Biography of Fedor Dobronravov
Fedor Dobronravov is a popular comedic actor who has already become familiar to millions of viewers in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. A truly “star” role for our today’s hero was the role of Ivan Budko in the famous TV series “Matchmakers”. It was this cinematic work that opened the name of the bright comedian to millions of television viewers in different parts of the CIS. But is it possible to say that besides the legendary “Matchmakers” there is nothing more interesting in the list of works of Fyodor Dobronravov? Of course not. After all, during his career, this actor managed to try on a huge number of unforgettable images.
The early years, childhood and family of Fyodor Dobronravov
Our today's hero was born into the most ordinary working-class family, about which it is difficult to say anything unusual.
Fedor’s parents were typical Soviet people, and that, in fact, says it all. The only creative person in their family was Fedya himself. Since childhood, he performed at various competitions, concerts and creative evenings, where he delighted the audience with his excellent... singing. Yes, yes, in early childhood Dobronravov had a very beautiful high soprano, and therefore almost not a single creative evening in Taganrog could take place without his participation. (OST- Matchmakers-6) Fyodor Dobronravov - Bread Thus, by the age of ten, our today’s hero had become quite popular in his hometown. Singing and music gave him great pleasure. However, deep down in his soul, the young guy cherished a completely different dream - the dream of a circus career. Accustomed to the stage, from an early age Fyodor Dobronravov began to develop and perform his own acts at the Taganrog summer theater as part of a local dance and circus group. Clearly understanding that in order to achieve his goal, he needed to work a lot and hard, Fedor signed up for several sports sections at once, where he subsequently studied boxing, volleyball, basketball, diving and some other disciplines. Having developed strength and dexterity, after graduating from school, our today's hero went to Moscow, where he applied to the circus school. However, an unexpected circumstance arose on the way to the cherished goal - only those who had already served in the army were accepted into this institution.
Understanding the comical nature of such a requirement, Fyodor Dobronravov nevertheless decided to serve in the army. After this, for two years the future actor served in a special airborne division, but after demobilization he suddenly decided to abandon all past plans. In the early eighties, he returned to his native Taganrog and got a job as an ordinary worker at a factory. Establishing life and helping his family, our today's hero worked sparingly. Over the course of several years, he changed several different specialties at once, leaving behind a winding path from a fitter to a paint-spray machine operator.
Fedor Dobronravov in the project 6 frames
During these years, Fyodor traveled to Moscow twice, trying to enroll in a circus school, but both times he returned with nothing.
Seeing the futility of all efforts, at some point Dobronravov decided to abandon plans to conquer the Russian capital and went to enter the Voronezh Institute of Arts. Here he was accepted immediately, and very soon he finally became a student at a theater university.
After graduating, he stayed in Voronezh for a couple of years, where he performed at the local Youth Theater. It was here that he was noticed by the famous Soviet comedian Konstantin Raikin, who came to the city on tour. Seeing Dobronravov on stage, the recognized master was so amazed by his acting that very soon he invited him to perform with his Satyricon theater.
From that moment on, a truly stellar career began for our today's hero.
Fyodor Dobronravov: “I got into the Airborne Forces through the back door”
228
The famous artist is proud of his service in the winged guard.
We missed people's artist of Russia Fyodor Dobronravov during his military service: in the 104th Guards Airborne Division, to which he often went on business trips, he served a military service several years earlier. But our conversation with him in St. Petersburg began precisely with this general topic.
– Since childhood, service in the Airborne Forces attracted me with its romance, so long before conscription, I firmly decided to give two years to the winged guard. I was a strong guy: I did boxing, basketball, and diving. And most importantly, thanks to DOSAAF I had three parachute jumps. In a word, he was seriously preparing for service in the Airborne Forces, where he was initially assigned by the military registration and enlistment office at the age of 16. But at the assembly point in Bataysk, thanks to his height and correct physique, he caught the eye of a representative of the Separate Kremlin Regiment. Of course, it’s an honor, but I dreamed of a blue beret! I plucked up the impudence and did not go out to form the selected Kremlin men - the team left without me. But when the “buyers” from the Airborne Forces came out, he came running from the back door and stood in line first. The military commissar waved his hand: they say, where should he go now? Moreover, he was assigned to the paratroopers; the doctors have no complaints. That's how I ended up in the Airborne Forces. I never regretted it once. Although the service was not easy: he ended up in the artillery regiment of the 104th Guards Airborne Division, which was stationed in the town of Shamkhor in Azerbaijan. Exercises in mountainous areas, jumping in difficult conditions... And it was not by chance that the scorpion was depicted on military equipment. He served as commander of the D-30 gun and retired as a sergeant. – Fyodor Viktorovich, most TV viewers know you from the TV series “Matchmakers” and “6 Frames”. But recently you surprised fans with the comedy “Once Upon a Time” - about the inhabitants of a village in the Russian outback...
