Shumsky, Sergey Vasilievich

Sergei Shumsky came from a Moscow petty bourgeois family. He graduated from the Moscow Theater School , where he entered as a teenager and where he was a favorite student of M.S.Shchepkin , whose family he made close friends with and met with outstanding cultural figures of his time - artists, writers, playwrights, literary critics, and artists. ^[2]

He attracted attention in 1830 when he performed the role of actor Yakov Danilovich Shumsky in the production of the opera-vaudeville Khmelnitsky and V. N. Vsevolzhsky “Actors between themselves, or the first debut of actress Troepolskaya ”. The young artist was then only 10 years old. The director of the Moscow office of the imperial theaters F.F. Kokoshkin left this name for him. ^[3]

As a student, she first appeared on the stage of the Maly Theater with non-primary roles, including the role of Dobchinsky's “Examiner” by Gogol ( 1836 , the first production in Moscow), and this work was approved by V. G. Belinsky :

“Mr. Shumsky, playing Dobchinsky, is excellent .... The kind of good-natured idiot, the provincial nature that he knows how to take on, all this is beyond praise” ^[4] .

In 1841, after graduating from college, he was accepted into the troupe of the Maly Theater.

Until 1847 he performed mainly in vaudeville, playing the roles of Dyukro, Motylkova (“Two Merchants and Two Fathers”, “Barskaya Arrogance and Pansies” - vaudeville by D. Lensky ), Ogryzkova (“Confusion” by Fedorov). He also played the roles of the young Glova ( “Players” of Gogol) and Mr. N ( “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov ) —only during this time he played more than sixty roles at the Maly Theater.

In 1847, having received leave for practice in the province, at the insistence of his teacher Schepkin, he entered the Odessa Theater to play leading roles. Practice in the unimportant provincial theater has borne fruit. In 1850, returning to the Maly Theater, where he worked until the end of his life, he replenished his repertoire with complex images: Kochkarev ( “Marriage” , 1850), Zagoretsky ( “Woe from Wit” , 1850), Khlestakov ( “The Examiner” , 1851). The first performer on the Moscow stage: Count Lyubin ( Turgenev 's Provincial Room , 1851, first production in Moscow), Krechinsky (Krechinsky 's Wedding , 1855, first production in Moscow). Other roles: in Ostrovsky’s plays: Vikhorev ( “Don’t Get in Your Sleigh,” 1853) Zhadov ( “Profitable Place” , 1863), Obroshenov ( “Jokers” , 1864), Krutitsky (“ For Every Wise Man Pretty Simple ” 1868) Dobrotvorsky ( The Poor Bride , 1853), Lucky ( The Forest , 1871); Margaritov ( “Late Love” , 1873), Groznov (“The truth is good, but happiness is better ”, 1876); in the plays of Moliere : Skapen ("The Tricks of Skapen", 1866), Sganarelle ("School of husbands", 1866), Arnolf ("School of women", 1869); as well as Shprikh ( “Masquerade” , 1862), Tropachev (“The Workman” of Turgenev , 1862), Pustozyorov (“Tinsel” by A. Potekhin , 1862), Cheglov-Sokovnin (“The Bitter Fate” of Pisemsky , 1863), Chatsky ( “Woe” from the mind " Griboedova , 1864); John the Terrible (The Death of John the Terrible by A. K. Tolstoy , 1868); Telyatev and Cheryomukhin (“Sparrows”, 1867, and “Grouses not to fly through trees”, 1872, Tarnovsky , alteration of comedies of Labisch ), Figaro (“ Barber of Seville ”, 1856, and “ The Marriage of Figaro ”, 1868, Beaumarchais ), Mr. Ford (“ Windsor Pranks ”, 1866), Franz Moor ( “The Robbers” of Schiller , 1868), Plyushkin (“ Dead Souls ”, 1877), roles in plays by Korolev, Kugushev , Lope de Vega and many others. For 40 years of stage activity Shumsky created over 500 roles.

He was considered one of the best Russian artists, the roles of Sosnitsky , Martynov , Samoilov, which he performed on tour trips, passed to him. Continuing the Shchepkin traditions, Sergei Shumsky personified the beginning of the next stage in theatrical art - the development of deep psychologically conditioned images. In each role, he sought and found something original, distinguishing personality: he revealed something essentially new in the character’s character, not noticed by his great predecessors or otherwise understood by them.

• So, his Kochkaryov, in contrast to the schemer who played this role, Shchepkin, revealed "a windy, ebullient head, quick at all costs, the exact opposite with the quiet, suspicious and extremely indecisive Podkolesin." In Khlestakov, which S. Vasilyev brilliantly played before him, he gave “youth, boyhood”: “frivolously, carelessly, like a capricious child, he led the scene with Osip and the innkeeper”, “he lied - in Act III - how the blabbering lies boys. " In Chatsky, unlike Samarin , he put forward “a consciousness of his dignity, mental aristocracy,” emphasized “the maturity of the mind and the ability of deliberate judgment” ^[5] .
• “According to an authoritative theater-goer,“ one cannot imagine anything more hilarious and original than Sh. <...> Sh .'s game was smooth, thin, smart, with a brilliant finish of artistic details; in all roles his artistic nature poured out. ” ^[3]
• “Nature, depriving him of all the external qualities necessary for the actor and, as if conscious of his guilt, tenfold the strength of the most expressive eyes and awarded those of Shumsky. Shumsky's eyes replaced everything: the beauty of the face and figure, the strength and pleasantness of the voice, and even the clarity of pronunciation. When Shumsky appeared on the scene, the viewer fell under the control of his magnetic eyes and forgave and even forgot about all his shortcomings, ” A.P. Lensky recalled ^[4] .
• A. F. Koni recalled: “And how consciously and visually for a bit more sensitive young heart the unforgettable Zhadov - Shumsky suffered!” The deepest drama of a “little” man humiliated by everyone, whom cruel people satiated so cruelly and cruelly with jest, was revealed by the actor in the role of the old man Obroshenov. One of the most remarkable creations of Shumsky was the role of Arkashka Schastlivtseva in the comedy "Forest" ^[4] .
• “Shumsky, when he takes over the role, is more than anyone the bearer of her idea,” noted P. D. Boborykin ^[6] .
• “Sh .'s game was distinguished by high skill, artistry, nobility, delicate taste, was simple, natural, warmed by a sincere feeling. The actor is rational. warehouse, S. with special attention analyzed and psychologically substantiated the role, sought not only a deep embodiment of the author’s general intention, but also accuracy, subtlety of individual strokes, details. The clarity of the external and internal. drawing differed and episodic. the role of the artist. Owning a make-up claim, Sh. Never abused it and achieved reincarnation, first of all internal. transformation, brilliantly used the expressiveness of his facial expressions, successfully overcame his inherent flaws (vague diction, deaf voice). The actor “without a role”, S. played many different roles in Ostrovsky’s plays, as well as in productions. other Russian and Western Europe. classic playwrights. " ^[2]

In the late 60s. went on to teaching, taught stage skills at the Moscow Conservatory and staged the opera Glinka 's Life for the Tsar in 1869.

• Shumsky, Sergey Vasilievich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.

• Portrait of Sergei Vasilievich Shumky .
• Biography of S.V. Shumsky on the site of the Maly Theater .