Oleg Nikolayevich Yefremov (; 1 October 1927 – 24 May 2000) was a
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n actor and
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; , ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was founded in by the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright ...
producer. He was a
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...
(1976) and a
Hero of Socialist Labour
The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...
(1987).
In 1949, he graduated from
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.
Oleg Yefremov debuted as a film actor in the melodrama ''
The First Echelon
''The First Echelon'' (, translit. ''Pervyy eshelon'') is a 1955 Soviet war romance film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, for which Dmitri Shostakovich wrote the music. The film tells the story of the touching romance between Komsomol secreta ...
'' in 1955. Since then he was regularly acting in films, and his every appearance on screen turned to be a real event for millions of spectators. Some of his most notable roles were in the films ''
The Alive and the Dead
''The Living and the Dead'' () is a 1964 Soviet World War II drama film directed by Aleksandr Stolper and produced by Mosfilm based on the 1959 novel ''The Living and the Dead'' by Konstantin Simonov.
Plot
The film spans the period from the ...
'' (1964), melodrama ''
Three Poplars in Plyushchikha
''Three Poplars in Plyushchikha'' () is a 1968 romantic drama feature film directed by Tatyana Lioznova based on the story by Alexander Borschagovsky "Three Poplars in Shabolovka". The film was a box-office success, it was seen by 26 million peopl ...
'' (1967), ''
Shine, Shine, My Star
"Shine, Shine, My Star" () is an acclaimed Russian romance.
The authorship of the song was uncertain for some time, being ascribed to various people, including Nikolay Gumilyov and Ivan Bunin. A popular belief attributed it to Russian Admiral Alek ...
'' (1969), comedies ''
Aybolit-66
''Aybolit-66'' () is a 1967 Soviet family comedy film directed by Rolan Bykov. It is based on a Aybolit, story by Kornei Chukovsky. The film features Oleg Yefremov as the good ''Aibolit'' and Rolan Bykov as the evil ''Barmalei''.
Plot
In Africa, a ...
'' (1966), and '' Beware of the Car'' (1966).
In 1956, having gathered around himself students and graduates of the School-Studio, both his coevals and pupils, Oleg Yefremov organized the Studio of Young Actors (subsequently — the Moscow famous Sovremennik Theatre and became its first director. Since 1970 he was an actor and a Chief Producer of the
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; , ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was founded in by the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright ...
named after
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...
. In 1976 the actor became a Professor of Moscow Art Theatre School-Studio.
Biography
Early life
Oleg Nikolayevich Yefremov was born on 1 October 1927 in Moscow. His father was Nikolai Ivanovich Yefremov, his mother Anna Dmitrievna Efremova.
He grew up in a large communal apartment on the
Arbat Street
Arbat Street (, ), mainly referred to in English as the Arbat, is a pedestrian street about one kilometer long in the historical centre of Moscow, Russia. The Arbat has existed since at least the 15th century, which makes it one of the oldest ...
. His father served as an accountant in the
Gulag
The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
system, and the future actor spent a part of his adolescence in the
Vorkutlag
The Vorkuta Corrective Labor Camp (), commonly known as Vorkutlag (Воркутлаг), was a major Gulag labor camp in the Soviet Union located in Vorkuta, Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. ...
camps, where he became closely acquainted with the criminal world.
In childhood Yefremov attended a drama club at the House of Pioneers.
Theatre
He graduated from the School of 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.
From 1949 to 1956, Yefremov worked at the Central Children's Theater, where he played more than 20 roles, including Ivan ("Humpbacked Horse"), Coviel ("The Philistine in the Nobility"), Kostya Poletayev ("Pages of Life"), Alexey ( "In a good time!"). There he also made his debut as a director of the production of vaudeville "Dimka the Invisible" (1955).
In 1956, Oleg Yefremov organized the "Young Actors Studio" (later - the Moscow Theater "Sovremennik") and became the artistic director of the theater. On the stage of "Contemporary" he played in the performances "Forever Living" (Boris), "Destination" (Lyamin), "Nobody" (Vincenzo De Pretore). Among his directorial works are Five Evenings by Alexander Volodin, Eduard Rostan's Cyrano de Bergerac, Leonid Zorin's Decembrists trilogy, Alexander Svobin's Narodovoltsy, Mikhail Shatrov's Bolsheviks, Victor Rozov's Traditional Collection, Chekhov.
In 1970, Yefremov became the chief director of the Moscow Art Theater. After the division of the troupe in 1987 - the main stage director of the
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; , ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was founded in by the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright ...
. For thirty years in the Art Theater, he has staged more than 40 performances and himself played in 14 of them. Among his works - "Dulcinea Tobosskaya" (the role of Don Luis), "Copper Grandmother" (Pushkin's role), "Duck hunting" (Zilov's role), "Party Committee Meeting" (Potapov's role), "Boris Godunov" (the title role). He staged Anton Chekhov's plays: "Ivanov" (1976), "The Seagull" (1980), "Uncle Vanya" (1985), "The Cherry Orchard" (1989), "The Three Sisters" (1997). His last, unfinished, directorial work was "Cyrano de Bergerac".
