Biography
Alexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt spent his childhood in the center of Moscow at the Nikitsky Gate. His mother, Raisa Samoilovna, began as an actress at the Moscow Art Theater in her youth, but left the stage and worked for a long time as an editor at the Moscow Philharmonic. All concerts, including those for the government, were compiled according to her programs. My father was a musician, violinist, played in the Bolshoi Theater orchestra, then taught at a music school. Alexander Shirvindt graduated from 1st grade in 1943 in evacuation, at a school in the city of Cherdyn, Perm Region. The remaining 9 grades he studied at Moscow school No. 110. This school was one of the best in terms of education; the children of the most senior parents of the Soviet period were sent there: Semyon Budyonny, Nikolai Bukharin, Lazar Kaganovich, Alexander Troyanovsky, Semyon Timoshenko, Demyan Bedny, Sergei Yesenin, Yakov Protazanov. For example, Nikita Khrushchev’s son Sergei studied in the same class with Shirvindt.
In addition to secondary school, Alexander also studied at the music school. There he completed five classes, after which the teachers pronounced him a verdict: “Not suitable for music.” True, music remained in his life - the teenager began studying at the ballroom dancing school at the House of Scientists. And yet the theater occupied the main place in the life of young Alexander. Outstanding artists, stage and stage masters often visited his parents’ house: Anatoly Yakhontov, Yakov Flier, Dmitry Zhuravlev, Vasily Kachalov, Rostislav Plyatt, Rina Zelenaya, Leonid Utesov... The theater filled the whole world of his childhood, and it is not surprising that already at school Alexander I firmly decided that I would become an actor. As Alexander Shirvindt’s childhood friend Mikhail Derzhavin recalls: “All the adults paid attention to Shura: “This boy will be good.”
After graduating from school, Sasha applied to theater institutes and began taking exams. In 1951, he became a student at the Shchukin Theater School, where he took the acting course of Vera Lvova. He played the main roles in the graduation performances “Labor Bread” and “Night of Errors”, where he coped with his work brilliantly. The teachers said that the young man would be a famous actor. Alexander finished the famous “Pike” with “excellent marks”.
Height, weight, age. How old is Alexander Shirvindt
“Alexander Shirvindt – photos in his youth and now” is a frequent request on the Internet. Modern fans are looking for early photographs of the actor. Let us note that in his youth Alexander Shirvindt was handsome. Women of those times adored him; they were interested in literally everything about their beloved actor, including his height, weight, age. How old is Alexander Shirvindt now is not a difficult question. It is enough to know the actor’s date of birth.
Alexander Shirvindt even now, at 83 years old, looks pretty good. This is a fairly tall man. His height is 183 centimeters. The actor weighs about 95 kilograms.
According to his zodiac sign, Alexander Shirvindt belongs to the creative, romantic and sensual Cancer. The actor was born in the year of the Dog. He remains faithful to his work, showing unprecedented ability to work.
Theater
In 1956, Shirvindt entered the service of the Lenin Komsomol Theater, which at that time was headed by Sofya Vladimirovna Giatsintova and Serafima Germanovna Birman. His debut on the Lenkom stage took place in the play “The First Horse” directed by Benedikt Nord. Critics and viewers appreciated Shirvindt's acting skills, which allowed him to count on more serious and larger roles in the future. Then there were works in the plays “Comrades Romantics”, “Goodbye, boys!”, “Wheel of Happiness”, “You are 22, old people!”, “When the acacia blooms”, “Suitcase with stickers”, “The center of the attack will die at dawn ", "About Lermontov", "Saint Joan".
In 1964, Lenkom was headed by Anatoly Efros. Roles in Efros's plays brought Shirvindt real fame. He played Trigorin in “The Seagull”, Louis in “Molière”, Guderian in “To Each His Own”, Felix in “104 Pages about Love”.
In total, Alexander Shirvindt played more than 30 roles on the stage of the Lenin Komsomol Theater, becoming a mature master.
