Petr Illarionovich Shelokhonov, (, , , ; in
English also spelled 'Peter' or 'Pyotr' or 'Petr'; 15 August 1929 – 15 September 1999) was a
Russian
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
, filmmaker and
socialite
A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...
, designated
Honorable Actor of
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 ...
(1979). A strong proponent of making
High culture
In a society, high culture encompasses culture, cultural objects of Objet d'art, aesthetic value that a society collectively esteems as exemplary works of art, as well as the literature, music, history, and philosophy a society considers represen ...
accessible to all people, he organized
social events for all people in artistic
communities
A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place (geography), place, set of Norm (social), norms, culture, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Ide ...
of
St. Petersburg and
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 ...
using his position as member of the
Union of Actors.
[Book "My best friend Petr Shelokhonov" (2009, Russian) by actor Ivan I. Krasko – Saint Petersburg, Russia: SOLO Publishing, 2009. ]
Biography
Childhood
Petr Shelokhonov was born in 1929, in
Wilno Voivodeship, then a part of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
; Petr Larionovich Shelokhonov (also known as Peter, Pyotr, or Petro Larionovich Schelochonovich in
Belarusian,
Polish,
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
and
Ukrainian). His
ancestor
An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...
s
originated from
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, from
Baltic states
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
, and from
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.
His
father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
, Larion (Illarion) Titovich Shelokhonov, practiced
veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...
and was living at a
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
farm, where his
grandfather
Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...
, Tito Shelohonovich, was also a
farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...
. The
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
and the
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
brought dramatic changes, so Larion Shelokhonov became a
feldsher and practiced medicine raising the
son to become a
medical doctor
A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...
. Petr rode horseback during his childhood; he studied
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
and
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
under his father's tutelage, spending hours
research
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
ing cells and tissues using his father's
microscope
A microscope () is a laboratory equipment, laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic ...
. Petr Shelokhonov was destined to practice medicine, like his father, but his fate was changed by
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
[Obraztsova, Natalia. "Steps to the sun" Biography of Petr Shelokhonov in THEATER LIFE" magazine No 2, 1968, Moscow, USSR][Ivaneev, Dmitri. Petr Shelokhonov, Honorable Actor of Russia, biography. Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2004]
World War II
Petr Shelokhonov survived the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
occupation during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Following the German and Soviet
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
and the reshaping of
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
,
Poland's borders were redrawn at the insistence of Soviet leader
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
, and Petr Shelokhonov's birthplace was incorporated into the
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 19 ...
that was swiftly occupied by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
in the
Summer
Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
of
1941
The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
. One terrible night his home was totally destroyed by
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
aerial bombing
An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...
, he miraculously escaped the
death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
by running away barefoot. He then witnessed the fire and destruction of the entire village when the
German tanks leveled the remains of his house, then ruined his
school
A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...
and the horse farm. He tried to find his relatives until his cousin told him that there were no
survivor
Survivor(s) may refer to:
* one who survives
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series
* ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...
s. He was unable to find the remains of his
mother
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
, Anna Minska, to give her a proper traditional burial. He was separated from his father, who was away with horses. The Nazis arrested Petr but he escaped under heavy
gun
A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...
fire. Petr Shelokhonov was severely
wound
A wound is any disruption of or damage to living tissue, such as skin, mucous membranes, or organs. Wounds can either be the sudden result of direct trauma (mechanical, thermal, chemical), or can develop slowly over time due to underlying diseas ...
ed in the
forehead
In human anatomy, the forehead is an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp grows. The bottom of the fo ...
but he survived and dug a hole in the ground, to hide from
Nazi police patrols during the autumn of 1941. There was no food, and people around were dying from
starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, de ...
. Petr survived thanks to a wounded
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
, which was blind and without calves, and her udders were full of
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
. Petr used his veterinarian skills and befriended the cow, so he could suck her warm milk. Eventually, the wounded cow died. Then he learned how to explode
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
grenade
A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...
s to kill
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
in a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
. While doing that, he was arrested by the
partisans patrol and joined the partisans in the woods.
Theatre
In 1942, while surviving in the woods with partisans, Petr Shelokhonov had his first
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
experience
Experience refers to Consciousness, conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience i ...
