Leonid Bykov, birthday

However, his dream of flying career, our hero still has not left. In 1945, when he was in Leningrad, he enrolled in the 2 nd special school for pilots (Aerotour), where he studied for only a month. Due to the growth of 136 centimeters it was expelled from school, and this year career Leonid Bykov ended. That's when he decided to go to the artists. But in this field, as well as a flying career, our hero was disappointed at first. During the first attempt in 1946 entered the Kiev school of actors, he failed miserably in the entrance exams. Now round loser waiting bleak homecoming, ridicule buddies and friends. Apparently, to avoid all this, and the Bulls went to Kharkov, there to try again to become an artist and enrolled in the local theater institute. And there is something unexpected happened. Whether to retreat to our hero was already nowhere and he was persistent, whether the examiners were perspicacious Kharkov Kiev, but the Bulls passed the exams successfully and was assigned to the 1st year of the institute.
After graduating Institute in 1951, the Bulls hit the theater troupe of Kharkiv Taras Shevchenko. In 1952 he played his first role in a movie. It was a film directed by Isaac Shmaruka and Victor Ivchenko, "The Fate of Marina." Leonid got cameo simple village guy Sashko. In other roles in the film starring the then Soviet cinema stars: Nikolai Gritsenko, Boris Andreyev, Mikhail Kuznetsov. At the box office in 1954 produced a picture of a sudden furor, taking 2nd place. This circumstance also played a positive role in the future of Bykov - he was noticed and remembered not only the audience, but also filmmakers. As a result, in 1954, director Alexander Ivanovo and Hope Kosheverova Bykov invited to a major role (Petit Mokina) in his painting "Tiger Tamer". The film was a huge success with the public. From that moment on the name of the actor Leonid Bykov was known to all.



Meanwhile, almost simultaneously with the filming of "tamer" the same "Lenfilm" Bykov was filmed in another painting, where he has already got the main role. It was a picture of Anatoly Granik "Maksim Perepelitsa". The success of this film at the box office was significantly lower than that of the previous two, but for the bulls is this picture truly opened the door to a great film and earned him a great love of the audience. After this role to Bykov Maxim except no one spoke, and this is a striking confirmation of a huge audience of love and respect.
Bykov actively removed. However, for the most part it was the role similar to each other: such things Maxims Perepelitsa small scale. The actor did not want to endlessly exploit the same mask (in the theater he also battered mainly comic roles). Therefore, accepting the new proposals, he tried to choose the role of the different plans. So he was in the movie "Alien kin" (1956), "My dear man," "Volunteers" (oba- 1958), "The quarrel in Lukash," "May the stars" (oba- 1959).
Unexpected for Bykov was in 1958 a proposal from Alexei Batalov. He proceeded to the film adaptation of "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol and offered Bykov major role. To say that the actor was genuinely surprised by this choice, then say nothing. He was just shocked and overjoyed ... so trust. Nothing like it was still none of Cinematographers is not offered. Therefore, the Bulls immediately rushed to the leadership of Kharkov theater with a request to let him go to Moscow to shoot in this picture. However, the leaders immediately cooled the ardor of a young star. "You are far too often disappears on the set," - they said Bykov. - It's time to pay attention to the theater & quot ;. In short, Moscow actor then and was not allowed. A major role in "The Overcoat" by A. Batalov played by Rolan Bykov.
Meanwhile, in 1959, Bykov received another unexpected proposal - directors from the same "Mosfilm" Semyon Tumanov and Georgy Shchukin conceived to shoot the film "Aleshkina love" and the main role was invited to it. Bulls first doubted whether to take on this role. After all, he was already over thirty, and the hero of the film barely twenty, he was in love with a beautiful girl, and she eventually had to fall in love with him. "Which of my Romeo?" - Asked myself Bulls. However, the filmmakers to these his doubts and said: "This is the Romeo as you need us." In the end, Bykov consent was obtained, and the crew went on location to the virgin lands.



