Young Nikulin. Yuri Nikulin is a great, kind man!!! Awards and titles
Tombstone (view 1) | ||
Monument in Moscow | ||
Monument in Moscow (fragment) | ||
Tombstone (view 2) | ||
Monument in Demidovo |
Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich – Soviet circus performer, film actor, director and artistic director of the Moscow State Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, National artist THE USSR.
Born on December 18, 1921 in the city of Demidov, Demidov district, Smolensk province (now Demidov district, Smolensk region). In 1925 he moved with his parents to Moscow. After finishing tenth grade high school, in 1939, Nikulin was drafted into the army. With the rank of private, he participated in two wars: the Finnish (1939-1940) and the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). In 1946, Nikulin was demobilized. Staff Sergeant.
After unsuccessful attempts enter the All-Union state institute Cinematography (VGIK) and the State Institute of Theater Arts (GITIS) entered the studio of conversational genres at the Moscow Circus, from which he graduated in 1949. In the late 1940s, he began performing in a group of clowns under the direction of M.N. Rumyantsev, better known as Pencil, at the Moscow State Circus. Nikulin’s long-term partner in the clown duet was M.N. Shuidin.
The main thing in Nikulin’s creative individuality is a devastating sense of humor while completely maintaining external equanimity. The suit was based on a funny contrast of short striped trousers and huge boots with a pseudo-elegant top - a black jacket, a white shirt, a tie and a boater hat. A masterfully designed mask (behind the external rudeness and even some stupidity, wisdom and a gentle, vulnerable soul appeared) allowed Nikulin to work in the most difficult genre of clownery - lyrical-romantic reprises. In the arena he was always organic, naive and touching, and at the same time he knew how to make the audience laugh like no one else.
In the clown image of Nikulin amazingly a distance was maintained between the mask and the artist, and this gave the character greater depth and versatility. For my long life in the arena, Nikulin created many unique reprises, sketches and pantomimes, of which the most memorable and dear to the artist were “Little Pierre”, Pipo and the millionaire in the circus performances “Carnival in Cuba” and “Peace Pipe”, Barmaley in the New Year's children's performance. One of the most famous genre scenes is the legendary “log”. With my future wife I met Tatiana Nikulin during a performance. Later, she worked more than once as his “decoy duck.”
One work in the arena would be enough for Nikulin’s name to forever go down in the history of Russian art. However, the versatility of his talent allowed Nikulin to realize himself in other genres. He starred in films, playing both brightly comedic and dramatic, and truly tragic roles. Actually, his work in cinema seemed to reveal and unfold those numerous facets of human nature that were contained in a “concise” form in the circus mask.
In 1958, Nikulin starred in films for the first time, in an episodic but effective role in the comedy “Girl with a Guitar.” IN next year played the role of a drunkard and parasite in the comedy “The Unyielding.” However, 1961 became a landmark year for Nikulin’s career as a film actor. He starred in the short story “Dog Barbos and the Unusual Cross” directed by L.I. Gaidai in the film anthology “Top Secret”, which gave birth to the legendary comic trio - Coward (G.M. Vitsin), Dunce (Nikulin) and Experienced (E.A. Morgunov).
In the same year, Nikulin starred in the film “When the Trees Were Big” directed by L.A. Kulidzhanov, which revealed the actor’s unusually high dramatic abilities. The role of Kuzma Kuzmich Yordanov allowed Nikulin to show a very complex human character, moreover, undergoing an equally complex transformation on the screen - from moral degradation to the return of self-esteem and the acquisition of the joy of work and the ability to love. The film “When the Trees Were Big” is rightfully considered one of the best Russian films.
In subsequent works, Nikulin successfully alternated comic images with dramatic ones. The “mask” of the Goonie was used by the actor in L.I. Gaidai’s films “Operation Y and Other Adventures of Shurik” (1965) and “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (1966), which enjoyed phenomenal success among Soviet audiences. The images of touching, kind and charming eccentrics were created by Nikulin in the film by the same L.I. Gaidai “The Diamond Arm” (1968) and the film by E.A. Ryazanov “Old Robbers” (1971). The simplicity and persuasiveness of Nikulin’s acting style, which worked one hundred percent in the circus and comedy films, also played a huge role in his dramatic film works. In the film “Come to me, Mukhtar!” (1965) Nikulin created the image of an honest and open criminal intelligence officer who takes in a service dog.