. He performed improvised
parodies
A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satirical or ironic imitation. Often its subject is an original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, etc), but a parody can als ...
of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
s for his fellow partisans. His performances helped lift their spirits in a time when they were struggling to survive. This experience accentuated his humble, modest character. The
scar
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrosis, fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other Organ (anatomy), organs, and biological tissue, t ...
on his forehead, the mark of war, made his acting career seem like an impossible dream; but Petr was determined – depending upon his
role
A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an
expected or free or continuously changing behavior and may have a given indi ...
s he covered his scar with an appropriate theatrical
makeup
Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or created sy ...
, wore a
wig
A wig is a head covering made from human or animal hair, or a synthetic imitation thereof. The word is short for "periwig". Wigs may be worn to disguise baldness, to alter the wearer's appearance, or as part of certain professional uniforms.
H ...
or used various
hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
s. At first, he accompanied himself playing the
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
. Then he made
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
s and a screen, and worked in his own
puppet theater entertaining
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands ...
people during the war years. In his show, titled "Peter and the Wolf," he managed to lead four puppets with four voices, and also played the accordion. He traveled across Belarus and
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
with his puppet theatre and performed for bread and rare food packages from the American
airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of Materiel, supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material lo ...
. He spoke Polish, Yiddish, Russian, Belarusian, and his native Ukrainian, and he was very
luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at a ...
y to survive until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Leningrad
In 1945, Petr Shelokhonov became a
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
student at the
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
Conservatory of Music, he also played the accordion on
stage
Stage, stages, or staging may refer to:
Arts and media Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
, albeit his plan was to become an actor in
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. In 1946, he moved to Leningrad in pursuit of an acting career. Petr Shelokhonov was looking for a job with a
jazz band
A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...
, similar to his favorite bands of
Leonid Utyosov
Leonid Osipovich Utesov, also spelled Utyosov or Utiosov, born Lazar (Leyzer) Iosifovich Vaysbeyn or Weissbein (, Odessa – 9 March 1982, Moscow), was a famous Soviet estrada singer, and comic actor, who became the first pop singer to be award ...
and
Eddie Rosner, so he joined a jazz band at the Leningrad Navy Club and also gave performances as a
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehear ...
and played the accordion.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...
,
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...
and
Sergei Rachmaninov
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 ...
were his favorites as well as the music of
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...
,
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
and other stars heard on the
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
shows. Petr's love of
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
and his passion for
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
, which was generously peppered with his free-spirited
humor
Humour ( Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids i ...
, protected his peaceful soul and positive disposition and helped him survive through the roughest realities of life under
Soviet communism; but when his free-spirited humor angered the hard-liners, many doors closed. The city that stood the attack of Hitler's armies and was terribly ruined but not destroyed by the nightmares of war and
the siege, where depleted people stood in lines for bread, now
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's supporters resumed
purge
In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertaking such an ...
s. In 1946, the persecution of creative intellectuals began, so publishers, magazines, and theaters were closed. In the war-ravaged and repressed city, new people from all over poured in and with fresh forces, they attempted to restore normal life. But under Stalin's regime, Petr Shelokhonov was
detained by the Soviet authorities and was forced to work
hard labour
Penal labour is a term for various kinds of forced labour that prisoners are required to perform, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence involving penal labour have included inv ...
for several months on the construction grounds for the
Kirov Stadium in Leningrad until he was drafted in the Soviet Navy.
Baltic Sea
In 1949, Petr Shelokhonov was
conscripted in the
Soviet Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...
in Leningrad, and then he served in the
Red Navy for five years. Petr began his service as a
seaman
Seaman may refer to:
* Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew
* Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies
* Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name)
* ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...
part of the crew in charge of
smoke screen
A smoke screen is smoke released to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks, aircraft, or ships.
Smoke screens are commonly deployed either by a canister (such as a grenade) or generated by a vehicle (such as ...
devices on ships of the
Baltic Fleet
The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
. There he was soon arrested for telling a political joke. Petr was detained for several days at the strict
guardhouse
A guardhouse (also known as a watch house, guard building, guard booth, guard shack, security booth, security building, or sentry building) is a building used to house Security guard, personnel and security equipment. Guardhouses have histori ...
– military detention facility. That experience did not break his will, as he used
humor
Humour ( Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids i ...
to survive. From 1949 to 1954 he served in the Soviet Navy stationed in
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...
,
Klaipėda
Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...
and
Liepāja
Liepāja () (formerly: Libau) is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Courland region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an ...
