Nikolai Petrovich Karachentsov (, 27 October 1944 – 26 October 2018) was a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor of
Lenkom Theatre
Lenkom Theatre, formerly known as Lenin’s Komsomol Moscow Theatre or Moscow Leninist Komsomol Theatre is the official name of what was once known as the Moscow State Theatre named after Komsomol, a Communist youth league set up by Vladimir Leni ...
. Karachentsov's popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s among the Soviet youth after he had starred in
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
s. In 1989 he was awarded the title of
People's Artist of the RSFSR
People's Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, actors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achiev ...
. In 2003 he received the
State Prize of the Russian Federation
The State Prize of the Russian Federation, officially translated in Russia as Russian Federation National Award, is a state honorary prize established in 1992 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates ...
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...
, 4th class.
Biography
Early life
Nikolai Karachentsov was born in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
on 27 October 1944. His father, Pyotr Yakovlevich Karachentsov (1907–1998), worked for many years in the magazine ''
Ogoniok
''Ogoniok'' ( rus, Огонёк, Ogonyok, t=Spark, p=ɐɡɐˈnʲɵk, a=Ru-огонёк.ogg; pre-reform orthography: Огонекъ) was one of the oldest weekly illustrated magazines in Russia.
History and profile
''Ogoniok'' was first issue ...
'' as a graphic artist, he received the title of
Meritorious Artist
Merited Artist, Honored Artist, etc., is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Union Republics, and autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern Bloc states, as well as in a number of post-Soviet states. In Russian language ...
of the RSFSR in 1967. Nikolai's mother, Yanina Brunak (1913–1992), was a choreographer. She directed plays in major musical theaters, took part in staging performances at the
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈat(ə)r, t=Grand Theater) is a historic opera house in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové. Before the October Revolutio ...
, Kazan Musical Theater,
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...
Music Theater in
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
, administered a ballet school and organized the First National Ensemble of
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, worked in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Karachentsov's parents separated, so when Yanina Evgenyevna would leave Moscow for work, Kolya studied and lived in a boarding school. In school days, he spent all summer vacations in the recreation center of the All-Russian Theater Society in the village of Shylykovo,
Kostroma Oblast
Kostroma Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Kostroma and its population as of the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census i ...
.
In his childhood, Karachentsov was actively engaged in swimming and by the age of 13 he became the champion of the USSR's central sport school in diving. He left his swimming lessons when, together with his mother, he moved to
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...
for two years.
While studying in high school, Nikolai Karachentsov joined the "Active" group, created at the Central Children's Theater. The duties of "activists" included duty in the building of the theater and monitoring of the observance of order by schoolchildren. And at the same time, the attendants had the opportunity to see the performances. Soon, at the Center for Children's Art an amateur studio for schoolchildren was opened. Karachentsov was one of the first to apply. The directors of the studio were Pechnikov and Minkovskaya. In the Club of Arts at the theater Karachentsov attended a course of lectures for schoolchildren. The lecturers were famous directors and actors.
Nikolai Karachentsov's first role was in the play ''Figaro''. By this time, he already planned to become an actor.
Theatre career
In 1963, Karachentsov entered the
Moscow Art Theatre School
Moscow Art Theatre School () is the studio school of the Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre. It is a state educational institution that has existed since 1943. The initiator of the studio school was Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. His role in the student performances ''Snowstorm'' and ''Ivan Vasilyevich'' received a high professional assessment. Usually school graduates were automatically "distributed" to the Moscow Art Theater, but in 1967 at the
Lenkom Theatre
Lenkom Theatre, formerly known as Lenin’s Komsomol Moscow Theatre or Moscow Leninist Komsomol Theatre is the official name of what was once known as the Moscow State Theatre named after Komsomol, a Communist youth league set up by Vladimir Leni ...
, in connection with the departure from the post of the main director
Anatoly Efros
Anatoly Vasilievich Efros (; July 3, 1925, Kharkiv – January 13, 1987, Moscow) was a Soviet theatre and film director. He was a leading interpreter of Russian classics during the Era of Stagnation and "received numerous awards for creative exce ...
, there was a catastrophic situation of shortage of actors, and Karachentsov among the top ten students joined this theater.
