Oleg Yankovsky passed away at the age of 65, leaving behind a huge number of acting works in films. Fans of the actor’s work also remember his roles in the theater, which was his second home. Being a professional in his field, Oleg Ivanovich had a special gift of transformation; his appearance, magnetism and charm played no less a role in creating the image of his hero.
Many directors noted his abilities, thanks to which the actor could successfully play a tsar, a homeless person, a Komsomol member and even a fascist officer. He liked to play bright characters, endowed with charisma and inner core, but he often refused mediocre and ordinary heroes.
Many interesting and striking events took place in the biography of the idol of millions; Being a creative person, he visited many cities and countries, and also worked in companies with famous people. Getting Yankovsky to film was often not easy; he knew his worth and always accurately chose the script for a new project.
The artist paid special attention to his personal life; he valued his family and was grateful to his relatives for his successes. Oleg Ivanovich was a prominent man and was always surrounded by fans, but he never left his family, living with his wife in love and harmony until his last hour.
Family favorite
The future actor was born in 1944 in Dzhezkazgan, Kazakh SSR. His older brothers, Rostislav and Nikolai, were already growing up in the family at that time. His parents ended up in this city by force of circumstances; father, Jan Yankovsky, was repressed to Kazakhstan in the 1930s. He was persecuted for his past: back in tsarist times, the man served in the Semyonovsky regiment. The father came from Polish nobles and was born in Warsaw. Later they began to call him Ivan, thanks to which his sons were recorded as Ivanovich in their passports. His mother, Marina Ivanovna, a Russian by nationality, was engaged in accounting work, and his father worked on the construction of a copper smelter. When Oleg was 9 years old, his father died, and his mother had to raise three children alone.
His parents were always interested in theatrical productions and loved listening to music; it is not surprising that their sons were also drawn to art. Soon the family moved to Saratov, where the brothers of the future artist became interested in acting. Soon they enrolled in a drama club, learning there the first basics of the creative profession. Having received an acting education, the older brother played on the stage of a local theater, and then left to build a career in Minsk. To help his mother, Rostislav took Oleg with him, who continued his studies at school there.
The young man at that time was a passionate football player, which caused his performance at school to suffer. However, his interests soon changed, and he began to disappear behind the scenes of the theater where his brother worked. Once he had to play in one play, because the actress playing the boy fell ill. He managed to make an impression and soon received a prominent role in the production of “The Boundless Dare.”
But then Oleg did not take this profession seriously; After graduating from school, he went to his mother and brother, intending to get an education there as a dental technician. Since the exams had already begun there, the young man had to go to the Slonov Theater School, but enrollment there had already ended. Having learned his last name, the admissions committee said that he had been accepted. The young man was surprised and shared this event with his brother. Nikolai immediately admitted that it was he who took the exams, but immediately, without regret, he gave up this place to Oleg.
Oleg Yankovsky's older brother, who helped him become an actor, has died
Oleg Yankovsky with his brother Nikolai (right), Saratov, 2006. Photo: VAKATOV Nikolay
Nikolai Ivanovich passed away on the night of May 25. He spent almost two weeks in a coma in hospital after a stroke. He was 73 years old.
He did not have such a bright path in art as his relative, famous throughout the country. But the intelligentsia of Saratov knew Nikolai Ivanovich well. In recent years, he worked at the Saratov Teremok Puppet Theater as deputy director.
As the Yankovsky family legend says, it was Nikolai who helped his younger brother enter the theater school. After school, the future famous actor Lenkom was going to go to medical school. But it was Nikolai who dreamed of becoming an artist. He successfully passed the exams at the theater school. And then Oleg realized that he saw the recruitment announcement too late, and when he ran to apply, the recruitment ended. But he did not despair and went to the director, saying, give me a chance. The director looked at the lists of those enrolled and was amazed to see the name Yankovsky in them. “So it’s me!” - Oleg was not at a loss. The teachers decided that it was so: they mixed up the applicant’s name - instead of Oleg they wrote Nikolai.
Only years later, the modest Nikolai Ivanovich admitted that he did it, but seeing how his beloved younger brother was fired up with the idea of becoming an actor, he gave up his place to him. Moreover, the Yankovsky family lived poorly. Nikolai decided to go to the factory, earn money and feed his family. He did not reveal the secret of enrollment.