. Peter eventually moved up from a sailor to actor with the Theatre of the Baltic Fleet in the city of Liepāja. There he delivered many radio and stage performances, earning critical acclaim and an Honorable Note from the
Republic of Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
. In 1952, in Liepāja, he did a great job at the gala concert of the Baltic Fleet delivering exceptional performance and attracting the attention of
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
s
Kharlamov and
Golovko, and not only them. Petr noticed being followed. He was "caught" in the radio room listening to foreign radio stations - Frank Sinatra's voice. At that time
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
ordered
radio jamming of foreign radio stations throughout the USSR, but there was no radio interference on the sea, and the sailors listened to prohibited radio broadcasts. Listening to "enemy voices" was then a serious accusation. Petr Shelokhonov was punished again for telling political jokes and for listening to foreign radio stations, such as the
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
and the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. Listening to foreign radio stations was considered
anti-soviet
Anti-Sovietism or anti-Soviet sentiment are activities that were actually or allegedly aimed against the Soviet Union or government power within the Soviet Union.
Three common uses of the term include the following:
* Anti-Sovietism in inter ...
activity, a punishable crime in the Soviet Union during the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
.
But even after the guardhouse, again and again, as if spellbound, he continued to listen to his favorite music on the radio: Frank Sinatra,
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and understood that the big world lives a different life, that is full of
joy and
happiness
Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...
. In 1954, Petr Shelokhonov was discharged from the Red Navy and applied to the
Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinema, but the school refused to accept him because of his scarred face and bad
anti-soviet
Anti-Sovietism or anti-Soviet sentiment are activities that were actually or allegedly aimed against the Soviet Union or government power within the Soviet Union.
Three common uses of the term include the following:
* Anti-Sovietism in inter ...
record. Peter's free-spirited humor only angered the hard-liners, so for him, many doors closed.
[Book "My best friend Petr Shelokhonov" (2009, Russian) by actor Ivan I. Krasko – Saint Petersburg, Russia: SOLO Publishing, 2009. ]
Siberia
After that, Petr's acting career was limited to
Siberia
Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
, where he remained under suspicion as did many other survivors who were held by the Nazis in occupied territory during World War II. He managed to survive through the roughest realities of life under Soviet communism; but he did not stop telling funny political jokes about the Soviet leadership, so when his free spirited humor angered the hard liners, many doors closed. He moved to the Siberian city of
Irkutsk
Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...
and studied acting at the Irkutsk drama school, graduating in 1960, as actor. Petr Shelokhonov was member of the Irkutsk State Drama Theater from 1957 to 1962.
There he created a variety of characters ranging from Soviet working class heroes to
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's play.
Chekhov's theatre
From 1962 to 1968, Petr Shelokhonov worked as an actor and
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
at the
Chekhov Drama Theatre in the city of
Taganrog
Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population:
Located at the site of a ...
, Russia.
There Shelokhonov created leading roles in several new productions of such classic plays 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 ...
as Uncle Vanya in ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...
'' (), Ivanov in ''
Ivanov'' (), Tuzenbach in ''
Three Sisters'' (), and Treplev in ''
The Seagull
''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...
'' (). In ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...
'', which he co-directed, he also played two opposing characters on different nights, alternating between the roles as Gayev, and as Lopakhin. Shelokhonov also appeared as Satin in ''
The Lower Depths
''The Lower Depths'' (, literally: ''At the bottom'') is a play by Russian dramatist Maxim Gorky written in 1902 and produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski. It became his first ma ...
'' () by
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 ...
and as Derzhavin in ''Friends and Years'' by Leonid Zorin. His favorite role of that period was Platonov in the
eponymous play by Anton Chekhov. In 1967, for the 50th anniversary of the
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
, Shelokhonov was ordered by the
Soviet Communist party
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
to portray
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
in several productions, an order no one could object in the Soviet Union. So, Shelokhonov portrayed Lenin in the style of
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
, which angered the communists, but made common viewers
smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
.
Moscow
In 1967, Petr Shelokhonov made his TV
debut 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 ...
appearing in the leading role as Unknown Soldier in the TV movie ''Steps to the Sun'' (''Shagi v Solntse'') ''()'' which premiered in the
USSR
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 ...
on
Soviet Central Television in 1967.
Successful appearances on television made Petr Shelokhonov known to major film studios and soon he made his big-screen debut in the film titled ''
Hidden Enemy - No Amnesty'' (1968) appearing as
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 ...