The unusually complex image of the monk Patrikey was revealed by the actor in just a few minutes of screen time in A. A. Tarkovsky’s landmark film for world cinema “Andrei Rublev” (1966, released in 1971). It is curious that Nikulin had an extremely busy schedule on the set of the film “Andrei Rublev”; every evening after the end of the shooting day he hurried to the circus. In an epic film adaptation unfinished novel M.A. Sholokhov “They Fought for the Motherland” (1976), the image created by Nikulin was not sufficiently revealed by director S.F. Bondarchuk (who played the main role), despite the fact that Nikulin was the only front-line soldier among the actors who played in the film. By devoting too much screen time to his hero, S.F. Bondarchuk missed the opportunity to create a full-fledged character from Nikulin’s work in the role of a private. Still, it's a strong role, but it could have been an acting masterpiece.
When director A.Yu. German invited Nikulin to play the role of journalist Lopatin in his film based on the novel by K.M. Simonov “Twenty Days Without War” (1976), he met strong resistance from his superiors and the party. But nevertheless, Nikulin’s candidacy was approved. As a result, one of the most complex and best film characters was created, Nikulin the actor, who used his front-line memories to create the image.
In total, Nikulin starred in more than forty films, among those not mentioned: “Ivan Rybakov”, “Moonshiners”, “The Man from Nowhere”, “My Friend, Kolka!”, “The Taming of the Shrew” (all - 1961), “Young Green” ( 1962), “Without fear and reproach”, “ Business people"", "Big Wick" (all - 1963), "Give complaint book", "The Dreamers" (both 1965), "Little Fugitive" (1966), "Seven Old Men and a Girl", "New Girl" (both 1968), "Telegram", "The Twelve Chairs" (both 1971), “Dot, dot, comma” (1972), “The Adventures of Grass” (1976), “Here... not far” (1979), “I don’t want to be an adult” (1982), “Scarecrow” (1983), “Captain Crocus” ( 1991).
In 1981, Nikulin stopped working at the Moscow Circus arena, and two years later became its director.
By Decree of the President of the USSR of December 27, 1990, for great services in the development of Soviet circus art and active social activities director and artistic director of the Moscow State Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.
All his life Nikulin collected and loved to tell jokes. And this, in a certain sense, is also a reflection of the “circus” nature of the artist: after all, any clown reprise is, in essence, an act short story with an unexpected ending, that is, an anecdote. He published popular “jokes from Nikulin” in a number of publications and appeared on television in the 1990s as the host of the humorous program “White Parrot.”
Lived in the hero city of Moscow. He died on August 21, 1997 in the hospital due to complications after heart surgery. Buried at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Awarded 2 Soviet Orders of Lenin (02/14/1980; 12/27/1990), Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree (03/11/1985), Red Banner of Labor (02/21/1986), “Badge of Honor” (11/04/1967), Russian Order “ For services to the Fatherland" 3rd degree (12/11/1996), medals, including "For Courage" (07/18/1945) and "For Labor Valor" (10/9/1958).
Laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR named after the Vasilyev brothers (1970, for a number of comedic roles in films), the Kinotavr Film Festival award in the category "Presidential Council Prize for creative career"(1995).
Monuments to Yu.V. Nikulin were erected in Moscow and Demidov.
Yuri Nikulin was born on December 18, 1921 in the city of Demidov. His family was closely connected with the theater: his father Vladimir Andreevich studied to be a lawyer, and upon returning from the army he got a job as an actor in the theater, his mother Lidia Ivanovna was also a theater actress. It is noteworthy that Yuri’s parents were known in the city precisely as actor-comedians, which greatly influenced future fate boy.
When Yuri was four years old, his family moved to Moscow. My father got a job as a correspondent for two local newspapers and began composing reprises for the theater and circus. Vladimir Andreevich often took his son with him to the circus, where five-year-old Yura was inspired by the atmosphere of joy and fun. Exactly then future artist got excited about the idea of making people laugh, bringing smiles to their faces. He led the life of an ordinary Soviet boy, spent a lot of time with friends, and sometimes got into fights.
At the school where Yuri was sent at the age of seven, teachers universally complained about the boy’s behavior; according to them, he behaved “like a clown.” But for Nikulin such a characteristic was a compliment. The guy was an average student, often receiving criticism in class. He also could not boast of a good memory; learning by heart was difficult for the boy. The exception was funny stories and dialogues that Yuri learned while playing in a local drama club. The head of the theater group was his father, who made a lot of efforts to reveal his son’s comedic talent.
