Yuri Zavadsky: biography, personal life, filmography. Zavadsky Yury Alexandrovich - People's Artist of the USSR

Yuri Zavadsky was born not in a hereditary noble family, his father, serving in good faith, received the rank of collegiate assessor, who gave the right to the nobility. Alexander Frantsevich had a great bass - he was even invited to the Bolshoi Theater stage, but he preferred a reliable official service, and sang at home at family concerts. Accompanied him the mother of the future famous director, a former student of the Moscow Conservatory.

Happy childhood and youth

The family was intelligent, friendly and very wealthy - they lived in the center of Moscow in a large grandfather's apartment. Yuri Zavadsky was born in 1894. Children in the family were three, adored and spoiled, and especially - the boy grew up beautiful and intelligent. Some contemporaries claimed that he remained a spoiled, direct and enthusiastic 10-year-old child. Probably, this partisan opinion. Yuri Alexandrovich studied at the best Moscow gymnasium - in the 9th. The boy was generously gifted - he drew very well, had artistic data besides brilliant appearance, he was given languages well - after graduating from high school he was fluent in French and English. At the same time, he clearly identified with the hobbies: they were drawing and drama circle.

Gossip and characteristics

Throughout his life, Yuri Zavadsky devoted himself unselfishly to literature, some argue that he fell in love with books as passionately as women, but remained more faithful to them. In general, it should be noted that there were a lot of legends and gossip about him, like none else, which only serves to confirm that he was a bright and popular personality. Never gossip about those who are not jealous. But there were also accurate characteristics, mainly they belonged to Faina Ranevskaya, who, as an equal talent and a man who sincerely respected him, a woman incredibly witty and wise, could afford even an evil review. She owns the phrase that Yuri Zavadsky was born in a raccoon coat. And indeed, he was a darling of fate. She also owns a response to his article "I am a Communist", published in one of the central newspapers. She put an equal sign between this statement of the genius director and herself, who went to the balcony, raised her arms to the sky and shouted "I am an astronaut." Knowing her sharp tongue and her attention to him, Yuri Alexandrovich often asked: "Well, what did Faina say about me?"

Hobbies of youth

Entering Moscow University in the faculty of jurisprudence, he, in principle, was engaged in very many, but not by her. During these years he made friends with Pavel Antokolsky, who is familiar with almost all prominent and interesting representatives of the art of Moscow. This Pavel Grigorievich introduced him to Marina Tsvetaeva and brought Vakhtangov to the studio, however, as an artist-designer. Both there and there the charming handsome did not go unnoticed - M. Tsvetaeva fell in love with him, and in the studio of Vakhtangov he later got his first role. Unable to a long hobby Zavadsky, the poet devoted a series of poems called "Komedyant". It belongs to her a sacramental phrase, which was then repeated by many abandoned women: "You are so forgetful, How many are unforgettable ... "

Irresistible handsome man

Yuri Zavadsky and Marina Tsvetaeva met in 1918. She could not help being carried away, and enthusiastically to self-oblivion, and then this feeling was flowing in verse. And here such beauty is charming, tall, elegant, she saw in it antiquity, and a gray strand in golden curls at such a young age drove crazy and less enthusiastic women. He was bald, he was also irresistible, and he perfectly used his gift to seduce and charm, and he kept elegance and the ability to dress until the last days - at the age of 70 he looked great in a denim suit, which Moscow had units. 14 beautiful poems about love, the world-famous poetess dedicated Yu Zavadsky, attaching his name to the Silver Age. Actually, in the studio of Eugene Vakhtangova her love for the theater was born, and under the impression of what was experienced in those walls she wrote a series of plays, which, according to some, were dedicated to Yu. Zavadsky.

He is also talented!

The first major role of the old man Antonia immediately made Yu Zavadsky a favorite of Moscow theater. M. Maeterlinck's play "The Miracle of Saint Anthony" in the second edition, made by Eugene Vakhtangov in conjunction with Yu. Zavadsky, in which the tragic overtone was clearly visible, was the beginning not only of acting but also of directing career. As an artist and director Zavadsky Yuri Alexandrovich tried himself in the play of P. Antokolsky "Betrothal in a dream." And then came the glory that bordered on worship. In 1933 he played Calaf in the "Princess Turandot" in the production of Eugene Vakhtangov. With his game, he convinced the skeptics of the unquestionable availability of actor's talent. And the popularity of the audience was such that the image of him in the role of Calaf appeared on matchboxes and candy wrappers.

