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Alexander Demyanenko was from Sverdlovsk. He was born on May 30, 1937. Since childhood, he was fond of theater, studying in a drama club. After school, naturally, I tried to get into drama school. Fortunately, just the admissions committee of the Moscow Art
arrived in Sverdlovsk. But Alexander could not pass the selection that time.
Then the young man entered the Sverdlovsk Law Institute. But he did not become a lawyer. A year later, Demyanenko again decided to fulfill his dream. This time he went to the capital.
In Moscow, he managed to pass exams at 2 educational institutions at once - at GITIS
and
Shchukinskoe
. Demyanenko chose to study at GITIS.
“Operation “Y” and other adventures of Shurik” 1965
Biography of Alexander Demyanenko
Alexander Demyanenko is a popular Soviet actor, the legendary Shurik from Gaidaev’s comedies, whom the whole country knew and loved. This role, which made him famous overnight, became a real curse for him. Until his last days, Demyanenko remained the hapless and funny student Shurik, although he had a huge baggage behind him from other roles.
In the photo: Alexander Demyanenko
But he regretted even more the unplayed ones who went beyond the image that was firmly attached to him. Demyanenko never managed to realize himself as a deeply versatile actor, which became a huge life tragedy for Alexander Sergeevich.
Childhood and family
Alexander was born in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in the family of GITIS graduate Sergei Petrovich Demyanenko and accountant Galina Vasilievna Belkova.
Alexander Demyanenko in childhood with his mother
My father was a creative and energetic person; after graduating from college, he worked for several years in the Moscow theatrical propaganda group “Blue Blouse”, and in the late 20s he moved to Sverdlovsk. Here he got a job in the troupe of the local opera theater, taught academic vocals and acting at the conservatory, and organized cultural events. Demyanenko Sr. can be seen in Gleb Panfilov’s film “The Beginning.” In the story, he got the role of a presenter who, before the premiere of the film about Joan of Arc, comes out to the audience and introduces the film crew.
Sergei Petrovich enjoyed great success with women, and they reciprocated his feelings. But he was a useless family man - as soon as little Sasha was six months old, Demyanenko Sr. left for another woman, with whom he started a new family. The second marriage produced a son, Vladimir (a famous pianist, headed the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic, worked for thirty years in Yuri Bashmet’s team) and a daughter, Nadezhda.
But Sergei Petrovich did not stay long in this family either - a few years later he returned to his first wife and tried to restore his old relationship. Soon Sasha had two sisters - Natalya and Tatyana. All five of Sergei Petrovich’s children became close friends and communicated closely throughout their lives. And their flighty father again flew off to another woman with whom he lived until the end of his days.
Alexander Demyanenko with his sisters
Sasha's character took after his mother - a taciturn, shy woman who tried not to attract too much attention to herself. And perhaps he would never have become an actor if his father had not infected him with a love of theater. As a child, the boy often went backstage, attended performances, and even once went on stage himself. In the opera Tosca he played a youth who accompanied the cardinal and rang the bell. True, the young artist was so excited that he did not even notice when the scene ended and continued to desperately call for the amusement of the amused audience.
Alexander Demyanenko in his school years
Sergei Petrovich often involved his son in cultural events that he organized for the city. Alexander mastered playing the piano at a music school, and in high school he enrolled in a drama club and began preparing to enter the theater institute. In 1954, in search of young talents, representatives of the famous Moscow Art Theater came to Sverdlovsk and organized auditions for graduates of Ural schools. Demyanenko also took part in the interview, but was very nervous and did not qualify for the competition.
Because of this unsuccessful attempt, the young man decided that the acting profession was not for him and entered the Sverdlovsk Law Institute. But after studying for six months, he became desperately bored and, in company with his friends from the drama club, set off to conquer the capital.
Alexander Demyanenko in his youth
Alexander tried to enroll in several Moscow theater universities at once, and to his considerable surprise, he successfully passed the exams in two of them at once - the Shchepkinsky School and GITIS. Demyanenko chose GITIS, where his father once studied, and was enrolled in the course of People's Artist of the USSR Joseph Raevsky.