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
who was a foreign spy. Petr Shelokhonov played a good-looking
spy, who was surreptitiously killing people and infiltrating the Soviet rank and file wearing a Soviet
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
uniform
A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...
. The film release coincided with the real
attack on the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (19 December 190610 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 until Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, his death in 1982 as w ...
by an armed man who penetrated the
Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...
wearing a Soviet uniform. Brezhnev's police Chief
N.A.Schelokov wrote an angry letter to the
Soviet Communist Party
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
demanding that this "
anti-Soviet
Anti-Sovietism or anti-Soviet sentiment are activities that were actually or allegedly aimed against the Soviet Union or government power within the Soviet Union.
Three common uses of the term include the following:
* Anti-Sovietism in inter ...
" film must be banned. Immediately the film was banned and Petr Shelokhonov was
censored. Then the film was altered and re-made for release later in 1969 under the new
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
title, "Amnesty Not Possible", but it was also banned and all existing printed copies and the
original camera negative
The original camera negative (OCN) is the film in a traditional film-based movie camera which captures the original image. This is the film from which all other copies will be made. It is known as raw stock prior to exposure.
The size of a roll v ...
were destroyed by the
Soviets
The Soviet people () were the citizens and nationals of the Soviet Union. This demonym was presented in the ideology of the country as the "new historical unity of peoples of different nationalities" ().
Nationality policy in the Soviet Union ...
. The replacement film was produced under the supervision of the Soviet
KGB
The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
, it was titled ''
Untangling'' ''()'' and released in 1970. In it the spy, played again by Petr Shelokhonov, is wearing a white shirt instead of a Soviet uniform, because the Soviet
KGB
The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
ordered the filmmakers to do so.
In June 1969, the Chief of Soviet State Police (N.A.Shchelokov) wrote:
Censored by the Soviet Government, Petr Shelokhonov experienced hard times. In 1970, he was recommended by film director
Sergei Gerasimov for the portrayal of
Sergei Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (14 January 1966) was the lead Soviet Aerospace engineering, rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. He invented the R-7 Sem ...
, the legendary rocket scientist who launched the first man in space, but state censors refused him the job. The film title was ''
Taming of the Fire'' (''Ukroshcheniye ognya'') () but Shelokhonov was banned from playing the leading role by Soviet
censor. The leading role eventually went to his fellow actor
Kirill Lavrov and Shelokhonov played a supporting role having such film partners as
Innokenty Smoktunovsky
Innokenty Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky (; born ''Smoktunovich'', 28 March 19253 August 1994) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1974 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1990.
Early life
Smo ...
,
Igor Gorbachyov,
Yevgeni Matveev,
Zinovi Gerdt,
Igor Vladimirov
Igor Petrovich Vladimirov (; 1 January 1919, Dnipro, Yekaterinoslav – 20 March 1999, Saint Petersburg) was a Soviet film and theater actor, theater and film director, and teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1978). From 1960 until his death in ...
,
Vera Kuznetsova,
Andrei Popov and other notable Russian actors.
The film ''Taming of the Fire'' revealed for the first time some details of the top-secret Soviet
missile
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...
program that was developing behind the
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
. At that time Soviet political censors had total domination over the filmmakers. Filming locations in the Soviet Union were top secret, such as the
Baykonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
and the
Gagarin Space Center near Moscow.
Soviet military censors watched the secret equipment and
rocket
A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...
science machinery that was disallowed, so several scenes with good acting were deleted and destroyed. The total length of destroyed footage was well over a thousand meters of film, so the released version of the film was reduced by one hour. Several scenes with performances by Petr Shelokhonov and other actors were also censored and destroyed.
Leningrad
In 1968, Petr Shelokhonov moved back to Leningrad. There he became a member of the troupe at
Lenkom Theatre, then he joined the troupe at
Lensovet Theatre
Lensovet Theatre, officially Saint Petersburg State Academic Lensoviet Theatre (in , literally St Petersburg Academic Theater of the Leningrad City Council), also known as Lensovet Academic Theatre and Lensoviet Theatre, is a theatre and theatri ...
