Boris Chirkov: from Sancho Panza to surgeon Chizhov

Yevtushenko in "The Man with the Gun" and Nikanor Samosseev in the "Three Encounters", Stepan Nedolya in the "Donetsk miners" and the sailor Rodionov in the "Anxiety Night", Lihobaba in Horizon and Varvara's father in the Blue Cup. And this is only a small fraction of the films in which Boris Chirkov, a Soviet theater and film actor, played. Soviet TV viewers very much loved him for his roles in the films "True Friends", "My Dear Man", "The Hater", "Teacher", but especially they are grateful to the actor for the trilogy about the revolutionary Maxim.

Childhood

In the city of Nolinsk (Vyatka province) August 13, 1901, the future People's Artist of the Soviet Union Boris Chirkov was born. Nolinsk was small, away from the railway. It seemed to Little Bor that the whole city looked like a dead end. And indeed, the center of the county was quite provincial: there was no electricity, and letters and simple newspapers were brought twice a week by the postal couple.

When the boy was seven years old, he was determined to study at a local school. In the senior classes, his father drew him to theatrical amateur performance, because he himself was enthusiastically playing amateur theatrical productions. At first Boris Chirkov was a prompter, and later participated in episodes of performances. But, despite this, the boy could not even imagine what could become a professional actor in the future. He was sure that he lacked real talent and beautiful, expressive appearance.

Choice between institutes

In 1921, a young man went to study in Petrograd to enter the Polytechnic Institute. He succeeds in this easily, but after a few months Boris realizes that he is not meant to study the exact sciences. Through the intervention of friends, he enters the newly founded Institute of Performing Arts. It was accepted, despite the fact that the competition was very large. Scholarship, which Boris began to receive only in the third year, was chronically lacking, so at night he worked at the port as a loader.

At first, his mother, Olga Ignatyevna, opposed his son's acting career. She was sure that for a man the acting profession is not a serious hobby, but for life a profound profession is needed. But two years later she resigned herself to the choice of her son.

The beginning of the path in art

Boris Chirkov connects the first notable successes with the Theater of the City of Leningrad. It was there that he played Sancho Pancha, the jester and Ivan the fool. From the very beginning of his career, he very carefully and fashionably dressed, because he was sure that the actor must be interesting not only for his talent, but also outwardly. Much later his nephew recalled that he spent all his childhood in the clothes of his uncle. The suits, shirts, ties of Boris Petrovich were so dandy and beautiful that the guy would never exchange them for new ones.

Boris Chirkov, whose biography began to replenish with new and interesting roles, the classical repertoire played a lot. He took part in the productions staged on stage by the works of Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin and other Russian writers. In his richest repertoire were not only dramatic, psychological and comedic roles. He created interesting enough even grotesque images. In each of his roles, Tchirkov was so truthful, simple and charming that he easily placed his audience and attracted the attention of filmmakers.

Cinema, Cinema, Cinema ...

Initially, the actor starred in the brothers Vasilievs in a small episode. It was the role of an old peasant who approached Chapaev with a complaint. And a little later in the film "Youth of Maxim" he also starred, Boris Chirkov. His filmography has now begun to replenish with new interesting roles.

The film about Maxim could not be so easy to end, so in 1937 appeared his sequel "The Return of Maxim", and two years later - the final part of the trilogy - "Vyborg Side". This hero is so remembered and liked the audience that Boris Chirkov and after decades, recognizing on the street, called Maxim.

Then there were the roles of Denis Davydov, Makhno, Mikhail Glinka, Antoshi Rybkin and others.

During a terrible war, like many other artists of the theater, cinema and music, Boris Chirkov performed at concerts and meetings with soldiers leaving for the front.

In the postwar years, one of the first roles of the actor was the role of a Soviet scientist in the film "The Court of Honor".

Interesting in the biography of the actor is the fact that Boris Chirkov, photo Which with an enviable constancy appeared on the pages of Soviet journals, the favorite of the entire Soviet people, the winner of state awards, was a very shy person in ordinary life. He married fairly late when he was already 48 years old. His choice was the daughter of his friend, Professor VGIK Larissa. In the sensational film "Faithful Friends", she played the role of provincial doctor.

The four Chirkovs have a family film - "Mashenka." Boris Petrovich played in it the role of the father of the family, the wife was played by his daughter, and the real daughter of Mila is his granddaughter.

In ordinary life, Tchirkov was a very gentle, complaisant and compliant person. He was even a fan of the same football team as his wife - out of a sense of solidarity.

Fifth infarction

The actor did not manage to issue a personal pension, besides, he was very shy. On the day of his death he went to the Kremlin to attend a meeting of the commission that awarded the Lenin Prizes. He was late. To be in time for the beginning, he practically ran. Chirkov felt bad right in the St. George's Hall. The ambulance came and took him away. To save the great actor was not possible: he died in the hospital from the fifth, last heart attack ...

The relatives and 30 years later, with horror and quiet sorrow remember how they sat at the cooled body and waited until Brezhnev decides where to bury Boris Petrovich. This lasted four days. But without the official permission of the secretary general, it was impossible to hold a mourning ceremony. Finally, Brezhnev chose Novodevichye cemetery.

In 9 days the favorite dog of the actor died. In 40 days on his guitar burst a string ...