Difficult choice of profession
Leonid Nikolaevich was born on June 7, 1940 in the city of Kirensk, Irkutsk region. Later the family moved to Nizhny Novgorod.
Leni's mother died early, and he was raised for a long time by his father, a radio engineer, until his stepmother appeared in his life. But, according to Leonid’s recollections, she almost immediately became his mother, since the woman treated him like family and managed to cultivate the best qualities that the actor can be proud of.
Leonid Kulagin, theater and film actor
Although, as a teenager, Lenya for a long time did not dare to call her mother to his face. It was hard for him to do this, and only with age the young man realized how much good his father’s second wife had done for him.
His love for the stage manifested itself early, when his father began taking little Lenya with him to work. And he worked as an electrician on the staff of a drama theater. The boy could spend hours behind the scenes, absorbing this incredible atmosphere. He even had the chance to appear as an extra in the play “The Young Guard”.
Then his father quit, and Lenya could no longer appear in the theater so easily. Then Kulagin met a musician from the Opera House, this encouraged the young man to start attending the opera, to become seriously interested in music, and even to start learning opera parts.
The guy joined the choir and theater group at the Palace of Pioneers. Kulagin’s idol at that time was the great opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin.
At that time, the young man faced a serious choice: who should he become - an actor or a singer, what should he choose - stage or opera?
In the end, he decided that he would definitely not become the second Chaliapin. Leonid enters the Theater School-Studio named after. Gorky, after which he is accepted into the troupe.
Childhood and youth, family
Born a year before the start of the war in the Baikal region.
The biography of Leonid Kulagin begins in the Siberian city of Kirensk, which is located in the Irkutsk region. Until the age of 7, the boy enjoyed the beauty of the full-flowing Lena River, living on its bank. Then his father moved him to Nizhny Novgorod. Lenya lost his mother early. She died during the operation: the doctors made an irreparable mistake; he was still small then. From his mother, his son inherited a wonderful announcer’s voice (it was her job), and from his father, the ability to repair radio equipment. The father did not immediately marry a second time, but still another mother appeared in the boy’s life. His father's sister introduced him to her friend, whom the widower later married. His father’s second wife taught her stepson a lot: music, culture and taste.
Theater
In his native theater, Leonid Nikolaevich does not feel like a full-fledged actor, whom older colleagues would take seriously. He was tired of the mentoring and condescending attitude, as during his student years. Then the young actor decides to change his place of work, for which he first goes to Chita, and then to Lipetsk and Bryansk.
Leonid Kulagin in the play "Boris Godunov". Source: kino-teatr.ru
Kulagin is looking for a theater for himself, until, in the end, he chooses the capital's refuge for Melpomene. N.V. Gogol. Here Leonid Nikolaevich quickly becomes a leading actor and plays brilliantly on stage for 35 years.
Path to the profession
Kulagin’s love for theater did not appear out of nowhere. My father was hired as an electrician at the Gorky Drama Theater. He took the boy with him almost every day. Leonid not only watched performances, but also easily memorized the monologues of the main characters and even minor characters. When the time came to choose a profession, Kulagin applied to the local theater school to receive a specialized education. In 1960, the certified actor joined the Gorky Drama Theater.
A year and a half later, Kulagin was invited to the city of Chita. Then he played leading roles in theaters in Lipetsk and Bryansk. The actor's creative career was successful. In 1968, Leonid Nikolaevich became a member of the troupe of the Moscow Gogol Drama Theater. A year later, the actor played one of the main roles in Andrei Konchalovsky’s film “The Nest of Nobles.” Then the film “Privalov’s Millions” was released. Kulagin's fans count almost a hundred projects in which he took part.
List of sources
Unexpected changes
After such a long period of time, an already established venerable theater artist suddenly decides to change his fate and retrain as a stage director. And not on the stage, which has become his home, but in the remote province where he once began.
Kulagin returns to Bryansk, goes to the local Youth Theater and soon heads it, becoming artistic director. For seven years, Leonid Nikolaevich has staged about 20 successful performances. And only after fully realizing his directorial ambitions does the actor return to the capital.
Recognition and personal life
Leonid Kulagin is also known as a director. The television series “Kulagin and Partners” became a demonstration project. Leonid Nikolaevich’s work was appreciated and he was awarded the Order of Honor. Awarded the title "People's Artist of the RSFSR".