After seventh grade, many children went to different special schools. Nikulin dreamed of enrolling in a military special school where his friend went, but his parents felt that this option was not suitable for their son with his cheerful and reckless character. Nevertheless, Yuri still had to leave his native, exemplary school and go to educational institution in the neighborhood, from which he graduated in 1939.
Immediately after school, Nikulin was drafted into the army for seven long years. In November 1939, Yuri Nikulin was assigned to the 115th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. During the Soviet-Finnish War, his battery defended the approaches to Leningrad near Sestroretsk. When the Great Patriotic War began, the future actor fought there, not far from Leningrad. In 1943, he fell ill with pneumonia and was sent to a hospital in the city on the Neva, and after discharge he was shell-shocked during one of the air raids. Then Nikulin was sent to the 72nd separate anti-aircraft division near Kolpino. Demobilized in 1946 with the rank of senior sergeant.
Nikulin awarded with medals“For courage”, “For the defense of Leningrad”, “For victory over Germany”. In the last year of his service, the artist was engaged exclusively in creative amateur performances by order of the captain: at first he was a coach football team, however, after a disastrous game he was released from this work, and later took up productions and concerts.
Nikulin decided to enter the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography. He took several photographs and began to learn excerpts from the works to impress the selection committee. However, during the exams, Yuri was told that despite his talent and artistry, he was not suitable for cinema. The same fate befell the artist in theater institutes. Then Nikulin was forced to submit documents to the clownery studio at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
Circus
For the first time, Yuri Nikulin entered the circus arena on October 25, 1948, together with Boris Romanov, to perform the reprise “The Model and the Hack.”
In 1949, Nikulin became a circus clown. At first he acted as an assistant to the popular clown Karandash, and later began working in tandem with comedian and acrobat Mikhail Shuidin. Yuri performed in the circus arena for more than thirty years, combining work with filming. In 1981, he was promoted to chief director, and a year later he took over as director. Under his leadership, the Moscow Circus flourished, and a new, more modern building was built for it. In total, the artist worked within the walls of his native entertainment establishment for about fifty years.
Since 1969, the artist began to publish his works. His debut work was a book co-authored with Rudolf Slavsky and “The Art of Clownery.” He later published an autobiography in the form of numerous life stories entitled “Almost Seriously...”.
Nikulin’s humorous talent also came in handy on television, where from 1993 to 1997 he was the host of the television program “White Parrot” on the ORT television channel.
In 1996, the actor founded charitable foundation"Circus and Mercy", the purpose of which was to help young circus performers, as well as artists who have devoted their whole lives to entertaining people.
Movies
Yuri Nikulin got into cinema thanks to the circus. In 1958, for the filming of the film “Girl with a Guitar,” director Alexander Faintzimmer needed a comedic character of a pyrotechnician, who was played by a talented circus performer. Despite the insignificance of the role, the audience liked the actor; they remembered the cheerful and funny guy. This became the decisive factor in Nikulin’s career. He was offered to play a few more similar roles in the films “The Unyielding” and “Yasha Toporkov”.
The actor’s talent was noticed not only by film directors, but also by theater directors. The director himself invited Yuri to his “Maly Theatre”, but the artist refused, citing the fact that it was unwise to start an acting career at the age of forty. Nevertheless, Nikulin continued to play small roles in films.
The next film with his participation, the short film “Barbos the Dog and the Unusual Cross,” became fateful for the actor. Agreeing to film in the image of the Goonie, Nikulin had no idea that this role would make him famous. Released in 1961, the film was very favorably received by viewers and critics, instantly becoming a legend. The film received a nomination for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Yuri became a screen star, people flocked to the circus to once again enjoy the performance of a talented artist. Such success opened the door to many other film projects: the comedy Nowhere Man, and later the serious film When the Trees Were Big, where the actor was able to show his dramatic talents, moving away from the image of a comedic character.
The legendary trinity
However, the viewer remembered Yuri Nikulin precisely because of his numerous comedic roles. In 1961, a full-length film was released about the adventures of the audience's favorite trio, the Goonie and the Moonshiners. The tape was used incredible success among the audience and soon became a cult favorite. and Nikulin's fame grew with each new film in the series. In 1965, the continuation of the film was released - “Operation “Y” and other adventures of Shurik”, where Yuri played the character of the Goonie, beloved by the audience.
