The life of the author of the monologue "In the Greek Hall", artist and satirist Arkady Isaakovich Raikin

Arkady Raikin, the founder of the Moscow theater "Satyricon", was remembered by the audience for his bright comedic roles and monologues. In his arsenal is a huge list of received orders and ranks. They wrote about him as "Russian Chaplin", he was called the master of satire, the genius of reincarnation, "a man of a thousand faces."

Children's talents Raikin

Arkady Raikin was born in Riga in October 1911. He was the eldest child in a simple Jewish family, later he had sisters and a brother. His first hobby was the circus, later the theater. In small scenes, he began to play at the age of six. Another great talent of the boy was painting, later he faced a choice - a scene or painting.

Even at school, when the family moved to Rybinsk, Arkasha began to attend the theater club, while he was madly in love with the stage, trying not to miss a single new performance. Parents, especially his father, were against such hobbies, but, having graduated from school, the future actor, contrary to his will, chose the Leningrad Theater College, where the family moved in 1922, as his place of study. This decision cost him his parental home - Arkady had to leave him and break off ties with his relatives for a while.

Career and achievements of the artist

During his studies, Raikin performed a lot on stage for children. Even then, the viewer appreciated his ability to make the audience laugh. At the end of the technical school in 1935, the artist was taken to the Leningrad Theater of Working Youth (now - the Baltic House Theater-Festival). A few years later, Raikin became the artistic director of the Theater of Miniatures.

In 1939, a budding young man became a laureate of the All-Union Contest of Variety Artists, speaking with the numbers Chaplin and Mishka. This brought Arkady Raikin fame.

In the same year he starred in the movie, all in his track record of 17 paintings. During the war, the artist gave concerts for soldiers, raising their morale. Nationwide fame came to Arkady Raikin after the film "Concert to the Front" in 1942, where he played himself. But the stage and satire always fascinated him much more.

Despite the relevance in Leningrad, a large number of roles in productions and films, Arkady Raikin was not entirely comfortable working in this city. The artist had disagreements with the authorities because of his nationality. And on occasion, to Brezhnev’s question about what he would like, he asked for a transfer to Moscow, where he founded the Satyricon Theater on the basis of the Leningrad Miniature Theater. Raikin toured with concerts in Russia and abroad. In his native country, he always collected full halls, was a huge success with the inhabitants of the UK.

Satiristic miniatures Arkady Raikin

No wonder the artist was called the master of instant transformation, his talent was multifaceted, but he fully manifested himself in the genre of satire. Raikin spoke in very difficult years in political terms, was familiar with Stalin and Brezhnev. But he was able to joke on such topical issues as drunkenness, parasitism, bureaucracy, bribery, so subtly and skillfully that he earned the respect of the ruling circles.

The most famous miniatures of Raikin are “In the Greek Hall”, “Beer Hall”, “Deficit”, “Avas”, “Thoughts of the Rationalizer”, “Familiar Cockroach”, “Bachelor”, “Specialist” and others.

But, perhaps, the most beloved and famous scene was and remains written by Mikhail Zhvanetsky for Arkady Raikin, “In the Greek Hall”. The viewer saw this miniature on TV, probably hundreds of times, but each time it is simply impossible to resist laughing when he heard “Who is Apollo? Am I Apollo? ”,“ In the Greek room, in the Greek room! ”,“ White mouse! ” These words still pop up in the head with a voice and with characteristic intonations of the artist.

The artist’s great love

Arkady Raikin had only one marriage in his life. He spotted the bride at a concert from the stage in the 15th row. A few months later they again collided on Nevsky Prospect. And although the young man was even more fascinated by her, he did not dare to approach. A few years later, Roma — that was the name of the girl’s relatives — she spoke to him in the student cafeteria. Then Raikin no longer began to get lost, he invited Ruth to the cinema and as soon as the lights went out in the hall, he proposed to her. Two days later, Ruth - Roma, Chamomile, as he called her - agreed.

They were close all their life until the golden wedding, having survived the serious illnesses of both, coped with them together, raising a son and daughter.

Son Konstantin also became a famous theater and film artist, replaced his father as the artistic director of the Satyricon.

Arkady Raikin from childhood after a severely suffered sore throat had heart problems. At 13, the artist was on the verge of life and death, 9 months fighting with an ailment. Doctors assumed the worst. But he got out, and after the relapse of the disease, at 26, he became completely gray-haired, which, however, only added to his charm. When Raikin was 61 years old, the disease caught up with him right after the concert - there was a heart attack ... It was on the eve of 1973.

Folk love

The miniatures and voice of Arkady Raikin live in the hearts of millions of people. The phrases from his scenes “went to the people”, turning into jokes that tell without fail with imitation of his pronunciation. What is the phrase “Deficiency, specific taste” from the monologue “Deficit”? His fate is proof that the character and will of a person are able to make a full life and help to live it brightly, despite illnesses, wars and difficult times for the country.