There were misfires in the actor’s personal life. We managed to start a family on the second try. Husband and wife belong to the same workshop. They have a son. And already an adult grandson. In recent years, Leonid Nikolaevich has been voicing works of classical and children's literature.
Movie
Even before his fateful decisions, which radically changed his creative destiny, Kulagin, then just a graduate of a theater university, had been trying to conquer cinema for quite some time.
Leonid Kulagin and Tamara Chernova in the film “The Noble Nest”, 1969
Of course, he did not sit idly by, trying to attract the attention of film directors to his talent and constantly being present at auditions.
One day the actor seemed to be lucky. The Mosfilm film studio approved him for the role of a commissar in the film almanac “The Beginning of an Unknown Century.” But the bosses didn’t like this idea, as well as the film as a whole, so Kulagin was unlucky to star in it.
But later, director A. Konchalovsky drew attention to the textured appearance of Leonid Nikolaevich, and approved him for the main role in his “Nest of Nobles”.
Leonid Kulagin and Lyudmila Chursina in the film “Privalov's Millions”, 1972
After the success of the debut film, offers to act fell on Kulagin one after another.
But nevertheless, it was the classic film adaptations with the participation of the actor that were most loved and remembered by the viewer. These are “Privalov’s Millions”, “The Collapse of Operation Terror”, “The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe”.
Movies
Immediately after graduating from the theater studio, the newly minted actor sent his photos to all allied film studios. But we had to wait a long time. The call came from the Mosfilm film studio, where he was approved for the role of Commissioner Parfenov in the film anthology “The Beginning of an Unknown Century.”
This work was supposed to be the starting point in Leonid Kulagin’s filmography, but the censorship committee did not allow the film to be released, seeing it as a mockery of the October Revolution. Therefore, viewers first saw the actor in the title role in the film adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s novel “The Nest of Nobles,” which was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Together with him, Irina Kupchenko and world cinema star Beata Tyshkevich starred in the film.
This success was followed by images in the films “About Friends and Comrades”, “Reckoning” and “Nomadic Front”. Kulagin also had the role of a fascist high-ranking officer in the war film “Comrade General.” But the next interest of movie fans in Kulagin was caused by the film adaptation of a Russian classic, this time the drama “Privalov’s Millions” based on the novel of the same name by Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak.
And in 1974, the first film in the history of the Soviet Union, which can be classified as an erotic genre, was released. We are talking about the melodrama “Autumn”, in which director Andrei Smirnov decided to recreate piquant and explicit scenes. Leonid's partner was Natalya Rudnaya, the director's wife.
Leonid Kulagin in the film “The Noble Nest”
And regardless of how these episodes are perceived by the audience, the actors themselves claim: the work was difficult, from a moral point of view, and they did not experience any aesthetic pleasure, much less mutual attraction, from participating in filming naked. Film bosses felt that some scenes were filmed “too frankly.” As a result, director Smirnov was excommunicated from work for a long time.
During the 80s, Leonid Kulagin's films were released one after another and immediately became hits on the Soviet screen. It is worth highlighting the historical adventure film “The Collapse of Operation Terror”, the film about horses “Strong”, the military drama “Fight at the Crossroads”, the spy film “Password – Hotel Regina”.
The film adaptation of Walter Scott’s book “The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe,” where Kulagin embodied the image of the protagonist’s father on the screen, was a great success. The film received public recognition thanks to the star cast and musical accompaniment: all the ballads for the film story were composed and performed by Vladimir Vysotsky.
In the early 90s, Kulagin appeared as the father of the main character in the film for youth “Tema’s Childhood”, as an investigator for particularly important cases in the crime action film “Ay! Train Robbery" and in a dozen other films, the last of which, the World War II drama "Tragedy of the Century", was filmed in 1993.
Leonid Kulagin and Jean Marais look alike / Facebook, Facebook
Until the 21st century, Leonid Nikolaevich refuses offers. Only in 2001 did he begin acting again. Kulagin’s films are being released, such as the crime drama “Gold of Ugra”, the detective story “Parisian Antiquary” and the second part of the action film “Hunting Season”.
But the actor’s main project is the investigative series “Kulagin and Partners.” It is noteworthy that at the casting for the main role of a lawyer, real representatives of this profession also auditioned, but the management preferred Leonid Nikolaevich to them, since he had not acted in film for many years, and the viewer might get the impression that the artist had actually changed his field of activity.