The film "Aleshkina Love" was released the country in 1961. Bulls played in it one of his best roles in film and on the right took a leading place among the then Soviet stars.
When the movie "Aleshkina Love" was released the country, Bykov in Kharkov was gone. Finally breaking with the theater, he went with his wife and two children in Leningrad, the city, which, in fact, brought it to the big cinema. The decision to move to this city was stimulated by the fact that Bykov promised to "Lenfilm" to try his hand at filmmaking. As a result, in 1961, together with the director Herbert Rappaport, our hero took off his short film "How rope or winds ...". And although the picture has remained virtually unnoticed both critics and audiences, Bykov maloudachnyh this attempt did not deter from directing. In 1963, he had already removed his own comedy "Bunny", which played a major role. Although the box office took the picture is not the last place, criticism of his amicably scolded. Apparently, the Bulls and he knew that took not very well made movie, if in a conversation with the director Alexei Simonov said: "For me the whole average Soviet cinema holds." Since such expectations did not justify the Bulls, the management of "Lenfilm" to directing it no longer allowed. And he himself is not eager to go there. Even from the numerous proposals of other directors to act in their paintings refused, so from 1961 to 1964 on account Bykov was only a few roles in films: "On Seven Winds" (1962), "When the bridges" (1963), "Beware, my grandmother ! "(1964).
In 1965, Leonid Bykov was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. A year later, he and his family (they have another child was born) left Leningrad and moved to Kiev. Reasons for leaving can be found in the letters Bykov one of his close friends in Kharkiv theater - Nicholas Borichenko. In one of them he wrote: "For almost a year, do not remove. I do not want. Refused 9 scenarios. I do not want to participate in false and anti-art things. Of course, will not last long, it is necessary to carry out the plan studio. Increasingly, I think we should go home. However, in the theater, obviously the same. What is the essence? How to make to live at? Maybe it's our damn job? .. »



Apparently, a change of scenery was needed him like air, and he really hoped that native walls will help him get a second creative breath. Unfortunately, he was wrong. During the period from 1966 to 1971, the Bulls did not starred in any movie not only on the Dovzhenko Film Studios, but also on others. In a letter to all the same friend he wrote: "I think I lost myself. Other definitions can not find. I just have three months. Declined from five works. It is very bad. Go for wages. Ashamed ... »
But the line from another letter L. Bykov: "not sleep all night. Tell the whole truth would like ruined theater. Why Kiev studio gone directors Alov Naumov, Hutsiev, Don, Chukhray? We finally started to judge people for negligence in the art. And when we finally begin to be tried for criminal attitude towards people? The worst thing - public indifference. Servility. The cult could grow only on the basis of servility ».
Old dream Bykov was staged picture of the heroism of Soviet pilots during the war. Love for the people of this profession lived in it constantly. Therefore, when in the late '60s dawned possibility of setting a film about military pilots, the Bulls immediately jumped at it. In collaboration with writers Eugene Onopriyenko and Alexander Satskaya script was written by future film "go to fight some old men." However, to put a picture of long given, considering it is not too heroic. To prove the converse, the Bulls began to "run in" scenario on the stage. Reading Bykov separate pieces of the script in various cities of the Soviet Union resulted from the audience so excited, that is no doubt of the correctness of created works of the authors did not arise. Got it in the end and heads of Ukrainian cinema. In 1972, the Bulls finally began shooting the film.
The painting "go to fight some old" was released in the country early in 1974 and was very popular with the public. At the All-Union Festival in Baku film received honorary prize. He could take the main prize of the festival, if not a detective story that erupted on the sidelines of the festival.
The fact that at the same festival the film was shown Basil Shukshina "Kalina Krasnaya". The picture is excellent, however, caused a wave of rejection on the part of officials from the movie. Therefore, they had made a desperate attempt to "push" the movie and take away his opportunity to get the main prize. To do this, the Ukrainian delegation was invited: "Your picture" go to fight some old "may be the first place of" Kalina Krasnaya ". However, members of the delegation refused to discuss the matter without Bykov. "Then persuade him!" - Advised them to officials. And at two o'clock in the hotel room where he lived the Bulls, his colleagues came to the cinema. "We can get the first prize instead of" Kalina Krasnaya "- they said the director. To which he replied: "The list, which will Vasily Shukshin in the first place, I would be honored to be at least one hundredth. After my picture - is an ordinary film about the war, and it - it's a real breakthrough in the restricted area, a breakthrough in the field, as before, and thinking is not allowed. And pass on my words of the head of the festival ».
As a result, "Kalina Krasnaya" took the top prize still Baku Film Festival.



