Rudolf Nureyev: biography, personal life, career and interesting facts from life, photos

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich is one of the most famous "defectors", that is, people who left the Soviet Union and did not return. Nureyev became famous not only as an outstanding dancer and choreographer. To many, he is known for scandalous stories and a stormy personal life.

Childhood

Officially, the city of Irkutsk is listed as the birthplace of Nureyev, but this is not entirely true. Hamet, the father of the future dancer, was a political commissar of the Red Army and served in Vladivostok. In March 1938, Farida, Rudolf's mother, who was in her last month of pregnancy, went to her husband. On March 17, on the train at the Razdolnaya station (near Irkutsk), she gave birth to a he althy boy. Nureyev himself paid special attention to the first fact of his biography, finding in it a kind of omen for his whole life.

Rudolph was not the first child in the Nureyev family. He had three older sisters: Lilia, Rosida and Rosa, and Rudolf had the warmest relationship with the latter. After a year and a half of living in Vladivostok, the Nureyevs moved to Moscow. But hardlythey began to establish life in a new place, as the Soviet Union opposed Nazi Germany in World War II. Hamet, being a military man, went to the front among the first. The successful advance of the Wehrmacht towards Moscow led to the fact that his family was evacuated: first to Chelyabinsk, and then to the village of Shchuchye located near Ufa.

Rudolf Nureyev remembered the same things about the war years as other children: darkness around, lack of food, excess cold. This was reflected in his character: the boy grew very nervous, quickly broke into crying, reaching tantrums.

First ballet

But not everything was so bad during the evacuation years. At the age of five, Rudolf first appeared at the ballet. They put on the "Crane Song". From that moment on, he got excited about the idea of dancing, and Farida sent her son to a dance club at a kindergarten. Rudolph willingly studied and even with the rest of the circle members spoke to the wounded soldiers.

Father returned from the war when Nureyev was eight years old. The upbringing of his son shocked his father: he was the exact opposite of what some call a "real man." Not only was Rudolf physically very weak, but he was also engaged in dancing, which was not at all welcomed in the martinet environment. Hamet immediately set about "re-educating": he beat his son when he attended a dance club, painted him all the delights of a worker's life. When almost all the children from the dance club went to Leningrad to continue their studies, Hamet did not let his son in, citing a lack of money.

But turnRudolf's heart to the construction of the Stalinist five-year plans, his father could not. Weak physically, Nureyev Jr. was very strong in spirit. Together with his mother, he managed to break the stubbornness of his father. Anna Ud altsova, former soloist of the Diaghilev Ballet, lived in exile in Ufa. It was she who studied with Rudolph, and she insisted that the talented boy enter the school in Leningrad.

In 1955, a festival of the art of Bashkiria was held in Moscow, at which Nureyev's dance troupe was supposed to perform with the same "Crane Song". Rudolph was lucky: the soloist suddenly fell ill. In a short time, despite the danger to he alth, the young man learned the entire part and conquered the entire hall, despite the injury received during rehearsals. So the future "indomitable genius" appeared on the stage - Rudolf Nureyev.

Years of study

After a resounding success, Rudolph was determined to study. He could enter the Moscow choreography studio, but there was no hostel provided. Then Nureyev goes to Leningrad, where he successfully passes the entrance tests. But it immediately became clear that the seventeen-year-old Nureyev was catastrophically behind his peers in terms of skill and technique: usually children from the age of twelve were accepted into the choreography studio. The young man begins to work hard on himself, all his time is absorbed by rehearsals and training. At the same time, relations with other students do not add up: they laugh at him, call him a redneck. For a short period of time, Nureyev was actually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A. Pushkin, one of the teachers of the school, who saw in Rudolfsignificant potential and respecting his desire to master all the basics of dance skills, actually saves the young man by offering to live with him.

With teachers, however, it was not always smooth either. Pushkin appeared in Nureyev's life due to the fact that, having barely entered the school, he demanded to replace another teacher, who was also the director. Anyone else for such a demand would have been immediately expelled, but Nureyev, due to his undoubted talent, was forgiven for this trick and really was replaced by a teacher.

