Nikolai Gubenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikolai Gubenko
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| Minister of Culture | |
| In office 21 November 1989 – 27 November 1991 |
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| Premier | Nikolai Ryzhkov Valentin Pavlov Ivan Silayev |
| Preceded by | Vasily Zakharov |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1941 Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 16 August 2020 (aged 78) Moscow, Russia |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Russian Federation |
| Spouse | Zhanna Bolotova |
| Profession | Actor, film and theatre director, screenwriter, politician |
Nikolai Nikolaevich Gubenko (Russian: Николай Николаевич Губенко; born August 17, 1941 – died August 16, 2020) was a famous Soviet and Russian actor, film and theatre director, and screenwriter. He also started his own theatre group called the Community of Taganka Actors.
One of his movies, Wounded Game, was shown at the important 1977 Cannes Film Festival. He was given the special title of People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1985, which means he was a highly respected artist.
Nikolai Gubenko was also involved in politics. He was the very last Minister of Culture of the USSR from 1989 to 1991. Later, he served as a deputy (like a representative) in the Russian State Duma from 1995 to 2003. From 2005, he was a deputy in the Moscow City Duma.
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Early Life and Challenges
Nikolai Gubenko was born in Odessa, a city in what was then the Ukrainian SSR. He was born in the Odessa Catacombs, which are underground tunnels, during the Defence of Odessa in 1941. He was the youngest of five children.
Sadly, both of his parents died in 1942 during World War II. His father was a pilot in the Soviet Air Forces and was killed in battle. His mother, who was a chief designer at a factory, died after she refused to help the invading forces.
After the war, Nikolai's grandparents sent him to an orphanage in Odessa. Later, he went to a special boarding school where he focused on learning English. In 1958, he started working at the Odessa Young Spectator's Theatre as a stagehand and an extra, which means he helped backstage and played small roles.
A Career in Film and Theatre
Around 1960, Gubenko moved to Moscow. He got into the acting school at VGIK, a famous film school. He studied there with well-known directors Sergei Gerasimov and Tamara Makarova, graduating in 1964. During his studies, he met his future wife, actress Zhanna Bolotova.
As a student, he acted in a popular Soviet movie called I Am Twenty. This film had a difficult time getting released. When it was first shown, the leader of the country, Nikita Khrushchev, didn't like it. The movie was finally released in 1965, after Gubenko had already finished school.
For his final acting project, Gubenko played a character based on Adolf Hitler. He said he put all his anger about his parents' deaths into this role. His performance was so strong that Yuri Lyubimov, a famous theatre director, invited him to join the Taganka Theatre. Even though Gubenko had trained for film, he joined the theatre in 1964.
After a few years, Gubenko decided to focus on making movies. He went back to VGIK to study directing, finishing in 1970.
Directing Films
Between 1971 and 1988, Gubenko directed six movies. His first film, A Soldier Returns from the Front, won an award. His 1976 film, Wounded Game (also known as Podranki), was based on his own story. It was about the lives of orphans after the war in Odessa.
Gubenko said that about half of the movie was based on his own experiences. He even cast real orphans in 15 of the main roles, after meeting thousands of children from orphanages. The film was very popular and was shown at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. It also won an award at the 1977 Chicago International Film Festival.
Return to Theatre and Politics
In 1987, Gubenko returned to the Taganka Theatre after the previous director passed away. He took charge of the theatre and worked to bring back old plays. He also used his influence to help Yuri Lyubimov, the former director, return to the USSR. Once Lyubimov's citizenship was given back, Gubenko stepped down as director but stayed on as an actor.
He was then offered the important job of Minister of Culture of the USSR. He was the first arts professional to hold this position since 1917. He served from 1989 to 1991, becoming the last Soviet Minister of Culture before the Soviet Union broke apart.
In 1992, there was a disagreement at the Taganka Theatre. Lyubimov wanted to change how the theatre was run, which would have given him more power over the actors. Gubenko supported the actors who were against these changes. This led to a big argument, and Gubenko was fired.
However, Gubenko continued to act in a play about Vladimir Vysotsky. Lyubimov then tried to stop him from entering the theatre. After this, Gubenko and 35 other actors left and started their own theatre group. It was called the Community of Taganka Actors. Gubenko managed this theatre until he passed away, working as an actor, director, and writer. In 2008, his theatre officially became a state-supported theatre.
Selected Filmography
| Year | Title | Original title | |||
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| 1965 | I Am Twenty | Мне двадцать лет | Nikolai Fokin | ||
| 1966 | The Last Conman | Последний жулик | Petya Dachnikov/vocals | ||
| 1967 | No Password Necessary | Пароль не нужен | Vasily Blyukher | ||
| 1969 | Director | Директор | Aleksey Zvorykin | ||
| Home of the Gentry | Дворянское гнездо | Sitnikov | |||
| 1971 | A Soldier Came Back from the Front | Пришёл солдат с фронта |
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Nikolai Yegorov | |
| 1974 | If You Want to Be Happy | Если хочешь быть счастливым |
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Andrei Rodionov | |
| 1975 | They Fought for Their Country | Они сражались за Родину | lieutenant Goloshyokov | ||
| I Want the Floor | Прошу слова | Sergei Uvarov | |||
| 1976 | Wounded Game | Подранки |
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Grigoriy Albertovich/Aleksey Bartenev (voice) |
| 1977 | In the Zone of Special Attention | В зоне особого внимания | Aleksandr Volentir (voice) | ||
| 1980 | Life on Holidays | Из жизни отдыхающих |
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Aleksey Pavlishchev (voice) |
| A Few Days from the Life of I. I. Oblomov | Несколько дней из жизни И. И. Обломова | Stoltz's father (voice) | |||
| 1983 | And Life, and Tears, and Love | И жизнь, и слёзы, и любовь |
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| 1988 | Forbidden Zone | Запретная зона |
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episode (uncredited) |
| 2001 | Isaуev | Исаев | narrator (voice) | ||
| 2013 | Ku! Kin-dza-dza | Ку! Кин-дза-дза | Vladimir Chizhov (voice) |
Literature
- Nikolai Gubenko (2014). Theatre of the Absurd. Plays on the Political Scene. — Moscow: Algorythm, 256 pages ISBN: 978-5-4438-0696-9
- Evgeny Gromov (2012). Nikolai Gubenko. Director and Actor. — Moscow: Algorythm, 288 pages ISBN: 5-9265-0067-2
See also
In Spanish: Nikolái Gubenko para niños