And precisely for this reason, the character was renamed in the script, giving him the real name of the performer. They say this is the only time in history when a series that has not left the screens for a decade is named after an actor. Over 3000 episodes were filmed.
At the same time, Kulagin worked on the set of the detective stories “Golden Boys” and “My General,” the action adventure film “Wolfhound of the Gray Dogs,” the comedy “Bankrupt,” the melodrama “Apples of Paradise” and many other film projects. In the early 2000s, the artist tried his hand at voice acting for video games. He gave his voice to the hero of the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series. Leonid Nikolaevich acted as an announcer in the Trine game.
Leonid Kulagin in the series “Apples of Paradise”
In 2021, the actor participated in the series “Mysterious Passion”, where he played the writer Vasily Aksenov. In addition, Kulagin was invited to the Turkish-produced melodrama “Russian Game”. In addition to him, Russian actress Anastasia Klyueva and Turkish star Firat Tanish are involved.
In 2021, the premiere of the film “Ekaterina. Takeoff" - a continuation of the fate of the great Empress Catherine II, begun in the film "Catherine". Leonid Kulagin played Archbishop Gabriel.
Kulagin the director is also worthy of attention. Back in 1993, Leonid Nikolaevich wrote his own script for the crime film “She-Wolf” and directed a film about an escape from a French concentration camp during World War II. Ten years later, the director takes up work again and creates the series “Burovaya” about young people who go to work in Siberia and are faced with a moral choice. In his films, Kulagin shot Andrei Ilyin, Anna Samokhina, Yegor Barinov, Anton Makarsky and other Russian stars.
In 2003, Leonid Nikolaevich was awarded the Order of Honor for many years of fruitful activity in the field of culture and art.
Leonid Kulagin in the series “Ekaterina. Takeoff"
Leonid Kulagin in 2014–2015 participated in the filming of the series “Good Sasha, Evil Sasha.” Filming took place in Crimea, Balaklava and Sevastopol.
In May 2021, the actor gave an interview to Tatyana Ustinova in her author’s program “My Hero”. He said that he is no longer invited to the cinema. But now he voices audiobooks. His first book was Ivan Shmelev’s 800-page work “Heavenly Paths.” Leonid Nikolaevich admits that while reading it he could hardly hold back his tears.
Afterwards, dubbing literary works became a regular job for Leonid Nikolaevich. His list includes a huge amount of classical literature - “Crime and Punishment”, “Running on the Waves”, “Dead Souls”, “Indian Summer”, the epic “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” and others. Also, with no less enthusiasm, the artist takes on the dubbing of books for children - he “gave” his voice to the story of Dunno and one of the parts of Harry Potter.
Leonid Kulagin had a joint project with Radio Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, in which he read the history of the Christian church and the New Testament.
In April 2021, the People's Artist of Russia participated in the concert “Mozart. Requiem. Pushkin. Mozart and Salieri”, which took place in the Cathedral of Peter and Paul. He recited Salieri's monologue.
Acting failures
The actor’s creative work also included controversial works, sometimes misinterpreted and coldly received by critics. For the film “Autumn,” which contained scenes of an explicit nature, both the actor and the director of the film, A. Smirnov, were then condemned by many. The film was not understood and not accepted.
Leonid Kulagin and Natalya Rudnaya in the film “Autumn”, 1974
It was also difficult for viewers to accept that the actor’s positive image had previously been changed in favor of the role of a fascist in the film “Comrade General.”
Childhood
As Kulagin himself told about himself, he was born in a small town on the banks of the Lena. The sensations experienced in childhood, when the boy realized that he was an invisible particle in the Universe, clearly emerged in his memory. He has carried this feeling with him ever since. In general, the actor does not like noisy companies or crowds; he is a fan of silence and loneliness, which does not fit in with his profession.
When asked how he became an actor, Leonid Kulagin answers that it happened against his will, just like everything else in his life. He just humbled himself and accepted fate as it was.
The actor remembers the first New Year without war. He was five years old. Exactly at midnight everyone left the feast, ran out into the street and began to salute with all types of weapons. Even little Lena was given a shot from a rocket launcher.
Leonid remembers how they decided to return to their father’s homeland in Nizhny Novgorod, then Gorky. The whole family gathered, and Lenya was asked to sing; the boy climbed onto the stool and fulfilled the adults' wish. Deep down, he considered himself talented, but suddenly one of the guests condescendingly said: “The boy has a rather pleasant voice.” For little Leni, this was a terrible blow to his pride, because he was expecting applause and admiration. After this incident, the actor admitted that he does not like shows in any form.