– I am not satisfied with the situation in modern cinema. Why are there so many action scenes, shootings, corpses, and blood on the screen? Why are there so few humane, heartfelt films that tell not about killers, but about people living nearby: their hopes, experiences, concerns? And our film “Once upon a time” is about the older generation, who bore everything on their shoulders. He went through hardships, war, hard work and remained pure, devoted to himself and his country. There was only one goal: if our picture is even slightly similar to “Love and Doves” or “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears,” we will be happy.
Dobronravov served in the Transcaucasus, in Shamkhor. Photo from Fyodor Dobronravov’s personal album.
I will not hide that there is also my personal interest here. The fact is that for the last ten years I have been living in some creative isolation. They mainly offer comedies like “Matchmakers”. The risk of becoming a hostage to one image is real, as has happened to actors more than once. Thus, the legendary Boris Babochkin played dozens of bright roles, but forever remained Chapaev. When Vyacheslav Tikhonov is mentioned, everyone imagines Stirlitz, and Olga Aroseva is strongly associated with “The 13 Chairs Zucchini,” although she is a great Russian actress. Of course, there are exceptions, for example Yuri Nikulin, a clown who played dramatic roles, but this is an isolated case. I also want to leave the well-worn path and create something serious, deep... – Are rural themes close to you? – Although I myself am from Taganrog, almost all my relatives and friends still live in rural areas. Village life with its romance - horses, birdsong, the smell of cut grass - is well known to me. In addition, the comedy film “Once upon a time” was filmed in the Leningrad region in the amazingly beautiful village of Shondovichi. As we later found out, she keeps a chronicle from Ivan the Terrible! Well, our people are not short of talent even today: all nine residents of Shondovichi became the heroes of the film - they starred in the crowd and in individual scenes. If we talk about a big city with its rhythm and bustle, then we are already accustomed to comfort and speed. It seems like only recently we were counting our abacus, but now we get annoyed if the computer loads slowly. True, we do without fanaticism here: in Russia we are still far from the oppressive technologies that make a person dependent. Many people will probably argue with me, but I think this is good. Because if our computers go off, we will survive! What will happen to the Europeans is the question; everything is electronic there. He clapped his hands and the light came on. And here half of Russia lights the stove, grows potatoes and cucumbers in the garden. Let's not get lost! – Russian audiences received “Once upon a time” very warmly, but the film was shown to foreign audiences. How did she react to the film? – At a recent screening in India, the audience reacted wonderfully. The premiere also took place in France: there were no empty seats in the hall. There are things for which translation difficulties do not exist. I repeat: the picture is not about the village, but about eternal themes - friendship, devotion, jealousy, which are understandable without words in any language. In addition, such films allow others to get to know our country better, the interest in which is constantly growing. Once on a foreign tour I was asked: “Is it true that in Russia from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad they speak the same language?” Our scale, when one country occupies half the globe, is difficult for them to comprehend. It is also difficult to understand our mentality. I have traveled a lot and can confidently say: nowhere do people communicate with each other like we do here. In Western society, with its individualism, it is customary to keep your distance and not burden others with your worries. Maybe this is not bad, but our nature is different. Loneliness is unbearable for us. It has been ingrained in our mentality for thousands of years that we must meet somewhere. We love to sit in the kitchen even with a stranger, talk, rub our souls against each other... - Your two sons also work in cinema. Are you following in your father's footsteps? “When they chose this profession, I had nothing - neither an apartment, nor a normal salary. I tried to dissuade the boys, because the acting profession is very dependent. Chance is of great importance, and if the main meeting does not take place, then the most talented people may remain unclaimed. But my words did not help: with a difference of six years, they entered the Shchukin Theater School. I’m happy that my sons found themselves and became successful. Because the worst thing is when every day you go to a job that you hate. In general, I look at today’s young people with pleasure and hope. They are different from my generation: they think more broadly and freely, are devoid of ideological fear, and know languages. They are cooler than us, and that's okay. But what is especially heartening, in addition to self-affirmation, today's 25-30 year olds do not lose touch with the past. Yes, they have their own songs, but the melodies that we sang and our parents sang are not forgotten either. St. Petersburg residents are already coming to Shondovichi and surrounding villages, restoring houses, filling remote areas with life. And even though this work is just beginning, it will continue. Well, the most important of the arts will help!
Interviewed by Oleg POCHINYUK, “Red Star”
Saint Petersburg
Acting career of Fyodor Dobronravov, filmography and theater
Our today's hero worked at the Satyricon Theater for almost a whole decade.
