RYKUNIN Nikolai

Born September 23, 1915 in Rostov, Yaroslavl region. Wife - Rykunina Margarita V.. Daughters - Natasha (1985. born.) and Nick (1991. born.).

Father Nicholas was a manufacturer, he died of pneumonia a few months before the birth of son. The boy was named in honor of his father. The first two years, Nick Jr. lived with his mother Maria Antonovna in his own house. Father Nicholas was a merchant and did not spare funds for the care of grandchildren. On my mother's stories boy knew that his father had done a lot for the city. He participated in many charitable events. Its capital was invested in the construction of the Rostov school, city theater. After the Revolution the house was confiscated, and Nicholas and his mother were on the street. Their sheltered grandmother. My mother got a job working in the dining room to save his family from starvation.

In the school where he studied Nikolai, was dramatic circle under the guidance of a teacher of Russian language AI. Urusova. There, the boy worked, and played several major roles. One teacher said that the city theater opens children's theater and will show children. Nicholas was accepted. His first role was the Raven in the play "Snow Queen".

One evening in 1929 Nicholas had gone to the station. He liked to look at the passing trains. By platform came 509 th train to the capital. Moscow seemed a place of execution dreams. Embark. Nicholas, drawn by the dream to become an artist, drawn to the open door wagon. A few hours later he came to the platform of the Yaroslavl station. Walking around Moscow, he came to Theater Square and was near the Little Theater on the door of which was written, that the young people who wish to be taken into a subsidiary of the company. He went and saw the boy, who also dreamed of becoming an artist - Volodya Glukhova (later became the People's Artist of Latvia). In the Maly Theater listened and took them to the second round. The next day, walking through the city, they wandered on Triumph Square, the theater of Meyerhold. Experimental theater workshop V.E. Meyerhold - GEKTEMAS - recruit for the Drama department. They signed up and were allowed to contest the first round. When the exam prepared by Nicholas read a passage, then at one point shouted so loud and crashed to the floor that a committee chairman, he himself was Vsevolod Meyerhold, and asked whether he had not hurt himself and asked to read another poem. Nicholas began, but Meyerhold interrupted him and asked him to find something classic. Nicholas handed a thick book, showing the passage that you want to read. Excitement boys was so great that he looked at the long lines and did not understand. When she called again, he approached the table and, almost crying, put the book down and silently toward the door, explaining his act that did not understand anything written. Suddenly Nicholas heard Meyerhold told someone: "Enroll this boy into the third round."

Soon Nikolai and his new friend and learned that they enrolled in GEKTEMAS, and immediately attracted a supportive force in the performances. In search of work they Volodya got to the theater of the Revolution, at the time of examination, and decided to try myself and there. Then began to run on all such examinations, and still trying to find out whether the students are paid a stipend and is there a hostel. They were taken to Children's Musical Theater of Natalya Sats, promising little money. Wolf's legs feed. Volodya learned that the Central College of Performing Arts (TSTTI) pay a stipend and a hostel. This meant that there is a place where you can learn, eat and live.

The two friends were taken, and this proved to be very seriously. Heading directed Boris Sushkevich, he helped Ivan kindly and Vladimir Dudin. Mime and makeup taught head of the Moscow theater satire Andrei Pavlovich Peter. At the end of the 1 st course all sent to the practical work in a former theater Korsch.

Once Nick was in the Garden Bauman. At that time there was an actor Exchange. Man walked up to him and asked him who he was, where studies. Half an hour later a new friend Lev Markovich Meyerson, signed with the first actor Nicholas contract, handed lifting and appointed the day of arrival in the Sverdlovsk. From the Drama Theater, where he arrived Nicholas, he was sent to John Chrysostom, which created Theater of small forms of satire. They took him into the troupe, and began rehearsals. At the surrender of the performance came from the commission of Sverdlovsk, but after looking at staging, decided to close the theater. Nicholas was transferred to a local drama theater. Thus passed the first season, which he had already come to grief at the Theater of Russian Drama. Nicholas Rykunin tasted the life of a provincial artist in full. He played in Yaroslavl, Kaluga, Smolensk. After many roles he wanted to return to drama school.

