Childhood
In the creative Yursky family (the father was associated with the theater stage, and the mother taught music), a boy was born, Serezha, who was destined to become an outstanding actor. As a child, Sergei often moved with his family and lived in many large cities of the country, including Saratov, Moscow and Leningrad.
Father, whose real name is Zhikharev. received the position of director of the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in the post-war period. Growing up in a theatrical environment and trusting relationships with parents largely influenced Sergei Yuryevich’s interest in creativity.
In his childhood, the future actor often spent his free time in the circus and initially wanted to choose a future as a juggler.
Later he was more attracted to the theater and Yursky directed his views and dreams to its stage. Parents did not immediately accept their son’s desire to become an actor with enthusiasm. This was the reason for the late start of Sergei’s career, compared to his peers.
The young man graduated from school in Leningrad, where the family went thanks to his father’s appointment to the position of head of the Lenconcert. Sergei, who graduated from school as an excellent student, decided to get his higher education at the Faculty of Law at Leningrad University.
Thoughts about the present day
Sergei Yuryevich Yursky, in the biography of himself and millions of other people, sees the onset of a moment when humanity is simply overloaded with information. “Today people are pulled in different directions,” he says. And a person does not always find time to stop and think. People don’t have time to “look up,” that is, turn to God, think about their spiritual state.
And these moments of understanding what is happening are extremely important. After all, now the media most often encourage people to mindlessly follow the patterns of behavior, lifestyle and even thinking that they impose on their audience.
Theater
While studying at the university, young Yursky realized his creative potential in productions of the theater studio at the university. His passion for theater led Sergei to exchange his studies at the Faculty of Law for creativity. He quits law school and begins studying at the Theater University in the acting department under the supervision of L. Makariev.
After the 2nd year, Sergei was invited to work at the Bolshoi Drama Theater named after. Gorky, where the play “In Search of Joy” was the first production to which he was involved. As part of the famous Tovstonogov troupe, Yursky gained his popularity in the mid-60s. Teachers and ordinary spectators noted the expressive and original performance of the actor, his talent was recognized.
Yursky in the role of Bender, after which he gained enormous popularity
The fateful role for Yursky was the image of Chatsky, and the successful performance was followed by work in The Divine Comedy, Three Sisters and other famous plays. After a short time working at the theater, Sergei Yuryevich became one of its leading actors, and in 1968 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
After these achievements, the actor begins to become interested in the possibility of further development as a director. 6 years after being recognized as an Honored Artist of the country, Yursky makes his debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Drama Theater as a production director with the work “Molière,” which was created based on the work of Bulgakov.
Sergei Yursky: biography
Sergey Yuryevich Yursky is a director and actor who, over his long career, has taken part in the creation of many unique film works. It is impossible not to note the versatility of his talent, because one gets the impression that this man, who devoted his entire life to filmmaking, is capable of absolutely anything. He was equally successful in theatrical acting, writing, directing, and even being a voice actor.
The date of birth of Sergei Yursky is March 16, 1935. He inherited the desire for creativity from both parents: his mother worked as a music teacher, and his father was a director and actor who played and staged plays in various cities and theaters of the Soviet Union. It was for this reason that the family in which the future actor grew up constantly moved for work from city to city - Moscow, Leningrad, Andijan, Saratov.
Sergei Yursky in his youth
The authority for the future celebrity was his talented father. She and her son had an excellent relationship and were proud of each other's successes. When World War II ended, Sergei's father began working as a director in the famous Moscow circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Therefore, the actor associates his childhood days with the backstage of the circus, which planted in the soul of Sergei Yursky his first dream - to become a circus actor. But soon the young talent changed his mind: the boy wanted to play in the theater.
The parents perceived this decision of their son with noticeable coolness, perhaps that is why the creative path of Sergei Yursky began later than that of many actors of the same era. After staying in the capital for five years, the family returned to Leningrad, where Sergei graduated from school with an honorary gold medal.