First roles
Demyanenko studied well, but often played truant and went to Sverdlovsk, where his beloved girlfriend Marina remained.
A year later, she graduated from school and entered the theater studies department of the Leningrad Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography. The distance between the lovers was significantly reduced, but they still lived in two cities and were forced to miss classes. Joseph Raevsky usually severely punished students for such things, but he made concessions for Demyanenko, his favorite student. In 1959, Alexander graduated from GITIS and got a job at the Mayakovsky Theater. But three years later he made his final choice in favor of cinema, where his career was more successful than on the theatrical stage.
Demyaneko began acting in his second year at GITIS - his screen debut was the role of high school student Mitya in the military drama “The Wind” by Alov and Naumov (1958). Alexander coped with the task perfectly, because he had to play practically himself - a shy, intelligent young man who became a victim of the Civil War.
Alexander Demyanenko's first film role
In 1961, Alexander again starred with Alov and Naumov in the film “Peace to the Enterer.” He reincarnated as junior lieutenant Ivlev, who was assigned to accompany a pregnant German woman to the hospital, discovered by Soviet soldiers under the ruins of destroyed Berlin. Unlike their first joint film, in this film Demyanenko’s character was in the very center of events. From an inexperienced, self-confident youth, by the end he turned into a brave, noble man, capable of selfless acts.
Still from the film “Peace to the Enterer”
Dima Gorin was the same, another on-screen hero of Demyanenko. A metropolitan accountant-intellectual, caught in the difficult conditions of a taiga construction site, discovers a completely different world in which, despite harsh morals, there is a place for true love, friendship and mutual assistance. On the set of the film “The Career of Dima Gorin” (1962), Alexander met Vladimir Vysotsky, who, according to the plot, was even forced to stuff his face.
Alexander Demyanenko as Dima Gorin
In 1962, Demyanenko left the Mayakovsky Theater and moved from Moscow to Leningrad, where the Lenfilm film studio promised him an apartment. For him, the housing issue was very acute - he had recently gotten married and was forced to huddle with his young wife in rented corners. Studio director Kiselev kept his word - after filming the film “Empty Flight” (1962), the actor was given an apartment, and the young provincial received a Leningrad residence permit.
On the set of the film "Empty Flight"
Brief biography of Angelika Nevolina
The talented actress Anzhelika Nevolina was born on April 2, 1962. Leningrad became her hometown. After finishing school, the girl became a student at LGITMiK, which she successfully graduated from in 1983. After that, she worked at the Comedy Theater for four years. And already in 1987 he moved to the Maly Drama Theater.
But not only did Angelica Nevolina play on the theater stage, she is also in demand in films, where she played more than forty roles. Among the films in which she starred are the film “Heart of a Dog”, and “Streets of Broken Lanterns”, and “Cargo 200” and others.
The talented and successful actress Anzhelika Sergeevna Nevolina successfully married actor Alexei Zubarev. They also live in complete harmony, harmony and love, but, focusing on their cinematic career, devoting their lives to the profession, they decided not to have children. The life that the spouses have created for themselves suits them quite well.
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Shurik from Gaidai's films
The actor did not appear in Moscow for several years, so when the first auditions for the main role in Leonid Gaidai’s new film began, at first they didn’t even remember about him. But Gaidai could not find the right type, although he went through a huge number of actors, among whom were Vitaly Solomin, Sergei Nikonenko, Evgeniy Zharikov, Vladimir Korenev, Valery Nosik, Vsevolod Abdulov, Alexander Zbruev, Andrei Mironov and even Evgeniy Petrosyan.
Alexander Demyanenko in “Operation Y”
The director wanted to make the main character like himself, and when he saw Demyanenko in the film “Dima Gorin’s Career”, he personally went to see him in Leningrad. Having read the script for the future comedy with the working title “Frivolous Stories,” Demyanenko gave his consent to filming, not yet understanding how this role would change his whole life.