Theater, and only theater

They had already made a choice between theater and painting, although he gave hope, and the artists invited the student of P. Kelin's school to take part in their exhibitions. In 1922, his beloved teacher Evgeny Vakhtangov died, and Yury Alexandrovich Zavadsky was elected a member of the artistic council by the creative team of the 3rd studio of the Moscow Art Academic Theater (Vakhtangov Studio). But the already recognized artist always attracted the director and pedagogical activity.

Beginning of directing activities

And in 1924 he put his first play on the "Marriage" by NV Gogol. He worked on it with such enthusiasm and dedication and was so pleased with the result that many years later, almost before his death, he called him his best production. But by that time he had been awarded for his performances with the highest awards of the Motherland. There were so many of them that he, obviously flirting, was afraid to wear them all at once because of the severity. His staging work is known to everyone who is somehow interested in the theater. And his acting roles of those times - Chatsky and Count Almaviva - entered the gold fund of the Soviet theater school. His roles have always been honed to trifles, they always had a subtle irony and a clear external drawing borrowed from Vakhtangov.

The ingenious teacher

In the year of his directorial debut, he opens his own studio, which became in 1927 a studio theater, which he directed until 1936. The names of his students are known to everyone - they are theater heroes VP Maretskaya and R. Ya. Plyatt, ND Mordvinov and PV Massalsky. Yu.A. (This his constant nickname) was his theater, but there was not a big stage, about which he dreamed. In 1932 he was offered to head the Theater of the Soviet Army, in which he worked until 1935, without leaving his studio. And in 1936 Yuri Alexandrovich, together with his theater, was sent to Rostov-on-Don to lead a newly built, modern, externally similar to a tractor, theater with such a huge stage and poor acoustics that it was very difficult to work in it. But Yuri Alexandrovich coped - here were delivered some beautiful and sensational performances. Maybe it was a creative link, but it saved him from the repressions that raged in Moscow. He was always a law-abiding citizen, but he never acted contrary to his conscience. In 1940 the theater returned to Moscow.

Theater, which became the second home

Yuri Zavadsky, whose biography from this year was inextricably linked with the Mossovet Theater, took the post of chief director and remained in this temple of art until the end of his days. His beloved disciples also came here with him. For performances on the stage of this theater, such as "Masquerade" and "Petersburg Dreams" for FM Dostoyevsky, he was awarded government awards. In addition to the received titles of Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist, Professor, he was a laureate of the Lenin and two Stalin Prizes. He was awarded four Orders of Lenin, two Red Banner and many medals.

The meaning of life is theater

Titled Zavadsky Yuri Alexandrovich, whose personal life was discussed continuously, women were loved incredibly. But his family life did not develop. Firstly, he was a workaholic, he loved the theater more than anything else, and secondly, he was not capable of long attachments, they were heavy on him. His faithful legendary housekeeper Vasena, known throughout the theatrical Moscow, described Zavadsky as "cool he is with us". From many friends he went himself, the first wife of Anisimov-Wulf could not stand the endless treason and left herself, although then for 40 years was his faithful assistant. True, officially they were not painted, as with V. Maretskaya and G. Ulanova. His first official marriage was short-lived - very soon departed from V. Maretskaya and his young son the inconstant Yuri Zavadsky. Wives, as a rule, did not take offense at him, and further with them they were associated with friendly and creative relations. His son also became a director and also worked in the theater of the Moscow City Council, but he could not get out of the shadow of the great parents. He died in 2006.

Information sources

A peculiar man and great actor, director and teacher was Yuri Zavadsky. A brief biography and his filmography are available in any directory about Soviet actors. Rather, there is a biography, and filmography - no, because the relationship with Yuri Alexandrovich did not work out. Two documentaries were screened for him: "Houses by Yu. A. Zavadsky" and "Yuri Zavadsky".

It is difficult for the present generation to imagine the scale of this person's personality. Once Yuri Alexandrovich wanted to take a taxi, and the car rushed past. Literally the whole country was indignant with this taxi driver. There are many articles called "Yuri Zavadsky, biography." Soviet actors, directors - all theatrical figures and, most importantly, the audience knew the real value of the performances of this ingenious person. He was a living legend and was at an unattainable level. It should be noted that Yu. A. Zavadsky never was afraid to support disgraced actors and directors. Persecuted Anatoly Efros found shelter in the theater of Yuri Zavadsky and brilliantly staged the play with R. Plyatt and F. Ranevskaya "Further - silence".

Guiding star

But everywhere, in any article about this great director, the name of his second wife is mentioned. Galina Ulanova and Yuri Zavadsky - the union of this star pair overshadowed the other hobbies of both of them. They say that N.N. Bersenev was the true love of G. Ulanova, but she did not terminate marriage with Y. Zavadsky until his death. And he really idolized her all his life, although together they lived not very long - in the evacuation in Kazakhstan. After the war, they already lived separately.