Sergey Yursky
The next stage in the development of Sergei Yursky was his education at Leningrad University in a specialty uncharacteristic for a creative personality - the Faculty of Law. It was at this university that Sergei Yursky took his first step towards his dream by joining the student theater. The guy easily became the public's favorite, which prompted him to give up his unloved craft and enter the Leningrad Theater University, which his parents did not like.
Movie
The year 1959 marked the beginning of his career as a film actor for Yursky. His debut role on the big screen was the work “Dostigaev and Others” - a film version of the BDT play. After this debut, Sergei Yuryevich began to be invited to appear in feature films.
Enormous popularity came thanks to filming in “The Golden Calf”, where he played Ostap Bender. The hero played by Yursky became truly iconic for many Soviet viewers. During the filming of the film, Sergei Yuryevich was lucky enough to play on the same set with the most outstanding film actors of that time.
The competition for the role of Ostap Bender was huge; Yursky beat out V. Basov, A. Porokhovshchikov and V. Vysotsky in the fight for this role. One of the actor’s successful film roles was Uncle Mitya, the hero of the film “Love and Dove,” in which he starred with his wife Natalya Tenyakova, who played Baba Shura.
The married tandem on the screen, which also existed in life, was warmly received by the viewer, and many dialogues and phrases became catchphrases. Yursky starred in more than 50 films. Viewers still remember his heroes. Sergei Yuryevich’s outstanding acting talent was embodied in each new image, which he endowed with individual features, talentedly conveying the character’s character.
In the movie “Love and Doves” Yursky played the famous Uncle Mitya
Movies
In the field of cinema, Sergei Yursky achieved remarkable success, starring in such legendary films as “Korolev”, “Choice of Target”, “Republic of SHKID”, “Look for a Woman”, “Love and Doves”, he significantly rose in his acting career.
A turning point in his creative career was the work of Sergei Yursky in the role of Ostap Bender in the film “The Golden Calf” (1968). After this film, Yursky became famous in many parts of the USSR, playing, perhaps, the main role of his life. Together with Yursky, the stars of Soviet cinema starred in the film: Leonid Kuravlev, Zinovy Gerdt, Evgeny Evstigneev.
As often happens, Yursky might not have played in this film. Vladimir Vysotsky, Alexander Porokhovshchikov, Vladimir Basov and Archil Gomiashvili, who later played Bender in Gaidai, applied for the role of the great schemer. Sergei even refused to come to the audition at first, but the insistence of the authors of the film took its toll. As Sergei Yuryevich later said, the role of Panikovsky was initially supposed to go to Rolan Bykov. But Zinovy Gerdt, who was reputed to be an excellent storyteller and joker, came to visit director Mikhail Schweitzer and unwittingly made the director change his mind.
Another film with the actor’s participation, “Love and Doves,” in which Yursky starred with his wife Natalya Tenyakova, became popularly adored. The choice of director Vladimir Menshov seemed strange to many, because he invited 48-year-old Yursky to play the role of Uncle Mitya, and his wife, who was not yet forty years old, played Baba Shura. The make-up artists did their best, and the audience did not even realize that behind the image of Baba Shura there was a young actress hiding. The characters played by the married couple have become truly legendary.
During his long creative biography, Sergei Yursky performed about fifty screen roles, each of which was unique. The characters he had to play were more than interesting: he was able to play the role of the American theoretical physicist Oppenheimer, scientist and inventor Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, intelligence officer Sidney Reilly, and the unique grandfather Mitya and Bender. Yursky invested all his charisma and talent into each of these roles.
The issue of his nationality has been discussed more than once by fans of the actor. The name of Sergei Yursky was included in the Russian Jewish Encyclopedia. The actor reacted to this with humor, saying that he was even glad about it, and that he was often mistaken for a Jew. Perhaps the reason for this is the appearance inherited from the father of Yuri Sergeevich Zhikharev, who took the pseudonym “Yursky”, who, according to the actor, was not a Jew.