During his studies in Leningrad, Nureyev also took care of raising his cultural level. In addition to dancing, he took music lessons, visited museums and theaters. Despite the suffocating Iron Curtain, Rudolph managed to get foreign magazines from which he studied Western dance techniques.

In 1958, Rudolf Nureyev graduated from college. One of the most famous Soviet ballerinas, Natalia Dudinskaya, closely followed his successes. Despite the significant difference in age (she was 49 years old, and Rudolf - 19), she invited the young talent to become her partner in the Laurencia ballet. The performance was a huge success with the public, and Nureyev's partners will always be older than him.

Life in the USSR

At the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater (now the Mariinsky Theatre), Nureyev served for three years. Although his late admission to a specialized educational institution had an effect, and many critics saw a number of rather gross mistakes in Rudolf's dance, in this short periodNureyev managed to arrange a real revolution in the Soviet ballet. Previously, the unspoken rule was that the star on the stage is a ballerina, while the partner plays a supportive role. This was not to Rudolph's liking. He was able to make the male dance self-sufficient. All errors and deviations from the canon soon began to be considered a special manner of dancing.

At the ballet competition held in Moscow, Nureyev, paired with Alla Sizova, won first place, but refused to accept the award: Soviet reality disgusted him. He was especially annoyed that the government allocated him and Alla a two-room apartment for two, referring to the lack of free housing. In this act, Rudolph saw a kind of pandering: as if they wanted to marry him to Sizova. If the Soviet government really set itself such a goal, it would be unpleasantly surprised. Although in his youth, according to Nureyev himself, he entered into sexual relations with women, he liked men much more. He soon left the apartment, settling again with his teacher and his wife.

Success in the USSR allowed Nureyev to travel around Europe as part of a dance troupe. He visited Bulgaria, the GDR and even Egypt, and everywhere performances with his participation frustrated the frenzied applause of the public. At the age of twenty-three, he was declared the best dancer in the world.

France

The tour in Paris became a turning point in the biography of Rudolf Nureyev. The Soviet authorities, who feared that the image of "rotten capitalism", carefully cultivated in the minds, could crumble when people come into contact withculture and life of European countries, introduced special rules for finding guest performers abroad. Among others, there was a requirement not to walk around the city alone: only five people could move around. There was also a list of persons with whom communication was strictly forbidden. And so that the artists would not be forgotten, KGB officers kept a close watch on them.

Nureyev at first was not the main object of surveillance. Alla Osipenka, Rudolf Nureyev's partner in Swan Lake, was of greater interest. She had been abroad before, and in 1956 she was offered a contract by a Western impresario. She was quickly sent to the airport, and from there back to the USSR. Five years later, this story was still remembered, and they did not take their eyes off the ballerina. The KGB officers took up their work so zealously that every evening in the restaurant they sat down at a table with Osipenko and so exhausted her with conversations that she was forced to say so directly.

But it soon became clear that more attention should be paid to Nureyev. First, he walked around Paris alone. Secondly, he made acquaintances without looking back at the list of banned persons. And thirdly, and this was the most dangerous, I dated men. The KGB chairman was forced to report to the Central Committee of the CPSU that, despite many preventive conversations, Nureyev did not change his behavior.

Conversations with KGB officers clearly showed the artist that after his adventures in Paris, he should not return to a country where homosexuality was a criminal offense. In addition, the reaction of the punitive authorities was not long in coming. When the whole troupe had toto fly to London to continue the tour, Nureyev was informed that he was going to Moscow. In any case, this meant that the dancer's career was over. Then he decided to take the risk. There is a legend that Nureyev jumped over the barrier and escaped, but this version is disputed in numerous books about Rudolf Nureyev. It is possible that he was told how to deceive the special officer. Nureyev tried to catch up with the plane, but did not have time: the ladder was already leaving. Then he turned to the police who watched the whole scene with a request for political asylum.

