Leonid Kharitonov: biography, filmography, personal life

Leonid Kharitonov, whose biography is described in this article, is a Soviet actor of theater and cinema, Honored Artist of the RSFSR. Was born on 19.05.1930 in a city located on the great Neva river, called Leningrad. Mother Kharitonova worked as a doctor all the time, and her father was an engineer. Lenya had a younger brother, who was called Victor. Father and mother made many efforts to instill in children love for art and encouraged the brothers for their passion for theatrical and musical art. Little Kharitonov tried not to miss the opportunity to read a poem or sing a song on family holidays, which were attended by many friends of parents.

School years

A little grown up Lenya parents designed in a fairly prestigious in those days, gymnasium number 239. In this educational institution successfully worked the circle of the theater under the leadership of the then known actress Maria Prizvan-Sokolova. The colorful narratives of the theatrical stage impressed the boy greatly, and he determinedly set himself the goal of becoming a great artist. Little Leonid Kharitonov, whose personal life was different from the other students of the studio, was characterized by quite good abilities for acting - he was quite successfully given vocal singing, he was able to boldly hold onto the stage, and he absorbed pedagogical advice from the very first.

In the school years he was nicknamed "artist" because he was an obligatory participant in almost all the performances that were put at that time in school. After the 9th grade, the boy passed the exams to the theater's studio, but he was not enrolled there because he did not have a certificate of maturity by that time.

Student period

After graduating from school, Leonid Kharitonov successfully entered the university, where he selflessly comprehended jurisprudence throughout the year, and filled his free time from studies with his favorite pastime in a student drama circle. The role of the inspector Bobchinsky made me think seriously about the career of the theater and cinema actor. In the university years, Kharitonov received a proposal from the intelligence service, while setting a condition that he could be expected to stay abroad for a long time, and, accordingly, many must be sacrificed. The actor did not accept such a proposal because of his great love of theatrical art. During the tour of the Moscow Art Academic Theater in the city on the Neva River, a set was announced for their school-studio. Nemirovich-Danchenko. The young man decided to take exams. Has perfectly passed all stages and has been enlisted.

The future film actor graduated from the studio school in 1954 and was immediately enrolled in the list of actors in the theater troupe. In the same year, Kharitonov had the opportunity to film for the first time in the movie "School of Courage", besides, he began to play there while still a student.

Leonid Kharitonov: films about the soldier Ivan Brovkin

A year after the filming of the School of Courage, the movie "Soldier Ivan Brovkin" appeared on the screens. With the aim of getting the actor accustomed to the hero's costume, he was allowed to wear uniform on a daily basis. And to better understand and study the character of the hero Ivan Leonid Kharitonov (photo soldier is presented below) for several hours a day engaged in drill military training, learned to drive a motorcycle and a tractor and even gave up the singer-understudy.

He insisted on the own performance of all the songs involved in the film. Leonid studied the comedy script for several months, carefully examining every line, trying to imagine as full a merry soldier Brovkin, who was famous for his untimely and inappropriate actions. During the filming of Ivan Brovkin, the artist's stomach ulcer was aggravated, which was acquired during the Leningrad blockade.

In the summer of 1955, a military patrol stopped a young soldier in the streets of Sukhumi, because he did not greet the officer passing by and was not dressed in accordance with the regulations. The detained soldier not only did not stretch himself at the counter "quietly," but tried to enter into wrangling. He was taken to the commandant's office. After some time, the "detained" with a smile left her in the company of the commandant. When the latter let him go, he warned that when wearing a military uniform it was necessary to observe the existing military regulations, and introduced an officer whom Leonid did not greet as an actor who played in the film "The School of Courage".

After the appearance on the screens of "The Soldier of Ivan Brovkin," Leonid Kharitonov woke up with a real idol of a generation. He received letters from soldiers, girls, mothers and grandmothers. He was bombarded with invitations to meetings in clubs, educational institutions and industrial enterprises. Kharitonov with his game created the image of a new national hero - an unlucky, but good-natured, modest and attractive guy. His characters as brought up, and delighted spectators of different ages. The actor himself, too, was something like a hero: he never accepted requests for personal questions, he spent his life modestly, communicated with everyone on a par with, did not allow denial of help.

Leonid Kharitonov, the filmography of which totals thirty-nine feature films, became a real national idol because of the role of Ivan Brovkin. But also a victim of one role.

The amorousness of the actor

Leonid Kharitonov, whose biography testifies to the success of female representatives, was an extremely amorous young man. According to the memoirs of his classmate Lev Durov, Lenya Kharitonov was short and had no athletic figure at all, but enjoyed great success with his contemporaries both at the university and at the studio school. And the end of the novels with them grew into friendship until the end of the day.