When Oleg Yankovsky died 6 years ago, Nikolai took his loss very hard.
“He always remained a younger brother for me, and when he became honored, then became popular, my attitude towards him was similar to the feeling of a father towards his son,” he recalled. — Some kind of anxiety did not go away. Oleg drove the car very beautifully, with one hand, with such ease that it seemed that the car itself loved him, but inside I was always afraid for him. He sat next to him, silent and afraid. Responsibility for my youngest has stuck with me for the rest of my life. Friends often asked me: “How are you communicating with Oleg?” Such stupid questions. I missed him constantly. I don’t know how to express this in words. This is some kind of limitless craving. Lifelong now...
PS Nikolai was really Oleg Yankovsky’s older brother. But in their parents’ family he was the middle son. Another brother lives in Minsk - Rostislav Yankovsky, who is already 85 years old. He is 12 years older than Nikolai.
Acting works
After completing training, Yankovsky joined the troupe of the Saratov Drama Theater, where he served for eight years. Simultaneously with his work in the theater, his film career began to develop. The actor first appeared on screen in 1968, playing in the film “The Shield and the Sword.” He received an invitation to film this project by chance when he came to Lviv with a performance. Following this work, Oleg Ivanovich was offered to play a Red Army soldier in the drama “Two Comrades Served.” Throughout the entire film, his character spoke little, but his silence was so expressive that it captivated audiences and critics, who recognized the talent of the aspiring actor.
The photo shows Oleg Yankovsky in his youth. Still from the film “Two Comrades Served,” 1968
At that time, he did not yet strive to conquer Moscow and continued to play in the provincial theater. He was also offered film roles, thanks to which his filmography was replenished with new roles. Word of Yankovsky's talent also reached Mark Zakharov, who personally came to Saratov and watched him play on stage. Only in 1973 did the actor move to the capital and get a job at Lenkom, immediately starting the role of Goryaev in the play “Autograd XXI”. Over the years of his career, he quickly gained the status of a leading actor, creating many colorful characters on the theater stage, such as:
- Captain Bering from "An Optimistic Tragedy";
- general from "The Barbarian and the Heretic";
- a physical education teacher from the “School for Emigrants”;
- Zhevakin from “Marriage” and others.
Things were no worse in the cinema; he starred in many films that received recognition from many viewers:
- "Star of Captivating Happiness";
- "My Sweet and Tender Beast";
- "Sweet woman";
- “In love by choice”;
- “Keep me safe, my talisman” and others.
“Come See Me” 2000
Oleg Ivanovich worked not only for Russian directors, but also collaborated with foreign filmmakers. His activities also include directorial work; in 2000, the actor shot the film “Come See Me,” which he created with Mikhail Agranovich. In this film he also played the role of the main character. This story was filmed in the era of gangster films, and was against their background as a story about kind and warm relationships between people.
Meeting with Mark Zakharov
Thus, the actor received his first fame. Accordingly, his position in the theater also changed. Directors invited him to interesting roles. Thus, he brilliantly coped with diverse characters in such performances as “Talents and Admirers”, “An Outsider”, “A Glass of Water”. But, according to critics, the most outstanding role was the role of Prince Myshkin in The Idiot.
And in 1972, Yankovsky again had to work on the set. He starred in the film "Racers". And his partner was the magnificent Evgeniy Leonov. It was he who convinced the head of the Lenkom Theater, Mark Zakharov, to go to Saratov to watch Yankovsky’s performance in the production of “The Idiot.” And so it happened. Zakharov immediately invited the artist to his troupe, and his career quickly took off.
On the Lenkom stage he had no passing roles. Thus, he embodied the image of the first head of the Soviet state, Lenin. And completely without makeup. He portrayed the Russian Emperor Peter I as restless and weak. But his Hamlet appeared to connoisseurs of Melpomene as a sober analyst and cold avenger.
In addition, Mark Zakharov involved Yankovsky in the filming of his new films. In this regard, the first work was the film “An Ordinary Miracle”. It was released in 1978. The actor perfectly embodied the wizard. And the film itself still enjoys well-deserved popularity among connoisseurs of Russian cinema.