Among Karachentsov's first performances were the plays staged by Efros: ''104 Pages About Love'', ''My Poor Marat'', ''The Movie is Being Shot'', ''Fear and Despair in the Third Empire'' and ''Farewell to Arms!''.Биография Николая Караченцова на сайте 7days.ru /ref>
After Karachentsov's successful first experience in the play ''Autograd 21'' (1973), Lenkom's director
Mark Zakharov
Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov (; 13 October 1933 – 28 September 2019) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film director, screenwriter and pedagogue best known for his fantasy parable movies. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1991.
Zakharo ...
invited him for the main role of
Till Eulenspiegel
Till Eulenspiegel (; ) is the protagonist of a European narrative tradition. A German chapbook published around 1510 is the oldest known extant publication about the folk hero (a first edition of is preserved fragmentarily), but a background i ...
in his next play ''Till'' (1974). The play, based on the novel by
Charles De Coster
Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster (20 August 1827 – 7 May 1879) was a Belgian novelist whose efforts laid the basis for a native Belgian literature.
Early life and education
He was born in Munich; his father, Augustin De Coster, was a n ...
, was written by playwright
Grigori Gorin
Grigori Israilevich Gorin (, born ''Ofshtein'' (); March 12, 1940, Moscow — June 15, 2000, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian playwright and writer of Jewish descent.
Gorin is particularly credited with scripts for several plays and films,mostl ...
, and the composer
Gennady Gladkov
Gennady Igorevich Gladkov (; 18 February 1935 – 16 October 2023) was a Soviet and Russian composer. He composed music for some of the most famous Soviet movies and cartoons, most notably ''The Bremen Town Musicians (1969 film), The Bremen Town ...
composed the music for the production. Through Karachentsov's performance, the character of Till – a buffoon, bully and rebel – became a cult figure of the 1970s Soviet youth. From the theater's repertoire ''Till'' was filmed only in 1992.
The rock opera of the composer Alexey Rybnikov ''Stardom and Death of Joaquin Murieta'' (based on the poetic drama of
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...
), staged by Mark Zakharov in 1976, was also well received. In it, Karachentsov played two roles at once: the ranger and Death. This production was part of the theater's program until 1993.
The most famous theatrical work of Karachentsov is the role of Count Rezanov in the rock opera '' Juno and Avos'', a play that became a calling card of Lenkom. The premiere was held on July 9, 1981 (music by Alexey Rybnikov, libretto by
Andrei Voznesensky
Andrei Andreyevich Voznesensky (, 12 May 1933 – 1 June 2010) was a Soviet and Russian poet and writer who had been referred to by Robert Lowell as "one of the greatest living poets in any language." He was one of the "Children of the '60s ...
). Karachentsov took vocal lessons from the famous musician
Pavel Smeyan
Pavel Yevgenyevich Smeyan (; born 23 April 1957, Moscow, Russia – died 13 July 2009) was a Russian singer and actor. He died of cancer in a hospital in Germany at age of 52.Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin (born Pietro Costante Cardin; 2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020) was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometry, geometric shap ...
introduced the ''Juno and Avos'' to the French audience at the Espace Cardin Theater in Paris, followed by a triumphant tour around the world: the performance was shown in the US, Germany, Netherlands and other countries. Karachentsov became one of the leading actors of Lenkom.
Other popular productions with his participation were ''Optimistic Tragedy'', ''Dictatorship of Conscience'', ''School for Emigrants'', ''Sorry'', ''Czech Photo''. Among the last theatrical roles of the actor were prince
Alexander Menshikov Alexander Menshikov may refer to:
* Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673–1729), Russian statesman
* Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov (1787–1869), Finnish-Russian nobleman
* Alexander Alexandrovich Menshikov
Prince Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Mens ...
in ''Balakirev the Buffoon'' and Domenico Soriano in ''The City of Millionaires''.
Film career
Nikolai Karachentsov began to act in cinema in 1967: the first films with his participation were ''Strokes to the Portrait of Vladimir Lenin'', ''And Again May''. But the actor began to play actively in film only after the triumph of ''Till''. Mark Zakharov did not use him in his screen works, with the exception of small roles in the television films of ''
The Twelve Chairs
''The Twelve Chairs'' () is a Russian classic satirical picaresque novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden in a chair. A sequel was published in 1931. The ...
'' (1976) and ''
The House That Swift Built
''The House That Swift Built'' () is a 1982 Soviet fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Mark Zakharov based on the eponymous play by Grigori Gorin about Irish satirist writer and Anglican priest Jonathan Swift.
In 1745 Dublin, a weary Jonathan ...
'' (1982). Nevertheless, even at the beginning of his film career Karachentsov played one of his best known roles - Busygin in the film adaptation of Alexander Vampilov's play '' The Elder Son'' (1975).