During this period, he played many bright roles, among which there were truly stellar works. Recognized theater stars became his stage partners. Playing with them, the actor gained invaluable experience and also managed to make a name for himself. Leonid Agutin and Fyodor Dobronravov - Turn - Two stars Final In 1993, Fyodor Dobronravov made his film debut with a small role in the film "Russian Ragtime". This was followed by new film work. It is quite noteworthy that during this period the actor starred in both comedy and dramatic films, often appearing even in action films. In the early 2000s, the actor left Satyricon and began performing at the Moscow Academic Theater of Satire. In parallel with this, Fyodor Dobronravov successfully built a career in cinema, starring in a wide variety of projects. During this period, the actor tried himself in a variety of characters, however, in the end, he returned to the comedy genre that he loved so much.
Buying a house
Until 2009, actor Dobronravov and his wife lived in a 35-square-meter Khrushchev house, which he was able to purchase thanks to his earnings in the theater. In those years, Dobronravov’s financial situation was not the best: he even had to additionally wash the floors in the theater premises in order to have a livelihood. Only at the age of 48, Fedor and his family were able to acquire a spacious three-room apartment in Moscow, and a little later, build a wonderful country house in the Moscow region, in the village of Romashkovo (about 3 km from the Moscow Ring Road).
Dobronravov's mansion and surrounding area
The location of the house is very good - three hundred meters from it there is a coniferous forest, where you can breathe air and pick mushrooms. Fyodor Dobronravov loves this activity and regularly walks through the forest with his neighbor, as well as with his close friend and colleague Roman Madyanov. The actor also takes a break from the noise of the metropolis by fishing and boating on the lake.
Mansion of Fyodor Dobronravov in Romashkovo
The house itself, with 2 floors, took quite a long time to build - several years, a lot of time and effort was invested in it, but now the estate fully meets the needs of Dobronravov and his family. Externally, the cottage is decorated in a standard way - the first floor is gray, the second floor is white, the roof is tiled with brown tiles. The windows on the first floor are large, panoramic, on the second floor they are smaller, and under the roof they are completely small, round.
The plot on which the house stands is impressive in size, but very well-groomed and beautiful. There is everything you need for a good rest, but there is no vegetable garden and beds: the Dobronravov family prefers to relax outside the city rather than burden themselves with additional work. Nevertheless, there is still a luxurious garden here, as well as several huge trees that originally grew on the site.
In addition to the house itself, the territory includes a guest house, a bath complex, a gazebo and a swimming pool. Fedor Dobronravov also organized a whole play area for his grandchildren, who often come to visit their grandparents. Kids can frolic on trampolines, swing on swings, slide down the slides and play in the playhouses. The area around the house is beautifully decorated with flower beds, alpine slides and illuminated by street lamps installed along the paved paths. Dobronravov’s estate is fenced off from prying eyes by a reliable concrete fence.
Fedor Dobronravov now
In 2005, the comedy sketch show “6 Frames” began airing on the Ren-TV channel, which very soon migrated to the STS channel.
As part of this project, Fedor Dobronravov was able to fully reveal his talent, as well as prove to eminent producers that he was worthy of more significant roles. Thus, already in the late 2000s, such famous films as “Kremlin Cadets”, “Daddy’s Daughters”, “Liquidation”, “Happy Together” and many others appeared in the actor’s filmography. In 2008, Fyodor Dobronravov received the main role in the comedy series “Matchmakers,” which is still a kind of “calling card” of the actor. He is still filming in this project to this day.
For his outstanding contribution to Russian cinema in 2011, our today's hero was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia.
Instagram and Wikipedia Fedor Dobronravov
Instagram and Wikipedia of Fyodor Dobronravov are the best sources of information about the life path and creative destiny of the popular film actor.
Wikipedia gives an idea of how our hero came to dramaturgy. It contains complete information about his family, participation in performances, roles in films. The page lists all the works in cinema and provides a complete list of awards received by Fedor Dobronravov.
He learned what popularity and people's love were when he crossed the forty-year mark, and Fyodor Dobronravov's ascent to the pinnacle of acting fame began after he arrived from Voronezh to the Russian capital, which opened up broad prospects for him to realize the talent that nature had generously endowed the actor with. The invitation to the Satyricon Theater became a new stage in the biography of Fyodor Dobronravov.
Personal life of Fedor Dobronravov
For many years now, Fyodor Dobronravov has been happily married to a woman named Irina Dobronravova (she works as a children's teacher). The couple have two sons - Victor and Ivan, who are also successfully realizing their acting potential today.
Fyodor Dobronravov with his wife Irina and sons Viktor and Ivan
On December 17, 2010, Fyodor Dobronravov’s first granddaughter, Varvara, was born. At the moment, our today's hero is already a grandfather three times.