A year later, Zakharov began work on a new film. It was called “The Same Munchausen.” And in 1983, a satirical comedy about Jonathan Swift was released. Five years later, the film parable “Kill the Dragon” appeared.
Family and relatives
Cupid's arrows struck young Yankovsky when he was studying at a theater university. His future wife, Lyudmila Zorina, was also a student at this university, but she had just entered there a year earlier. Their romance was so passionate that already in his second year the young man decided to get married. After graduation, the couple worked in the same theater, but Lyudmila first became the star of the stage, and Oleg at first was “Zorina’s husband.” In 1968, the couple had a son, Philip. When the actor’s career took off and he was offered to move to Moscow, his wife sacrificed her work and followed him. At first, their living conditions left much to be desired; the family settled in a 5-meter room in a dorm; besides, the son was still small and required a lot of attention and care.
In the photo Oleg Yankovsky with his wife Lyudmila Zorina
Despite building his career, the actor paid a lot of attention to his family. He always stayed in touch with his wife, taking an interest in the affairs and mood of the household. He adored his son and tried to spend as much time as possible with the boy, sometimes taking him with him to filming. It is not surprising that 5-year-old Philip starred with his father in the film “Mirror”.
Philip Yankovsky
The son followed in the footsteps of his parents; He first studied at the Moscow Art Theater School and then received his directing education at VGIK. In addition to acting in cinema and theater, Philip directed many music videos, and also made films. For his work he was awarded awards, and for the film “On the Move” he received the Nika Award. His wife, Oksana Fandera, is also an actor.
In 1990, their son Ivan was born, and five years later their daughter Elizabeth. The son studied at the International Film School and also graduated from GITIS. Ivan has already managed to shine in the world of cinema, starring in such films as “Come See Me”, “Indigo”, “Queen of Spades”. When Yankovsky had grandchildren, his colleagues gave him the nickname Grandfather. He gladly accepted the new status, because he adored his grandson and granddaughter.
Illness and death
The actor’s last work was the role of a metropolitan in the film “Tsar.” Filming began in 2008, and he was still feeling well then. A special cross was made for his character, which was consecrated in the church after filming. This picture impressed all the guests of the Cannes Film Festival; they were shocked and cried unashamedly. Oleg Ivanovich managed to hear congratulations from his colleagues on the phone, and soon he was gone.
He never complained or talked about his illnesses, enduring everything courageously. The actor’s health worsened in the summer of 2008 during a rehearsal; he was immediately admitted to the hospital. After undergoing treatment, Yankovsky went to work, and even played in the play “Marriage,” but after a few months he had to turn to doctors again. The examination showed that he had pancreatic cancer. German doctors treated him, but this did not give positive results, and in May 2009 the screen star died.
Biography of Oleg Yankovsky
Actor Oleg Yankovsky was born into the family of engineer Ivan (Yan) and Marina. He was the youngest of three sons (Rostislav (1930−2016) also became an actor, Nikolai (1941−2015) became the head of a puppet theater). The family lived in Kazakhstan and moved to Saratov in the early 50s. All sons were fond of theater.
In 1958, an important event occurred in the life of Oleg Yankovsky: his older brother Rostislav took him to Minsk, where he worked at the Drama Theater. Gorky. Soon Oleg Yankovsky began replacing other actors in episodic roles. At the same time, the boy became interested in football, but had to give up the sport as it interfered with his studies.
Two years later, Oleg Yankovsky returned to Saratov and decided to enter theater school. It turned out that he was accepted without exams: brother Nikolai secretly entered there and persuaded the dean to give his place to Oleg.
After graduating from college in 1965, Oleg Yankovsky and his wife began working at the local drama theater, but at first she was the only star.
Then Yankovsky decided to try his hand at cinema. His first film was “The Shield and the Sword” (1968), where the actor appeared almost by accident. But in the same year he managed to star in the film “Two Comrades Served” together with recognized stars Vladimir Vysotsky and Rolan Bykov.
After the success of these films, Oleg Yankovsky began to play more often and more in his native theater (“Idiot”, “Talents and Admirers”), and the public remembered his name.
In 1972, Oleg Yankovsky starred in the film “Racers”, and director Mark Zakharov noticed him and offered to work together at the Lenkom Theater.
