Oleg Menshikov, the most popular theater and film artist, was born on November 8, 1960 in the city of Serpukhov. A year later, the family moved to Moscow, where he spent his childhood. In the south of the capital, in the area of Kashirskoye Shosse, the biography of Oleg Menshikov, the future movie star, began. The boy grew up gifted, at the age of six his parents took him to a music school, where he immediately won the love of teachers. In the third grade, the young musician became interested in operetta. It was a real all-consuming passion, Oleg spent all his free time studying in search of like-minded people.
The growing Oleg Menshikov was a regular visitor to the Moscow Operetta Theater; he watched Maritsa and the Count of Luxembourg several times. He wanted to sing and play on stage. And somehow, on New Year's Eve, Oleg staged a play on the school stage. It was a kind of collage composed of operetto fragments. The production was a resounding success. And the biography of Oleg Menshikov replenished with new creative milestones. In the process of work, young Menshikov opened up his directorial abilities, he confidently selected his most gifted classmates to participate in the play.
Time passed, study at school came to an end, and after passing the final exams Oleg Menshikov, whose biography continued its development, did not hesitate to submit documents to the Shchepkinsky Theater School. A talented young man with artistic abilities immediately became a favorite of the whole faculty of “Sliver”. At school, Oleg began to study vocals, and quite successfully. Singing was organically combined with his playing the violin and piano. Thus, the artist’s all-round giftedness blossomed in a new quality. Then Menshikov revealed a genuine dramatic talent. The young actor could play any episodic role with such skill that students from all over the Shchepkinsky school ran to watch his game. Teachers also did not stand aside, they gave a professional assessment of the abilities of their student.
As usual in the theatrical environment, Menshikov began to receive offers to participate in a particular film. The first test in the cinema took place in 1980 in the film “I Wait and Hope”, where Oleg played a scout. Then the actor Oleg Menshikov passed tests with Nikita Mikhalkov, who was preparing for the shooting of the film "Relatives." Oleg was approved for an episodic supporting role. Nevertheless, he managed to play an insignificant episode in such a way that both the audience and critics unanimously started talking about a young talented artist. After that, the biography of Oleg Menshikov was replenished with several significant events in his life. He graduated from the Shchepkinsky Theater School in 1981 and immediately entered the Maly Theater troupe. At first they did not give significant roles to him, and Oleg concentrated all his attention on working in the cinema. In 1982, Menshikov played his first starring role in the film Pokrovsky Gates.
After some time, the biography of Oleg Menshikov was marked by a new twist in the fate of the actor - he was drafted into the army. In this regard, he ended up in the Theater of the Soviet Army, where he played his second significant role. It was Ganechka Ivolgin in the "Idiot" of Dostoevsky. After serving, Menshikov entered the Yermolova Theater to the director Valery Fokin. Here Oleg worked until 1989, then quit. And again, a number of interesting works in the cinema followed. Participation in the film "Burnt by the Sun" by Mikhalkov brought Menshikov the title of Best Russian Actor and the State Prize of the Russian Federation. The films The Siberian Barber, as well as The Caucasian Prisoner, added Oleg Menshikov's popularity and strengthened his reputation.