No less popular were the images of dramatic, serious heroes that the actor embodied in films. In 1964, the cult film “Come to me, Mukhtar!” was released. with Nikulin in the role of junior lieutenant Glazychev. To authentically play the role, the actor accompanied the real police several times and observed their work; he also often visited the kennel so that the dogs playing the role of Mukhtar could get used to him. Immediately after its release, the picture became a cult, and the nickname for the dog “Mukhtar” became one of the most popular in the territory Soviet Union.
In 1968, the film “The Diamond Arm” was released by the director, thanks to whom Nikulin became a living legend Soviet cinema. The script and character of Semyon Gorbunkov were written specifically for Yuri, and his wife and son were also involved in the filming. And despite the rather cool reviews from Soviet critics, the film was more than warmly received by the audience, becoming one of the most successful films at the Soviet box office.
In 1971, Yuri Nikulin played with, and in another popularly beloved comedy, “Old Robbers” by Eldar Ryazanov. According to the plot of the film, friends who do not want to retire start the “crime of the century” in order to save their jobs.
Among the latest serious works, the drama “Scarecrow” should be noted, where Nikulin played the grandfather main character performed by the young one. Nikulin acted in films until 1983. One of his last comic roles was the character of the humorous film magazine “Yeralash” Uncle Yura.
Nikulin’s roles in films about the war stand out. Yuri Nikulin starred in the film They Fought for Their Homeland. Nikulin also played the military journalist Lopatin in the film “Twenty Days Without War” directed by the senior director. Initially, the management of Goskino did not want to invite Yuri Nikulin to this role, which infuriated the author of the book of the same name, Konstantin Simonov, whose word was significant. Simonov said that he sees only Nikulin in this role. So Yuri Vladimirovich was approved.
Yuri Nikulin in last years
In 2016, Channel One released a documentary dedicated to the actor “The Great Funny,” beloved by many generations. In it, Yuri Vladimirovich’s son Maxim spoke about many events in his father’s biography that are unknown general public. Maxim Yuryevich, in particular, said that many funny episodes from his favorite comedies might not have happened if it weren’t for his father’s jokes invented on the spot. Thus, the scene “Are you deaf and dumb?” was born. - “Yes” from everyone’s favorite comedy “The Diamond Arm.”
By the way, according to the son, the relationship in the famous trinity - Yuri Nikulin - was not ideal, since the more popular Nikulin was a little envied. Nikulin’s greater popularity is confirmed by the fact that Leonid Gaidai was the only one who took him into the “Diamond Hand”. In the film Nikulin played with other greats Soviet actors– Andrey Mironov and. Moreover, the role of Semyon Semenovich Gorbunkov was written specifically for Nikulin, and the director himself appreciated the actor for his amazing improvisations and the birth of jokes right during filming.
Yuri Vladimirovich was remembered not only for his roles in films, but also for his songs. It can be said without exaggeration that the whole country knows “The Song about Hares”, “If I Were a Sultan” and “Wait, Locomotive...”. Also, passions do not subside about what nationality Yuri Nikulin was. There is a point of view that Yuri Vladimirovich, due to his appearance, may be a Jew. In one of his interviews, he even mentioned that he once “refused to leave for Israel.”
Personal life
With my future wife Yuri met Tatyana Pokrovskaya in 1949 during circus rehearsals. Nikulin invited the girl to his performance, during which he was injured. Tatyana was very worried about the artist’s well-being and visited him in the hospital every day. Six months later they got married. The girl also began working in the circus with her husband.
Yuri Nikulin with his wife and son
In 1956, they had a child. Together, the Nikulin family starred in several films, and over time, the son continued the work of his parents and began working in the circus. In family only son Yuri Nikulin Maxim - three children. All my grandchildren great actor and the clown found Maria (1981), Yuri (1986) and Maxim (1988) alive. In 2009, a great-grandson, Stanislav, was born to his grandfather’s namesake.
Yuri Vladimirovich lived with his wife Tatyana Nikulina until his death.
Death
In 1997, Yuri developed heart problems, which is why the decision was made to undergo surgery. However, after surgical intervention the actor began to have complications, and already on August 21 of the same year great artist The Soviet Union died.
The funeral took place at the Novodevichy cemetery in the capital. Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich was buried with military honors. In memory of the great artist at his grave, as well as in various Russian cities Monuments and memorial plaques have been installed. They can be found throughout the country - in Irkutsk, Kursk, Sochi, Khabarovsk, and, of course, in their native Demidov.
The circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, where Yuri Vladimirovich worked for a significant part of his life, is named after the great clown.