At the same time, Oleg Yankovsky continues to act in films. Among the prominent roles are the father in Tarkovsky’s film “Mirror” (1974), the Decembrist Ryleev in “The Star of Captivating Happiness” (1975), the wizard in “An Ordinary Miracle” (1978, the filming of this film was postponed due to the actor’s heart attack).
In 1979, Oleg Yankovsky played perhaps his most famous role in the film “That Same Munchausen,” and this surname became his calling card.
In 1982, Oleg Yankovsky showed himself in the film “Flying in a Dream and in Reality” - and received the USSR State Prize for it. At the same time, he starred in the film “The House That Swift Built.” A year later, Andrei Tarkovsky made the film Nostalgia, which was banned from showing in the USSR because the director refused to return from Italy.
In the theater, meanwhile, Yankovsky’s career was also going uphill: he played in “Optimistic Tragedy,” “Hamlet,” and “Pocket Theater.”
In the early 90s, Oleg Yankovsky starred in the films “The Regicide” and “Passport”, for which he received the Nika Award. He became the last person to receive the title of People's Artist of the USSR. At that time, he was filming abroad, including with foreign directors (for example, Anthony Waller in Silent Witness). In Russia, many films were not completed due to problems with financing, but I managed to star in “Fatal Eggs,” “The Inspector General” and several other films.
In 2000, Oleg Yankovsky proved himself as a director by directing the film “Come See Me.” A year later, for his role in Gorin’s play “The Jester Balakirev” he received the State Prize of the Russian Federation and several theater awards. In 2002, for the main role in the film “The Lover” he received the Golden Aries prize and an award at Kinotavr.
In 2006, Oleg Yankovsky starred in the series for the first time - it was Doctor Zhivago. Despite problems with criticism and distribution, the actor received a TEFI and a Golden Eagle.
In 2009, the film “Anna Karenina” was released, which began filming back in 1993. Oleg Yankovsky’s last role was Metropolitan Philip in Pavel Lungin’s film “Tsar” (2009). At the same time he received the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.
In the summer of 2008, Oleg Yankovsky was admitted to the hospital with heart complaints. By the end of the year, it became clear that he had pancreatic cancer in the final stage. He tried treatment, but nothing helped. On April 10, the actor played in the last play “Marriage,” and on May 20, 2009, Oleg Yankovsky died in a Moscow hospital.
Facts from life and memories of friends
- While studying at drama school, he discovered a big problem with diction. He had to work hard on himself in order to play his role well in the graduation production, and then received praise from the teachers.
- Having gained popularity, Oleg Ivanovich began to often visit European cities, where he liked to sit in some cafe and watch those around him. The actor especially enjoyed walking around Paris. He always loved to dress stylishly, so he brought fashionable things from such trips, shelling out a lot of money for them
- Among Yankovsky's close friends were Alexander Abdulov and Alexander Zbruev; He often traveled with them to Russian cities, arranging creative meetings for fans. Sometimes it turned out that they did not receive money for their performances, and sometimes they were deceived and were not provided with transportation, depriving them of the opportunity to quickly go home. Once, after working in a northern town, the actors were waiting for the promised plane, but it didn’t come. Then they had to go to the railway station and clear the snow there so that the train could arrive. The friends arrived in the capital very late, which is why they were replaced in the performance. Oleg Ivanovich was the most upset of all.
- He dreamed of playing Hamlet, and Zbruev had to give him this role. However, this performance did not generate enough interest among the audience; moreover, theater critic Natalya Krymova was very dissatisfied with how the actor created this image. Yankovsky remembered this disastrous role for a long time, often exclaiming: “I’ll show Krymova what kind of artist I am!”
- The older brothers carried their love for the younger Oleg throughout their lives. He also valued these relationships, and always took the time to celebrate someone’s birthday with his family or go to visit them.
- Oleg Ivanovich was devoted to his profession, but sometimes he thought that he had to choose a different path. Like many creative people, he went through painful and painful periods, afraid of losing the love of fans and no longer playing worthy roles.
Oleg Yankovsky suffered from an almost incurable disease
Oleg Yankovsky's health problems began about a year ago. The Lenkom actor went to one of the Moscow clinics with complaints of poor health. But the examination revealed that he only had coronary heart disease. Yankovsky was sent to the emergency cardiology department, treated and sent home.