For the role of Shurik, Demyanenko was dyed blond
Gaidai was happy that he had finally found a suitable actor and immediately began filming. To achieve an even greater resemblance, he dyed Alexander blond and even gave him his huge horn-rimmed glasses. According to the script, the hero’s name was first Vladik, but to avoid any unnecessary associations (Vladlen - Vladimir Lenin), he was renamed Shurik. Over time, the name of the film changed, and in 1965 the comedy “Operation Y and Shurik’s Other Adventures” was released.
Leonid Gaidai and Alexander Demyanenko
The success was phenomenal - the film became a box office leader, and was watched by 70 million people in a year. The leading actors experienced unprecedented popularity, and the film was dismantled into quotes and catchphrases that became folklore. Demyanenko was addressed exclusively as Shurik, everyone wanted to have a drink with him and pat him on the shoulder in a familiar manner. For a withdrawn and uncommunicative actor, the manifestation of people's love caused the deepest stress. He tried not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary, hid his face behind huge sunglasses and avoided public events.
Still from the film “Grown Up Children” (1966)
Inspired by the unprecedented success, Gaidai immediately began filming the sequel. In 1967, “Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik’s New Adventures” was released, another film masterpiece that added to the gold collection of the State Film Fund. The film went down in the history of Soviet cinema as the highest-grossing film - it was watched by 76 million viewers. As in the case of “Operation Y,” the film with Natalya Varleya was dismantled into quotes, and its characters became popular favorites.
Alexander Demyanenko and Natalya Varley
But for Demyanenko, this fantastic success unexpectedly became the collapse of his future career. The actor was no longer invited to other projects - the directors were simply afraid that the audience would continue to associate him with Shurik. Alexander Sergeevich was offered only episodes, but he dreamed of a serious role that would make viewers look at him with different eyes. And in 1969, such an opportunity presented itself - Demyanenko played the clerk Ilya Sokhatykh in the epic film “The Gloomy River”. He was very pleased with his work, but no more such deep dramatic roles happened in his creative biography. Alexander Demyanenko as Ilya Sokhatykh (“Gloomy River”) In 1973, Gaidai decided to make a comedy based on Bulgakov’s play “Ivan Vasilyevich.” While working on the script, the idea was born to use the image of Shurik again, making the inventor Alexander Sergeevich Timofeev out of the funny and ridiculous student. Demyanenko accepted this offer without much enthusiasm, but there was no choice - it was better than sitting without work. Gaidai saw what was happening to the actor, and to some extent felt guilty in the current situation. He decided that “Ivan Vasilyevich” would put a final point in the protracted epic with Shurik and become its logical conclusion.
On the set of the film “Ivan Vasilyevich changes his profession”
The film has traditionally become a box office leader - over the year it was watched by more than 60 million viewers. This was Demyanenko’s last triumphant appearance on the big screen - since then he appeared only in minor roles and in episodes, although he starred quite a lot.
Filmography: films starring Alexander Demyanenkov
Starting from this moment, the actor’s filmography includes 92 full-length films. Including his most famous works “Caucasian Captive” and “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession”. On the set, the actor worked with the constant trio of comedy actors Yuri Nikulin, Georgy Vitsin and Evgeny Morgunov. And also with such legendary Soviet actors as Yuri Yakovlev, Leonid Kuravlev, Mikhail Pugovkin, Natalya Krachkovskaya and others.
Even playing in a small episode, Alexander Demyanenko could endow his hero with characteristic features and a special charm. As, for example, in the film “The Bat,” where the actor appears at the end of the film in the role of a lawyer.
The actor lived all his life in Leningrad. He was often invited to Moscow, to the capital's theaters, but Alexander loved the city on the Neva, and never betrayed him. The biography and personal life of Alexander Demyanenko is reflected in many television programs and documentaries; he remains in the hearts of people today.
