Film director Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko: biography, creativity, interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A major figure in the theater and cinema, the owner of his own author's vision and method Fomenko Petr Naumovich left a significant mark on the art of Russia. His film works are included in the list of the best adaptations of Russian literary classics. The creative path of the director was not easy, he had to overcome a lot before reaching self-realization.

Childhood and family

Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko was born in Moscow on July 31, 1932. The boy's father died during the Great Patriotic War, there are only a few photos of the father and son. The main concern for the child lay on the shoulders of the mother, she loved Petya very much and tried to make his childhood as happy as possible. Alexandra Petrovna came from a very intelligent, educated family from Novorossiysk. Her father was the deputy head of the cargo port. During the civil war, the family sheltered the wounded from both the Reds and the Whites. So the red commander Naum Fomenko got into their house,whom the girl fell passionately in love with and followed him to Moscow. After the war, Alexandra Petrovna worked as an economist for international relations in the department of Anastas Mikoyan. She loved art very much, she passed this feeling on to her son, who loved music most of all all his life, she became his guiding star in life and the basis of his creative method as a director.

As a child, Peter went in for a variety of sports: speed skating, football, tennis. These hobbies also stayed with him for life.

The path to the profession

From childhood, Peter played the violin, he graduated from the Gnessin College, the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music College. Mom dreamed that her son would become an outstanding musician, but at some point both mother and son realized that he could not make a big career in the performing arts, and the young man began to look for a different path. And in 1950, the first time he entered the acting department of the Moscow Art Theater School. At that time, the studio was a stronghold of the classical theater, and Fomenko, with his hooliganism and endless irony, did not fit into her concept of a graduate in any way. For 2.5 years of study, Peter was able not only to make friends with many classmates, but also to turn against himself almost the entire teaching staff, except for Vershilov, who continued to study with Fomenko, no matter what.

The future director constantly participated in pranks and started a lot of pranks, sometimes not at all harmless, and therefore he was expelled from the third year with the wording "for hooliganism." Fomenko veryexperienced this exile, besides, he faced an acute financial issue, and he had to look for a variety of ways to earn money. But the main thing is that he needs to study somewhere in order to get a profession, and he enters the philological faculty of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute, where he meets a whole galaxy of wonderful people. These are Yu. Vizbor, Yuly Kim, Yury Koval, Vladimir Krasnovsky, with whom he will be friends all his life and who helped him finally decide on his future profession.

Lifework

Even at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute, Fomenko puts on skits, studies in the student theater, rehearses "The Stone Guest" and understands his true destiny.

After graduating from the philological faculty, Fomenko Petr Naumovich enters the directing department of GITIS, where during his studies he puts on his first full-fledged performance “The Restless Inheritance” based on the play by K. Finn. His teachers were N. Gorchakov, N. Petrov, A. Goncharov.

He graduated from the institute in 1961 and is eager to work, he is sure that he has found his destiny, he is full of creative ideas and plans, now he only needs theater.

Theatrical wanderings

After graduating from the institute, Fomenko begins real ordeals in search of work. He works in several theaters, runs a studio in the House of Culture, collaborates with the student theater of Moscow State University. Petr Naumovich puts on a play at the theater. V. Mayakovsky "The Death of Tarelkin" based on the play by Sukhovo-Kobylin. The production is distinguished by sharpness, irony, biting satire and originality, all this was excessive for the Soviet theater, and the performancebanned after 50 shows, despite the resounding success with the audience. The production of "New Mystery Buff" at the Lensoviet Theater was subjected to strict censorship, the performance was given five times, but it was never allowed to be shown.

After that, it became even more difficult for Fomenko to find a job. He takes on any work, but this does not give financial stability. In search of a permanent place of employment, Peter Naumovich leaves for Tbilisi, where he works in the theater. Griboyedov for two years.

In 1972 he moved to Leningrad, where he worked in the comedy theater until 1981. Here he puts on 14 successful performances, while collaborating with theaters in Moscow. Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko, whose photo is placed on the stands of theaters in both capitals, takes on any business, he puts out 1-2 performances a year. In 1982, he staged performances at the Theater. Mayakovsky in the capital, since 1989 he has been working in the theater. Vakhtangov.

Director Fomenko Pyotr Naumovich works a lot in other theaters, in his entire creative life he staged about 50 performances in different theaters of the world, not counting productions in his workshop.

Big Movie

In 1973, the Soviet cinema was enriched by another master, it was then that Fomenko Petr Naumovich came to film directing. The real name of the creator has become synonymous with film talent. Acting simultaneously as a screenwriter and director, Fomenko in 1973 makes the film “Childhood. Adolescence. Youth” based on the work of Leo Tolstoy.

