Soviet cinema is slowly fading into history. Pictures are forgotten, as are representatives of the acting direction of the old era. Mikhail Volkov, actor of the Gorky Drama Theater , played many vivid roles on the stage and in films. In this article, we recall the facts of his biography and the most interesting works.
Who is Mikhail Volkov?
How well do you know this person? What movies can you remember him for? Volkov is an actor who has gained recognition thanks to such films as "Property of the Republic", from childhood dreamed of doing acting. He was born in 1932 in the Ukrainian Proskurov, a city that today is called Khmelnytsky. His family was the most ordinary - his mother worked as a pharmacist, and his father helped people by taking the position of social worker. This is now the audience remembers Mikhail Davidovich in many ways. In his piggy bank there are roles of historical, military and dramatic heroes. And what was the actor Mikhail Volkov as a child? The biography of this person includes many interesting facts.
The most important decision in life
Parents saw their son as a doctor, but he did not want to become a physician. After leaving school, he was impatient to enter the Karpenko-Kary Theater Institute. Volkov was even ready for this to move to Kiev. Willpower and the desire to achieve their goals have so tempered the character of the future artist that he subsequently showed it on stage and in the movies. Immediately after graduation, the talented Mikhail was accepted into the regional theater, from where a little later he moved to the Theater of the Young Spectator.
New city, a successful future
Michael understood that in his hometown he would not become a great actor. When the Leningrad Drama Theater began to arrive with productions in 1961, Volkov suddenly presented himself as part of his troupe. How could an actor, still unknown to anyone, but definitely purposeful, get there? Fortunately, it was hard work that played a role. Director Georgy Tovstonogov was pleased with the talented game and, being at that time in search of new faces for his future performance, suggested that Volkov try. So this venerable director gave a promising actor a ticket to life.
A successful future suddenly seemed closer, turning from a dream into a reality. Ahead, Michael was expected to move to the northern capital. During this period, he was married, his daughter was born, and the family went with him. By the way, actor Mikhail Volkov, whose personal life aroused interest among admirers of his talent, tried to hide this fact from the public. He does not like the extra attention, rumors and gossip that journalists could generously award him. In addition, he was just starting his acting career and as a creative person he wanted only his work to be evaluated. Alla Borovikova, the wife of the actor, is not an actress, but is closely connected with cinema - later she will get a job as an editor on television.
In Leningrad, Mikhail Davidovich was to play the role of Chatsky, but the Ukrainian accent remained the only obstacle for this. Volkov, the actor who so dreamed of breaking out onto the big Russian stage, begged Tovstonogov to give him a different role. Not wanting to lose talent, the director offers the image of Molchalin. Later, he will bring the first praise of the audience, and critics will devote articles to him in the journal "Theater".
The first major works
In the life of the actor begins a new creative stage. The production of “104 pages about love” does not leave the stage, and Lev Tsutsulkovsky gives the actor the first television role in the film “The Promise of Happiness” with partners such as Oleg Borisov and Tatyana Doronina. An example of a man whose unlimited talent allowed him to turn into one of the sought-after representatives of domestic cinema was actor Mikhail Volkov. The biography of this person can not do without paintings by Villen Azarov "The Way to Saturn", "Fight after the victory" and "The End of" Saturn ". These were military films about Soviet intelligence agents, which many researchers call Volkov’s best film works. So, they noted that the image of Sergey Krylov did not become stereotyped, but turned out to be alive thanks to the natural masculinity of the artist. Such recognition opened new doors - in the filmography of Mikhail appeared the film “The Collapse of Engineer Garin,” “The Ring from Amsterdam,” and “Shot in the Back." A special place is occupied by the paintings “Commander of the Happy Pike” and “The Property of the Republic”. Directors often chose Volkov for action-packed or detective films.
Volkov - an actor of the same type
Popularity for the artist came when he was thirty. Surprisingly, he was literally bombarded with offers to play scouts or spies, so perfectly he fit into this type.
This state of affairs was a little embarrassing for Volkov. Like any other artist, he wanted a variety of images and new, interesting roles. Despite the fact that the tremendous success and demand of Mikhail Davidovich always remained with him, during his career he starred in only two dozen films. In 1978, his merits were appreciated - he received the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
Among the most striking theatrical images, one can note the roles in the productions of The History of the Horse, Three Sisters, and The Examiner. All of them confirmed the diversity of acting talent. Michael serves the Drama Theater until the last days, rejecting the proposals of the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya and Sovremennik. In the cinema, Volkov appears extremely rarely - in 1990 he starred in the mini-series of Alexander Blanc "The Rest of the Wanderers", and eight years later, performs his last role in the short film "The Content Woman".
Mikhail Volkov - actor, friend, friend
About how this wonderful person was off-screen, could tell people who happened to work with him. Trusting and kind, he could not refuse anyone. He was fond of sports, monitored his health, rejecting smoking and alcohol. Among his friends were Oleg Basilashvili and Vadim Medvedev. The actor’s daughter entered the Leningrad University in the English department and worked as a journalist in a local newspaper.
Alzheimer's disease forced me to leave Mikhail Volkov’s favorite profession. He complained that the theater colleagues had little concern about his condition. He even forbade his wife to organize a memorial service. In 2001, the actor died.
How was Mikhail Volkov remembered? The actor, whose biography includes vivid, interesting paintings, will long remain in the memory of friends, colleagues and those viewers who enjoyed watching the famous Soviet cinema hits with the participation of a talented artist.