This actor surprisingly harmoniously fit into both serious films and comedies, children's fairy tales. And each of his roles was a small masterpiece. As in the shadow of the wings, and in front of the screen of the movie camera, he was natural and very alive. And the characters he played even a quarter of a century after his death, viewers recall with a mixed sense of joy from meeting. And, of course, pride in the fact that this person lived with all of us at the same time. That's all he, Yuri Medvedev, People's Artist of the RSFSR.
The beginning of life
Back in 1920, on the first day of April, a little boy was born who, after three decades, will make millions of Soviet citizens of different ages cry and laugh. This happened in Mytishchi - a city near Moscow.
After 22 years, in 1942, Yuri Medvedev received a diploma from the Moscow City Theater School, after which he became an actor in the front-line theater of the WTO.
In the shadow of the wings
After the war, enormous and difficult for the whole people, ended, the young man becomes part of the troupe of the Moscow Ermolova Theater. It was in these walls that he gave his talent to a mass audience for many years in a row. And only after 41 years, in 1986, Yuri Medvedev, filmography which by that time totaled several dozen paintings, came to the Maly Theater of the USSR, where he worked until the end of his life.
For many years, the following have been considered one of the most interesting and successful images of an actor on the stage: Kuteikin from "The Undergrowth", Telegin from "Uncle Vani", Senya Gorin from "Old Friends", Lucky from "Forest", Mikheich from "Prince of Silver" , A chest from People with a Clear Conscience, Sarafanov from The Elder Son. By the way, there were persistent rumors about the last role that Medvedev was constantly being compared with Evgeny Leonov, who also played this character at one time, but only on the screen.
His film works
Yuri Medvedev became known to viewers at a fairly conscious age - at 34 years old. After all, it was in 1954 that he was involved in the picture of Ivan Pyryev about the test of fidelity, where the driver Fedor Erokhin became his character.
Due to the fact that by nature the actor got the so-called national appearance, he was further invited to the supporting roles. He played ordinary people, hard workers and fun people, so familiar and close to everyone. This is the janitor Fedya from "Come to Me, Mukhtar!", A fish merchant from Amphibian Man, a tractor driver Zemfirov from It Was in Penkov, mechanic Ivanov from Normandy Neman, and others. And in the tragic film of Joseph Kheifits about a bad good man, where the actor played the role of Sheshkovsky, Yuri Nikolaevich managed to create a unique, amazing image that cannot be forgotten. The same can be said about Yaropolk Lapshin's film "Ugryum-river", where the character of Medvedev was the merchant Innokenty Filatych Gruzdev.
Very often, directors sent him invitations to shoot in satirical or comedic roles. Indeed, it was there that Yuri Medvedev felt the most free and confident. He embodied on the screen a lot of very interesting characters - Uncle Vova in the musical comedy "Take Care of Women", nephew-groom Timofei Loputsky in "Shelmenko-batman" and others. A memorable experience for him was the work in both film adaptations of an unforgettable story about twelve chairs promising untold wealth - Zakharovskaya and Gaidaevskaya. In the first case, his character was the chairman of the drawing commission, and in the second - a theater critic.
Art for children!
One of the best masters of the twentieth-century film is Yuri Medvedev, an actor whose family has always remained classified as “secret”. He did not like to talk about her. At the same time, he never refused when he was invited to play in children's paintings. Young viewers reviewing the series about the adventures of Vasya Petrov and Petya Vasechkin recognized him in the director of the school, Vladimir Fedorovich. Those who were fans of the movie almanac about three funny shifts smiled, recalling the nickname of the director of the pioneer camp, Vladimir Viktorovich, “Ve-Ve.” The kids, who prefer fairy tales with a happy ending, could not tear themselves away from “There, on unknown paths ...” and “After the rain on Thursday”, where he played Gavril and Yegoriy, respectively. Countless heroes loved by children, and even cartoon characters that speak on the screen with the wonderful and unusually beautiful voice of this talented person.
That was Yuri Medvedev, the actor. His personal life was never brought to the court of ordinary people. Nothing is known about her. Until his last days, Yuri Nikolaevich continued to work, despite his rather venerable age, and was unusually in demand. He passed away at the age of 71. It happened on July 19, 1991. The artist was laid to rest at the Troekurovsky cemetery.