Life after Shurik
In 1983, the actor appeared in the adventure comedy “The Green Van,” where he played the touching intellectual Shestakov, who accepted the ideals of the revolution and joined the people’s militia. The actor was accompanied by Borislav Brondukov and Dmitry Kharatyan, for whom Volodya Patrikeev became the first leading role. Initially, Vladimir Vysotsky was supposed to direct the film, but the bard’s premature death prevented these plans from being realized.
Alexander Demyanenko in the film “Green Van”
The role of Shestakov was able to bring Alexander out of depression for some time, but the “stigma” of Shurik still hung over him like a heavy burden. And Demyanenko, who was not particularly sociable before, became antisocial and reclusive, and tried to drown out his mental torment with alcohol.
His work on television saved him from complete despair - the actor was an unsurpassed master of dubbing, which gave him the opportunity to stay afloat in the turbulent 90s. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, a huge flow of foreign film products poured into the country. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Omar Sheriff, Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, Steve Buscemi and other famous actors spoke in the voice of Alexander Sergeevich.
Alexander Demyanenko. I'm not Shurik! Demyanenko also lent his voice to domestic films - for many years, viewers admired the velvety timbre of Donatas Banionis, Juozas Budraitis and other Baltic actors, without even realizing that Demyanenko was speaking for them.
In the late 80s, he, who regretted that he had once left the theater for cinema, returned to the theater stage again - director Yuri Aksenov staged the play “Weekend with Murder” at the Comedy Theater and invited the actor to play the role of detective Jude Wesson. Alexander Sergeevich was also involved in the productions of “Biography” (Registrar), “The Alchemists” (Lavuit), “All About Eve” (Lloyd Roberts) and “Romulus the Great” (German leader Odoacter).
In the late 80s Demyanenko returned to the theater
In 1995, a new artistic director, Tatyana Kazakova, came to the theater, deciding to “rejuvenate” the theater troupe, and mercilessly showed the door to Alexander Demyanenko, Igor Dmitriev, Pyotr Velyaminov and other actors of retirement age.
For Demyanenko this was another blow - he could not come to his senses for a year until Yuri Tomashevsky invited him to his “Theater of Comedians”. There he became a partner with Zinaida Sharko in the play “Vladimir Square”, and shortly before his death he was invited to the role of King Creon in “Antigone” by Anouilh.
Famous daughter of a famous actor
As life experience has already proven, not all children try to continue the dynasty of their parents in the profession, trying to find their own special path in life. But the daughter of the famous and popular actor Alexander Demyanenko, whom viewers remember and love more as the funny Shurik, on the contrary, decided to continue the work of her great father.
It is known that Angelica currently already has the title of Honored Artist and millions of fans. Her life was successful and happy, because there were always people next to her who not only loved her, but also whom she could trust and believe.
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Personal life of Alexander Demyanenko
The actor’s first wife was his fellow countrywoman Marina Sklyarova, whom he met in the Sverdlovsk drama club. After school, the girl moved to Leningrad and graduated from the Faculty of Theater Studies at LGITMiK. Marina and Alexander got married in 1961 and lived together for sixteen years. They did not have children - Sklyarova had several abortions, which she regretted for the rest of her life.
Alexander Demyanenko and Marina Sklyarova
Demyanenko met his second wife, dubbing director Lyudmila Akimovna, at a film dubbing studio. They turned out to have a lot in common, and Alexander Sergeevich was drawn to this calm, wise woman, the direct opposite of his energetic and powerful Marina. One fine day he packed his things and, without going into long explanations, left home.
Second wife of Alexander Demyanenko - Lyudmila
Sklyarova experienced this breakup for a long time and never remarried, still hoping that her Sasha would come to her senses and return. In recent years, the woman worked in an Orthodox magazine and spent a lot of time in church, atonement for the sins of her youth. In 2015, Boris Korchevnikov, in his author’s program “Live Broadcast,” showed how the first wife of the legendary Shurik lives, whose most precious possessions were only memories and the crow Grisha, whom she picked up on the street.
