10 August 1929 year
Oleg Strizhenov, an actor and "our own Alain Delon," was born in Blagoveshchensk.
There must be something special about your character. An artistic streak, perhaps? You want to be seen more, to be part of the game (from the book "Confession")
His father was a military man. His mother, a graduate of the Institute for Noble Maidens, could have been a teacher, but became a housewife. In 1941, both of Oleg's older brothers went to the front. Meanwhile, Gleb, a future famous actor, added two extra years to his age on his documents.
I remember him coming home on leave in a black overcoat and a striped shirt. So he served in the Marines… Once, before leaving, he brought a puppy with him—a tiny, curly ball of hair, with only three spots visible—his eyes and nose. We named him Misha.
At 15, he got a job at NIKFI, the former film studio of the pioneering Russian cinematographer Khanzhonkov, in Moscow. There, the apprentice mechanic discovered the rich world of cinema, particularly captivated by old Charlie Chaplin films. At 16, Strizhenov was sent to the labor front to build Paveletsky Station. He received even more ration cards for his work than his mother, who worked at the Lenin Library.
We divided it equally between the three of us: Mom, me, and Misha the Spitz. Maybe Misha, being the youngest, got more.
In 1949, Oleg received a draft notice. He wanted to be an actor more than an officer. He hid with a friend, prepared, and passed the Shchukin School exam with flying colors.
It was unofficially considered that the graduating fourth year was Ulyanovsk's, where Mikhail Ulyanov studied; the third was Bykov's, where Rolan Bykov studied; the second was Yakovlev's, where Yuri Yakovlev studied; and the first was mine, Strizhenovsky's.
He made his film debut in 1955 in Fainzimmer's "The Gadfly." Then came roles one after another: "Forty-First," "Voyage Beyond Three Seas," "The Captain's Daughter," "The Captivating Star of Happiness"... Strizhenov's last film in the lead role was released in 2000.
When I watch old films where I acted, I wonder: where did I learn all this? And, in fact, is this even me? I get the feeling that someone has given me a special second life.
