This tall, impressive man with a steel look in the mid-70s of the last century was hardly known to every Soviet woman who reverently adored movies. Of course, we are talking about the famous actor Igor Vadimovich Ledogorov, who managed to translate on the screen a number of bright roles, each of which was loved by the viewer. He managed to create the images of real men as naturally as possible: they bravely fought for their homeland, opened up uncharted expanses of space, representatives of the stronger half living in the Land of Soviets equaled them. Igor Ledogorov saw the secret of his success in his work in the ability to believe in his own strength and to show willpower. With the collapse of the USSR, when values ​​began to change, and the younger generation began to imitate criminal authorities, the actor was left out of work, so he was forced to leave his homeland, leaving for New Zealand. Of course, Igor Ledogorov is a colorful and bright figure among the talented actors of theater and cinema. Why did the Soviet audience pay attention to this lyceum?
Facts from the biography
Igor Ledogorov, a native Muscovite, was born on May 9, 1932. When the Great Patriotic War broke out, his family had to move to Tashkent.
In the Uzbek capital, he enters the Polytechnic Institute, and after graduation, he decides to submit documents to the A. N. Ostrovsky Theater and Art Institute. He was awarded the diploma in 1964.
Movie debut
Igor Ledogorov, whose biography is already remarkable for the fact that he played his first role at the age of eleven, did not immediately begin to think about his acting career. As already emphasized, his first university is a polytechnic institute. But it was in Tashkent that the shooting of the famous film “Two Fighters” took place. The director of this picture, Lukov, predetermined the future fate of Igor. Fascist uniforms were planted on the boys, among whom was Ledogorov, armed with wooden machine guns and ordered to break through the defenses. And the main character played by Mark Bernes opposed this army .
The actor becomes famous
The lyceum Igor Ledogorov became truly popular after the release of the movie "Nikolai Bauman", which was shot in 1968 by director Semyon Tumanov.
The plot of the film is the last days of the life of the person who worked on the creation of the Iskra newspaper. Ledogorov Igor Vadimovich brilliantly coped with his task: he was able to most reliably create on the screen the image of a fighter for justice, ready to make any sacrifices for the sake of idealistic ideas. This role brought the actor real fame. He became in demand: in the year two or even three paintings were released, in which he got vivid images. The filmography of Igor Ledogorov is very voluminous: gradually the actor becomes a real star of the Soviet screen.
Another work that should be mentioned is the role in the film “The Ballad of Bering and His Friends”. The film was released in the early 70s of the last century. He got the role of Dmitry Ovtsyn, who is a member of the traveler’s expedition. Ledogorov Igor Vadimovich managed to show his hero as a brave, extraordinary and bright person.
Verge of talent
And how could it be otherwise, when at one, two, three he was reincarnated as real men, heroes of the Soviet era: polar explorer, revolutionary, general - all this was on the shoulder of the lyceum.
He himself has repeatedly stated that entourage is of last importance to him. In the feelings of his heroes, he primarily wants to demonstrate to the viewer the experience, inner struggle and the unwavering will to defeat injustice.
"Through hardship to the stars"
In 1980, the then-popular actor Ledogorov Igor starred in yet another iconic film - Through Thorns to the Stars, after which he became a role model for all the boys. The story, written by eminent science fiction writer Bulychev, was transferred to blue screens by director Viktorov, who was the creator of such cult films as “The Children in the Universe” and “Moscow - Cassiopeia”. Like other films of the science fiction genre, Through Thorns to the Stars turned out to be as realistic as possible. Almost every episode of the picture was discussed in detail with specialists from Star City. Even today, some props of this film look modern.
It should be noted the brilliant work of Igor Ledogorov in the film "People and Dolphins", during the filming of which he was able to quickly establish contact with these smart creatures.
In an interview, the actor admitted that he was pleasantly surprised when the dolphin was the first to seek friendship with him, communication with these animals gave him great pleasure. It is noteworthy that in several films (People and Dolphins, Through Thorns to the Stars, Adolescents in the Universe) Igor Vadimovich shares the set with his son Vadim.
Theater work
Of course, the actor was busy not only in the cinema, but also in the theater, although not every viewer knew his work in the Melpomene temple . One way or another, but on the stage of the Lenin Komsomol Theater, where the maestro served from 1967 to 1969, Igor Ledogorov played many vivid images. After some time, he migrated to the Lensovet Theater, where he was involved in the productions of “Forty-first”, “Walking through the agony”, “Warsaw Melody”.
In the early 70s, Igor Vadimovich again changed the stage, choosing the theater of the Soviet (Russian) Army, in which he served until 1997, after which he emigrated abroad.
Period of lack of demand
In the 90s, Ledogorov, like many Soviet actors, became unclaimed.
In the temples of Melpomene there was a division of property, and little time was devoted to art itself. Cinema also experienced difficult times: it took a lot of money to shoot a good movie. Cinema stars were forced to appear in product advertisements, second-rate TV shows, in order to somehow feed themselves and their families. Igor Ledogorov took to heart what was happening with his country, where money was in the first place. And realizing that he was not able to change anything, the actor went to live in New Zealand.
Life abroad
At first, he was impressed by life abroad. However, for the actor as a person who lived for decades in the USSR, New Zealand turned out to be a stranger. He would have lost the thread that connected him with friends, relatives, colleagues. Of course, the wife of Igor Ledogorov, Stalin Alekseevna, who at one time managed a theater studio in Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, supported her beloved husband in every way, not letting him lose heart. However, at first it was difficult for him to acclimatize in this ecologically clean country. But time made its own adjustments, and Ledogorov managed to overcome the barrier of alienation.
In one of his conversations with reporters, he said: “I no longer feel like an emigrant - I have good impressions of this country, now I am calm and can contact people close to me.”
Trip to Russia
And yet, homesickness haunted Igor Vadimovich. At the first opportunity, he wanted to see his homeland. And he had such a chance. In 2001, the actor, together with his son Vadim, went to the Russian capital. Ledogorov was invited to voice a new interpretation of the film "Through thorns to the stars." The idea to revive the picture, which was incomplete, belonged to the offspring of the director Viktorov - Nikolai. These fourteen days became unforgettable for the actor: meetings with colleagues, with his native theater, with the Russian audience left an indelible mark on Igor Ledogorov’s soul. The actor realized that he was remembered and expected in his homeland.
last years of life
The rest of his life, Igor Vadimovich, lived in New Zealand. But even in a foreign land, he did not think of his being outside of art.
Son Vadim worked in the theater and often asked his father to teach him another acting lesson. And the actor willingly shared his knowledge not only with him, but also with his students. Once the son made a real gift to his father - he put the Chekhov's “Cherry Orchard”, where Igor Vadimovich got the role of Firs.
Over time, the actor’s health began to seriously deteriorate. He had severe pain in the joints, and then his family had to resort to the professional help of doctors. After the examination, the doctors predicted that Igor Ledogorov would live very little: the cause of the actor’s death was cancer. His colleagues and friends tried their best to cheer Igor Vadimovich. Prescribed drugs could extend his life for only a month. The actor died in a medical institution in Hamilton.