Once at the height of the season in Smolensk came master of arts from the Moscow. The Commission looked at the play and invited Nicholas to play Pavka Korchagin with the troupe Theater of Minsk. From the window of the Minsk hotel he saw a huge poster, which read that in the play "How the Steel Was Tempered" timed to the Red Army, in the role Pavka Korchagin speak Artist Rykunin. Rehearsal in the theater was successful. After her colleagues invited Nicholas to the buffet, where he was, flushed, drank cold beer. The next day Rykunin so hoarse that he could not participate in the performance. Nicholas had to go back to Smolensk, where he was waiting for a letter from the director of Moscow Theater of Satire I.N. Beliefs, who invited Nicholas at the end of the season in the troupe.

In Moscow, he enlisted in the company, appointing a small salary. Nicholas was happy to play with such actors as P.N. Paul, IA. Kindly, VY. Henkin, NI. Slonov, E.YA. Milutin, R.G. Kholodov, N.D. Nurmi, VA. Modeling, YA.M. Rudin, D.L. Kara-Dmitriev, R.G. Korf and others. The young actor went to the masters of concerts, was constantly busy, but also rescued colleagues if they wanted to get rid of some small roles.

The war caught the theater on tour in Kiev. Abandoning all, the troupe returned to Moscow. Upon arrival, the Moscow theater satire sent a brigade to the front of their best performers. Men of the youth theater decided to come to the recruitment office with a request to send to the front of a military unit. Enlistment, they met their Director I.N. Beliefs. It turned out that their shows along with other leading theaters is listed in the "golden fund" of the country and artists were exempted from conscription into the army. The actors did not need to go to the attack, but defend the country could be different ...

During the first bombing of Moscow Nicholas Rykunina and Victor Dragunsky enlisted firefighters Theater. At night, they kept watch on the roof and dropped the lighter. Soon the theater management has prepared two more brigades to be sent to the front. In one of them R.G. Korf, YA.M. Rudin, VA. Tokarskaya, R.G. Cold, as in the other - F. Diamond, K. Frolova, P. N. Paul. Paul was appointed director, and Nicholas - Brigadier. First performed at Smolensk, and then in Vyazma. At that time there were bloody battles. When fleeing from the Germans, the team of Nicholas returned to Moscow, they were told the terrible news: the other team got into the theater environment. R.G. Korf and YA.M. Rudin shot on the spot, the rest were captured. This fact came to the Supreme Commander. The next day the order I.V. Stalin's theater has been sent to evacuate in Irkutsk. Season in Irkutsk was a success, and the theater went to Magnitogorsk. There Nicholas married his theater actress Helen Kara-Dmitriev (they lived with her over 50 years). From her first marriage she had a daughter whom Nicholas had as their own.

Soon the theater moved to Vladivostok, then - in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk, Chita, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and again in Magnitogorsk. After the evacuation of the theater back in Moscow. Nicholas and his wife were allowed to go to concerts in the army. Traveling left in the memory of many adventures and not humorous, the brigade theater travel to many front-line road. At that time Nicholas Rykunin received awards, which are considered the most expensive - the Order of the Red Star, the medal "For Defense of Moscow" and "Victory over Germany".

After the war, the theater returned to Moscow and opened the new season. In the play "Fakir hour" Nicholas played the role of Koli-photojournalist, with dances and verses. His partner was Vitali Doronin. Vladimir Henkin played the role of the doorman in a provincial hotel.

Once the play has come already known at the time entertainer Alexander Shurov and invited him to create a satirical duo. Before AI. Shurov worked in a duo with AI. Trudlerom: Shurov played the piano, Trudler sang arias from operettas. They sang topical songs, dialogues, interludes. During the war Trudler Killed. Proposal Shurova seemed to him an unexpected but pleasant. They began rehearsing. Alexander played the piano. Together they sang the verses, songs, musical parodies. Nick usually was at the piano, but if necessary, use the whole stage to dance. For the first concert was produced only two numbers: In the verses. Boboshko and M. Vickers' flying migratory birds "and the parody" Dragonfly and the Ant ". Speech was held May 2, 1946 at the Central House of the Soviet Army. The duo was well received.

