Actor Vasily Kachalov is known in the theater world just like Leonardo da Vinci in the art world. He embodied everything that today we call a talented Soviet artist. A figure of a textbook, he never studied acting, possessing tremendous stage charm.
The origins
02/11/1875 in Vilna (modern Vilnius) in the family of the priest John Shrerubovich, rector of the Orthodox Church, the third son was born. This was Vasily Kachalov. The biography of the actor is described in detail by V. Ya. Vilenkin, who spoke about the childhood of the future brilliant artist. My father came from Belarusian gentry, his mother had Polish and Lithuanian roots. The family adhered to a severe school of education; in childhood, Vasily was flogged for misconduct. In addition to two older brothers, the age difference with which was 10-15 years, two girls were later born: Sonya and Sasha. They were widowed early and for the last 26 years were under the care of V. Kachalov, with whom they lived together.
The young man received a brilliant education in the 1st gymnasium, which F.E.Dzerzhinsky graduated from at the same time. Under the influence of his father, who served with great artistry and pathos in his voice, he climbed onto the closet and engaged in recitation. He was greatly impressed by the performance of the Demon Theater in Vilnius, which determined his addiction. On the stage of the dormitory of the gymnasium, he, being a sixth grader, made his debut in the role of Khlestakov, immediately becoming a local celebrity. And then there were the roles of Nozdrev and Podkolesin, a real passion for the local theater. However, the young man went to St. Petersburg University in the footsteps of his elder brother Anastasia, demonstrating what it means to be brought up. Vasily Ivanovich Kachalov leaves his parental home in 1894.
Beginning of an acting career
Entering the Faculty of Law, the young man immediately becomes a member of the theater circle and simultaneously spends all his time in the Alexandria Theater. On the recommendation of the actor, M. I. Pisarev is trying out the role of Valera in Moliere’s play “Mean” in a small theater (directed by E. Karpov), receiving a blessing on stage and recognition of the gift of talent. Vasily Kachalov (photo in his young years is presented in the article) comprehended the stage mastery of the great actor V.N. Davydov, who had headed the student theater group by that time. His first creative success was the role of Neschastlivtseva (A. I. Ostrovsky, “Forest”), which in 1895 was presented to the general public. VN Davydov came to applause along with the young talent.
At the age of 21, the young man is already becoming a professional actor of the Suvorinsky Theater with a salary of 50 rubles. When concluding the contract, A. S. Suvorin recommended that Vasily Ivanovich change his surname to Shverubovich to a more harmonious one. So the actor got a pseudonym by which he is known throughout the world. The young man successfully combined professional activities with education, although his creativity and bohemian life completely captivated him. But the roles of Suvorin (he played 35 of them) were only of a comedic and vaudeville character, therefore, on the recommendation of V.N. Davydov, the actor goes to the province, leaving the university after four years of study.
Provincial period
Once in the talented entrepreneur M. M. Boroday, 2 years and 6 months, Vasily Kachalov played in two cities, speaking in Saratov and Kazan. He was obsessed with work, playing about 250 roles during this period. At age 23, he created the image of Cassius in Shakespeare's "Julia Caesar", having received unanimous recognition. The audience was struck by the appearance of the actor: with high growth (185 cm) he was rather thin and pale, but at the same time he perfectly controlled the body. The artist actively connected his hands with fingers incredibly long by nature. But the main treasure was his bewitching voice. The sonorous baritone literally mesmerized those sitting in the hall.
After the brilliant role of Shakhovsky in Tsar Fedor and the creation in the capital of the Moscow Art Theater (1898), he began to dream of a big stage. In Kazan, he met his future wife, actress Nina Litovtseva (Levestam), who was a student of V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. This finally determined the departure to Moscow.
Appearance at the Art Theater
Upon arrival in February 1900 at the Moscow Art Theater, V. Kachalov was to appear to K.S. Stanislavsky. A scene was chosen where he should alternately appear in two images: Boris Godunov and Ivan the Terrible. The stamps accumulated in the province played a negative role - the show was hopelessly failed. Vasily Kachalov did not give up and continued to go to the theater every day, watching the game of outstanding actors of that time. The Snow Maiden was preparing for the production, but the role of Berendey did not succumb to anyone. Stanislavsky decided to give the aspiring actor another chance and was not mistaken.
