Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich - famous circus artist of the Soviet Union, People's Artist of the RSFSR. The popularity of the clown was so great that the audience often came to the circus just to watch the performance of the duet Shuydin and Nikulin. But at the same time, not all viewers knew that Mikhail Ivanovich was a hero of the war.
The beginning of the biography
Mikhail Ivanovich Shuydin, whose biography begins on September 27, 1922, was a native of the village of Cossack, which is located in the Tula region.
Father was a village shepherd, and mother was a simple worker.
It so happened that the future circus was left without a father at an early age. Soon, Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich, whose family lost the breadwinner, moved with his mother Elizaveta Grigoryevna to Podolsk in search of a better life.
In the city they settled in the house on the street. Kalinina, 28, apt. 89, from the State Cement Plant. Mikhail went to the seven-year school number 10 at the factory. Here the boy got a penchant for creative activity: in parallel with his studies at school, Misha visits the House of Art Education of Children. Here he tries himself in different qualities: participates in theatrical productions, plays the drummer in the ensemble, is engaged in acrobatics, performs in amateur performances.
After school, Shuydin enters the factory school (FZU) in the specialty "Locksmith", which he graduated in 1938. But the craving for circus art turned out to be stronger than the working profession, an eighteen-year-old boy enters the State School of Circus Art (GUTS).
The outbreak of war frustrates all Shuydin’s plans: he is sent to the factory number 187, issue armor from the draft in the army. However, Michael was not satisfied with such a prospect, he asked to the front. In the end, in May 1942, the draft board sent the guy to the Gorky Tank School, which he graduated with honors. Lieutenant Mikhail Shuidin sent to the front.
War in the Artist's Life
At the front, Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich takes part in the encirclement of the 6th Wehrmacht army. In April 1943 he was appointed commander of the legendary tank T-34.
Command and comrades note the exceptional heroism of Shuydin. During the fighting, Mikhail Ivanovich was thirteen times in a burning tank (in memory of these terrible minutes, the brave commander had burns on his face, which he subsequently carefully concealed), received severe concussion, after which he spent almost a year in the hospital.
During the most bloody war, Shuydin liberated the left-bank Ukraine, forced the Berezina, Naroch, and Dnieper rivers, and participated in Operation Bagration (already with the rank of senior lieutenant). I reached Berlin itself.
The heroism of the tankman Shuydin
Already in August 1943, Mikhail Shuydin showed heroism when counterattacking the advancing Nazis.
On August 19, when conducting reconnaissance in the vicinity of Sukhoi Yar, four Soviet tanks, including the crew of Mikhail Shuidin, met with the fascist PzKpfw IV tanks. As a result of the battle, two enemy tanks and an anti-tank gun were destroyed by Soviet tankers.
Shuydin was especially distinguished during the liberation of Udovichenko - the Ukrainian village. For their skill and courage, a brave tanker is awarded the Order of the Red Star.
And in August 1944, Shuidin was ordered: not far from the settlement of агagarė to block the path of the enemy, who was trying to break out of the Baltic boiler.
Shuydin skillfully organized an ambush. The first shots set fire to several enemy self-propelled guns. Within 26 hours, the Shuydin unit repelled six attacks by enemy tanks and infantry. The seventh, decisive attack, it was decided to repel the oncoming battle. In this battle, Mikhail Ivanovich’s car was set on fire, and he received severe burns and shell shock.
For this battle, he was introduced to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but for some unknown reason, the star of the Hero was replaced by the Order of the Red Banner.
Post war biography
After the end of the war, Shuydin continued his studies at the GUTI in the acrobatics department. However, the hands burned at the front forced him to retrain: he learns the art of an eccentric acrobat. During his studies, Mikhail Ivanovich worked as a clown, which greatly pleased him. As a result, Shuydin decides to study at the Moscow Circus Clownery Studio (Tsvetnoy Boulevard).
The competition for admission to the studio was huge - about three hundred people. The popularity of the Studio was explained by the fact that the famous clown Mikhail Rumyantsev (Pencil) was a teacher in it. Three rounds of the competition were only Shuydin and two more.
A talented student immediately liked Pencil, and in May 1949, Mikhail Ivanovich Shuydin the clown, together with Yuri Nikulin, first entered the arena of the Kharkov circus.
An experienced teacher Rumyantsev immediately drew attention to the fact that these two beginner clowns are perfectly combined in the arena.
Time has shown that the Pencil was not mistaken - this duet has become the most durable in the world history of circus art.
Misha and Yurik
Under such pseudonyms, Mikhail Shuydin and Yuri Nikulin began to perform a duet. The duet lasted more than 30 years, but it was a duet of excellent partners in the arena, and outside of it they almost did not communicate.
The reason for such a relationship was hidden in the difference in their views on life. Even common topics did not become the subject of their conversation, although on stage they had enough half-eyes to understand the idea of a partner.
At the beginning of their work, there was even some rivalry hidden from prying eyes. The reason for this was the leading position of Yuri Nikulin: they worked the same way, but Yurik received 100 rubles more, he was already an honored artist of the RSFSR, Misha was just an artist, Yurik was a People’s artist of the RSFSR, and Misha was an Honored artist of the RSFSR (after long efforts of his partner).
Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich was often angry when famous people came to their dressing room and praised only Nikulin, without noticing him. Of course, all this could not but affect their relationship: they even quarreled, especially when Mikhail Ivanovich, in strong drinking, could disrupt the performance, rude Nikulin’s wife. But all this usually did not last long.
Arist circus and movie
Studying at FZU and working at the plant were not in vain for Mikhail Ivanovich. The ingenuity and ability to handle the tool turned out by the way in the work of the clown.
Once, as a circus artist, Shuydin saved the number of the famous illusionist Emil Kio: he made a new stunt box for Kio instead of the broken assistant.
According to the memoirs of Yuri Nikulin, in most cases, Shuydin himself prepared the props for the circus number.
Shuydin starred in three films (“Clowns and Children”, “Little Runaway”, “Without Fear and Reproach”) and two series (“How the Idols Left”, “The Great Clowns”). In the series, the artist played himself.
Mikhail Ivanovich was a very sensitive artist, whose psychology longed for titles.
After all, this meant a higher rate, and touring, and formal recognition of the merits of the artist. By the way, most creative people suffer from this.
Shuydin as a man
Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich has always been modest. An example of this trait can be many cases.
When he was replaced by the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of the Red Banner (journalists found out many years later), Shuydin Mikhail Ivanovich, whose photo, together with Yuri Nikulin, was a kind of visiting card of the Moscow circus, did not want to seek a rewarding of the award presentation.
Continuing the theme of military awards, we can say that no one saw Shuydin in the orders: he did not wear them, he considered this a show.
For decades, already an Honored Artist of the RSFSR (awarded in 1969) and People's Artist of the RSFSR (assigned in 1980), Mikhail Ivanovich went to work from afar (five hours drive). Modesty did not allow the famous artist to “bang his fist” in order to somehow change the situation.