Demyanenko lived with his second wife for 23 years. He raised her daughter Anzhelika Nevolina, who also became an actress. Lyudmila Akimovna had the wisdom and patience to steadfastly endure periods of depression and binges that were characteristic of her husband.
Actress Anzhelika Nevolina is the adopted daughter of Alexander Demyanenko
At such moments, Demyanenko usually went to his dacha in the village of Sosnovo, where no one bothered him to be in complete isolation. The only one he was always happy with was the cat Seraphim, whom the actor did not let go of his hands while at home. Lyudmila Akimovna outlived her famous husband by six years and rests next to him at the Serafimovskoye cemetery.
Biography and personal life of Alexander Demyanenko
Alexander grew up in a family where the boy’s father worked in the theater, so he spent all his early years behind the scenes. He was fascinated by this atmosphere, and he grew up as a creative child. Sasha took part in various circles where he could show his talent, studied, in addition to regular school, in music school and dreamed of acting.
When the time came to choose where to enroll, he without hesitation went to the Moscow Art Theater exams, but failed. Therefore, his choice fell on the Institute of Law, where he did not even graduate, and literally a year later he tried his luck in enrolling, but at GITIS. As a student, he was invited to films where his character was unlike anyone else and therefore interesting. His entire subsequent life was devoted to his professional career and the two women to whom he dedicated his destiny.
The biography and personal life of Alexander Demyanenko was interesting and eventful. When the actor worked in the theater, he fell in love with a beautiful woman named Marina, he courted her and proposed to marry him. The couple got married and lived together for sixteen years.
But the love passed when he met another woman, Lyudmila, they worked together on scoring the film and unexpectedly became close. Demyanenko thought for a long time about his choice, but still left his wife, marrying his beloved. They lived together until the actor’s death. Lately he has often complained about his heart. He was offered surgical treatment and even set a date. But he didn’t live literally a week. He passed away in 1999, and a few years later his wife, Lyudmila Demyanenko, died.
Last years of life and death
In parallel with his role in the play “Antigone,” Demyanenko played Valerian Makarovich, the father of the main character in the first domestic television sitcom “Strawberry Cafe.” This project became for him and other honored actors (Galina Polskikh, Maria Aronova, Natalya Krachkovskaya, Alexey Buldakov, etc.) almost the only opportunity to stay afloat after the collapse of the Soviet Union. True, I had to travel from Moscow to St. Petersburg almost every day, live in hotels and forget about proper rest. During breaks between filming, Alexander Sergeevich tried to lie down in the dressing room, and in the “Comedians’ Shelter” he had a special sofa, which was called “Uncle Sasha’s Sofa.”
Alexander Demyanenko in the last years of his life
It is not surprising that the health of the middle-aged actor could not withstand such a load and began to suffer serious problems. My already weak vision worsened significantly. To prevent retinal detachment, Alexander Sergeevich had surgery. Nowadays, such an intervention would hardly result in complications, but at that time it had to be carried out under general anesthesia, which caused complications on the heart. After this, Demyanenko had two heart attacks one after another. Alexander Demyanenko. Worn-out heart In 1999, he underwent a full cardiac examination, and doctors were horrified to see the worn-out state of his heart. The actor was admitted to the clinic and began to prepare for coronary angiography, without which he had practically no chance. Unfortunately, this happened in the summer, when most doctors were on vacation. It was not possible to carry out the emergency operation. Demyanenko did not live to see the appointed date for several days and died on August 22, 1999 from pulmonary edema caused by coronary disease.
The grave of Alexander Demyanenko
Alexander Sergeevich rests at the Serafimovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg, not far from the alley where the submariners from the sunken nuclear-powered ship "Kursk" found their last refuge. A black granite cross with a simple inscription “Actor” was installed on his grave; his second wife Lyudmila Akimovna Demyanenko was buried nearby.
