There are many duets of artists working on stage, especially in the humorous genre. However, the creative tandem created by Mikhail Derzhavin and Alexander Shirvindt is perhaps one of the most striking. Evidence of this is the unquenchable love of the audience for the duet, which is already more than half a century.
Derzhavin Mikhail Mikhailovich
The beloved artist was born in 1936. His father - one of the leading actors of the Vakhtangov theater, M. S. Derzhavin - was friends with many famous Vakhtangovs. Despite the fact that the boy drew pretty well in childhood, family traditions and artistic surroundings turned out to be stronger. In 1954, Mikhail entered the Schukin School, after which he began performing on the stage of Lenkom, and later in the Satire Theater. There he formed as an actor and played over 60 roles.
Derzhavin brought to life many images, both in the cinema and in the theater, but the artist brought popularity to the unusual “Zucchini 13 Chairs” show, which was extremely popular with viewers.
Shirvindt Alexander Anatolyevich
Idol of women and handsome man. It was precisely such compliments for many years that the press was awarded by the press of the permanent stage partner of Mikhail Derzhavin - Alexander Shirvindt.
The artist was born on July 19, 1934, and also in a theatrical environment, albeit in a musical environment, since Alexander Anatolyevich's mother worked in the philharmonic society, and his father was a violinist at the Bolshoi Theater. Apparently, this is why Shirvindt as a child not only studied music, but also graduated from the school of ballroom dancing.
He was cool in music, but he graduated with honors from the Shchukin School, after which he performed at the Lenin Komsomol Theater for 13 years. In 1970, Shirvindt began working as an actor in the Satire Theater, where he played more than 30 roles.
Shirvindt’s satirical talent was greatly influenced by the theatrical “skits,” which he organized at the Actor’s House. Moreover, he acted as a director, and as an entertainer, and as an actor.
Unlike Derzhavin, who showed himself primarily as an artist of the theater, Shirvindt starred in many films, including with Mikhail Mikhailovich in the comedy based on the novel by Jerome K. Jerome. But the role of a friend of the protagonist in the comedy Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath, made him a popular film artist.
Duo proven over the years
Talented actors - Derzhavin and Shirvindt - became friends much earlier than their stage activities began. They lived nearby, not far from the Nikitsky Gate, their parents often met with mutual acquaintances, and the Shchukin school could not play its role.
In general, despite the external dissimilarity and different characters, Derzhavin and Shirvindt have much in common, and even theatrical fates are similar.
The satirical duet of artists was born on the well-known theatrical "skits". It was on these bright, cheerful and witty performances that the style of this tandem was formed, which is distinguished by intelligence and the absence of vulgar jokes to please viewers with a bad taste.
Mikhail Derzhavin and Alexander Shirvindt have their own recognizable mask images. Shirvindt appears before the viewer as a melancholy, slightly cynical skeptic. He seems to be constantly in a slightly tired, relaxed state and not too verbose. However, each of his phrases is so accurate, vibrant and enchanting that it deserves to become an aphorism.
As for Mikhail Derzhavin, then on stage he puts on a mask of a very direct, trustful and overly strict person. And these seemingly quite serious heroes, interacting, give rise to a real cascade of jokes and satirical reprise. At the same time, the viewer does not even remember how old Shirvindt and Derzhavin are, but they are very young (81 and 79, respectively), but not their souls!
Derzhavin and Shirvindt on the stage
The famous stage duet performs equally well in performances and on television, taking part in concerts, performances and television shows.
They can be seen together in the Inspector General, in the Little Stories of the Big House, and in the Concert for the Theater and Orchestra, etc.
The duo’s stage biography also includes performances staged specifically for him, such as Lucky-Unhappy and Greetings from Tsyurupa.
Derzhavin and Shirvindt in the movie
On the set, Alexander Anatolyevich and Mikhail Mikhailovich also met often, but still less often than in the theater. If we turn to the cinema, we can recall such films with Shirvindt and Derzhavin, such as “Save the drowning man”, “Winter evening in Gagra”, “Womanizer”, “Crazy” and others. But this is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of performances in the theater and on television. In addition, the roles played by artists in these films were not very remembered by the audience. Except one. We are talking about the enchanting comedy "Three in a boat, not counting the dog", shot by N. Birman in 1979. And in this film, it’s not even a duet that plays, but a trio of magnificent satirical actors, consisting of Shirvindt, Derzhavin and Andrei Mironov.
The images created by artists on stage and in films (even if they are episodic roles) are unusually vibrant and lively, and their stage duet is a harmonious unity of not only wonderful professionals, but also highly intelligent people. Moreover, they are perfectly able to guess the trends of the time, and their performances are never outdated and irrelevant.
Now you know how old Shirvindt and Derzhavin are, what roles it played in cinema and theater. It remains only to wish the well-known artists longevity and new interesting roles!