, and then became permanent member of the troupe at
Komissarjevsky Theatre. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s he created a number of leading roles in popular stage productions in Leningrad, such as
Nikita Romanovich in trilogy about Russian
Tsar
Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
s: ''Death of Ivan the Terrible'', ''Tsar Boris'', and ''Tsar Fedor Ioannovich'' by
Aleksei Tolstoy. Petr Shelokhonov was critically acclaimed for his performance in the leading roles as Sudakov in ''Gnezdo Glukharya'' by
Viktor Rozov, as Dmitri Nikolaevich in ''Theme and Variations'' by
Aleksei Arbuzov, and as Johansson in ''Antiquariat'' by Annie Pukkemaa. His most memorable TV performances were such roles as Laptev in Chekhov's ''Three Years'', as Corporal Vaskov in ''Dawns are quiet here'' by
Boris Vasilyev, and as Batmanov in ''Far from Moscow'' (''Daleko ot Moskvy'') () by
Vasily Azhaev. At that time Shelokhonov was also cast in films made by
Lenfilm
Lenfilm (, acronym of Leningrad Films) is a Russian production and distribution company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes s ...
Studios,
Odessa Film Studio, Kiev
Dovzhenko Film Studios,
Mosfilm
Mosfilm (, ''Mosfil’m'' , initialism and portmanteau of Moscow Films) is a film studio in Moscow which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's fi ...
and
Sverdlovsk film studios
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; howev ...
. Petr Shelokhonov shone in a range of leading and supporting roles such as
Cossack
The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...
Severian Ulybin in 1971 epic film ''
Dauriya'' and as spy Sotnikov in the 1969 detective drama ''
Razvyazka''. He also portrayed a variety of historical figures, leaders and intellectuals, on stage and in film, such as the Russian composer
Mikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, links=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, mʲɪxɐˈil ɨˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognit ...
, Academician
Ivan Sechenov
Ivan Mikhaylovich Sechenov (; – ) is a world-renowned medical scientist, physiologist, psychologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and founder of Russian physiology and psychology, he is a pioneer in the field of central ner ...
, revolutionaries
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
and Dorogomilov. In 1974 Shelokhonov played the leading role as industrialist Peresada, opposite another Russian film star
Natalia Fateeva, in political drama ''Countermeasure'' ''(
Otvetnaya mera)'' based on real historic events of the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
.
St. Petersburg
In 1989, writer and director
Peter Ustinov
Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...
invited Petr Shelokhonov to play the leading role, as Sam, in his autobiographical play ''Photo Finish'', which was staged and directed by Peter Ustinov in St. Petersburg at the
Lensovet Theatre
Lensovet Theatre, officially Saint Petersburg State Academic Lensoviet Theatre (in , literally St Petersburg Academic Theater of the Leningrad City Council), also known as Lensovet Academic Theatre and Lensoviet Theatre, is a theatre and theatri ...
. In that production, Petr Shelokhonov gave a critically acclaimed performance with the support of an ensemble of his stage acting partners, such as,
Yelena Solovey, Roman Gromadsky, Anna Aleksakhina, and other notable Russian actors. The production ran more than 100 performances spanning three seasons from 1989 to 1992.
In 1993, Petr Shelokhonov directed a stage production of the American play ''Isabella'' by Irving A. Leitner, about
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
girl, Isabella Katz Leitner, who survived the
Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
. The production was made possible by American producers. Petr Shelokhonov created an innovative and life-affirming final scene in which the victims of the Nazis are seen emerging from the burning ovens of Auschwitz. One by one, they slowly walk across the stage to symbolically join the living audience, accompanied by the music from
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's
Requiem
A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
.
In his directing as well as in his acting Petr Shelokhonov used his own experience as a
WWII
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
survivor.
In 1996, Petr Shelokhonov was cast by
Marion Dougherty to perform opposite
Sophie Marceau
Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...
,
James Fox, and
Sean Bean
Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean; 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in a production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre. Retaining his ...
in
Anna Karenina (1997 film) by director
Bernard Rose. The film based on the
1877 novel of the same name by
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
became the only international production filmed entirely in Russia, on locations in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and
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 ...
.
Recognition

Petr Shelokhonov was loved by the
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
, despite hard times with
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 ...
officials. He played leading and supporting roles in Russian and international films, and his filmography includes over 80 roles in film and on television. His film partners were such actors as
Kirill Lavrov,
Alisa Freindlich
Alisa Brunovna Freindlich (born 8 December 1934) is a Russian actress. Since 1983, Freindlich has been a leading actress of the Bolshoi Drama Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the title of the People's Artist of the USSR in ...