Beyond the Iron Curtain

Although Nureyev was out of reach, in Moscow they decided to punish the escaped artist and staged a trial in absentia over him. The dancer was accused of treason. The court very quickly turned into a farce when the friends of the "defector" managed to prove that the betrayal was "involuntary". As a result, Nureyev was sentenced to seven years in prison. An interesting fact: this sentence was never lifted from Rudolf Nureyev. Later, he managed to enter the USSR for his mother's funeral. Nobody punished him for it. Perestroika reigned in the country. Later, when the terminally ill Nureyev visited the USSR again in 1989, the sentence was again not enforced. The dancer was able to perform for the last time on the stage of the Kirov Theater, from which his career began. But, not faced with a judicial verdict, Nureyev found out what a public verdict is. It turned out that heknown all over the world, but not at home. The Soviet authorities did their best to prevent society from knowing how famous the "defector" was. Therefore, during the performance, people could not even imagine what scale the star was performing in front of them.

At the time of his flight, Nureyev had only 36 francs. But he did not have to worry about food for a long time. Two months later he became a member of the Ballet troupe of the Marquis de Cuevas. However, Nureyev did not have a chance to stay there for a long time. The French government, having considered the case of the dancer, came to the decision not to grant him political asylum. Rudolph had to look for other ways to stay in the West. To this end, he goes to Denmark, which is more loyal to such issues. While the Danish authorities settled the issue with the documents, the public could enjoy the dance of Rudolf Nureyev at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. After Denmark, the artist went to New York, and after that to London, where an exceptional event took place: he was accepted into the London Royal Ballet, although the regulations forbade the signing of contracts with persons who were not subjects of the British crown. Nureyev's talent and fame made it possible to make an exception for him. In London, Nureyev became a partner of another world-famous star: Margot Fontaine.

Eric Brun

A trip to Denmark not only allowed a fugitive dancer to obtain political asylum. Although in the biography of Rudolf Nureyev, personal life is one of the most controversial and complex issues, numerous researchers agree that the main love of his lifewas Eric Brun, whom Rudolf met in Copenhagen.

Their couple has become the epitome of the thesis that opposites attract. Nureyev had a difficult character: he was rude, harsh, sometimes hysterical. Brun, in all situations, showed calmness and restraint, was distinguished by an innate sense of tact. If Rudolph, despite his talent and skill, could not completely get rid of the mistakes associated with his late admission to the choreographic school, then Eric was famous primarily for his skill and technique.

For the first time, Nureyev heard about Erika back in 1960, when he performed on tour in the USSR. He did not manage to get to the performance, but the rave reviews of his acquaintances forced him to find amateur videos. The skill of the Dane sincerely delighted Rudolf.

Face-to-face acquaintance of two talents was arranged by Brun's fiancee - Maria Tolchiff. She knew about the admiration that Rudolph felt for the Dane, and she herself called her fiancé. The first meeting turned out to be laconic: Nureyev still spoke English poorly. However, sympathy between them arose immediately. For a while they met at rehearsals, and then Eric invited Rudolph to dinner. Tallchiff, realizing what was happening, threw a tantrum, which was watched by the entire dance troupe.

Relationships developed rapidly, despite the difference in characters. Nureyev often broke down, staged real pogroms in their apartment, Brun ran away from home, and Rudolf then rushed after him and persuaded him to return. Photos of Rudolf Nureyev and Eric Brun show the real closeness between the twomen. At that time, society was rather wary of homosexuality. This did not stop Nureyev from flaunting his orientation. Emancipation did him a disservice. So, rumors about the betrayal of a partner constantly reached Eric's ears. Freddie Mercury, Anthony Perkins were called among his lovers, and someone claimed that even Jean Mare had been in Nureyev's bed. There was also professional envy: in the West, the image of Nureyev - a fugitive from the depressing Soviet reality - was too hyped. Professional Brun was quite hurt by this.

However, their relationship ended for a completely different reason. Nureyev firmly decided on his orientation, and Brun was bisexual. It turned out that he regularly meets with a woman from whom he even has a child. After twenty-five years of relationship, the separation was painless. The men managed to maintain friendly relations. In 1986, Brun fell seriously ill. Since AIDS was perceived by society as a shameful disease, punishment from above for a homosexual lifestyle, it was officially announced that Brun was dying of cancer. Nureyev immediately went to him and was there until the very end. Rudolf Nureyev kept a photo of Eric Brun on his desk until his death.

