The native Petersburger, actor Lev Potemkin lived an interesting and eventful life, played many roles in theater and cinema. About his biography and creative career - our material.
Actor’s childhood and youth
He was born in 1905 in the family of the telegraph operator Lev Lvovich Potemkin and the housewife Sofia Mikhailovna Potemkina. In 1907, parents broke up, mother took over the cares of raising a son and daughter (the future actor had a sister). Lev Potemkin, whose biography can be found in the article, studied at the 5th St. Petersburg Gymnasium. In the fall of 1917, the family moved to Simbirsk. But for a long time the Potemkins did not stay in this city, and a year later Moscow became the place of their permanent residence.
Beginning of a creative career
For the first time as an actor, Lev Potemkin tried himself in 1922 after graduating from a branch of the institution mentioned above. His first place of work was the team of the social-heroic theater (leader - V. I. Krylov). He then collaborated with the Rossov Classical Theater.
In 1927, Potemkin Lev Lvovich invite to the Tashkent Sverdlov Theater. Here, as well as in the Ashgabat and Zvenigorod theaters, he played many characteristic images. These were roles in classical plays, such as the role of Belogubov in “Profitable Place”, Kochkarev in “Marriage”, Raslyuev in “Krechinsky's Wedding”, Skapen in “Skapen's Tricks” and many others.
In 1928, Potemkin married actress Nina Mikhailovna Sytina, and in 1929 he was invited to the State Central Youth Theater. After he worked in the historical and revolutionary theater. After some time, the actor began creative disagreements with the theater leadership, which resulted in Potemkin's departure to the cinema.
Lev Potemkin: films and roles
1938 brought a significant meeting to Leo Potemkin. Filmmaker Alexander Rowe (pictured below) has for many years become his friend and creative partner. After the interesting eccentric role of the general in the film “At the Pike's Command”, Rowe continued to involve Lev Lvovich in his other works. Peru of these two talented people belongs to writing the script for the fairy tale “Finist - Clear Falcon”. Only Rowe failed to carry out this production.
Acquaintance with Alexander Rowe influenced the circumstances of Potemkin’s personal life: while working on the film “By the Pike Command”, he met his second wife, actress Sofya Terentyeva (she performed Tsarevna Nesmeyana). The couple got married in 1940.
His other films included the role of a Japanese skipper in Bird Island Commandant, Arkady's father in Personal Affairs, and Dr. Kolokolchikov in Timur and His Team.
Front road
A month after the start of World War II, Lev Potemkin was sent to Gorky. Here he was supposed to attend sergeant school. But the command ordered otherwise, and he was appointed to the post of chief club. Being a proactive person, Lev Potemkin became the organizer of the ensemble of Red amateur performances. The team was in constant traveling on the fronts. In 1942, the audience at one of the performances was Marshal Voroshilov, thanks to this, the actor was seconded to the capital. The service in the ensemble of MBO followed.
In 1945, after the demobilization of Lev Potemkin, a film actor was admitted to the State Theater. Here such roles as Vozhevatov ("Dowry"), Roy Makewell ("Deep Roots") followed. In 1948, the actor decided to go to the Operetta Theater (director Grigory Yaron). Here he proved himself as a brilliant actor, improviser and plastic. The year 1964 turned out to be not very funny for the actor: a reduction began in the collective. Among other actors, Lev Potemkin was also reduced. A concession was made to him and he was given the opportunity to refine one year before retiring.
The last years of the actor’s life
In 1973, Alexander Rowe's friend and comrade did not become any longer, the filming of fairy tale films became not so frequent, and after some time the actor completely ceased to be invited to film roles. This, of course, could not but affect his internal state.
Lev Potemkin succeeded not only in the acting field, he was an active social activist, presided at the theater local committee.
Over the past two years of his life, the actor suffered from a serious illness, his place of residence was the House of Veterans of the Stage. But even in those conditions, he took an active part in public life, was the organizer of creative evenings in which former colleagues in the operetta theater performed.