Nikolai Burlyaev’s career in theater and cinema can only be envied. After all, not everyone is destined at 13 to play a major role in the film, which will then receive the Bronze Lion in Venice. The biography of Nikolai Burlyaev contains many other pages that tell about his successes, and his active and uncompromising public position cannot but cause respect even among opponents.
The family of the future actor
Even before the revolution, the grandfather and grandmother of the future actor - Lyudmila and Diomid Burlyaev - were members of the troupes of several mobile Little Russian theaters, performing under the pseudonym Filippovskie. Their son Peter did not follow in the footsteps of his parents, but the genes were passed on to his children.
In the family of Pyotr Burlyaev and his wife Tatyana Alexandrovna Mikhailova at the time of the birth of Nikolai (April 3, 1946) there were already two boys: Gennady and Boris. The eldest of the brothers was seriously interested in chess and even was connected during the match for the championship title between Botvinnik and Tal, and the middle one, Boris (born in 1944), had excellent acting inclinations from early childhood.
The childhood of Nikolai Burlyaev
According to the criteria of the post-war period, the future actor was a late child, since at the time of his birth, his father was thirty-nine years old, and his mother was thirty-five. The brothers had a great influence on him. He was especially close with Boris, who was one of the rather successful “children of Soviet cinema” of the 60s and began acting in another 4th grade. First, he had a small role in the film “Two Friends”, and then in the film “The Ulyanovs Family”.
From early childhood, Nikolai dreamed of following in the footsteps of Boris. However, his parents believed that the way to the theatrical stage and to the cinema was closed to the youngest son, since he stuttered greatly due to psychological trauma suffered in early childhood. Nevertheless, at the age of 11, Kolya boldly went with his brother to film screenings to participate in the filming of the film “History Lessons”. Since the director Leo Arnshtam chose Boris, Nikolai told his family that he had changed his mind about becoming an actor and would rather go to architects.
Movie debut
Biography of Nikolai Burlyaev mentions a sharp turn that his fate made when Kolya was 13 years old. Everything happened, as in a fairy tale: Andrei Konchalovsky, a final year student of VGIK, approached a skinny sixth grader on the street and invited him to play in his term paper. The short film "The Boy and the Dove" was sent to the festival in Venice, where he won the prize - "Bronze Lion of St. Mark".
Burlyaev's work at the Mossovet Theater
A successful debut in a larger movie was the reason Burlyaev became acquainted with many famous artists. In particular, actor V. Shurupov, who was Kolya’s partner on the set, invited him to the Moscow City Council theater. For 4 years, Nikolai Burlyaev (biography, personal life - all this will be of interest to fans a little later) played on his stage the grandson of the hero N. Mordvinov in the production of Leningradsky Prospekt. In total, he took part in 150 performances and left the theater after the death of his senior partner and teacher.
The film "Ivan childhood"
Among those whom Nikolai Burlyaev met thanks to Andrei Konchalovsky were Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrei Tarkovsky. In 1962, Andrei Arsenyevich removed the teenager in his first full-length work, Ivan Childhood. The picture won the prize of the Venice Festival and made the young director famous far beyond the borders of the USSR. As for Burlyaev, he was vying to invite him into serious and entertaining films, mostly for the main roles.
In student years
In 1964, Burlyaev Nikolai Petrovich, whose biography is already known to you in his youth, entered the school-studio to them. B. Schukin. Moreover, he was immediately accepted to the 2nd year of the acting faculty, since by that time he was already well-known both in the USSR and abroad. There, his classmates were Nikita Mikhalkov, with whom he studied for some time at the school of working youth No. 18, and Anastasia Vertinskaya.
During his studies, he played Apollo Murzavetsky in a play based on the play “Wolves and Sheep”, staged by Simonov, and the main jury in the production of “12 Angry Men” staged by Nikita Mikhalkov.
Further movie career
In 1966, the shooting of the masterpiece of director A. Tarkovsky was completed - the film “Andrei Rublev”. In it, Nikolai Burlyaev was involved in the role of Boriski (photos, biography in recent years are presented to your attention below). In general, Tarkovsky greatly appreciated the young actor from the time of his work on Ivanov’s childhood and considered meeting with him a significant event in his life.
The film about the great icon painter was very close to Burlyaev, who already at that time was passionate about the ideas of Orthodoxy. However, it was banned and returned to the screen only in 1971. Many critics noted the excellent work of Nikolai Burlyaev, who created a true image of the master’s son, who, after the death of his father, was forced to cast a bell for the grand duke on his own.
In 1972, the actor was lucky to work with Alexei German in the film "Check on the Roads", where he played the role of a prisoner of war who agreed to serve the enemy. The film was sent to the “shelf” for many years and only many years later was shown to a wide audience.
The painting "Field novel"
Burlyaev Nikolai Petrovich, whose biography, whose personal life and work was always in the center of attention of the audience, created on the big screen more than fifty vivid and memorable images. The actor himself considers the best of them the role of Alexander Netuzhilin in P. Todorovsky’s film “A Military Field Romance”.
Inna Churikova and Natalya Andreichenko became his partners on the set. The picture was nominated for an Oscar and earned high marks from the jury of the Berlin Festival. Moreover, Inna Churikova received for her work in this picture of the Silver Bear.
Work in the director's field
In the 70s, Nikolai Burlyaev decided to get a second cinematic specialty. To this end, he completed a training course at the directing department of VGIK. After that, the biography of Nikolai Burlyaev did not undergo any special changes, since he combined work in a new field and an acting career. His thesis was the painting "Vanka-Cain", and then for 6 years he made a film about M. Yu. Lermontov, playing the main role in it. The last project was coolly received by critics, and the viewer practically did not see it. And this is not the only case that the biography of Nikolai Burlyaev mentions when his acting work remained unknown. It is enough to recall, for example, the role of Yeshua in the “Master and Margarita” by Y. Kara, which was also not presented to the public. In such situations, many people of art are “unsettled” for a long time, but not our hero, who always endured the blows of fate.
In recent years
In the new century, Burlyaev continued to act actively. Among his most interesting works are paintings:
- “The Love and Truth of Fedor Tyutchev” (2003).
- Admiral (2008).
- “The bread of that winter” (2008).
- “Gogol. Nearest ”(2009).
- “The Secret of the Snow Queen” (2014).
Nikolai Burlyaev (biography), personal life, children
The actor was married three times. His first wife was 19-year-old Natalya Varley. An early marriage (Nikolai was barely 20 at that time) did not last long, and the couple did not have common children. For the second time, Burlyaev married Natalya Bondarchuk, who gave birth to his son Ivan and daughter Maria. The third wife of the actor - Inga Olegovna Shatova - is 21 years younger than him and is an assistant in all matters. She gave birth to an actor with two children: Daria and Ilya. In addition, Burlyaev has another son.
As for the grandchildren, the actor has two of them, from the eldest son of Ivan.
Despite so many marriages and offspring, Burlyaev was able to maintain good relations with all his ex-wives and even with mother-in-law. In particular, Inna Makarova, the mother of Natalya Bondarchuk, still speaks extremely warmly of him to this day.