Filmography
- Girl with a guitar
- Unyielding
- Dog Barbos and an unusual cross
- When the trees were big
- Moonshiners
- Come to me, Mukhtar!
- Operation "Y" and other adventures of Shurik
- Captive of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures
- The Diamond Arm
- 12 chairs
- Scarecrow
On August 21, 1997, the great actor and comedian of the USSR Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin passed away. The people's clown, who loved the circus since childhood, but dreamed of cinema all his life, often quoted Jerzy Lec: “In nature, nothing is lost except fulfilled hopes.” There were many fulfilled hopes in the artist’s life. At the end of his life, the great clown admitted: “I am truly happy only when people around me laugh with me!”…
During his career, he appeared in more than 40 films and was a kind-hearted person. Today we will show you a selection famous quotes and stories about this famous Soviet actor.
Yuri Nikulin was born on December 18, 1921 in Demidov, Smolensk region. “What I remember most from childhood is when my father took me to the circus for the first time, I was six years old. From then on, I fell in love with this for the rest of my life. Magic world"- he recalled.
In the photo: Yuri Nikulin takes part in school amateur performances.
Yura’s parents, Vladimir Andreevich and Lydia Ivanovna, who devoted many years to the theater and circus, took their son’s dream of becoming a clown seriously, sewed him a suit and went to visit him. Finding himself in public, the young clown decided to fall to make everyone laugh. After three falls, there was still no laughter, but the mother of one of the girls asked: “Is he having a fit?” This is how Nikulin recalled his first clown experience in the book “Almost Seriously...”.
In the photo: anti-aircraft gunner Yuri Nikulin (2nd from left in 1st row) during the war.
At the age of 18, Nikulin joined the army. Military service lasted for seven years: he participated in the Finnish campaign and the Great Patriotic War, survived the siege of Leningrad, was shell-shocked, and burned in a tank.
After the war, Yuri Nikulin decided to enter VGIK. “I arrived at the institute completely calm, being confident in my admission. I read a fable, a poem, but they didn’t let me read prose, in response I heard: “You know, Comrade Nikulin, there is something in you, but for cinema you You’re not good enough. You don’t have the profile we need,” recalled Yuri Vladimirovich.
It was then that the aspiring artist remembered his other passion - the circus. Nikulin said that on family council We discussed for a long time whether it was worth it or not to enter the studio. “Mom was leaning toward the theater, believing that sooner or later I would get lucky. My father had a different opinion. “Let Yura take risks,” he insisted. “You can experiment in the circus.”
In the photo: Yuri Nikulin, at one of his first performances in the circus, portrays a “person from the audience” who sat on a horse for the first time (1947).
Unlike VGIK, he was accepted immediately into the clownery studio at the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and the famous Karandash took him on as an intern. The aspiring artist remembered his teacher’s behest for the rest of his life: “A clown should seem stupider than those who laugh at him... seem, but not be!”
It took the young clown several years to find his own image that was in harmony with his character. Over time, Nikulin realized that his character did not need special makeup: it was enough to darken the eyelids and whiten the tip of the nose.
For many years, Nikulin’s partner in the arena was Mikhail Shuidin. The legendary clown duo - a naive phlegmatic (Nikulin) and his cocky friend (Shuidin) - arose in Karandash's trainee group.
"The pencil taught us a lot. We learned the wisdom of nomadic circus life. We learned to take seriously and carefully every funny trick we found, and the ability to use it at the right moment,” recalled Nikulin.
The clown parody of dashing horsemen was performed immediately after the riders' number and therefore was a particular success. By the way, the stunt horses were made according to Nikulin’s sketches.
Yuri Nikulin came up with the reprise “Pump” while pumping up a car tire.
The ideas for new performances were often suggested to Nikulin and Shuidin by the props themselves. This is how the reprises “Snake” appeared, which the clowns saw in scraps of rubber, and “Bottle”, the props for which were received by the artists as a gift from the owner of a Japanese restaurant during a tour.
At the circus, Nikulin met his future wife Tatyana Pokrovskaya. The aspiring artist invited a student from the Timiryazev Academy to watch a performance in which he was supposed to portray a person from the audience who wanted to learn how to ride a horse. However, that evening the act was unsuccessful: Nikulin ended up under the hooves of a horse. The girl visited the “dashing rider” in the hospital for several months, and six months later they got married.
Tatyana, who adored the circus, became a real assistant and adviser in the profession for her husband,
Nikulin later headed his favorite circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, where he worked for a total of 50 years.