In the capital
Being a famous actor, Yursky leaves the cultural capital and joins the troupe of the Mossovet Theater in 1978. He is invited to periodically play on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov and the “School of Modern Play”, invitations from foreign theaters are not uncommon.
The “Moscow” period gives impetus to the creative development of Yursky the director. His performances “Chairs”, “Players XXI”, “Provocation” delight the audience, the play “Fiesta” was staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Drama Theater, “Borkman” was presented in Tokyo on the stage of the Hayuza Theater. The director's work "Eugene Onegin" in eight episodes is one of Yursky's most successful film works.
In the prime of his career, Sergei Yuryevich tries his hand as an author of stories. His work “Chernov,” written in the 70s, was brought to film in 1990. The voice of the outstanding actor can be heard in the cartoons “A Cat and a Half”, “About Sidorov Vova” and many others, where he was invited to voice key characters.
Directing
Sergei Yursky took part in many films scoring works, wrote several successful scripts and three books. Since 1974, he has been enriching cinema with his own productions, successfully demonstrating himself in the role of a director. But Yursky is busy not only in cinema: many performances at the Mossovet Theater, the School of Modern Play, the Bolshoi Drama Theater. Gorky were placed under his leadership. Sergei Yursky, as a director, participated in the work on many films and television projects.
Despite his advanced age, in recent years Yursky could not imagine his life without the stage and active theatrical activities: until his last days he could be found on tours around the CIS countries with concerts and performances. He often read stories by Pushkin, Zoshchenko, Chekhov and other authors that he liked. In addition, Sergei Yuryevich himself wrote wonderful stories, essays, and poems, which were often performed on stage.
Personal life
Two women left their mark in the personal life of Sergei Yursky. Sergei broke up with Zinaida Sharko, his first wife, after seven years of marriage. The couple did not talk about the reasons for the breakup. BDT actress Natalya Tenyakova became Yursky's next wife. Their marriage turned out to be more durable, and together they continued their creative ascent in Moscow.
Natalya gave Yursky a daughter, Daria, who later became a theater actress.
Sergei Yursky with his daughter Dasha
civil position
Sergei Yuryevich spoke in a negative manner about recent political events of the authorities in relation to the Ukrainian issue. However, he did not enter into open confrontation, trying to be neutral in relation to issues related to politics.
However, Yursky was noted as an active participant in opposition protests, as well as a defender of the positions of K. Serebryannikov, M. Khodorkovsky and Pussy Riot. S. Yursky continued his active creative activity even in old age.
He read poetry at creative evenings, participated in productions, and also toured with the troupe throughout Russia and neighboring countries. Under the pseudonym Vatsetis Yursky published several books of his own authorship.
Sergei Yursky’s contribution to the country’s cultural heritage is truly enormous. He is a recognized People's Artist of the RSFSR, and was also awarded for his services in the theatrical field with the Pushkin Medal and two Orders of Merit for the Fatherland (3rd and 4th degree).
At the end of life
The last years of the actor's life were fruitful. Despite his full dedication to art, the actor is known for his selectivity in terms of roles. There are no low-quality films in his filmography.
Most of the roles played by Yursky are epoch-making and profound. Just look at his latest film works in the films “Comrade Stalin”, in which he played the leader himself, and “Furtsev”, where he tried on the character of B. Pasternak.
In the theatrical play “Flying with an Angel,” staged in 2016, Sergei Yuryevich played Chagall, an outstanding artist. A year later, the actor was invited to join the jury of the anniversary edition of the “Minute of Fame” program on the country’s leading channel.
The great actor died on February 8, 2021
Death
Even at the beginning of winter 2021, there were rumors in theater circles about Yursky’s health problems. In the hospital he was in extremely serious condition. The great actor and director Sergei Yursky passed away on February 8, 2021. He died at the age of 84 from cardiac arrest.
Yursky remains in the hearts of audiences as one of the greatest actors of his era. Admirers of the talent of the actor and director plan to immortalize his name by installing a memorial plaque on the wall of the house where Sergei Yuryevich Yursky lived most of his life.