In the second half of the 1970s, Karachentsov became one of the most filmed actors in the Soviet Union. Karachentsov always performed stunts in his films by himself. His popularity was enhanced by roles in such films as ''
The Dog in the Manger
The story and metaphor of The Dog in the Manger derives from an old Greek fable which has been transmitted in several different versions. Interpreted variously over the centuries, the metaphor is now used to speak of one who spite (sentiment), spi ...
'', ''
The Adventures of the Elektronic
''The Adventures of Elektronik'' (, translit. Priklyucheniya Elektronika) is a 1979 Soviet children's science fiction TV miniseries, directed by Konstantin Bromberg.
The series' screenplay was loosely adapted by Yevgeny Veltistov from hi ...
'', ''
The Trust That Went Bust
''The Trust That Went Bust'' (; ''Trest, kotoryy lopnul'') is a Soviet 1983 in film, 1983 musical film, musical TV miniseries (total runtime 196 min) based on short stories by O. Henry: "The Octopus Marooned", "Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet", " ...
A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines
''A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines'' () is a 1987 Red Western comedy film (Mosfilm production) directed by Alla Surikova, with nods to silent film and the transforming power of celluloid.
The film had the highest ratings in the Soviet Uni ...
Deja Vu
Deja or Dejah may refer to:
* Deja News, an archive of messages posted to Usenet discussion groups and its successor ''deja.com''
* Andreas Deja (born 1957), German animator
* Dejah Mulipola (born 1998), American softball player
* Dejah Thoris, ...
'' and many others. In total the filmography of Nikolai Karachentsov includes more than 100 roles in the cinema.
He also worked on dubbing foreign films, for example he voiced in Russian the roles of French actor
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...
. In addition, he took part in voicing many cartoons and worked extensively on television and radio.
From the beginning of the 1990s Karachentsov for many years has been the chairman of the jury of the Andrei Mironov Actor's Song Festival. In 1991 he was elected secretary of the
Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation
The Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation or STD of RSFSR () is the principal actors and theatrical workers union of Russia founded in 1887. It was previously known as the Russian Theatrical Society.
The Russian Theatrical Society h ...
In 1975 Karachentsov married Russian actress Lyudmila Porgina who gave birth to their son Andrey three years later.
One of Karachentsov's main hobbies was tennis. He became a recurrent participant in several tennis tournaments, including "Big Hats", "Marco-Garros", for the cup of the "Big Cap". In 1994, paired with TV presenter Boris Notkin, he was allowed to play with the first president of the Russian Federation
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
. Among the regular partners of Karachentsov were tennis player and coach
Shamil Tarpishchev
Shamil Anvyarovich Tarpishchev or Tarpischev ( rus, Шамиль Анвярович Тарпищев, , ʂɐˈmʲilʲ ɐnˈvʲarəvʲɪtɕ tɐrˈpʲiɕːɪf, ; born 7 March 1948) is a Russian tennis coach and former player, sports politician.
F ...
, vice-president of the Tennis Federation of the North-West region Igor Dzhelepov, composer
Maksim Dunayevsky
Maksim Isaakovich Dunayevsky (, born 15 January 1945 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian composer. People's Artist of Russia (2006). He is the artistic director and chairman of the artistic council of the Moscow Regional Philharmonic since 2015.
...
and poet Yury Ryashentsev.
Karachentsov was a member of the
United Russia
The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...
party.
Injury, illness and death
On 28 February 2005, Karachentsov was driving his car, a
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a nameplate of D-segment, large family cars (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973 and also marketed variously as the Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar ...
, to Moscow, on his way to his mother-in-law's funeral when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a
street light
A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, streetlamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution b ...
pole, suffering a
traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...
. His seat belt was not fastened. After twenty-six days in
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...
, he began regaining motor skills, finally being able to get up onto a stage in 2007. Despite some improvement, he never fully recovered after the accident, his speech and ability to walk remained severely impaired. His only cinema appearance after the crash was a minor role almost without words in the film '' White Dew: The Return'' in 2014.
In 2017 Karachentsov was diagnosed with
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
and underwent unsuccessful treatment in Israel.
On 26 October 2018 Karachentsov died from
kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...
in a Moscow clinic, one day before his 74th birthday.