The chief director of the Moscow circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Nikulin, leaving his office, leaves his “deputy”. December 1, 1984.
In the photo: Yuri Nikulin as Albert Klyachkin with partners Anatoly Grachkin (left) and Viktor Gromoboev (right) in the film “The Unyielding” directed by Yuri Chulyukin, 1959.
But Yuri Nikulin did not give up his dream of cinema. “As a child, I believed that only brilliant people could act in films, but I’m an ordinary boy, so where can I dream about filming,” the artist recalled. However, the success of his first roles in the films “Girl with a Guitar” and “The Unyielding” allowed the aspiring film actor to say to himself: “Perhaps I can act in films.”
Nikulin's first major success in cinema is associated with the name of Leonid Gaidai, who offered the actor a role in the comedy "Dog Barbos and the Unusual Cross."
When, while selecting actors, the director first saw Nikulin, he said: “Well, you don’t need to look for Goonies. Nikulin is what you need.” This is how the legendary “troika” arose: Coward (Georgy Vitsin), Experienced (Evgeny Morgunov) and Dunce (Yuri Nikulin).
In the photo: Rostislav Plyatt (left) and Yuri Nikulin (right) on the set of the film “Business People”.
A few years later, Gaidai again invited Nikulin to work together. This time the actor got the role of a swindler in the film "Business People" based on O'Henry's short stories.
After the film “Operation “Y” or other adventures of Shurik,” Gaidai decided that he would not make any more separate films about the Goonie, the Coward and the Experienced. “Enough is enough. Troika is becoming obsolete,” the director admitted.
And Gaidai invited actors to “Prisoner of the Caucasus” only to “revive the film.” “Unfortunately, the “troika” became sickeningly popular. This was the period of our rise and at the same time the end of our joint performance on the screen,” Nikulin recalled.
The role of senior economist Semyon Semenovich Gorbunkov in the film “The Diamond Arm” was written specifically for Nikulin.
In the photo: Inna Gulaya as Natasha and Yuri Nikulin as Kuzma Kuzmich in the film “When the Trees Were Big.”
Yuri Nikulin played his first dramatic role in Lev Kulidzhanov’s film “When the Trees Were Big” - Kuzma Kuzmich Iordanov, a degraded former mechanic who pretends to be the father of Natasha’s girl. And although the actor doubted for a long time whether he could play this role, he managed to create a very touching image.
Working on the film “Come to me, Mukhtar!”, in which Nikulin played policeman Glazychev, once again proved to the actor: “The most difficult thing is to play with children and animals, there is nothing more natural.”
In the photo: Yuri Nikulin as soldier Nekrasov
Sergei Bondarchuk invited Nikulin to his films several times, but the actor and director managed to work together only in 1976. Yuri Vladimirovich played Private Nekrasov in the film “They Fought for the Motherland.”
In the photo: Yuri Nikulin as Lopatin and Lyudmila Gurchenko as Nika in the film “Twenty Days Without War” directed by A. German.
Nikulin also wanted to refuse Alexei German’s offer to play Lopatin in Simonov’s “Twenty Days Without War”: “I’m old, and my temperament is not the same.” However, Herman managed to persuade him.
In the photo: performer leading role Kristina Orbakaite and Yuri Nikulin in a scene from the film "Scarecrow" directed by Rolan Bykov.
Kristina Orbakaite, who played with Nikulin in the film “Scarecrow,” admitted: “I am very grateful to fate for having met Yuri Vladimirovich in a very important period becoming me as a person. I will forever remember his unusually warm intonation and look full of kindness."
Interesting life good man!
We present to your attention 12 facts about the life of Yuri Nikulin that will surprise you!
Yuri Nikulin is a great actor, clown, whose charm and cheerfulness left no one indifferent. Yuri Vladimirovich played in many truly popular film comedies - “The Diamond Arm,” “12 Chairs,” “Old Robbers,” “Operation “Y” and other adventures of Shurik.”
But if everyone remembers the actor’s roles by heart, then few people know the details of his life off the screen. What was Yuri Nikulin interested in as a child? From whom did he inherit his extraordinary sense of humor? How did the horse that knocked the great comedian off his feet “introduce” him to his future wife?