In 1975, he shoots a picture based on the play by V. Panova "For the rest of my life."Here he also acts as a co-author of the script. The four-episode film about the hard work of military doctors during the Second World War is based on Fomenko's unique methodology for working with actors, they do not play with him, but live and improvise in the frame. The tape received many laudatory reviews and a prize at a film festival in Georgia.

In 1977, Fomenko Petr Naumovich, a well-known director at that time, shoots the lyrical film "Almost a funny story." The film features very atmospheric music and songs based on poems by Y. Moritz, N. Matveeva, A. Velichansky. Here the director was able to show his new side, he makes it clear that he can be kind, gentle and even a little romantic.

In 1985, another film by Fomenko was released - “A trip in an old car”. This bright comedy, written by E. Braginsky, again showed the audience a soft and lyrical director and became his last work in big cinema.

Fomenko TV theater

Fomenko Petr Naumovich was able to create his own unique format by making TV films. His film adaptations of classical works of Russian literature have become an example of a careful and respectful attitude to the material. At the same time, these productions are not a boring retelling, but a creative rethinking of the works. Films are distinguished by extraordinary musicality and inspired acting. In total, Fomenko made 16 television films. Among them are "This Sweet Old House" by Arbuzov, "Tanya-Tanya" by O. Mukhina, "Love Yarovaya" by Trenev and, of course, magnificent adaptations of Pushkin.

Pushkin andFomenko

Pushkin's prose has become material for endless reflection and creativity for the director. Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko, whose biography has for many years been associated with film adaptations of Pushkin's stories, found great inspiration in literary material. He makes films based on The Queen of Spades twice, and they differ not only in their interpretation, but also in their directorial decisions. The famous film "Shot" with movie stars Leonid Filatov and Oleg Yankovsky became the trademark of Fomenko the film director. In 2012, he shoots the last TV play based on Pushkin, Triptych, in which he combined Count Nulin, The Stone Guest (which he could not show to the audience in his youth) and Scenes from Faust, here the director's innovation was fully manifested and his deepest respect for the source material.

Pedagogical activity

Fomenko Petr Naumovich, in addition to directing, devoted more than 20 years to pedagogy. He graduated four courses at the Russian Academy of Theater Arts. Students say that Fomenko had an exceptional talent as a teacher, he also inspired students, stimulated them to search, improvise, and grow. It is not in vain that they always have their own face, you cannot confuse them with anyone. With his students, he plays his favorite classics by Gogol, Pushkin, Ostrovsky, Chekhov, teaches them not only to adore the material, but also the ability to rethink texts, creating modern images.

Workshop of P. N. Fomenko

Of the director's faithful students, an original, author's theater named after him was formed. Fomenko's workshopIn 1993, it receives the official status of a theater with only one classic in its repertoire. But the director with a team of like-minded people always finds a new approach to traditional history, so the theater's productions are innovative and relevant. Many of them have received the highest awards and prizes. After the director's death in 2012, the theater was headed by Yevgeny Kamenkovich, and the troupe continues the traditions of the master, continues to live.

Private life

Fomenko Petr Naumovich, whose personal life was distinguished by diversity and complexity, was married twice and had one big romance, from which his only son was born. The first time he married in Tbilisi was the theater artist Lali Badridze. The second and last marriage with Maya Tupikova lasted almost 50 years. Despite this, Fomenko Petr Naumovich, whose family was a strong rear, allowed himself numerous hobbies. But his wife, a wise woman, understood that these were the costs of her husband's creative nature, and forgave him his weaknesses.

Interesting facts from the life of Pyotr Fomenko

In his school years, Fomenko became interested in football, he chased the ball together with Tolya Ilyin, who many years later would become a famous football player. Petr Naumovich did not become a football player, but was a passionate fan all his life.

Fomenko Petr Naumovich, whose nationality has repeatedly become the subject of his jokes and tales, all his life considered himself a Russian director. Although in Soviet times he had to feel the negative influence of his origin. He cowith his characteristic irony, he told how, during an internship at the Maly Theater, the strict head of the security department was favorable to the novice director exactly until he heard Fomenko's patronymic. As soon as he found out that he was Pyotr Naumovich, he immediately drew the appropriate conclusions and began to earnestly fulfill his duties, limiting the temporary pass to the theater to only 1 month.

During the years of unemployment, after being expelled from the studio school, Fomenko works a lot in the cultural centers near Moscow, where he puts on classical works. He also found opportunities for his own interpretation there. So, he staged the play "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Rostand, in which the main character moved in a wheelchair, and the beautiful Roxana weighed more than a centner.