Ballet

The growth of Rudolph's international popularity, which brought so many difficult minutes to Eric, was facilitated by Margot Fontaine. With her filing, Rudolph becomes a regular at social events. Their creative duet has become one of the most harmonious and successful in the history of ballet. Indomitable geniusRudolf Nureyev breathed new life into the dance of Fontaine, who was already thinking about leaving the stage. In 1964 they performed at the Vienna Opera. Then the dancer tried his hand as a choreographer: it was he who staged the play "Swan Lake". Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fontaine received deafening applause. The standing ovation went on so long that the workers were forced to raise the curtain more than eighty times. This creative union lasted ten years.

Secular life and world success did not affect the performance of the dancer. On tour, he traveled all over the world, having no idea about the weekend or vacation. Within one week, Nureyev could appear in Paris, London, Montreal and Tokyo. Although he was advised to slow down the pace, which was detrimental to he alth, Rudolf did not listen to anyone. Normal sleep was also an unattainable luxury for him: Nureyev slept for about four hours a day and most often in a taxi or plane. After 1975, Rudolph began to give more than three hundred concerts a year. Success on stage very soon made Nureyev a very rich man. There was even enough money to buy a small island in the Mediterranean. But the hardships that affected the Nureyev family during the Second World War left a strong imprint on the personality of the dancer. Unlike other we althy people, Rudolph was distinguished by stinginess. He could never forget that as a child he had to wear his sisters' clothes, and once his mother carried him to school on her back because she could not buy shoes for her son. Of course, Nureyev told no one about this.did not tell and generally brushed aside questions about the past. Therefore, the stinginess of the world famous artist shocked his friends and acquaintances. According to them, he never paid for himself in a restaurant.

Nureyev repeatedly showed himself as an innovator. Among his productions, the one-act ballet "The Youth and Death" is the most famous. Fortunately, in 1966, Roland Petit filmed Nureyev's performance for television, and the modern viewer can appreciate the talent of the dancer and director. The innovation was manifested in the fact that Nureyev based his ballet on a tense plot. The girl, personifying death, mocks the young man who has fallen in love with her. When he desperately threatens to commit suicide, she graciously gives him the noose. To broadcast the performance on television, Nureyev used special effects: after the frame where he hangs himself on a hook in the room, another follows, in which the Young Man is already on the gallows.

Director and actor

Since 1983, for six years, Nureyev headed the Parisian ballet Grand Opera. His appointment has received mixed reactions. The work of the director was accompanied by constant conspiracies and even open protests. But this did not stop Nureyev from defending his point of view. On his initiative, many Russian classics were staged, first of all, Tchaikovsky's ballets. "Grand Opera" has become a real trendsetter, and its troupe - the most authoritative association of dancers. Under Nureyev, a new building was also built on Place de la Bastille. A feature of Rudolph, as a leader, was his desire to give way to a newgeneration of dancers. At the same time, he ignored the existing hierarchy and could give the solo part to a little-known ballerina over the head of a universally recognized star.

Nureyev's harsh nature did not help the troupe to treat him with love, although they recognized his merits. In the heat of the moment, he could scold the ballerina for a minor mistake. At the same time, he did not hesitate in expressions. Mood swings also affected unfamiliar people. Having invited the Soviet choreographer Igor Moiseev to dinner, Nureyev, while still in a taxi, for some unknown reason, fell into a gloomy mood, and in response to an attempt to find out the reason, he used a Russian obscenity. Dinner was cancelled.

