George Yumatov: biography, personal life, films

In March 2016, the ninetieth anniversary of the birth of the cult star of the Soviet screen named Georgy Yumatov was celebrated. Films with his participation once collected millions of spectators from theaters. In the 1940s and 1970s, he was incredibly popular. Thanks to his roles in film, the young man became the symbol of a noble and unshakable Soviet officer, to whom many military men in the years that followed.

Early years of George Yumatova

Georgy Alexandrovich Yumatov was born in Moscow. This happened in 1926. From the very childhood, he literally raved about the sea, although he did not have the opportunity to see it. Preparing himself for the profession of a sailor, the future actor leaned on to study at school, and in his spare time engaged in sports. Especially liked the young Zhora (so Yumatova affectionately called his friends and family) to do boxing and running. When the boy turned fifteen, his cherished dream came true - he was enrolled in a naval school. However, it did not take long to rejoice - the Second World War also came to the USSR.

Participation in the Great Patriotic War

The first year of the war, the future actor Yumatov Georgy studied at the naval school. And when he was sixteen, the boy was sent to fight in the rank of a young man on a torpedo boat with the heroic name "Brave". After a year of service, George received a promotion and became the helmsman. At first, "Brave" was in the "Azov" flotilla. And later he moved to the "Danube". George Yumatov, along with the crew of the boat participated in the battles for Izmail, Bucharest, later for Budapest and Vienna. It seemed that the fate itself kept a smart boy from trouble. During all the years of the war, he not only survived and preserved his health, but also earned an officer's order named after Ushakov.

The first film role

After the war, Yumatov Georgy Alexandrovich returned to his homeland in Moscow. Here the young sailor with a pleasant appearance noticed the famous director Grigory Alexandrov, sitting in a cafe with his wife. He liked the look of Yumatova. And Alexandrov invited him to shoot in one of the episodes of his new film - "Spring". Although the role of the make-up artist, which was given to the young George, was very tiny, his manner of performance and pleasant voice pleased everyone. So in the same year, Yumatova was again invited to star in a small role as a soldier in Leonid Lukov's film "Private Alexander Matrosov."

The film "The Young Guard" (1948)

Manner of the game, and himself Georgy Yumatov, liked Alexandrov very much. Therefore, he advised the director Sergei Gerasimov, who taught at VGIK, to look at the promising young talent. After listening to George Gerasimov refused to take him to school. He explained his act by the fact that the guy already has enough acting skills. Like, there is nothing to lose time in VGIK. Instead, the director gave Yumatov one of the main roles in his new film - "The Young Guard."

This picture was a resounding success for the audience. Almost all the actors who have played in it have all-Union fame, and six of them were awarded even the Stalin Prize of the first degree. Among the laureates there was no future "officer Trofimov". But the whole country became famous actor Yumatov George.

Further Career in Film

Despite the lack of acting education, many directors of that time with great pleasure shot a young talent. He had a good physical preparation, a universal appearance, allowing to play workers, peasants, soldiers. In addition, the guy had a nice voice and a charming smile. Not surprisingly, many films with Yumatov soon appeared on the screens. Initially, the roles were small: the pilot in "The Tale of a Real Man," Kasyanov in Zhukovsky, Balandin in "Vortices of Hostile" and others. But soon there was a film "Heroes of Shipka", where George was given one of the main roles - Sasha Kozyrya.

In those years, the actor was incredibly in demand. It was a kind of sign of the quality of the film, if it removes Yumatov. The biography of the actor in these years has many beautiful roles. He starred in the following films: "The Pedagogical Poem", "Different Fates", "They were the first", "Near Us", "The Youth of Our Fathers", "The First Date", "Two Lives", "Three Days After Immortality" and others. Sometimes George was charged with a very small role, but the actor knew how to make it bright and unforgettable. In 1969, while working on the film "Dangerous Tour", George Yumatov met with Vladimir Vysotsky. It was he who taught the actor how to dance and sing in the cinema.

The film "Officers" (1971)

The end of the sixties and the beginning of the seventies was the best period in the artist's career - he was constantly being invited to the main roles. He shines in the films "Attention, Tsunami!", "One of Us." And, of course, the picture of "Officers" became the calling card of Yumatov. Being himself a military sailor in the past, the actor in many respects was close to his character - Alexei Trofimov. Therefore, he was able to convey with extraordinary accuracy the emotions and feelings of his hero.

The partners on the set of the actor were actors Vasily Lanovoy and Alina Pokrovskaya. After the release of the film, they all became not just popular, but turned into heroes, on which the younger generation was equal. And the film itself became a cult. Since then, constantly on the eve of Victory Day, the film "Officers" is shown on television. Yumatov after this film for all viewers forever remained a fighter, a warrior without fear and reproach.

Career in the 70-90's

After the phenomenal success of the film "Officers", the audience was ready to go to any tape if Yumatov was filmed. However, because of the image of the officer entrenched behind him, the directors did not hurry to give him the main roles. But the minor characters were beaten by Georgy Yumatov in this period . The biography of the artist would be incomplete, if not to mention the film in which he was supposed to play, but did not work out. It's about the legendary "White Sun of the Desert". Originally, the role of Comrade Sukhov was intended for Yumatov. Under him suits were sewed, he taught the text, came up with jokes and scenic moves. But because of family circumstances, the artist was forced to abandon the role. And in his place took Kuznetsova, for whom this film was the most successful in his career.

