man worked. He was loved in the team for artistry and cheerful disposition. Nikolai liked to entertain his comrades - he played the button accordion, beat tap dance, sang.
The factory management noted the talent of the young man, and recommended him to enter the acting school at the theater of working youth from the enterprise. In 1928, Nikolai Kryuchkov became a student of acting lessons - so began his career in the creative direction.
Career and work of actor Nikolai Kryuchkov
At one of the rehearsals in TRAM was attended by the legendary director of the time Barnet Boris. From the entire troupe of the theater, he singled out only one actor - Nikolay Kryuchkov. The young man was invited to perform one of the roles in the movie “Outskirts”, which was highly appreciated by critics and viewers. This was a happy ticket for Nikolai Afanasevich, who opened the door to the world of cinema for him, became a kind of pass on the path to fame and popularity.
In the period from 1932 to 1993, Nikolai Afanasevich Kryuchkov was one of the most sought-after film actors. His filmography includes more than 160 works, and the list includes both main and secondary roles, voice acting and dubbing, vocal experience. Viewers remember him from such works:
- "At the very blue sea" (1935),
- Tractor Drivers (1939),
- “Pig and Shepherd” (1941),
- The Hussar Ballad (1962),
- "My friend Uncle Vanya" (1977),
- "Stalingrad" (1989) and other films.
After perestroika, many sought-after Soviet actors fell into a kind of disgrace, they were considered the propagandists of communism. Among them was Nikolai Afanasevich Kryuchkov. Such an attitude undermined self-confidence, psychological and physical health, negatively affected the financial situation.
Actors of the Soviet period did not have savings, and if there were any savings, they were “eaten” by default. Kryuchkov, like many of his colleagues, spent the last years of his life in poverty and want.
