Nikolai Yakovchenko is an actor whose photo can be found on many posters of popular Soviet films. He was remembered by the audience for his vivid roles in the cinema. He was one of the most famous and popular actors of the USSR, who was not given the title of People's Artist for a long time, Yakovchenko did not receive a professional theater education, but this did not prevent him from forever writing his name in the history of cinema.
Year and place of birth
Nikolay Yakovchenko was born on April 20 (or according to the old calendar on May 3) in 1900 in the Ukrainian city of Priluki, which at that time belonged to the Poltava province (today it is the Chernihiv region). His father was Fedor Yakovchenko, he was a hereditary Don Cossack and all his life he was engaged in fish trade. His mother is Paraskevia Yakovchenko, she, like her father, was of simple origin and was a peasant. In total, the family had five children, besides Nikolai, his brother Sergey and three sisters: Maria, Elena and Alexandra.
The first steps in the acting profession
Nikolai Yakovchenko never entered or graduated from educational institutions related to the profession of an actor. But at the same time, according to the professionals with whom he had a chance to work, he knew how to genuinely transform from birth, thanks to which Nikolai was easily given a variety of roles. The first performance of Nikolai Yakovchenko took place on the amateur stage of his hometown. After which he finally realized that it was this craft that would become the main thing for him in life.
After the theater in Priluki, Nikolai Yakovchenko also played roles in Simferopol, Cherkassy, Luben, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernihiv. In addition, the actor was remembered by visitors to the famous theater of Philip Khmara for his participation in plays staged based on the works of the famous playwright Leonid Andreyev.
After many years, the actor with pleasure recalled how he ended up in Kiev at the end of the 20s of the last century. At the same time in his hands was a string bag with butter, lard, a piece of bread and beetroot. He was very lucky, he was able to gain confidence from the director of the famous metropolitan theater named after Franco and enter his troupe. After this event, he received an apartment in the center of Kiev. Which was a great achievement for a young man in those years. Moreover, in the house where his apartment was located, at that time the most famous actors of the city lived.
Professional activity
Since the beginning of the 30s, Nikolai Yakovchenko has been in the newly created Kharkov Revolution Theater. Here he is extremely popular and plays roles in a variety of productions. Among the most famous works of the actor, the following roles can be distinguished:
- Zhikhareva "This";
- Zakharova “Fear”;
- Nikolai Pronashko "Girls of our country";
- rural elder Vojta "Gendarme";
- John Falstaff, Falstaff;
- Wurm "Cunning and Love";
- Hirsch "In the West, the battle."
In 1934, Nikolai Yakovchenko returned to the Franco Theater in Kiev, where he worked for the next five years. Then, in 1939, Yakovchenko leaves for service in the armed forces of the Soviet Union. It should be noted that as a soldier he participated in the so-called winter war.
After the army, Nikolai Fedorovich returned to his beloved profession. He begins to work in the Kiev Comedy Theater, where he successfully plays in such productions as:
- "Night in Venice";
- "Columbine";
- "Mister X".
However, soon Nikolai Yakovchenko again received a job offer at the Franko Theater. This place becomes for him the love of his life, where he will work until the very last days. Among the performances and plays in which the actor participated, there are works by both domestic and foreign authors. Among the most famous works of the actor, his roles in the performances are distinguished:
- "For Two Hares" (Prokop).
- "Natalka Poltavka" (Mikola).
- "The Last" (Lyashch).
- "Pharaohs" (Overko).
- "Martyn Borulya" (Protoissy Penengka).
- "Kalinova Grove" (Sailor Crimea).
War years
During the Great Patriotic War, the theater in which Yakovchenko worked, from the first days began to form the first front-line brigade of artists, which was soon sent to the forefront. At the same time, Nikolai Fedorovich, although striving for the front, could not get into this formation. He left with his family in the city of Tambov.
Later he finds himself in Semipalatinsk, where he joins the troupe of the local theater and works on its stage, periodically leaving with the tour on the front. However, soon he also goes to the combat area already as part of the second brigade, assembled from the actors of the Franco theater. With this collective, he also ends up at Stalingrad, where he speaks to the fighters of the Red Army. It was during the Great Patriotic War that Nikolai Fedorovich was awarded the title "People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR". It happened in 1943.
Yakovchenko found the end of hostilities in Hungary, where, together with his brigade, he participated in the liberation of the capital of this country, the city of Budapest. Returning to Kiev, Nikolai Fedorovich again comes to work at the Franco Theater. Here he gets several rooms in a large communal apartment, here he celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Franco Theater.
Nikolay Yakovchenko: films
It is worth noting that for most viewers the famous artist is familiar precisely by his roles in the cinema. The first shooting experience with the actor Nikolai Yakovchenko appeared in 1939. He got a small role in the cult film Shchors. Of course, few people noticed him in this picture. However, the next role in the film "Maxim Perepelitsa" has already brought fame to the actor. This film was a huge success among the most diverse sectors of the population of the then USSR.
And yet, when people hear about the actor Nikolai Yakovchenko and his filmography, the first thing that pops up in their memory is the unforgettable comedy “For Two Hares”. This picture has been pleasing the audience for many decades with excellent humor, quality shooting and, of course, acting and directing work. This also applies to the role played by Nikolai Fedorovich. Above in the photo, Nikolai Yakovchenko is shown in roles that are considered the most important in his filmography.
In the future, the actor continued to appear mainly in comedy films, among which it can be especially noted:
- "Viy";
- "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka";
- "Funny Zhabokrichi".
Moreover, his characters always turned out to be very special and peculiar. Perhaps that is why the game of Yakovchenko is so remembered by many generations of Soviet citizens.
The personal life of the actor
Nikolai Fedorovich’s personal life was rather tragic, and this concerns not only his fate, but also his children. The actor married a beautiful woman named Tatyana. She also worked at the Franco Theater and was ten years younger than her husband. Unfortunately, Tatyana passed away early, as she fell ill with cancer.
The children of actor Nikolai Yakovchenko also inherited the tragic fate of their mother. Nikolai had two daughters, and both of them died early from the same illness as their mother.
Death of Yakovchenko
Actor Nikolai Yakovchenko died in September 1974. It is worth noting that recent years have been very difficult for him. He began to drink a lot, apparently, the tragic fate of his wife, as well as other events that he had to endure, greatly affected him.