Selected filmography
;Actor
* '' The Elder Son'' (''Старший сын'', 1976) as student Vladimir Busygin
* ''
The Twelve Chairs
''The Twelve Chairs'' () is a Russian classic satirical picaresque novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden in a chair. A sequel was published in 1931. The ...
'' (''Двенадцать стульев'', 1976) as actor in the theater "Columbus"
* ''
The Dog in the Manger
The story and metaphor of The Dog in the Manger derives from an old Greek fable which has been transmitted in several different versions. Interpreted variously over the centuries, the metaphor is now used to speak of one who spite (sentiment), spi ...
'' (''Собака на сене'', 1978) as Marquis of Ricardo
* ''
Errors of Youth
''Errors of Youth'' (, ''Oshibki yunosti'') is a Soviet drama film directed in 1978 by Boris Frumin. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. The "critical realism" is reported to have delayed the relea ...
'' (''Ошибки юности'', 1978)
* '' The Adventures of the Electronic'' (''Приключения Электроника'', 1979) as Urrie
* '' Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson'' (''Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона. Кровавая надпись'', 1979) as Jefferson Hope
* ''
The House That Swift Built
''The House That Swift Built'' () is a 1982 Soviet fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Mark Zakharov based on the eponymous play by Grigori Gorin about Irish satirist writer and Anglican priest Jonathan Swift.
In 1745 Dublin, a weary Jonathan ...
'' (''Дом, который построил Свифт'', 1982) as Flim, the Lilliputian
* '' Juno and Avos'' (''Юнона и Авось'') (
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
The Trust That Went Bust
''The Trust That Went Bust'' (; ''Trest, kotoryy lopnul'') is a Soviet 1983 in film, 1983 musical film, musical TV miniseries (total runtime 196 min) based on short stories by O. Henry: "The Octopus Marooned", "Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet", " ...
'' (''Трест, который лопнул'', 1983) as Jeff Peters
* '' White Dew'' (''Белые росы'', 1983) as Vasiliy
* ''
How to Become Happy
''How to Become Happy'' () is a 1986 Soviet comedy-science fiction film directed by Yuri Chulyukin.
Plot
In 1980, a modest physics teacher in the small town of Lesogorsk invents a miraculous device that can identify a child's potential talents and ...
'' (''Как стать счастливым'', 1986) as Gosha
* ''
A Man from the Boulevard des Capuchines
''A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines'' () is a 1987 Red Western comedy film (Mosfilm production) directed by Alla Surikova, with nods to silent film and the transforming power of celluloid.
The film had List of Soviet movies of the year by ti ...
'' (''Человек с бульвара Капуцинов'', 1987) as Billy King
* '' Moonzund'' (''Моонзунд'', 1987) as Von Knupfer
* ''
Bright Personality
''A Bright Personality'' or () is a 1988 fantastic satirical comedy based on the works of Ilf and Petrov, directed by Alexander Pavlovsky at the Odessa film studio. The film consists of two parts: the "Dark Past" and "Bright Future".
Plot
In prov ...
'' (''Светлая личность'', 1988) as Egor Filyurin
* ''
The Witches Cave
''The Witches Cave'' () is a 1989 science fantasy film from Gorky Film Studio, USSR and Barrandov Studios, Czechoslovakia.
The script was written by Kir Bulychov based on his own story and directed by Yuri Moroz. The cast featured Sergei Zhigu ...
'' (''Подземелье ведьм'', 1989) as Jean
* ''
The Criminal Quartet
''The Criminal Quartet'' () is a 1989 Soviet action film directed by :ru:Муратов, Александр Александрович (режиссёр), Aleksandr Muratov.
Plot
In May 1989, four friends who grew up together in an orphanage—i ...
Gandalf
Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" fr ...
* '' A Trap for Lonely Man'' (''Ловушка для одинокого мужчины'', 1990) as Wife-loser
* ''
Dog in Boots
''Dog in Boots'' (, ''Pyos v sapogakh''), also known as ''Pup in Boots'' is a 1981 Soyuzmultfilm's animated parody film directed by Yefim Gamburg. It is a musical adaptation of the classic 1844 Alexandre Dumas story of d'Artagnan and ''The Three ...
The Cat Who Walked by Herself
''The Cat Who Walked by Herself'' () is a 1988 Soviet Union, Soviet animation, animated feature film directed by Ideya Garanina and made at the Soyuzmultfilm studio. It is based on Rudyard Kipling's short story "Just So Stories, The Cat that Walked ...
'' (''Кошка, которая гуляла сама по себе'', 1988) as Hourse