March 1, 1991
The actor passed away Leonid Markov. Widower Urbenin from "My Sweet and Tender Beast," Professor Smirnovsky from "The Garage," Billy Bones from "Treasure Island." A charismatic actor who never got his starring role.
Cut off my arm, and I can find a place for myself in life. Cut off my leg, and I'll adapt. But deprive me of the theater, and I'll die.
Born in 1927 in Kazakhstan Alekseevka. His father was an actor in provincial theaters, his mother a makeup artist. His parents were moved from city to city, so Lenya and his older sister Rimma managed to live in Ashgabat, Ivanovo, Yakutsk, Vologda.
Onstage Saratov Lenya made his drama theater debut at five in Uncle Tom's Cabin. At seven, he starred in a play with his sister.
There was an older boy and a younger girl. We played the opposite way. My brother had fair hair, and no one even suspected that Lenya was playing the girl.
(actress Rimma Markova)
Lenya never dreamed of an acting career—he was an excellent drawer and clay sculptor and wanted to become an artist. But in 1945, after finishing school, he followed Rimma into the studio at the Vologda Drama Theater. A couple of years later, they were advised to go to Moscow. In 1947, despite a highly competitive field, both were accepted into the studio at the Lenkom Theater.
We were so excited we walked around the entire Garden Ring. And the whole way, as I remember, we kept repeating, "We're going to conquer Moscow!"
(Rimma Markova)
He served at the Lenkom Theatre for 13 years. Then he worked at the Pushkin Theatre. His longest tenure, 20 years, was at the Mossovet Theatre. He had his own style and knew how to command attention on stage.
He had his own "Markov" pause. In "The Tsar's Hunt," there was a scene where he tries to remove a ring given to him by an impostor posing as Peter's daughter. He twisted it, tried to pull it off, and for two minutes he walked around the stage, removing the ring. The entire audience simply froze in silence. But when the torn ring flew backstage, the audience erupted in applause.
(actor Leonid Evtifiev)
As a youth, I dreamed of playing three roles: Arbenin in "Masquerade," Protasov in "The Living Corpse," and Cyrano de Bergerac. I completed two-thirds of this "maximum program"—the only one that didn't work out was Cyrano (perhaps I simply didn't have the time).
If at a younger age you want to show off how wonderful you are, then in your later years you start thinking about who's sitting in the audience and what you should tell them.
He began acting in films in 1950. But he had no luck landing that one leading role that makes an actor a star. In 1956, he auditioned for the role of Lieutenant Govorukha-Otrok in the film "The Forty-First"—according to colleagues, Grigory Chukhrai I was very pleased with the samples. But I chose Oleg Strizhenov.
Who knows how Lenin's life would have turned out if he'd starred in "Forty-First"? His brother was hampered by his busy schedule at the theater. He couldn't break free. And frankly, he didn't really want to. He didn't have the urge to grab hold of anyone or push them around.
(Rimma Markova)
The second "missed opportunity" was "Agony" Elema Klimova — the director tried him on for the role of Rasputin. In the end, the role went to To Alexey Petrenko. According to his sister, after filming, the director, too shy to approach Leonid directly, called her and asked if he would voice Rasputin, claiming there was something mystical about his voice. Rimma declined, much to her brother's dismay: "Petrenko is a wonderful actor, and I would play this role even behind the scenes!"
The roles Markov starred in in films, according to his friends, did not fully reveal the extent of his talent.
Lenya played Urbenin in Lotyanu's film, which became perhaps his most notable film role, though for me, who knew Lenya from the stage, it's simply ridiculous to even mention it. After Count Orlov in "The Tsar's Hunt," Porfiry Petrovich in "Crime and Punishment"... Yes, Lenya starred in dozens of films, but none of them even begin to capture Markov's talent! It's like a vinaigrette made for the occasion by a top-notch chef.
(Leonid Evtifiev)
He died at 63, from cancer.