,
Yefim Kopelyan,
Pavel Luspekayev, Ivan I. Krasko,
Igor Gorbachyov,
Nikolai Gritsenko,
Vitali Solomin,
Natalya Fateyeva
Natalya Nikolayevna Fateyeva (; born 23 December 1934) is a Soviet and Russian film actress and television presenter. She has appeared in more than fifty films since 1956. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1980).
Biography
Natalya Nikolayevna Fatey ...
,
Imre Sinkovits,
James Fox,
Sophie Marceau
Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...
,
Sean Bean
Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean; 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in a production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre. Retaining his ...
, and other notable actors. He also played over 100 roles on stage in Russian and international theater productions and was a member of three theatre companies in Leningrad – St. Petersburg. Petr Shelokhonov received honors from the republic of
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
(1952) and was designated Honorable Actor of
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 ...
(1979). He died in 1999 and was laid to rest in St. Petersburg, Russia. The book about him is titled "My best friend Petr Shelokhonov" by actor
Ivan I. Krasko
Ivan Ivanovich Krasko (; born September 23, 1930) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and writer. He was named a People's Artist of Russia (1992).
Biography
He studied acting at Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, graduating in ...
was published in 2009, to commemorate the 80th
anniversary
An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded.
Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the List of national independence days, date of independen ...
of the actor, and other books about him were published in Russia, in Europe, and in the USA.
Filmography
Actor
* 1967: Shagi v Solntse ''()'' – as Unknown soldier
* 1968:
Tri goda by
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 ...
''()'' – as Aleksei Fedorovich Laptev
* 1968:
Hidden Enemy ''()'' - as
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 ...
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
* 1969: Rokirovka v dlinnuyu storonu ''()'' – as Scientist
* 1969:
Untangling ''()'' – as Spy Vladimir Sotnikov
* 1970: ''
Franz Liszt. Dreams of love'' ''()'' – as
Mikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, links=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, mʲɪxɐˈil ɨˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognit ...
, Russian composer
* 1970:
Lyubov Yarovaya ''()'' – as Commissare Mazukhin
* 1970: Dawns are quiet here ''()'' – as Sergeant Vaskov
* 1970: ''Far from Moscow'' (''Daleko ot Moskvy'') ''()'' – as Manager Batmanov
* 1971: Night on the 14th Parallel ''()'' – as Newspaper Editor
* 1971: ''
Dauria'' () – as Cossack Severian Ulybin
* 1971: Shutite? ''()'' – as Chairman
* 1971: Kholodno – goryacho ''()'' – as Writer Anton Podorozhny
* 1972: ''
Taming of the Fire'' ''()'' – as Michael Karelin, rocket scientist
* 1972: Grossmeyster ''()'' – as Stepfather
* 1972: Such a long, long road ''()'' – as Captain
* 1973: Opoznanie ''()'' – as Colonel
* 1974: Amra – as Khasarman, Amra's father
* 1974: ''
Countermeasure
A countermeasure is a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. As a general concept, it implies precision and is any technological or tactical solution or system designed to prevent an undesirable outcome in the process. The fi ...
'' ''()'' – as Sergei Ivanovich Peresada
* 1975: You win it in battle ''()'' – as Mayor Nikolai Sergeev
* 1975: Troil and Kressida (TV) – as King Agamemnon
* 1976:
Menya eto ne kasaetsa ''()'' – as Detective Pankatov
* 1976: Trust ''()'' – as Georgiy Pokrovsky
* 1976: Vitali Bianki ''()'' – as Presenter-Narrator
* 1977: First joy ''()'' – as Dorogomilov
* 1978: Kamyshy'' ()'' – as Detective
* 1978:
Moment decides everything ''()'' – as Matveev, Director of Sport
* 1978: Full Circle ''()'' – as Professor-psychiatrist Badmayev from St. Petersburg
* 1979: Extraordinary summer ''()'' – as Dorogomilov
* 1979:
Puteshestvie v drugoi gorod ''()'' – as Fedor Ignatevich
* 1980:
Zhizn i priklyucheniya chetyrekh druzei 1/2 ''()'' – as Forest ranger
* 1980: Late rendez-vous ''()'' – as Lena's father
* 1981:
Zhizn i priklyucheniya chetyrekh druzei 3/4 ''()'' – as Forest ranger
* 1981: "
Truth of Lieutenant Klimov" ''()'' – as Nikolai Chervonenko
* 1981: 20 December ''()'' – as Lawyer Zarudny
* 1981:
Devushka i Grand ''()'' – as Director of Sport
* 1981:
Syndikate - 2 ''()''– as Agent Ivan Fomichev
* 1981: It was beyond the Narva gates – as Revolutionary Gregory
* 1982:
Customs
Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
''()'' – as Chief customs officer
* 1982:
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...