In 1968, following Anatoly Efros, he moved to the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. Shirvindt worked there for almost 2 years, after which he joined the troupe of the Moscow Academic Satire Theater. This theater became his second home. The first role was Count Almaviva in Pluchek’s famous production of “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro.” This performance, filmed in 1974, is still watched in one breath, and Almaviva Shirvindt, once seen in this performance, is no longer forgotten.
At the Satire Theater he played in the plays: “Sad, but funny”, “The concert crew is happy to welcome you. Theater of Satire at the Front”, “Gury Lvovich Sinichkin”, “Clemens”, “Red Mare with a Bell”, “An Ordinary Miracle”, “The Inspector General”, “Little Comedies of a Big House”, “We Are 50!”, “Woe from Wit” ", "Concert for theater with orchestra...", "Be silent, sad, be silent...", "Burden of decisions", "The battlefield after victory belongs to the marauders...", "Happy - Unschastlivtsev", "Between light and shadow", "Hello from Tsyurupa! and etc.
From acting, the artist gradually came to the role of director. It was here that he made his directorial debut in 1970. Together with Mark Zakharov, he staged the play “Awake and Sing!”
In 2000, Shirvindt became artistic director of the Moscow Academic Satire Theater.
Movie
Alexander Shirvindt acted in films a lot and successfully. After graduating from the Shchukin School, in 1956 he was accepted into the troupe of the Film Actor Studio Theater. In 1957, he joined the staff of the Mosfilm film studio, where he made his film debut: in the comedy “She Loves You,” Alexander played a small role of a young man named Ukhov, and with the fee received for this role, he was able to purchase a “Victory” car "
Success came to the actor in the film “Come Tomorrow”. In a duet with Yuri Belov, Shirvindt played the false Stanislavsky, Belov - the false Nemirovich-Danchenko. This brilliant episode will forever be remembered by the audience.
Then a completely different role in the film “Major Whirlwind”. Shirvindt played the Polish intellectual Jozef, who helps Soviet intelligence officers. Then there were the films: “The Twelve Chairs”, “The Imaginary Patient”, “Three in a Boat, Not Counting the Dog”, “Incognito from St. Petersburg”, “Sky Swallows”.
In 1975, Eldar Ryazanov invited Shirvindt to play a role in his legendary comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” And, of course, after this role, Shirvindt woke up as a star on an all-Union scale. Ryazanov liked the young actor, and again and again he invited him to star in his films: “Station for Two”, “Forgotten Melody for Flute”, “Old Robbers”.
Among Shirvindt's other notable works: Yuri Nikolaevich, director of the travel bureau in the melodrama "Vacation at your own expense", Fiarelli in the musical film "Circus Princess", artistic director in the comedy "Silver Revue", Arkady in the melodrama "The Most Charming and Attractive", TV show host in the tragicomedy “Winter Evening in Gagra”, Arkady in the comedy “Womanizer”, Tartakovsky in the comedy “The Art of Living in Odessa”.
Mikhail Shirvindt now
In 2020, Mikhail published an autobiographical book, “Memoirs of a Loser,” in which he shared with readers the most striking events of his boring life. It was decided to combine her presentation with the release of Alexander Shirvindt’s book “In Between,” so that readers would have the opportunity to see the same events through the eyes of father and son.
Mikhail Shirvindt released the book “Memoirs of a Loser”
In the book, Mikhail talks a lot about his childhood, friendship with Andrei Mironov, Mikhail Derzhavin and other legendary Soviet artists, and also openly shares the not so pleasant moments of his life.
Thus, he devoted an entire chapter to participation in the MMM financial pyramid, into which he invested not only all his savings, but also the savings of his father and his friends.