In the late seventies and in the eighties George Yumatova began to forget. The audience had new heroes and favorite actors. Despite the participation in the films "Petrovka, 38" and "Ogarev, 6", the years of success were already behind. An interesting fact: in 1979, the artist played an episodic role of himself in the Oscar-winning film "Moscow does not believe in tears". His wife also played a small role in this film.

Problems in society, restructuring, changing the value system and much more have hit quite hard not only on the morale of the actor, but also on his wallet. In the nineties, after the collapse of the USSR, the artist struggles to find work, but like most of his colleagues in the shop, Georgy Yumatov has to literally survive, selling valuable things from home and agreeing to all the proposed roles, indiscriminately, to to feed a family.

Georgy Yumatov and Muza Krepkogorskaya

Even on the set of the film "Young Guard" Yumatov met with the mischievous soul of the company, a student of VGIK Muza Krepkogorskaya. She in this picture got the role of a traitor of young underground workers. The guy almost immediately fell in love with the girl. And yet the picture did not manage to get out, as Georgy Yumatov and Muza Krepkogorskaya got married.

Despite its phenomenal popularity among women, the actor lived all his life with his wife. Although evil languages claim that their life together was very unsuccessful. This is attributed to the fact that after the "Young Guard" promising career Krepkogorskoy was not asked. Great roles were not offered to this beautiful woman, but the episodes were often invited. Dreaming of success, like Larionova or Mordyukova, Muza was waiting for her breakthrough. Therefore, she refused to give birth to children, breaking down because of failures on a successful husband.

Although their marriage was problematic, the couple continued to live together. To help his beloved, George Yumatov negotiated with the directors: in all the movies with his participation, the spouse also received roles, even episodic ones. Thus, in most of the actor's films, the whole of their acting family was filmed: Muza Krepkogorskaya and Georgiy Yumatov. The personal life of the actor, despite all the efforts, continued to upset him. Over the years it became clear that the great actress Muse did not become. In addition, with the onset of perestroika and the collapse of the USSR, the financial situation of the family deteriorated significantly. Yumatov and Krepkogorskaya began to drink a lot and often. Children they did not appear. And all of his unspent love the actor transferred to a pet - the dog Frosya.

Crime and Punishment of Yumatova

In March 1994, the beloved actor's dog passed away. She lived in his family for eleven years. He was very attached to her. Calling a local janitor to help bury the pet, later Yumatov invited the man to go to their apartment and "remember" the unfortunate Frosya. After numerous characters between the artist and his guest, a dispute ensued, in the heat of which Georgy Alexandrovich took out a gun and shot the janitor. Soon the actor was arrested. The investigation began. There were no witnesses. His wife was at home. But to find out exactly what happened on that terrible day, the investigation failed.

According to the artist himself, his guest regretted the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War, which offended drunken Yumatov, who himself participated in the fighting and saw the horrors of the war with his own eyes. Spilled, the artist shot the guest. Some friends and neighbors put forth theories that in fact the murderer of the stupid janitor was Muza. A husband, like a true man, took the blame for himself. Which of the versions is true - no one will ever know.

For the murder, in the commission of which the actor confessed, he was tried. He was threatened with a term of three to ten years in prison. However, just two months, George Yumatov was imprisoned in prison. Biography of the artist, his merits and numerous awards, as well as the love of millions of spectators forced the judges to soften the verdict. The lawyer soon released the man under a subscription. And later a lucky chance contributed to the fact that the case was closed. And again became a free man George Yumatov. Amnesty for the soldiers on the fiftieth anniversary of victory - that's what helped the artist to finally settle the situation. As a combatant, marked by an officer order, the actor received a full justification. The murder case was closed.

The last years of George Yumatova

Long-term consumption of alcohol in large quantities, nervous shocks during the investigation and a two-month stay behind bars strongly affected the no longer young artist. His state of health deteriorated catastrophically. Once again in the hospital, Yumatov heard a disappointing diagnosis: an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Soon a complicated operation was carried out to eliminate it. But after a while it reappeared. This time Georgy Yumatov refused to lie down on the surgical table.

Died this famous actor in October 1997. And two years later his wife, Muzyka Krepkogorskaya, was no more. Their graves are next to the Vagankovskoye cemetery. Also, his mother's mother is buried here. Through the efforts of friends and admirers of the actor's talent, a monument is erected on the grave. In 2013, in memory of the heroes of the movie "Officers" was discovered a sculptural composition, displaying one of the episodes of the film. Two main characters of the painting are depicted here: Alexei Trofimov (Georgy Yumatov) and Ivan Baravva (Vasily Lanovoy), as well as the devoted officer's wife Alexei (Alina Pokrovskaya) and their grandson Ivan.

George Yumatov: movies and a book about his work

It's sad, but the films about the creativity of this great artist began to be removed only after his death. The first of them was published in 2007 on the channel "Russia". It was a picture under a symbolic name - "The Last Role of George Yumatov". In 2010, a small edition of the book was published by Natalia Tendora. It was called simply: "George Yumatov". Biography of the artist, memories of him and his work, attempts to understand what made this simple Moscow guy so popular actor - that's what this work is about.

The following year the First Channel presented its own film about the artist: "George Yumatov. The Tragedy of an Officer. " And in 2015, TVC released a documentary film titled "George Yumatov. About the hero of bygone days. "

As you can see, the artist lived a long and rather difficult life. Not everything in it evolved as it was planned. However, after himself, he left a lot of films that were, are and will always be relevant. It is a pity that in today's cinema there are practically no artists of such a level as Georgy Yumatov. The biography of this actor, his constant work on himself, mistakes and attempts to correct them - that's what should become not only a lesson, but an example for contemporary artists and for all other people.