''()'' – Voice
* 1982: The year of active sun ''()'' – as School suprviser
* 1982: Liszt Ferenc ''()'' – as
Count Mikhail Vielgorsky
* 1982:
Golos ''()'' – as Production Director
* 1982:
Fifth decade ''()'' – as Vasili Nikitich
* 1983: ''
Magistral'' ''()'' – as Chairman Gadalov
* 1983:
Mesto deistviya ''()'' – as Mayor Ivan Ryabov
* 1984:
Zaveshchanie professora Douela ''()'' – Cameo
* 1984: Two versions of one collision ''()'' – as Diplomat Gordin
* 1985:
Sofia Kovalevskaya ''()'' – as
Ivan Sechenov
Ivan Mikhaylovich Sechenov (; – ) is a world-renowned medical scientist, physiologist, psychologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and founder of Russian physiology and psychology, he is a pioneer in the field of central ner ...
* 1985:
Rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
''()'' – as Coach Semenich
* 1985: Kontract of the century ''()'' – as Government Minister
* 1985: Rassleduet Brigada Bychkova ''()'' – Detective Officer
* 1986: The last road ''()'' – as Doctor Stefanovich
* 1986: "
Red arrow" ''()'' – as Manager Yusov
* 1987:
Sreda obitaniya ''()'' – as Director of National Archives
* 1987:
Vezuchiy chelovek ''()'' – as Manager
* 1987:
Moonzund ''()'' – as Captain Andreev
* 1988: "
Bread is a proper noun" ''()'' – as Blacksmith Akimych
* 1991: "
My best friend, General Vasili, son of Joseph Stalin" ''()'' – as Colonel Savinykh
* 1992:
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
''()'' – as
Lord Marshal
* 1996: Passazhirka ''()'' – as Passenger
* 1997: ''
Anna Karenina
''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, Анна Каренина, p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Tolstoy called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial in ...
'', a 1997 film by
Bernard Rose starring
Sophie Marceau
Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...
. ''()'' – as Kapitonich, Karenin's butler
Stage works
Actor
* 1997: ''Passenger'' () – as ''Passenger''
* 1994: ''
Barefoot in the Park
''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy stage play by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda.
Productions
...
'' () – as ''Victor Velasco''
* 1993: ''Antiquariat'' by
:fi:Anneli Pukema – as ''Johansson''
* 1992: ''Murder of Gonzago'' () – as ''King Gonzago''
* 1989: ''Photo Finish'' by
Peter Ustinov
Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...
() – as ''Sam''
* 1988: ''The Land of Promise'' by
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
– as ''Mr. Wikham''
* 1986: ''Round table under lamp'' () – as ''Slepokhin''
* 1985: ''A Grand Piano in the Sea'' ()
* 1983: ''Last Summer in Chulimsk'' by
Alexander Vampilov () – as ''Pomigalov''
* 1980: ''Fifth decade'' () – as ''Fedor Nikitich''
* 1980: ''Theme and Variations'' () – as ''Dmitri Nikolaevich''
* 1978: ''Gnezdo glukharia'' ( – as ''Sudakov''
* 1977: ''Tsar Boris'' () – as ''Mitropolite Job''
* 1976: ''
Tsar Fédor Ivanovitch'' () – as
Prince Golitsyn
* 1974: ''Death of Ivan the Terrible'' () – as ''
Nikita Romanovich Zakharin-Yuriev''
* 1970: ''Far from Moscow'' (aka.. Daleko ot Moskvy) () – as ''Batmanov''
* 1970: ''Dawns are quiet here'' ( – as ''Sergeant Vaskov''
* 1969: ''
Cyrano de Bergerac
Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist.
A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...
'' ( – as ''Montfleury'', ''Jodelet''
* 1967: ''In the name of Revolution'' () – as ''
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
''
* 1967: ''Lecture by Lenin'' () – as ''
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
''
* 1967: ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...