Artist Haritonov Leonid and his wife

The place of the first wife of Kharitonov was taken by his classmate Svetlana Sorokina. They signed the third course, their cohabitation lasted only two years. After the divorce from Leonid, Svetlana, who left her husband's surname, worked at the Theater actor, then at the Satire Theater.

She claimed that Leonidas captivated everyone with his kind temper and gentle nature. "The Soldier Ivan Brovkin" brought the actor a star glory. So it happened, the film that led the actor to popularity, broke the life of his first wife. The fans overpowered him everywhere. He did not even dream of concealing that he really liked women's attention. On the set of the picture "The Street is full of surprises," he developed an affair with D. Osmolovskaya. Svetlana was very upset with this and was very worried.

Osmolovskaya, who became the second wife, gave birth to Leonid Vladimirovich's son. However, this family was destined to disintegrate. The third and last wife of Kharitonov was at that time a student at the Moscow Artistic Theater School Evgeny Gibov.

The addictive addiction

Kharitonov led a friendship with the famous old-timers - B. Livanov, A. Gribov and V. Belokurov. The latter is known for the film "Valery Chkalov." Ostroslov Boris Livanov joked about the strip on the jumper, which was worn by Belokurov, that she was a "line of loading". Leonid Kharitonov strongly saved the keys to his own car, while he wound his hand in his pocket, claiming that he was driving, even when the car was not at all with him.

But the ex-wife of Haritonov Gemma claimed that the addiction to alcohol still adversely affected the acting life, because everyone tried to invite Lenya to spend time together and, accordingly, to drink some alcoholic beverage. And the actor often lacked the spirit for refusal. At the beginning of the marriage with Leonid Osmolovskaya tried not to notice her life, but soon realized that it was impossible to tolerate all this. This addiction was the cause of the divorce. In this situation, the director of the theater, in which she worked, offered assistance in saving Leonid. Help friends helped decorate the actor in a specialized clinic, in which he stayed for several months. The treatment helped for a while, and then it all started again. Divorce with Gemma was quiet, without reproaches from Kharitonov because of his soft nature.

Loyalty to the Moscow Art Theater

In 1962, Kharitonov went to the Theater. Lenin Komsomol, and then - in the Drama Theater. Pushkin. However, in the last temple of the theatrical art remained for a while - in 1963 again returned to the stage stage of the Moscow Art Theater.

But soon a somewhat stagnant phenomenon was formed in the Moscow Academic Theater - it was put too little. Head Oleg Efremov again promised to give Kharitonov a role, but, unfortunately, in the list of Leonid Vladimirovich was not. They put "Chamber No. 6", where he had one of the main roles. Tatiana Doronina in the play became his partner. At first glance, it seemed that in the life of actor Leonid Kharitonov came actor's enlightenment. However, at one point this performance, dear to his heart, was for some reason removed from the repertoire. And then, after all, it was decided to restore it, but again the unforeseen happened - all the scenery destroyed a strong fire.

Cause of serious condition

In the last years of his life, Kharitonov was extremely ill. In the summer of 1980, when the Moscow Olympics was taking place, the artist suffered a stroke. Then on the set of the film "From the Life of the Chief of Criminal Investigation", on July 04, 1984, a recurrent stroke occurred.

Forgotten Ivan Brovkin

In the eighties of the twentieth century Kharitonov disappeared from the movie posters, he was hardly remembered. His last glory was reminded only by the picture "Moscow does not believe in tears", in her at the entrance to the actor's theater one heroine enthusiastically cries out when the actor Leonid Kharitonov stands before her.

With age, Leonid Kharitonov filmed less and less, in the main part he was engaged in teaching work, preparing himself for a real role. Sometimes it could be seen in episodes.

Actor Kharitonov Leonid did not want to repeat himself, and unfortunately, no one gave new roles. He had a lot of trips with performances in the USSR, but he was never allowed to go abroad to the most famous film actor of the 1950s.

In the Moscow Art Theater on June 20, 1987 there was a split. Some of the actors remained with O. Efremov, and some went to T. Doronina. Kharitonov did not want to go anywhere.

Death of the People's Star

June 20, 1987, due to a recent stroke, Leonid Kharitonov died suddenly. The films of this actor were filled with real vitality and kindness. Because of his faithfulness to both of the split wings of the Moscow Art Academic Theater, funeral speeches were made by both leaders of this theater. On the tombstone was laid a wreath "From Mom" (Tatyana Ivanovna Peltzer, who played the mother in "Ivan Brovka"), because his mother was no longer alive.

Tombstone - the personification of the Moscow Art Academic Theater

The stele at the Vagankovskoye cemetery looks like a gull that is split into two parts, which symbolizes the disintegration of the Moscow Art Academic Theater named after Chekhov. The words "Leonid Kharitonov" are carved on it. The hero of the later documentary "The Drama of Ivan Brovkin" was the actor himself Kharitonov Leonid, his personal life was also covered.