After the triumphant success of the movie "go to fight some old" ignore talented director was impossible. In the same year he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. And, unlike many artists of the time, earn that title for a variety of reasons, not the talent and popularity among the people, the Bulls got his well-deserved.
In 1975, the Bulls began to take a new picture, and it has again become the subject of war. The film was called "Ata-Two, were soldiers" (script written Boris Vasilyev and Cyril Rappoport). Starring in it starred Vladimir Konkin himself Leonid Bykov (it was his 22th role). Initially removed in this picture did not expect the Bulls. On the role of Corporal Svyatkina auditioned many actors, but none of them came. Then colleagues Bykov said: "Lenya, it's your role. Can not you see? "And they were right. Better Bykov this role would hardly anyone played.
Filming took place under Zagorsk in February 1976 and were quite complex. Were severe frosts suffered by not only people, but even the machinery employed in the shooting. After this work, the Bulls returned to Kiev, fell ill with a second heart attack.
However, the heroic work of members of this picture was not in vain. It was the triumph of a new director and actor Leonid Bykov. In the same year he was awarded the State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR.



However, looking at the official line of biography Leonid Bykov, yet should not deceive ourselves. All these triumphs, awards, of course, sincerely pleased him, but his soul was troubled. Universal flattery, servility, corruption that prevailed around, would not let him live and work. Even the official acceptance of a film like "Aty-Baty, were soldiers," in which there was no policy, no dissent, was rather difficult. While viewing the representative of State cinema suddenly ... snoring, sleep smorenny. Then he woke up, started asking stupid questions: "Why is your painting in such a strange name? Some children's rhymes ... "Thank God, at present have the heart to contradict him and fight off many of his arraignment and comments.
After removing the two beautiful movie about the war, the Bulls suddenly decided to get away from the subject and in 1978 began to shoot the picture "Alien." Filming took place in difficult conditions for the bulls. First of all, it was hard emotionally. Being honest and decent man, he could not see how other people, and his colleagues, vysluzhivayas to power, literally tearing teeth each other in the struggle for material goods (apartments, zagranpoezdki), write denunciations. Apparently, therefore, the Bulls did not join the ranks of the Communist Party, although all these years it is constantly pulled back. In the end, all these external circumstances led to the tragedy.
In early 1979, the Bulls suddenly wrote a will in the name of his friends - Nicholas Mashchenko and Ivan Mykolaychuk. In this testament Bulls requests in case of his death (he writes: "I will leave in the near future, I feel that no longer stretch") to take care of his family, to sell the car and so on.. In the same letter, the Bulls give orders and about their future funeral. He wanted to bury his only friends, without any formal participation (memorial service in the House of Cinema, the speech of officials, and so on. D.). "I do not want any speeches over the grave, only to tell:" Goodbye "- and sing my favorite song -" Darkie & quot ;. Otherwise, I'll get out of the coffin and leave you & quot ;. That's the brief was unusual letter. And soon after it was written Bulls really died.
April 12, 1979 Bykov returned to his car from his dacha near Kiev. Ahead of him was moving asfaltirovochny rink, and Bykov decided to drive around. However, as soon as he began to carry out overtaking, he jumped towards the truck. To avoid head-on collision, L. Bykov turned the wheel to the side and on the whole speed crashed into a skating rink. At the time of the death of Bykov was only 50 years old.