After the rehearsal, he embraced V. Kachalov, who did a great job on himself and caught the demands of the artistic directors of the theater. The triumphant debut took place in September 1900, opening up a brilliant perspective for the actor. Among his first outstanding works:
- The role of Baron in the play “At the Bottom”, which M. Gorky responded with admiration.
- Caesar in the play of the same name by W. Shakespeare.
- Roles in the plays of A.P. Chekhov “The Cherry Orchard” (Trofimov) and “Three Sisters” (Tuzenbach).
Peak career
The real success came to Vasily Ivanovich in 1905, and before the revolution, Moscow would be so in love with him that the maid would risk selling big items for money from his wardrobe, which many fans were hunting for. The poet S. Solovyov will call him "the king of girlish ideals", and the audience will know all his roles in vain. In each, he put his understanding of the personality of the hero, offering an unexpected, but pained interpretation. So, he painted a completely different image of the Danish prince, having overthrown the one from the pedestal to which he was exalted in previous years. He shows the tragedy of Hamlet through a spiritual contradiction: understanding the imperfection of life and the powerlessness to change anything in it (1911).
Glumov in the play of A.I. Ostrovsky always played a villain and a careerist. Vasily Kachalov will offer a new interpretation of the image, where he will appear talented and ironic, for whom his whole life is a game. And in this game he wants to be a winner (1910). The role of Ivan Karamazov (F.M. Dostoevsky) is one of the most difficult on the stage. Once having played it, the actor will use the central monologue in concerts, revealing through him the Karamaz understanding of the world (1910). He later admits that he loved in Karamazov his rebellion against God and faith in the power of reason. This even illuminated the defeat of the hero, which he justified with an amazing thirst for life.
Touring tour
V.I. Kachalov's attitude to the revolution was twofold. On the one hand, he was familiar with the revolutionary N. Bauman and considered meeting with him one of the most important in life, on the other, his son Vadim fought in the White Army. Since 1919, he led the part of the troupe, which went on tour in the south of the country. The war forced the actors to leave their homeland, and their tour continued in Europe: Sofia, Prague, Berlin, Zagreb, Paris. The West applauded the talent of the Russians, and Kachalov Vasily Ivanovich also gave concerts, for the first time reciting “Skifs” by Alexander Blok. A man of phenomenal education, he read Homer in ancient Greek, and Horace in Latin.
Interrupting for a short vacation, the troupe set off on new journeys, making a tour to the USA, where it successfully began touring with the play “Tsar Fedor”. By that time, the family moved to a German village, and K. S. Stanislavsky became afraid that many artists would not return from the tour. He sent letters inviting the troupe to gather in the theater. In August 1924, V. Kachalov returned to Moscow.
Personal life
In Vasily Kachalov there was nobility and scope, but at the same time, kindness and unwillingness to upset people. He loved communication, nature, long walks and feasts, with pleasure arranging them at home. A huge number of famous personalities have seen his apartment, among whom was Sergey Yesenin. He made friends with a Doberman owner named Jim, writing a beautiful poem "Dog Kachalova."
From 1900 until his death, Vasily Kachalov was married to Nina Nikolaevna, who, after her illness, remained lame and could not perform on stage. He helped her do the directing. At his 50th birthday, he played Nicholas I in a performance about the Decembrists, staged by his wife. He is credited with a huge number of novels, including a long relationship with the actress, the wife of a great man. But he did not leave the family, loving his only son, Vadim.
He generously gave himself to people, endlessly adoring the scene. In addition to performances, he conducted a grand concert activity, leaving behind a huge number of recordings available today. In 1928, he starred in the silent movie "White Eagle" (director Y. Protazanov). During the filming of “A Trip to Life” (1931), he was entrusted with reading poetry about homeless children that created the mood of the picture. The state appreciated his merits by conferring the title of People's Artist of the USSR (1936).
