Soviet actors recognized the young actor Igor Shulzhenko thanks to their role in two films about the adventures of brave pioneers - Dirk and Bronze Bird. Every schoolboy of that time knew his Slavka Eldarova. The first film became so successful at the box office that director Nikolai Kalinin decided to shoot a continuation of the story. More than 40 years have passed since the pictures were released.
Young years
Biography of Igor Shulzhenko has been going on since February 1959. He was born and raised in the capital of Belarus - Minsk. The guy's parents were design engineers. The family did not live well, money was often not enough. According to the memoirs of contemporaries of the future actor, Igor grew up as a calm and quiet child, he never stood out in class, tried not to attract general attention, and never responded to insults and ridicule of classmates with aggression. The fact that he would once act in films, never thought.
When Igor Shulzhenko was 14 years old, the assistant directors who worked on the film "Dagger" came to school. They immediately paid attention to the modest quiet. It was precisely such Slavka that they needed - an outwardly intelligent and diligent boy.
Confession
The shooting took place in several stages in Vilnius. It was necessary to shoot three episodes. Igor immediately liked the director, the guy had a rare “gift” - a photogenic appearance, he looked great in the frame. The guy lived up to his expectations. Filmed selflessly, disciplined.
In the filming of the sequel, “The Bronze Bird, ” the same cast met. Children, along with adults, worked hard and hard. The filmography of Igor Shulzhenko consists of these two films.
Immediately after the release of the pictures on the screens in 1973, the young men woke up famous and … could not pass the test of fame. Returning to real life, Igor could well disrupt the lessons, be rude to the teacher, and fight with classmates. It was difficult for parents to curb the raging temper of their own son.
Life after glory
After leaving school, Igor decided to enter the institute, where his parents unlearned - radio engineering. However, he studied there only one year. After I tried to enter the Polytechnic University in my native Minsk. But failed the exams. Willpower was neither enough to go back, nor try again your strength. So Shulzhenko did not receive higher education.
I had to go to study where I was accepted - to tilers. To everyone’s surprise, the guy found himself in this profession and was very proud of himself when he realized that he was doing everything in this direction. But such activities are often associated with gatherings for alcohol.
Remembering the shooting
On one of the programs of Channel One, dedicated to the anniversary of the filming of "Dagger" and "Bronze Bird", participating actors were invited. They also searched for Igor Shulzhenko. This was not easy to do. Someone from the booze advised the crew to look for a man near a store located on one of the main streets of the city.
Many passers-by admitted that they often see there a former actor in a state of intoxication and asking for alms. Indeed, Shulzhenko was in the same place. The man actually could not answer anything to the questions of the journalists. In the distant past, shooting remained. He called that carefree time “golden”, fabulous, which, as it were, was not in his childhood.
