Gorbachev I. O. (1927-2003), actor, director

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Personalia
GORBACHEV Igor Olegovich (1927-2003), actor, director, People's Artist of the USSR (1972), Hero of Socialist Labour (1987). In 1945, he enrolled at the Philosophy Department of the Leningrad State University. His acting career began in 1951, as part of a student theatre company headed by E. V. Karpov, where he played Khlestakov in N. V. Gogol's The Inspector General (screened in 1952). In 1952, he joined the Bolshoy Drama Theatre. In 1954, Gorbachev staged A. N. Arbuzov's Little House on the Edge of Town. In 1954 he enrolled at the Leningrad Theatre Institute, graduating in 1959 under L. F. Makaryev. From 1954 until 2003, he acted in the Pushkin Leningrad Academic Drama Theatre Troupe (see Alexandrinsky Theatre), chairing the artistic board from 1968 until 1975, assuming the post of artistic director in 1975, and chief director in 1984-91). His best-known roles include Alexey from V. V. Vishnevsky's Optimistic Tragedy, Platon Krechet from the play by А. Е. Korneychuk, Saint-Exupery from L. A. Malyugin's The Life of Saint-Exupery , Ustimenko from The Cause You Work For Based on Y. P. German's novel, Chichiko from The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls based on Gogol's novel, Krymov from V. Y. Khrabrovitsky's While My Heart is Still Beating, and Ivanov from the play by A. P. Chekhov. His productions include V. Hugo's Mary Tudor (1964), I. M. Dvoretsky's Verandah in the Forest (1980), A. A. Dudarev's Evening (1984), V. A. Solovyev's Field-Marshal Kutuzov (1985, playing the role of Kutuzov), E. Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (1987, playing the role of Cyrano), W. Shakespeare's King Lear, (at the Drama and Comedy Theatre on Liteiny Avenue, 1988, playing the role of Lear), A. M. Volodin's Mother of Jesus (1989), Chekhov's Seagull (1990, playing the role of Dorn), A. N. Ostrovsky's It's not Always Shrovetide for the Cat (1991, playing the role of Akhov). In 1958-75 and 1979-91, he taught at the Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema (today The Academy of Theatre Arts), of which he became a professor in 1983. From 1952, he starred in cinema and on television, playing in such films as Everything's Left for People, 1963; In the Town of S., 1966; Operation 'Trust', 1979; Taming Fire, 1972; Mother Mary, 1982, and others. He was a laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1973), and in 2001 was awarded the Creator of Saint Petersburg Medal. From 1985, Gorbachev chaired the Peace Council. He was the founder president (1992-2003) of the Russian Drama School, located at А. S. Suvorin's former residence at 6 Chekhova Street. He lived at 15 Dzhambula Lane, and is buried at Literatorskie Mostki.

References: Забозлаева Т. Б. Игорь Горбачев. Л., 1985.

Y. N. Kruzhnov. Arbuzov Alexsey Nikolaevich
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich
Dudarev A.A.
Dvoretsky Ignaty Moiseevich
German Yury Pavlovich
Gogol Nikolay Vasilievich
Gorbachev Igor Olegovich
Hugo Victor-Marie
Karpova Evgenia Vladimirovna
Khrabrovitsky V.Y.
Korneychuk Alexander Evdokimovich
Makariev Leonid Fedorovich
Malyugin Leonid Antonovich
Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Rostand Edmond
Shakespeare William
Solovyev Vladimir Alexandrovich
Suvorin Alexey Sergeevich
Vishnevsky Vsevolod Vitalievich
Volodin Alexander Moiseevich
Dzhambula Lane/Saint Petersburg, city, house 15
Забозлаева Т. Б. Игорь Горбачев. Л., 1985 State University, St. Petersburg
Tovstonogov Bolshoy Drama Theatre
Theatre Art Academy
Alexandrinsky Theatre
Dramatic Theatre on Liteiny
Literatorskie (Literary) Mostki, the museum-necropolis