Being a gambling man, Mikhail did not listen to the advice of smart people, and having lost all his money overnight, he became seriously ill due to nervousness. Since 2020, Shirvindt Jr. has been actively exploring the Internet space and running his own blog on YouTube, “Edible and Inedible,” in which he covers his travels around the world, introduces subscribers to the culinary traditions of people from different countries, and shares the addresses of “delicious” restaurants. Mikhail Shirvindt’s blog on YouTube “Edible and inedible”
Pedagogy
In parallel with his work in cinema and theater, Alexander Shirvindt is engaged in teaching. Since 1958, he has been teaching at the B.V. Higher Theater School. Shchukin. In 1995 he received the title of professor. Among its graduates: Andrei Mironov, Alla Demidova, Natalya Gundareva, Svetlana Ryabova, Alexander Porokhovshchikov, Leonid Trushkin, Amalia Mordvinova, Maria Golubkina, Leonid Yarmolnik and many other actors working in different theaters of the country. “From the perspective of accumulated experience, I would like to say that theater pedagogy is a slippery and insidious thing,” says Alexander Anatolyevich. “It’s easy to break your neck on it.” They often complain that the teaching qualifications have decreased, and failed actors are becoming teachers. The thesis, in my opinion, is harmful. There are amazing artists who have no idea what to do with students, what and how to teach them. On the other hand, people who have never worked on stage or in films turn out to be brilliant teachers. These are different professions. But there are happy coincidences - as, for example, in my case!”
Family of Alexander Shirvindt
The family of Alexander Shirvindt is the property of the actor. He was born into a creative family, where his father was a music teacher and his mother worked at the Music Conservatory.
Now Alexander Shirvindt’s family includes himself, his beloved wife, son Mikhail with his wife and grandchildren. The famous actor also has great-grandchildren.
Family relationships are quite harmonious and built on respect and care for each other. They often organize gatherings at home, go out into nature, and relax together. Relatives and friends are proud of Alexander Shirvindt.
Personal life
15-year-old Alexander met his wife, then 14-year-old Natalya Belousova, in the summer of 1951. According to a funny legend, at the initial stage of meeting Natalya, Shirvindt was captivated by the girl, first of all, by the fact that she had... a cow on her farm. Being a passionate milk lover, Shirvindt could not ignore this fact. However, having fallen in love with the cow, he gradually became interested in her owner. True, at the time of the young couple’s marriage, circumstances developed in such a way that the Belousovs had to part with the cow.
Alexander proposed to the girl 7 years after they met. During the winter session, Natalya was preparing for the exam at home, the bell rang, Shirvindt came in, took off his coat and said: “Let's go to the registry office,” and at the same time placed a huge bundle in front of the bride. Having unfolded it, the girl froze - a blooming bush of pale pink lilac...
By profession, Natalya Nikolaevna is an architect. By her roots, the wife of Alexander Shirvindt is a pillar noblewoman. Her maternal family goes back to the famous Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, her paternal ancestors belonged to the old Moscow merchant class.
In 1958, Alexander Anatolyevich became a father - a son was born, who was named Mikhail. In 1965, the Shirvindts moved to the famous high-rise building on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment.
Son Mikhail, having graduated from the Theater School. Shchukin, worked for several seasons at the Satyricon Theater. However, in 1993 he went into television. Mikhail Shirvindt has two children: son Andrei (born 1981), a student at the Faculty of Law of the Russian State University for the Humanities, daughter Sasha (born 1986).
Alexander Anatolyevich enjoys fishing, basketball, and playing the violin. He has been smoking a pipe for more than 40 years, which has become his indispensable attribute.
To the question: “How do you feel about life in general?” — Alexander Anatolyevich answers: “I’m trying to perceive it ironically and philosophically, understanding the frailty of our existence.” And more about life from Shirvindt: “You must live according to your conscience, individually. And if possible, try not to waver along with the “party line.” I have never been a member of any political party in my life. But this is not because I am so all right. I’m just simply not interested in collective thinking. I prefer to live by my own mind.”
Loving monogamous
In his films, Alexander often portrayed the characters as lovers, which gave journalists reasons to attribute romantic relationships to the actor with many Soviet actresses. Interest in this issue was fueled by the artist Tatyana Egorova, who in her book about Andrei Mironov mentioned all of Shirvindt’s adventures. How true this is or not, no one except Alexander himself knows.