Two wars and three medals
In 1939, Yuri Vladimirovich went to the front: there was Soviet-Finnish war. Nikulin was sent to serve in anti-aircraft battery, which guarded the approaches to Leningrad. The Great Patriotic War also found Yuri Nikulin there: he fought near Leningrad until 1943, was wounded, hospitalized, suffered a shell shock, but returned to the front in the anti-aircraft division, in which he served until the end of the war. Nikulin was awarded three medals “For Courage”, “For the Defense of Leningrad” and “For Victory over Germany”.
Not talented enough
It’s hard to believe, but Yuri Nikulin was unable to enter any theater institute. IN admissions committees said: “We don’t see you acting skills. Your face is not expressive, you will not look good on the screen.” And we would never see wonderful roles outstanding comedian, if not for his wife. Tatyana Nikulina persuaded her husband to respond to the proposal of screenwriter Vladimir Polyakov and come to audition for a cameo role in the film “Girl with a Guitar.” This is how his film debut took place.
Everything is bad, change it!
Few people know that in Gaidai’s famous comedy “Prisoner of the Caucasus” the beloved trinity “Nikulin-Morgunov-Vitsin” might not have been there. Yuri Vladimirovich did not like the original script of the film, and the director had to rewrite it again, just so that the famous actor would remain in the frame. Today we can say with confidence that the film is super popular, and the cheerful “trinity” in it comes in very handy.
Under Stalin they fed better!
One day, on the set of a film famous director Herman's "Twenty Days Without War", a funny episode occurred. The whole group had to live on the filming train and eat in the dining car, where a large portrait of Stalin hung. Herman asked the restaurant director to remove him, to which he responded with a categorical refusal. Then the director threatened that the carriage would now be unhooked. The director complied with great reluctance. The next day, after breakfast, Nikulin said: “But under Stalin they fed better.”
It's not meant to be
Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin believed in fate. Once they asked him what fate meant in his understanding. To this, the beloved actor responded in his characteristic manner: “For me, this is a situation when two trains are rushing along the same rails towards each other at full steam at night. They rush and still don’t meet... Do you know why? It's not meant to be…".
Game is like life
In Tarkovsky's film "Andrei Rublev" there is an episode when the hero Nikulin is tortured. The actor playing the Tatar brings a burning torch to his face and speaks his words. The fire does not reach his face, but Nikulin begins to scream in a terrible voice. “Tatar” pronounces his text, the torch is lit, filming is underway, and Yuri Vladimirovich is just screaming. They took it off to the waist, and no one saw that the hot diesel fuel from the torch was dripping onto their bare feet famous actor.
There would be no happiness, but misfortune would help
Nikulin became friends with his future wife Tatyana, a horse trainer, already in the hospital. He got there after a horse trained by Tatyana crippled the young clown Nikulin right in the arena. “Yura was not handsome, but he had such charm that if someone fell into the circle of this charm, he could no longer escape,” Tatyana later recalled.
Anecdote after anecdote
One day Nikulin had a bet with a colleague for ten packs of cigarettes over who would tell the most jokes. The condition was this: if the opponent knows a joke, then he must immediately start another one. The friend barely had time to utter the first phrase before Nikulin interrupted: “I know!” Finally he began to talk. And for two hours he told jokes in the barracks. Nikulin had not yet reached the halfway point before he was declared the winner, since the listeners were tired of laughing, and the time was approaching morning.
Our whole life is a circus
Yuri Nikulin's father Vladimir wrote for the stage and circus for many years. Finding himself with his dad backstage at the circus, little Yura was fascinated by the bright costumes and funny jokes of the clowns. Then the boy had a dream to make people laugh. Nikulin's whole life was connected with the circus. He worked in the Moscow circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard for 50 years!
Got caught by the police
Once, Yuri Nikulin, who was wearing makeup for the film “Business People,” was taken from Mosfilm to the city center, where the filming of the episode was supposed to take place. While we were driving, Nikulin began to rehearse the role. All this happened in the evening, the street lights were already burning, and when the car approached Arbat, its road was suddenly blocked by two black craters, from which a capture group jumped out. The fact is that some traffic controller saw the scene being rehearsed and radioed about it to the authorities. But, fortunately, Nikulin was already well known from his films, so the incident was settled.
You've been hanging around here for five days already!
On the set of the film “When the Trees Were Big,” they didn’t want to let Nikulin in film set, which was in a furniture store. An actor in makeup, in disguise, approached the door of the store and wanted to enter, but the director of this establishment stood at the door and sternly asked: “Where?” Yuri Vladimirovich began to explain that he was an artist and had come to film. “We know such artists. “You’ve been hanging around here for five days already,” the director answered and began to call the police. Only the director's intervention saved the future comedy star from police protocol.
