The Russian theater is our unique property, which is the subject of our pride and tireless admiration from foreigners. Theater and film director Pyotr Fomenko belonged to the generation of great idealists, which is gradually leaving, but which made a huge contribution to the national art. The life of this man was not easy, but perhaps it was this path that gave him the necessary experience for creativity.
The start of the journey
The future director Pyotr Fomenko was born in Moscow in 1932. Little is known about his early childhood. The times were not easy and, probably, in many ways they determined the set of qualities that Petr Fomenko has.
The boy's parents did not live together for long, his father died during the Great Patriotic War, and his mother raised the child alone. And she became the most important person in his life. Mom tried to give the child all the best. Petya was an active boy, and she actively taught him to play sports: football, tennis, ice skating. All these skills and hobbies will pass with him all his life, even as a very adult, he famously skated with his students. Mom instilled in her son another great love, which duringdetermined his life in many ways - it is a passion for music. Petr Fomenko graduated from the music school. Gnesins in the violin class, and later the Ippolitov-Ivanov School of Music. Musical education and love for this art helped Fomenko in all his professional endeavors.
Find yourself
Choosing a profession, Pyotr Fomenko listened to his heart, and it led him to the stage. An important role in the choice was played by music, which, according to the master, "led him to the theater." In 1956 he entered the Moscow Art Theater School, having withstood a considerable competition. Among the teachers of the future director was Boris Vershilov, who will do a lot to become a master and pass on to him the basics of the professional secrets of the Vakhtangov school. A mischievous disposition and rebelliousness did not allow Fomenko to fit into the conservative world of the classical school and he was expelled from the third year "for hooliganism."
Continuing the search for his true calling, Peter enters the philological faculty of the Pedagogical Institute. During the years of study, he manages to get acquainted with such people as Yuri Vizbor, Julius Kim, Yuri Koval, who will be his friends for the rest of his life. There he again comes into contact with theatrical art, actively participating in the production of skits.
Finding yourself
Studying at the correspondence department allowed Fomenko to enter the directing department of GITIS on the course of Nikolai Gorchakov, Andrei Goncharov taught there, who later played a role in Fomenko's life. At this time, Fomenko puts on his first performance, "The Restless Inheritance", and thisbecame the starting point in his life calling.
Education has not yet given Fomenko a guaranteed place in the profession. He has to search long and painfully for his place. He works in several theaters, does not refuse to stage plays in the Houses of Culture. He longs for work, but stiff criticism does not want to recognize the excessive manifestation of talent and non-conformism of Pyotr Fomenko, this dooms him to years of restlessness, but he clearly understands his mission and works hard, despite the difficulties.
Romance with the theater
Starting from the 60s of the twentieth century, the master has been actively collaborating with famous Moscow theaters, at this time that Petr Fomenko, an experimental director, whom the audience is beginning to recognize, is taking shape. In 1966 he puts in the theater. Mayakovsky’s famous play “The Death of Tarelkin”, which harshly ridiculed the realities of Soviet life, and censorship, of course, could not forgive the artist for such courage. The performance was banned from showing, the same fate awaited the production of "The New Mystery-Buff" at the Lensoviet Theater, the audience never saw this performance at all. All these bans have led to the fact that the director remains unclaimed, and in a thirst to find his own theater, he leaves for Tbilisi, where he will work for two seasons.
Later he lives in two cities for a while: working at the Leningrad Comedy Theater and staging performances in Moscow theaters. The period from 1972 to 1981 puts on a large number of performances that form his author'sstyle: "Love Yarovaya", "This sweet old house", "Forest", "Terkin-Terkin" and others.
Film director Pyotr Fomenko
Searching for oneself leads Fomenko to a film studio, where he realizes some of his ideas in the films "For the rest of his life" and "Trips in an old car." But a special place in his creative career is occupied by work on television. The creator of a unique television theater, which was in great demand in the Soviet Union, was Pyotr Fomenko. Filmography on television studios includes real masterpieces: The Queen of Spades, The Shot, The Undertaker, Childhood. Adolescence. Youth”, “Family Happiness”. With these works, Fomenko proved that it is possible to stage the classics freshly and carefully, and this has become his signature style.
Teaching Vocation
However, when ideological reasons again became the reason for dismissal from the theater, in 1981 Fomenko accepted the invitation of his teacher and outstanding director and teacher Andrei Goncharov and began teaching at GITIS. Pedagogy allows Fomenko's talent to be fully revealed. He develops his own technique, which is distinguished by musicality, a unique melody of the game. In 1992, he is gaining his first course of his own, in total he manages to make four issues. Among his students are famous directors: Sergei Zhenovach, Evgeny Kamenkovich, Nikolai Druchek, Ivan Popovsky and famous actors: the Kutepov sisters, Polina Agureeva, Galina Tyunina, Irina Pegova, Yuri Stepanov, Kirill Pirogov and many others.
There are people who attract like a magnet, talents, suchPyotr Fomenko was also a man. The photos do not convey his gigantic charm that he radiated into the world, and the students were drawn to the master like moths to the light.
Theatre of Life
Graduates of the Fomenko workshop are united by a peculiar acting style and love for their teacher. In 1992, the student workshop received the official status of "theater", headed by Petr Fomenko - director, teacher, master. Theater "Workshop of Pyotr Fomenko" is known for its classical repertoire, bright actors, sensitive attitude to plays and director's finds. The theater has repeatedly received various awards: several "Golden Masks", Crystal Turandot, awards and prizes of Russian and world significance. Fomenko was engaged not only in directing, he formed the repertoire, gathered a troupe, sought to get his own building. The theater became a real business of his life, until the end of his days he rehearsed, took care of the actors. But he also continued to stage plays abroad, in particular, in Paris, Salzburg, Wroclaw.
During his creative career, Pyotr Fomenko staged about 60 performances and about a dozen films.
Private life
A rich creative life did not interfere with a man named Pyotr Fomenko. The biography of the director is rich in various events. He knew how to make friends, and he was always surrounded by creative and talented people.
It is natural that there were always women in his life, they were attracted by his mind, charm, humor. But the master himself said that in his life there were threewomen. The first wife of Peter Fomenko is Georgian Lali Badridze. This marriage ended due to the artist's move from Tbilisi to Moscow. The second woman is a Lithuanian writer and critic Audrone Girdzijauskaitė. They were connected by a long-term romance and a common son Andris. However, the main woman who was with him both in grief and in joy for almost 50 years was Maya Tupikova. She was an actress, but left the stage and devoted her life to her husband. It was Maya Fomenko who called his muse and devoted his free time.
Pyotr Fomenko is a man of amazing talent and intelligence: sparkling, paradoxical, ironic, but touching and charming. Students continue the work of the master in the theater named after him, remembering his lessons, bringing his legacy to life.