Film
Oleg Yefremov played about 70 roles in feature and television films, the most famous of which are: ''
The First Echelon
''The First Echelon'' (, translit. ''Pervyy eshelon'') is a 1955 Soviet war romance film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, for which Dmitri Shostakovich wrote the music. The film tells the story of the touching romance between Komsomol secreta ...
'' by
Mikhail Kalatozov
Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozov ( ka, მიხეილ კალატოზიშვილი, ; 28 December 1903 – 26 March 1973), born Mikheil Kalatozishvili, was a Soviet film director of Georgians, Georgian origin who contributed to b ...
, ''The Soldiers were Advancing'' by
Leonid Trauberg
Leonid Zakharovich Trauberg (, 17 January 1902 – 14 November 1990) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1924 and 1961 and was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1941. Trauberg was Jewish, and was fiercely attack ...
, ''
The Alive and the Dead
''The Living and the Dead'' () is a 1964 Soviet World War II drama film directed by Aleksandr Stolper and produced by Mosfilm based on the 1959 novel ''The Living and the Dead'' by Konstantin Simonov.
Plot
The film spans the period from the ...
'' by Alexander Stolper, ''Someone Is Ringing, Open the Door'' by
Alexander Mitta
Alexander Naumovich Mitta (; born 28 March 1933 in Moscow) is a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and actor.
Mitta's birth name was Alexander Naumovich Rabinovich (). He studied engineering (graduated in 1955), then wor ...
Eldar Ryazanov
Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov (; 18 November 1927 – 30 November 2015) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, poet, actor and pedagogue whose popular comedies, satirizing the daily life of the Soviet Union and Russia, are celebrat ...
, ''
Three Poplars in Plyushchikha
''Three Poplars in Plyushchikha'' () is a 1968 romantic drama feature film directed by Tatyana Lioznova based on the story by Alexander Borschagovsky "Three Poplars in Shabolovka". The film was a box-office success, it was seen by 26 million peopl ...
'' by
Tatyana Lioznova
Tatyana Mikhailovna Lioznova (; 20 July 192429 September 2011) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter best known for her TV series ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (1973).
Personal life
Tatyana Lioznova was born in Moscow to parents Moses ...
and ''Battalions ask for Fire'' by Vladimir Chebotarev and Alexander Bogolyubov.
Other activities
Since 1949, Oleg Yefremov taught acting in the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio, produced several acting and director's courses, was a professor and head of the acting department.
He was one of the founders and the first secretary of the board 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 ...
.
Death
Oleg Yefremov died on 24 May 2000 in Moscow. He was buried at the
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery () is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site.
History
The cemetery was designed by Ivan Mashkov and inaugurated ...
Mikhail
Michael is a common masculine given name derived from the Hebrew phrase ''mī kāʼēl'', 'Who slike-El', in Aramaic: ܡܝܟܐܝܠ (''Mīkhāʼēl'' ). The theophoric name is often read as a rhetorical question – "Who slike he Hebrew Go ...
is also an actor.
In popular culture
In the 2013 television series '' The Thaw'', Oleg Yefremov was portrayed by his grandson, Nikita Yefremov.
Selected filmography
*1955: ''
The First Echelon
''The First Echelon'' (, translit. ''Pervyy eshelon'') is a 1955 Soviet war romance film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, for which Dmitri Shostakovich wrote the music. The film tells the story of the touching romance between Komsomol secreta ...
'' as Alexey Uzorov
*1960: ''
Probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
'' as Ulyan Grigorievich Zhur
*1961: ''
Mission
Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to:
Geography Australia
*Mission River (Queensland)
Canada
*Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality
* Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood
* ...
'' as Shcherbakov
*1962: '' My Younger Brother'' as Viktor Yakovlevich Denisov, scientist, Dima's older brother
*1964: ''
The Alive and the Dead
''The Living and the Dead'' () is a 1964 Soviet World War II drama film directed by Aleksandr Stolper and produced by Mosfilm based on the 1959 novel ''The Living and the Dead'' by Konstantin Simonov.
Plot
The film spans the period from the ...
'' as Captain Ivanov
*1965: ''
War and Peace
''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...
Straight Line
In geometry, a straight line, usually abbreviated line, is an infinitely long object with no width, depth, or curvature, an idealization of such physical objects as a straightedge, a taut string, or a ray of light. Lines are spaces of dimens ...
Aybolit-66
''Aybolit-66'' () is a 1967 Soviet family comedy film directed by Rolan Bykov. It is based on a Aybolit, story by Kornei Chukovsky. The film features Oleg Yefremov as the good ''Aibolit'' and Rolan Bykov as the evil ''Barmalei''.
Plot
In Africa, a ...
