Kvasha, Igor Vladimirovich

Igor Kvasha was born on February 4, 1933 in Moscow. Father, Doctor of Chemistry , head of the Moscow Art Theater named after D. I. Mendeleev Vladimir Ilyich Kvasha (1897-1942, originally from the town of Pokotilovo, Uman district of the Kiev province ^[4] ), died on December 30, 1942 at the front near Leningrad ^[5] . According to the official data of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, he went missing in June 1942 near the village of Kerest in the Novgorod Region (at that time the Leningrad Region ) ^[6] . Much later it became known that he was captured and was shot by the Germans. Mother Dora Zakharovna Kvasha is a sign teacher and defectologist, a graduate of the Moscow Medical and Pedological Institute of the People's Commissariat of Health of the USSR.

The school where Igor studied was located on the Arbat - first in Plotnikovoy, and then in Durnovsky Lane. Separate training was practiced in those years, and Igor Vladimirovich liked to recall how he and the boys hooligans: fought, blew up cartridges. He studied normally until the 7th grade. Then he began to study in a theater studio and abandoned the school: he skipped classes, “floated out” at the expense of cheat sheets and tips. Passion for the theater began in kindergarten, in Siberia, in the city of Leninsk-Kuznetsk , where his family was evacuated from Moscow in 1941 . Igor went there with his mother, who continued to work. The young actor played a major role in the production of the fairy tale “Frost”. This performance was played at the full house in the city theater and in the hospital in front of the wounded. Already after years, while studying at school, Igor read poetry at school evenings, and then went to the city Pioneer House on Stopani Street. There was a theater studio from which a lot of famous people came out - Rolan Bykov , Vladimir Andreev, Victor Sokolov, Boris Ritsarev, Lev Krugly. All the thoughts of Kvasha were occupied by the theater, the exact sciences did not inspire him. The Pioneer House had a very friendly team, and the boy immediately rushed there after school.

In 1955 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio (course of A. M. Karev ) ^[7] . From 1955 to 1957 - actor of the Moscow Art Theater named after M. Gorky . Since 1957 - actor of the Moscow theater " Contemporary "

Good materials were offered on Kvasha radio; he had the opportunity to choose works to his liking ^[8] . The favorite author of the actor is Pushkin ^[8] , in particular, he read excerpts from The Queen of Spades. He also performed such works as “Cloud in Pants” by Mayakovsky , “Twelve” Blocks , many of Lermontov , Nekrasov , Maupassant . A well-known series of radio programs made by Igor Kvasha is reading the novels “The White Guard” by M. Bulgakov and “Doctor Zhivago” by B. Pasternak ^[8] .

He became widely popular after playing the role of burgomaster in the television movie " The Same Munchausen " (1979).

In the early 1990s, was invited to the jury of the Higher League of KVN .

From June 13, 1998 to April 28, 2012, Igor Kvasha hosted the television program “Looking for You” (a few years later renamed “ Wait for Me ”) on RTR , and from 1999 on “ Channel One ”.

In 2007, Kvasha’s book entitled “Point of Return” was published, in which he recalls in detail childhood and youth, performances and rehearsals, colorful theater life, saturating the narrative with vivid and accurate details, including genuine documents.

In 2008, he broadcast the program “Incredible Life Stories” on Channel One.

Death

He died in his 80th year of life on August 30, 2012 in Moscow from a pulmonary heart caused by purulent bronchitis against a background of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ^{[9] [10]} .

Farewell to the actor took place on the main stage of the Sovremennik Theater on Tuesday, September 4. He was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery .

In the spring of 2001, he supported the journalistic staff of NTV and criticized the actions of President Putin ^[11] .

In October 2008, he signed an open letter of appeal in defense and support of the release of the lawyer of the Yukos oil company Svetlana Bakhmina ^[12] .

In December 2011, he criticized Dmitry Medvedev , Vladimir Putin, and United Russia , calling for a protest rally against fraud in the December 4 election on December 24 ^[13] .

In June 2012, shortly before his death, together with several other Russian cultural figures, he signed an open letter in defense of the punk band Pussy Riot ^[14] .

At maturity, Kvasha began to be interested in his roots ^[15] }}

• The first wife is actress Svetlana Misery .
• Second wife (since 1956) - Tatyana Putievskaya (1935–2015), radiologist, candidate of medical sciences (1974), ^[16] sister of director Peter Stein , daughter of film and theater artist Semyon Mandel ^[17] and step-daughter of writer Alexander Matte . ^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}
  • Son - Vladimir (born 1957), businessman ^[18] .
    • Grandchildren: Anastasia (September 27, 1991) and Mikhail (May 14, 1995) ^[18] .

• 2007 - the memoir book "Point of Return". ISBN 978-5-86793-542-9

• Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” III degree ( March 30, 2006 ) - for his great contribution to the development of theatrical art and many years of creative activity ^[22]
• Order of Friendship ( November 27, 1995 ) - for services to the state and many years of fruitful activity in the field of culture and art ^[23]
• Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation ( January 25, 2008 ) - for great achievements in the development of domestic theatrical and cinematic art ^[24]
• People's Artist of the RSFSR ( 1978 )
• Honored Artist of the RSFSR ( 1968 )
• Russian national actor’s award named after Andrei Mironov “Figaro” in the nomination “For Serving the Theater Fatherland” ( 2012 ) ^[25]

Theater

Roles in the Sovremennik Theater

Work on the radio

• 1970-1986 - The cycle of poetry
• 1972 - Treasure Island (Captain Smollett)
• 1981 - Antoine de Saint-Exupery “ Planet of People ” - radio recording of the novel
• 1987-1988 - M. Bulgakov "The White Guard " - radio recording of the novel
• 1989-1990 - B. Pasternak " Doctor Zhivago " - radio recording of the novel

Filmography

• Igor Kvasha, having visited Saratov, forever remembered him without a bridge across the Volga
• Talk on Fridays. Igor Kvasha: “Chamberlain simply had the instinct of a beast working” - Sport-Express, August 5, 2011
• Radio Echo of Moscow website: Igor Kvasha
• TASS dossier