Bright works
It was the heroic and brave heroes performed by Kulagin that his fans loved so much. Therefore, the most successful roles can be considered in the films “Ay! Train Robbery", "Hunting Season", "Parisian Antique Dealer", "Password - Hotel Regina", "Black Arrow".
Leonid Kulagin in the film “The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe”, 1982
After a break in cinema dedicated to Kulagin's directorial ambitions in the theater, the actor returns to cinema again, successfully fitting into the new serial era. “Gold of Ugra”, “Ashes of the Phoenix”, “Kulagin and Partners” - these are some of the most significant works.
Leonid Kulagin with colleagues in the TV series “Kulagin and Partners”, 2004
Later he played several historical figures in films such as “Mysterious Passion” and “Catherine. Takeoff".
Leonid Kulagin now
In 2021, the series “Mysterious Passion” based on the novel by Vasily Aksenov was released on television screens. In this film adaptation, Leonid Nikolaevich played the author himself at an advanced age. The “young” version of Vaxon, which is exactly how the creators of the series veiled Aksenov’s name, was played by Alexey Morozov. According to the idea of producer Denis Evstigneev, Kulagin was supposed to comment on some episodes only in the first episode, but his presence enriched the series so much that the actor was involved in almost every episode.
Today Leonid Kulagin still serves art
The actor always loved meeting his little viewers, for example, in the fall of 2021 he staged the fairy tale “Cinderella” in the kindergarten of the Molzhaninovsky district of Moscow.
In the summer of 2021, an exhibition of Aivazovsky’s works was opened in Moscow at the Tretyakov Gallery.
In the advertising video dedicated to the exhibition, a poem by Tyutchev was heard, which Leonid Nikolaevich Kulagin soulfully read in his unusually beautiful voice. Leonid Kulagin reads a poem by Tyutchev
Personal life
The actor was married twice. He met his first wife, Mila Nilskaya, in Nizhny Novgorod. The young actress came on tour with the Chita Theater. Having fallen in love with a talented beauty, Leonid Nikolaevich went to Chita just for her, as he said “to the ends of the world.” But this creative union did not last long. The reason for this is Mila's betrayal with a theater figure.
Kulagin also met his second wife, Eleonora Lapitskaya, at work, already in Lipetsk. Ironically, this actress played the same role as Nilskaya then.
Leonid Nikolaevich had a strong marriage with Eleanor, in which a son, Alexey, was born. Now the man works in the advertising business. The couple also has a grandson, Kirill.
Leonid Kulagin with his wife Eleanor. Source: stuki-druki.com
Kulagin idolizes his wife, because she got a lot from her hectic life with him. The actor had a hard time breaking up with his first wife and started drinking. And even in his marriage to Eleanor, it was difficult for him to quit the bad habit.
But the woman did not leave him, she devoted her entire life to her beloved husband, leaving a successful theater career. Together they managed to overcome the artist’s craving for alcohol.
Moscow
Fate again takes away, only now the Kulagins and their son Alyosha, against their will, to Moscow. In Bryansk, Elya was a prima donna, and in Moscow she was unlucky with her acting profession, but Leonid was offered a job at the Gogol Drama Theater.
And then suddenly an invitation comes to play in Andron Konchalovsky-Mikhalkov’s film “The Nest of Nobles.” Together with him, Irina Kupchenko and world cinema star Beata Tyshkevich starred in the film.
Having learned who his partner would be, Kulagin was frightened, but Beata Tyshkevich amazed him with her simplicity, and this not only did not ground her, but elevated her to unattainable heights.
Until now, the artist is in awe when he sees real talent. He still remembers how, at Kirill Lavrov’s housewarming party, he met with such actors as Efim Kopelyan, Evgeny Lebedev, Sergei Yursky, Vsevolod Kuznetsov.
Leonid Kulagin has experienced a lot in his life. The artist’s biography is interesting for its versatility and dissimilarity from the fates of other artists. Usually people try to advance in the capital, but after playing in a play based on Arthur Miller’s play “After the Fall,” the actor unexpectedly leaves the theater, citing the fact that after this play he cannot play in others. The theme of confession in the production is striking.