In 1957, Shirvindt officially registered his relationship with the architect Natalya Belousova, with whom he is still happily married. In 1958, the Shirvindt family was replenished; their only son, Mikhail, was born.
In 1981, Alexander and Natalya became grandparents. The son gave the talented parents a grandson, Andrei, and five years later, a granddaughter, Alexandra, was born , named after the eminent grandfather.
These days, Alexander continues to work in the theater, and devotes his free time to his great-granddaughters Anastasia and Ella. Shirvindt still does not part with his pipe, which has become an integral attribute of his image. The artist also likes to fish outside the city, taking a break from the bustle of the capital.
Prizes and awards
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (August 2, 2004) - for great contribution to the development of theatrical art
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (July 21, 2014) - for great services to the development of national culture and art, many years of fruitful activity
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (July 19, 2009) - for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of teaching activity
Order of Friendship of Peoples (June 20, 1994) - for services to the development of theatrical art and fruitful teaching activities
Order “Key of Friendship” (October 9, 2014, Kemerovo region) - “for outstanding personal contribution to the development of Russian culture, preservation of the best traditions of theatrical art, unique talent, highest creative potential, dedication to one’s professional duty, selfless service to the Fatherland”
Honored Artist of the RSFSR (October 16, 1974)
People's Artist of the RSFSR (June 1, 1989)
Winner of the second prize at the arts festival "Theatrical Spring-74"
Winner of the “Golden Ostap” award (1993, for participation in the play “Honoring”)
Winner of the “Theatrical Star” award in the category “Best Improvisation” (2009)
Chekhov Medal (2010)
Honorary badge "Public Recognition"
Laureate of the national award “Russian of the Year” in the “Star of Russia” nomination (2005)
Laureate of the national acting award "Figaro" named after. Andrey Mironov (2015)
In 1997, the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences assigned the name “Shirvindt” to one of the minor planets.
Based on materials from the sites kino-teatr.ru, kinopoisk.ru, satire.ru, rusactors.ru, vokrug.tv
Filmography
- Moliere (The Cabal of the Holy One), film-play (2013)
- Markovna. Reboot (2010)
- Speckled Twilight (2009)
- Return of the Musketeers (2009)
- The Irony of Fate. Sequel (2007)
- Andersen. Life without love (2006)
- Boys of Steel (2005), TV series
- Hello, fools! (1996)
- Fatal Balls (1995)
- Simple-minded (1994)
- Russian Ragtime (1993)
- Crazy (1991)
- Siege of Venice (1991)
- Womanizer (1990)
- The Art of Living in Odessa (1989)
- Blackmailer (1987)
- Forgotten Melody for flute (1987)
- Seven Screams in the Ocean (1986)
- Million in the marriage basket (1986)
- The most charming and attractive (1985)
- Winter evening in Gagra (1985)
- The Hero of Her Novel (1984)
- Applause, Applause (1984)
- Unexpectedly (1983)
- Silver Revue (1982)
- The Inspector General (1982), teleplay
- Circus Princess (1982)
- Simply Horrible (1982)
- Station for two (1982)
- Facts of a Day Past (1981)
- Vacation at your own expense (1981)
- Oriental Dentist (1981)
- The Imaginary Invalid (1980)
- Three in a Boat, Not Counting a Dog (1979)
- 12 chairs (1977)
- Incognito from St. Petersburg (1977)
- Sky Swallows (1976)
- Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath! (1975)
- What a Smile You Have (1974)
- Little Comedies of the Big House (1974), teleplay
- Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro (1973), teleplay
- Just a few words in honor of Monsieur de Molière (1973), teleplay
- Old Robbers (1971)
- You and Me (1971)
- Do you know how to live? (1970)
- At Thirteen O'Clock (1969)
- Plot for a short story (1969)
- Collapse (1968)
- Sixth of July (1968)
- Once again about love (1968)
- Save a Drowning Man (1967)
- Major "Whirlwind" (1967)
- Come Tomorrow (1963)
- Ataman Kodr (1958)
- She Loves You (1956)