First success decided the fate of Nicholas. Concert life began, although he did not immediately parted from the theater. While the main mode of transport for A. Shurova and H. Rykunina a tram. Later. Dykhovichniy and M. Slobodskoi written for a duet song "Anna", dedicated to the famous tram route "A". David Ashkenazi wrote to her music. The repertoire of the duet a satirical song "Masha" and "Serenade" So I. Gray to the music of H. Theological, then "Glavsmetana", "stuck", "The train goes to Chicago" and others. For the duo wrote the author: B. Laskin, E. Meek, A. Merlin, Gray, O. Levitsky, D. Terik, A. Levin and others

With the increasing number of concerts has grown and the popularity. Representatives of the duo started thinking about creating Variety Performance. One of these ideas was "Black Cat". The production played in the hotel "Soviet". Everything went fine, but the next day it became known that the first secretary of the Moscow City Party Committee Egorychev smashed program duet at a party plenum. The Ministry of Culture held a special meeting on a. Shurova and H. Rykunina. They are banned from working on the stage during the year. When their job back, the duo continued its concert activity.

In mid-1950 the duo became a little variety theater. By the cooperation involved musicians, performers, but for a duo left heart. While H. Rykuninu and A. Shurov been assigned to the high title "Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In the theater there were performances: "Instead of a concert" In the. Dykhovichnyi and M. Sloboda (directors P. Vasilyev H. Petrov, 1953), "a masquerade" In. Bahnova and I. Kostyukovsky (directors to. Voinov and H. Rykunin, 1955), "Small resentment of the city" in. Kunin and A. Merlin (director P. Vasiliev, 1957), "Not in the name of the case" A. Hasina (directed H. Rykunin, 1958), "Men's Talk" V. Brodova and A. Merlin (directed H. Rykunin, 1961), "With a joke sailing A. Merlin, I. Ziskinda and H. Rykunina (directed H. Rykunin, 1975), "Benefit ... Benefit ... "(directed by H. Rykunina, 1988) and others.

The duo has toured throughout the Soviet Union was literally snapped. This Rykunin Nicholas graduated from the Advanced Directing Courses at GITIS, trained by H. BDT in Leningrad. During his studies, so as not to leave Shurova without work, traveled from Moscow to Leningrad and back. Nikolai gravitated toward directing and tried to put all their plays himself. He staged performances at the stadium at the Sports Palace, a few seasons of his program were in the Hermitage Garden.

In 1979 A. Shurov and H. Rykuninu named a People's Artist of the RSFSR, which in those days was a serious recognition for satire. Alexander Shurov Rykunina Nikolay was older than 10 years, and over time the age difference manifested itself. Their latest "Benefit" was held at the Variety Theater in February 1991. The duo parted with their audience, Shurov at the time was 85 years old. It is becoming less and less likely to go out on stage and in 1995 he died.

Loss of partner and friend was a great shock. Nikolai long time could not decide to return to the stage. He had to compose a new repertoire, look accompanist ... Besides, he did not know what will be received by the public, accustomed to the duo. Once H. Rykunin called the author and artist, composer Ludmila Liadov and invited her to become his musical partner. She agreed, and started to perform. And in 1997 at the suggestion of the chief director of the Theater stage Boris Brunova Nicholas Rykunin played his "Benefit" in this theater.

Today the People's Artist of the RSFSR Nicholas Rykunin almost never goes on stage. No concerts, no offers. He was busy writing an essay, published a book "Benefit for the encore, is finalizing a musical, wrote an action story. At the same time trying not to forget the verses and sometimes arranges rehearsals with a pianist to be in the form. Nikolay is married to the actress of the Moscow Puppet Theater, with which he introduced on the tour Claudia Ivanovna Shulzhenko, has two daughters.