A few months later, the illness overtook the artist again. On New Year's Eve he was hospitalized in serious condition. Oleg Ivanovich complained of incessant pain in the stomach area, loss of appetite, including an aversion to fatty foods. Having discovered ominous symptoms, doctors urgently prescribed a tissue biopsy for the artist. The analysis confirmed the worst fears: Yankovsky has late-stage pancreatic cancer, and the disease is advanced.
Only a few survive more than a year with this type of cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is considered in medicine to be one of the most intractable diseases and ranks fourth in the world (especially in advanced countries) as a cause of death in men and women. Among the reasons that cause it are smoking, abuse of meat and fatty foods, and diabetes. Only two out of every ten patients live longer than a year after their disease is diagnosed, and only a few live from one to five years with this type of cancer.
Among the “units” living with this disease for more than a year is the famous Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze. On Christmas Day 2007, the star of the movie “Dirty Dancing” started bleeding from his throat during a rehearsal. Doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer. The actor has undergone chemotherapy, now agrees to any experimental treatment methods and is not going to give up.
Why did Yankovsky, who was given the same diagnosis, leave so quickly - was it possible that he was not treated enough?
“Operations for pancreatic cancer are among the most difficult in oncology surgery,” explains radiologist Pavel Tkachuk. - We have to remove the duodenum, touch the stomach, liver... If Yankovsky went to the doctors with pain, then it was a serious stage of cancer. It had grown to the nerve nodes, the aorta, and most likely was already inoperable. Plus metastases.
Now in the world, including in our country, there are very good modern methods of treating such diseases. Chemotherapy, a course of which can still prepare you for surgery. If a Hollywood actor does not lose hope of being cured, it means that his cancer was found at an earlier stage. Plus, Patrick has been looking after his health all his life, maintaining good physical shape - he is also a professional dancer and athlete...
The main reason for the high mortality rate is the difficulty of early detection of the disease. Due to the fact that the pancreas is located deep in the abdomen, it is difficult to identify during examination and palpation. Currently, there are no research methods that can detect tumors in people without symptoms of the disease. By the time symptoms appear, the tumor is usually large and has spread to other organs.
At the end of January, a month after the sad diagnosis was made, Oleg Ivanovich went to Germany to undergo a course of laser therapy. He even seemed to feel better, upon returning to Moscow he celebrated his 65th birthday with family and friends, in early March he accepted a high award from the hands of the President of Russia - the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, returned to the theater... But on At the end of April, Yankovsky’s health condition deteriorated again - he suffered internal bleeding. The third hospitalization turned out to be the last...
Why didn't German doctors save the actor?
Until the last day, the artist’s fans had hope that their favorite actor would pull through. But the disease progressed every day. In Dusseldorf, Germany, where Oleg Ivanovich flew out shortly after learning the terrible diagnosis, specialists from the local oncology diagnostic center were already waiting for him. According to his colleagues, the actor not only planned to be examined, but also wanted Western luminaries to operate on him.
However, the operation never took place.
Returning to Moscow, Yankovsky explained to his colleagues at Lenkom that he would go for a re-examination to Germany in a couple of weeks, in mid-March. But he never went. He went to the oncology center in Kashirka for chemotherapy. When it became difficult for the artist to get to the hospital, doctors, as an exception, gave him chemotherapy at home.
Fans of Yankovsky on our website are now asking the question: if an operation in Germany could give the actor at least a few years of life, then why did he refuse it?
The situation was clarified to KP by the wife of Oleg Ivanovich’s colleague at Lenkom, Leonida Bronevoy, Victoria Valentinovna:
— German doctors could not save Yankovsky. We all hoped that the operation would prolong his life, but tests showed that Oleg Ivanovich had a very high blood sugar level, which is why he is inoperable - the wounds may not heal after the operation. In Germany they refused to operate on him, so it made no sense for him to return there. But although Oleg Ivanovich was in very bad condition in the hospital for the last week of his life, he practically did not get out of bed, where his wife was constantly on duty, we still believed in a miracle until the last...
The same Oleg Yankovsky
The favorite of millions will be buried on Friday, May 22, at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow. The funeral service will take place in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki
