This actor, undoubtedly not without talent, was destined to play on the set of the leader of the peoples. It is noteworthy that for many years Felix Dadaev tried not to remember that in the movie he was a double of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. Publicity could cost him his life, and only in 1996 did information about the “specific” component in the work of the lyceum from Dagestan be declassified. Felix Dadaev personally met with Stalin, who himself checked the actor’s willingness to play Koba. Few people know that the double of the “father of peoples” spent seven years in Kolyma. Only his wife Dadaev knew about his non-trivial mission in exile. What was the actor’s creative career and what was remarkable in his biography? Let's consider this question in more detail.
Years of childhood and youth
Felix Gadzhievich Dadaev is a native of the village of Kazi-Kumukh, located in the Republic of Dagestan. He was born in 1923. His real name is Ghazavat. The childhood of the future actor passed in the mountains: he helped parents graze cattle, his father taught him the basics of the profession of tinker.
In addition, Gazavat from an early age showed interest in jewelry. However, dancing became a real hobby of a teenager. After some time, Felix Dadaev and his family moved to the capital of Chechnya. There he met with Mahmud Esambaev himself and attended the lessons of the choreographer with him. Gazavat enters the children's ensemble. S. Stalsky (later renamed Lezginka). In the late 30s, the North Caucasus Olympics was held, at which the creators of the State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Ukrainian SSR notice the makings of a young man's talent. Before the foreign tour, they prepared a composition in which one of the central was a dance on the fingers. And Felix Dadaev was perfect for this mission. In parallel with dancing, the young man went to a Ukrainian school.
Years of war
When Germany attacked the USSR, Gazavat was in Dnepropetrovsk. Among the members of the ensemble, a front-line cell was immediately organized, which included famous artists: Efim Berezin, Yuri Timoshenko, Mark Fradkin, Yan Frenkel. Throughout the war years, Felix Dadaev performed with concerts in front of the soldiers, thereby raising their morale. However, the maestro himself often took up arms in order to get even with the enemy. He even went to scout.
Once Dadaev was wounded and he was sent to the hospital. By mistake, a funeral was sent to the family of Gazavat, which is still kept by the maestro. Fortunately, it turned out to be false.
Post-war time
When the country was freed from fascist aggression, Dadaev Felix continued his artistic career, somewhat expanding his creative role. He declares himself not only as a dancer, but also as a humorist, entertainer and conversational artist. In addition, Ghazavat demonstrated his talent in drawing cartoons, composing and performing songs, and illusionary art. And Dadaev Felix performed with numbers on the topic of political satire and composed feuilletons. The maestro traveled a lot around the country with performances: "Humor is an elixir of longevity, " "The author says, " and more. He is the author of the work “Tears of Mothers” and the book “Country Estrada”.
Fateful meeting
The similarity of Felix Gadzhievich with the "father of peoples" was already manifested at a time when the actor was young. In the first half of the 40s, he listened to his double and tried to adopt the individual intonations of his voice.
But officially, the external analogy of Stalin and Dadaev was noticed after watching the play "Highlanders". The double of the leader of the Bolshevik party soon appeared before Joseph Vissarionovich himself. Felix Dadaev, whose biography contains many interesting and noteworthy facts, tried to speak Georgian with the leader of the peoples. However, the maestro denies the fact that he had many meetings with the Generalissimo of the USSR.
Achieve 100% Similarity
When the acquaintance of Stalin and Dadaev took place, the first was 65 years old, and the second was not even twenty-five. Despite such a difference in age, the external similarity turned out to be maximal: physique, eyebrows, growth, even a hump on the nose.
To enhance the effect of identity, the face of Gazavat was carefully made up. It was additionally treated with a “smear” and hollows were made using a simple cosmetic brush, and a layer of powder was applied on top.
It is noteworthy that Felix Dadaev (Stalin's double) never smoked pipes. The mustache, teeth and upper lip of the “leader of the peoples” were stained yellow. The actor’s hair was tinted in red, and then gray hair was glued. Before the real Stalin, Gazavat appeared in a cap, boots, a jacket without orders, on top of which a gray-colored cloak flaunted. Joseph Vissarionovich was pleased with the image of his double.
Check
However, for the sake of completeness, the outward similarity was not enough. It took some time for the actor to adopt the gait of the Generalissimo and his manner of speaking. And only then Dadaev was invited to sample. The task was set before him: to properly meet their "colleagues" - Kalinin and Molotov. Ghazavat raised his hand slightly, and the "party-minded" greeted the leader. No one noticed the catch.
After a while, the editors regularly instructed the actor how to behave in the image of Stalin. A lot of photo tests were done, the best of which was selected by Joseph Vissarionovich. For several months, preparation lasted: they carefully examined the film with the leader, studying intonations, gait, and facial expressions. Experienced instructors tried to make him a real Stalin double, and they did it.
Felix Gadzhievich himself recalled that sometimes the analogy was so natural that it seemed: just about she would cross the line of what is permissible and transform into a parody. But, fortunately, he managed to avoid this.
At the Mausoleum instead of the Generalissimo
At the initial stage, the actor’s cooperation with the NKVD was reduced to simply drawing public attention to the leader. For this, Felix Dadaev, whose photo was almost identical to that of Stalin, had to leave the building of his residence and get into a company car. Then the task for the actor became more complicated. He had to personally appear before the people, in particular, attending festive parades. Dadaev successfully completed his mission. So, it’s not Joseph Vissarionovich himself, but his double in the person of Felix Dadaev who went to the podium of the Mausoleum to the parade dedicated to the Day of the Athlete.
It should be noted that the maestro was not used to discuss how he worked in the image of Stalin.
Reluctantly, the actor talks about the life that the father of nations built for Soviet people.
Work in the era of modern Russia
In the zero years, the actor often took part in concert programs dedicated to Victory Day, which were traditionally organized in the Kremlin, the State Central Concert Hall "Russia" and on Poklonnaya Hill in the capital. Currently, the maestro lives in Moscow. Felix Gadzhievich is married, his wife's name is Nina Igorevna. The actor also has a daughter - Alfia.
