Mythical and real, ruthless and gentle, superficial and deep - in whatever role Ivan Mikolaichuk presented to the audience. The talented Ukrainian actor was famous for his ability to save the most hopeless plot, so the directors with pleasure removed it. Why not recall the most outstanding work of this early deceased person?
Ivan Mikolaychuk: childhood and youth
The future famous actor was born in 1941 in the Chernivtsi region. The childhood spent by Ivan Mikolaychuk in the village of Chortoria cannot be called light and joyful. He was one of the 13 children of his parents, and from an early age he was forced to take on the functions of a nanny for the younger, helping his mother, torn between all the children. Hard work in the field did not pass the child.
There was no school in Chortoria, so the future actor had to visit a neighboring village almost 4 km away almost daily. However, Ivan Mikolaychuk liked to recall more pleasant moments of those times. At the age of 12, he became interested in theater, enjoyed studying in a rural circle, taking part in productions. This prompted him to graduate from the acting department at a university in Kiev.
Natural beauties are what Ivan Mikolaichuk admired from early childhood. The biography of the star includes his memories of the amazing beauty of his native places, in the environment of which his childhood passed.
Movie debut
As a student, the actor took part in the filming of the film “Two, ” directed by Leonid Osyka. However, his true debut, thanks to which they spoke about the rising star outside his home country, was the tape "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors", which collected a huge number of prestigious awards. The drama was shot by director Parajanov in 1964.
Ivan Mikolaychuk was selected for the role, which became a real breakthrough for him, the last when the cast was almost approved. The director was so impressed by the talent of the unknown guy that he refused the person who was already selected to play the main role. Of course, he did not have to regret it.
“Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” is a romantic story about the love of a young man and a girl, vaguely reminiscent of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
Shooting in the film "Dream"
One ingenious film was immediately followed by another. In the same year, the biographical tape "Dream" was published, telling about the life of the poet Taras Shevchenko. This man paid for creating poetry about a terrible future awaiting his native Ukraine. He was exiled as a soldier, forbidding to engage in creative activities under pain of harsh punishment.
Later, Ivan Mikolaychuk talked about how much he was afraid to play the role of Shevchenko. The image of this character has already been embodied by such geniuses as Bondarchuk, Buchma. The aspiring actor spent many days and weeks searching for additional material, trying to feel his hero. The result was a vivid, unprecedented interpretation of the poet's character.
Other interesting roles
You should definitely watch the drama "Viper", which saw the light in 1965. This picture, shot by his former teacher, helped the actor clearly demonstrate that he is able to play not only noble heroes. This time his character was the White Guard Brykin, a ruthless and treacherous killer.
In 1967, Ivan Mikolaichuk returned to the image of a fighter for truth. The filmography of the Ukrainian star is replenished with the film "Weeds", the creators of which were inspired by the eponymous work by Golovko. The character of the actor is a heroic fighter of the Red Army, ready to sacrifice himself in the name of his native country. It is known that, preparing for the interrogation scene, Ivan refrained from eating for three days, trying to acquire a haggard look.
“The Legend of Princess Olga” is one of the last films with the participation of Mikołajchuk. In it, he reincarnated in the famous Prince Vladimir. His hero, sensing impending death, is trying to find out the secret of his legendary grandmother Olga.
Unplayed role
One of Ivan’s main regrets is the inability to play in the film “White Bird with a Black Mark” of the hero who was interesting to him. The talented actor was practically approved for the role of Orestes, but the government imposed a ban on his participation.
The explanation for this decision was typical for those years. The actor, who played the role of Shevchenko, has no right to reincarnate as the lost son of his country. However, he was still allowed to play Peter.