Besides ballet, Rudolf Nureyev was interested in acting. Back in the USSR, he played in the film "The Soul Fulfilled Flight", filmed especially for the All-Union Review of Choreographic Schools. But a special game from the dancer was not required then. He began to play real dramatic roles only in the West. The greatest success among his acting work was the role in the biopic "Valentino", dedicated to the famous actor of the silent film era. Another major role was obtained in the crime film "In plain sight". In this film, Rudolf Nureyev starred in a pair with a young, but already very famous Nastasya Kinski. Critics passed the picture in silence, and now only those who are interested in the work of the great dancer remember it. But it is unlikely that he aspired to more. Ballet subjugated the whole life of Rudolf Nureyev. Films for him were just a curious experiment.

Although the mood in society was gradually changing towards freedom, including sexual freedom, Nureyev continued to shock the public. So, for many, he was not a world-famous dancer, choreographer and actor, but a man who served as a model for an erotic photo shoot for Vogue magazine. Nude photos of Rudolf Nureyev divided society into indignant and sympathetic, but the dancer did not care about all the possible scandals. He perfectly understood that people would go to his performances anyway.

The monstrous burden on he alth, as well as the fight against AIDS, forced Nureyev to refuse to actively participate in performances. But he continued to engage in productions and even acted as a conductor. He could not imagine his life without ballet and attended his performances even in a very serious condition. Once, when the audience wanted to see their idol, he was carried to the stage on a stretcher.

Fighting disease and death

HIV in Nureyev's blood was discovered in 1983. Analysis showed that he had been there for a long time. The tactics of hushing up the true scale of the epidemic by the authorities, the lack of support in society have led to extremely low awareness of the population about the disease. According to one version, Nureyev did not contract HIV during intercourse. Once he crossed the road and was hit by a car. At the hospital, he received a transfusion of contaminated blood.

But the reasons why he was infected were of little interest to Nureyev. His we alth allowed him to hope that a cure would be discovered. For treatmentNureyev spent up to two million dollars annually. However, this was of little use. Doctor Michel Kanesi suggested that the famous dancer try a new experimental drug that was administered intravenously. The injections caused such pain that four months later Nureyev refused to continue the course. In 1988, he again voluntarily took part in the testing of a new drug, Azidothymidine, although he knew about its severe side effects. Treatment did not bring recovery. In 1992, the disease entered its final stage. Nureyev desperately clung to life, as he wanted to complete his production of Romeo and Juliet. For some time, the disease receded, and Rudolf's dream came true. But at the end of the year, Nureyev's he alth deteriorated sharply. On November 20, he went to the hospital. AIDS destroyed the dancer's body so badly that he could hardly move or eat. On January 6, 1993, he died. According to Kanesi, the death was not painful.

Meaning and memory

Rudolf Nureyev's death was caused by complications from AIDS, and he insisted that things be called by their proper names. In this regard, the importance of Nureyev in raising public awareness of the deadly disease cannot be overestimated. The dancer had no direct heirs. With the exception of the sisters who remained in the USSR, only the late Eric Brun was the family of Rudolf Nureyev. Therefore, after the funeral, his things were sold at auction. Nureyev was buried at the Russian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.

The contribution made by Nureyev to the development of ballet was appreciated. While still alivehe was called the greatest dancer not only of his time, but of the entire 20th century. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Nureyev became widely known in Russia. Now a college of choreography in Bashkiria, one of the streets in Ufa, as well as the annual festival of classical dance in Kazan are named after him. Details of the biography of Rudolf Nureyev attract writers and directors. Many solid books have been written about his life and work, theatrical performances are being made and documentaries are being shot.

The well-known director Roman Viktyuk dedicated the performance "The Otherworldly Garden" to the memory of Rudolf Nureyev. According to the memoirs of the director, he personally promised the great dancer a performance about him. The result was somewhat far from this promise. The production was based on the play by Azat Abdullin. The image of Nureyev, as the playwright said, served as a prototype for reflections on willpower and talent.

The photos and videos left after the death of Rudolf Nureyev became the basis for various documentaries about his life. For obvious reasons, the episode at the Paris airport enjoys the greatest interest, when instead of living in the Soviet Union, the dancer chose freedom. One of the documentaries on this topic is the British film "Rudolf Nureyev: Dance to Freedom", released in 2015. The role of the dancer was performed by soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Artem Ovcharenko.