'' as doctor Aybolit
*1968: ''
Once More About Love
Once More About Love () is a 1968 Soviet romantic drama film directed by Georgy Natanson.
The film tells the story of a flight attendant's love for a brilliant but aloof physicist which transforms both their lives, but just as he realizes the dept ...
'' as Kartsev
*1969: ''
King Stag
''King Stag'' () is a feature film directed by Pavel Arsenov based on the musical play of the same name by Carlo Gozzi, and shot at the Gorky Film Studio in 1969. In the film, songs are played to the music of Mikael Tariverdiev performed by Alla ...
'' as Durandarte
*1969: '' Mama Married'' as Viktor
*1970: ''
Shine, Shine, My Star
"Shine, Shine, My Star" () is an acclaimed Russian romance.
The authorship of the song was uncertain for some time, being ascribed to various people, including Nikolay Gumilyov and Ivan Bunin. A popular belief attributed it to Russian Admiral Alek ...
All The King's Men
''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U. ...
Rudin
''Rudin'' (, ) is the first novel by Russian realist writer Ivan Turgenev. Turgenev started to work on it in 1855, and it was first published in the literary magazine "Sovremennik" in 1856; several changes were made by Turgenev in subsequent edi ...
Open Book Open book may refer to:
Books and publishing
* An Open Book (poems), ''An Open Book'' (poems), a collection by Orson Scott Card
* Open access books
* PEN/Open Book, a program fostering diversity in publishing
* ''An Open Book'', an autobiography ...
Sergey Rakhmaninov
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of t ...
*1980: ''
The Imaginary Invalid
''The Imaginary Invalid'', ''The Hypochondriac'', or ''The Would-Be Invalid'' ( French title ''Le Malade imaginaire'', ) is a three- act ''comédie-ballet'' by the French playwright Molière with dance sequences and musical interludes ( H.495, H ...
Another Man's Wife and a Husband under the Bed
"Another Man's Wife and a Husband Under the Bed" (, ''Chuzhaya zhena i muzh pod krovatyu'') is an 1848 short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Background
The story originated from two separate pieces: "Another Man's Wife" and "A Jealous Husband" (pub ...
'' as Alexander Demyanovich
*1984: '' Lets the Charms Last Long'' as Anton Nikolaevich Skvortsov
*1985: '' Battalions Ask for Fire'' as Colonel Gulyayev
*1986: ''The Secret of the Snow Queen'' as Fairy Tale’s Voice
*1990: ''The Hat'' as Pyotr Nikolaevich Lukin
*1991: ''And the wind Returns...'' as Sergei Yutkevich
*1995: '' Shirli-Myrli'' as Nikolai Grigorievich
*1998: ''
Composition for Victory Day
Composition for Victory Day () is a Russian film in 1998. The director is Sergei Ursuliak. Oleg Yefremov's the last role.
Plot
They had not seen for twenty-five years the crew of heroic fighters, three front-line friends. Life they have devel ...
'' as Dmitry Kilovatov
*1998: ''Chekhov and Co.'' as father of Savva Zhezlov / landowner Kamyshov
Honours and awards
*
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...
, three times;
**1969 — a stage trilogy ''Decembrists'', ''Narodnaya Volya'', ''Bolsheviks''
**1974 — for the performance ''Steelworkers'' by Gennady Bokarev
**1983 — for the play ''So We Will Win!'' by Mikhail Shatrov
* Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1967)
*
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 ...
(1969)
*
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...
(1976)
* Union TV Festival Jury Prize in Leningrad (''Days of the Surgeon Mishkin'', 1976)
*
Order of the Red Banner of Labour
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...
(30 September 1977)
*
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...
(1987)
*
Order of Friendship of Peoples
The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...
(1993)
*
Hero of Socialist Labour
The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...
(1987)
*
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 ...
, 3rd class (1997)
* Crystal Turandot Award (1997) c for valiant service to the theatre
*
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 ...
, twice
**1997 to maintain and develop the traditions of Russian psychological theatre in the play ''Three Sisters'' by
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...
**2003 (posthumous)
* Luspekayev Prize for ''Lady Luck'' at the film festival
Kinoshock
"Kinoshock" Open Film Festival of CIS and Baltic countries, also spelt Kinoshok, is a film festival staged in the Black Sea resort of Anapa, Russia, each September. "CIS" refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, comprising nine member s ...
in
Anapa
Anapa (, , ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. As of the 2021 Russian census, it had a population of 81,863. It is one of the largest ...
(1997)
* Golden Aries Award (1997) for his contribution to cinema
* Special Jury Prize of the National Theatre Award Golden Mask (1998) for the play ''Three Sisters'' by Anton Chekhov
*
Moscow Mayor
The Mayor of Moscow () is the head and the highest-ranking official of Moscow, who leads the Government of Moscow, the main executive body of the city.
Moscow is both a city and separate federal subject, according to the Constitution of Rus ...
's Award for a unique contribution to culture (1999)