Love without borders
The audience loved the famous actor, but sometimes their love crossed all boundaries. One day Nikulin and his wife had to flee from fans. Once in Naberezhnye Chelny, Yuri Vladimirovich agreed to speak on the square. A huge, uncontrollable crowd had gathered, capable of, without meaning to, crushing their idol. Nikulin and his wife had to climb out the window on the other side of the city executive committee building, where they were sitting waiting for spectators to gather, and quickly leave by car.
Great comedian
Yuri Vladimirovich was an outstanding comedian. It’s not just that the Oxford Encyclopedia of Cinema included his name in the list of “Great Comedians of the World.” But, in fairness, it should be noted that he was no less brilliant in dramatic roles.
Yuri Nikulin was born on December 18, 1921 in the city of Demidov (now Smolensk region). His father worked at drama theater in Demidov. His mother was also an actress there.
Yura Nikulin, 1920s
In 1925, his family moved to Moscow.
As he himself wrote in his book of memoirs “…”, “ no delegations came to our 346th ordinary school, where I transferred, writers did not come to us, artists did not organize concerts for us».
After graduating from high school, he was drafted into the Red Army and served in the 115th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment.
With a mustache. bottom row, second from left
To the Great Patriotic War fought near Leningrad. In the spring of 1943, he fell ill with pneumonia and was sent to a Leningrad hospital, and immediately after discharge he was shell-shocked during an air raid on Leningrad.
After the end of the war, he tried to enter VGIK and theater institutes. He was not accepted anywhere, since the commission did not find any acting abilities in him. As a result, he entered the clownery studio at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. After completing his studies, he began working as an assistant with the then extremely popular clown Pencil.
Nikulin worked with Karandash for two and a half years, after which in 1950 Shuidin and Nikulin left Karandash together due to a work conflict. Having started working independently, they formed the famous clown duo Nikulin and Shuidin.
About the first trip to the circus: “ Remembering that when clowns fell in the circus, it caused laughter from the audience, as soon as I entered the room, I immediately fell to the floor. But no one laughed. I stood up and fell again. I hit myself quite painfully (I didn’t know then that you also need to fall skillfully), but, overcoming the pain, I got up again and crashed to the floor again. He fell and kept waiting for laughter. But no one laughed. Only one woman asked her mother: “Are you having a fit?” The next day my back, neck, arms hurt, and for the first time I own experience I realized it’s not easy being a clown».
Still from the film “Girl with a Guitar”, 1958
Yuri Nikulin made his film debut at the age of 36. His first works were “Girl with a Guitar” (1958), “Unyielding”. The role of Goonie in the short story “Barbos the Dog and the Unusual Cross” brought Yuri Nikulin national fame.
« At the first meeting, having carefully examined me from all sides, Leonid Gaidai said: “There are three roles in the film. All the main ones. This is the Coward, the Experienced and the Dunce. We want to offer you the dunce.” One of Leonid Gaidai’s assistants later said: “When Gaidai saw you, he said: “Well, there’s no need to look for Dunce. Nikulin is what you need"«
« I have been lucky in my life: I have a wonderful wife, a caring son, good grandchildren, excellent friends. True, over the years there are fewer and fewer of them. ... It’s always sad to see someone off on their last journey. And why lie, of course, you think: your turn will come».
Nikulin stopped performing in 1981. After that, he moved to the position of chief director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and since 1982 he has been the director of the circus. Under him, a completely new building was built for the circus. Yuri Vladimirovich worked in this circus for 50 years.
Yuri Nikulin loved to write and tell jokes in public: “ Today they told me that once upon a time famous clown Bob O'Connor, who was able to make the audience roll with laughter at the circus, suffered from hypochondria in life. He was treated by a neurologist. He prescribed rubbing cold water, gave a number of pieces of advice, and in conclusion said: “Go to the circus for a distraction, where the funny clown Bob O’Connor performs, and you will certainly have fun.” “Bob O’Connor is me,” the artist answered sadly.».
An incident on tour in 1964: “ In Yerevan she came to us behind the scenes elderly woman. It was her first time in the circus. Came from the mountains. This woman told us: “Thank you very much. I really liked the way you perform. So everything is clear - right on Armenian language»
. We were pleased to hear this. After all, in "Little Pierre"we don't say a single word»
Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin died due to complications after heart surgery. He was buried with military honors at the Novodevichy cemetery.