'' () – as ''Gayev'', as ''Lopakhin''
* 1967: ''
Three Sisters'' () – as ''Tuzenbach''
* 1966: ''
Platonov'' () – as ''Michael Platonov''
* 1966: ''The night of Moon eclipse'' – as ''Dervish Divana''
* 1966: ''
The Seagull
''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...
'' ( – as ''Treplev''
* 1965: ''
Obelisque'' – as ''Peter''
* 1965: ''
Ivanov'' () – as ''Ivanov''
* 1964: ''
Uncle Vania'' () – as ''Uncle Vanya''
* 1964: "104 pages about love" ()
* 1964: ''Grave accusation'' ( – Male lead
* 1963: ''
The Lower Depths
''The Lower Depths'' (, literally: ''At the bottom'') is a play by Russian dramatist Maxim Gorky written in 1902 and produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski. It became his first ma ...
'' () – as ''Satin''
* 1963: ''Armoured train 14–69'' () – as ''Vaska Pepel''
* 1963: ''Friends and Years'' () – as ''Derzhavin''
* 1963: ''
Ocean
The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
'' ( – as ''Captain Platonov''
* 1962: ''
Ocean
The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
'' ( – as ''Captain Chasovnikov''
* 1961: ''
Golden Boy'' () – as ''Joe Bonaparte, the Golden Boy''
* 1961: ''Credit with Nibelungen'' ()
* 1960: ''An Irkutsk story'' () – as ''Victor'', as ''Denis''
* 1960: ''
Dubrovsky'' () – as ''Dubrovsky''
* 1959: ''A little student'' () – as ''Larisov''
* 1958: ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' () – as ''Hamlet''
* 1957: ''Poem of bread'' () – as ''Senya''
Director of theatre
* 1993 – Isabella ''()'' (play by Irving A. Leitner)
* 1968 – Platonov ''()'' (play by A. Chekhov)
* 1967 – Lectures of
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
(play by M. Shatrov)
* 1967 – Girls from the street of hope (play by A. Mamlin)
* 1966 – Obelisque (play by A. Mamlin)
* 1965 – Ivanov ''()'' (play by A. Chekhov)
* 1965 – Shadowboxing (play by B. Tour)
* 1964 -
104 pages about love ''()'' (play by
Edvard Radzinsky)
* 1964 – Sacred night (play by A. Chavrin)
* 1963 – Friends and years (play by L. Zorin)
Honors
* 1979: Honorable Actor of Russia SFSR ''()''
* 1952: Honorary Letter from the Government of
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
for outstanding performance on stage.
Sources
* Cast Photographs for Anna Karenina (1997 film)
* Book "My best friend Petr Shelokhonov" (2009, Russian) by actor
Ivan I. Krasko
Ivan Ivanovich Krasko (; born September 23, 1930) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and writer. He was named a People's Artist of Russia (1992).
Biography
He studied acting at Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, graduating in ...
– Saint Petersburg, Russia: SOLO Publishing, 2009.
* Biography of Petr Shelokhonov (Russian) by
film critic
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scholars, who study the composition of film theory and publish their findin ...
Dmitri Ivaneev
* Lenfilm Studios personal file on film actor Peter Shelokhonov.
* Petr Shelokhonov at the
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
:
* Petr Shelokhonov (Russian Encyclopedia: Петр Шелохонов)
* Petr Shelokhonov (Russian: Петр Шелохонов)
* Petr Shelokhonov (Russian: Петр Шелохонов) in Russian source: Stranitsy russkoĭ literatury serediny deviatnadtsatogo veka By M. L. Semanova, Page 172
* Publications in THEATER magazine 1961–1996
* Publications in TEATRALHAYA ZHIZN magazine 1959–1994
* Publications in SOVETSKY EKRAN magazine 1969–1992
* Petr Shelokhonov's father (Russian: И. Шелохонов) in Russian source: Page 22 in Kooperativno-kolkhoznoe stroitelʹstvo v Belorusskoĭ SSR, 1917–1927 gg ... By Mikhail Pavlovich. Published by "Nauka i tekhnika" 1980
References
External links
* Petr Shelokhonov Websit
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelokhonov, Petr
Russian male film actors
Soviet male film actors
Belarusian male film actors
Male actors from Saint Petersburg
1929 births
1999 deaths
20th-century Belarusian male actors
Belarusian male stage actors
Mass media people from Saint Petersburg
Russian people of Belarusian descent
20th-century Russian male actors
Honored Artists of the RSFSR
Russian satirists
Belarusian satirists