«I Bless Everything I Had…». Georgy Taratorkin (1945-2017)»

The exhibition «I Bless Everything I Had…». Georgy Taratorkin (1945-2017)» is held from 17 March to 8 May at the A.A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum. It presents photos from the archive of Taratorkin’s family, artist’s personal belongings, stage costumes provided by the Mossovet Theatre, the Moscow Drama Theatre, the «Near the Stanislavsky House» Theatre and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art.

Georgy Taratorkin (11.01.1945 – 04.02.2017) is a theatre and cinema actor, professor of VGIK, People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1984), Secretary of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation, President of the National Theatre Festival and Golden Mask Award.

He was born in Leningrad, graduated from the drama studio at the Leningrad Youth Theatre; his teacher was Zinovy Korogodsky. In 1966, he received a diploma and until 1974 he has played the leading roles in the Bryantsev Youth Theatre: «Devoted to You» (Romadin), «A Shot of Freedom» (Nicholas I), «After the Execution I Ask…» (Pyotr Schmidt), «The Master» (Alexey Peshkov), «Boris Godunov» (Boris Godunov), «Hamlet» (Hamlet), etc.

In 1974, Taratorkin was invited by Yuri Zavadsky to the Mossovet Theatre, where his debut role was the role of Rodion Raskolnikov in the play «Crime and Punishment». He has played in many performances there: «Petersburg Dreams» (Raskolnikov), «House on the Sand» (Eldar), «Arrival Day – Departure Day» (Petrov), «Version» (Alexander Blok), «The Brothers Karamazov» (Ivan Karamazov), «The Living Corpse» (Karenin), «At the Gate of the Kingdom» (Ivar Kareno), «The Price» (Victor), «Do not Wake Madame» (Julien), etc.

Taratorkin’s best works are the role of Cyrano de Bergerac (TV performance, directed by S. Evlakhishvili, 1983), the role of Stavrogin in the play based on Dostoevsky’s novel «Demons» at the Pushkin Theatre, the role of Admiral Kolchak in the play with the same title based on Ostroumov’s novel at the Irkutsk Drama Theatre (2005).

Taratorkin was the first to create the image of Rodion Raskolnikov in cinema in the filming of Dostoevsky’s novel «Crime and Punishment» (directed by L. Kulidzhanov, 1969). Thanks to this role, the actor became famous all across the country. In 1971, he became the youngest laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR. In the same year, he received the Order of the Badge of Honour.

His filmography is the following: Vitaly Dudin in «The Translation from English», Robert Warbeck in «An English Murder», Yevgeny Pavlovich in «The Deals of the Heart», Makashev in «The Winner», Mitya Lvov in «The Open Book», Charsky in the TV film of Mikhail Schweitzer based on Pushkin’s «Little Tragedies», etc. Taratorkin also starred in the pictures of the famous Russian director Aleksandr Khvan «Dyuba-Dyuba» and «It Is Easy to Die».

Besides that, the artist’s voice sounds in many radio dramas. In 1970’s-1980’s, Taratorkin read the poetry of Alexander Blok and other poets of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry on the radio and stage.

The artist’s work was awarded with high prizes: the Order of Honour (1998), the Order for Merit to the Fatherland (IV degree) (2005), the Russian Government’s Award in the field of Culture (2014).