# Veniamin Smekhov

Veniamin Borisovich Smekhov (Russian: Вениами́н Бори́сович Сме́хов; born 10 August 1940 in Moscow) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and director. He was the winner of the Petropol Award (2000) as well as the Tsarskoselsky Artistic Prize (2009). He refused the title of People's Artist of Russia, which was offered to him on his 70th birthday.
Smekhov has long worked in the Moscow Taganka Theatre where his roles included Woland in a stage adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. His portrayal of the main antagonist of the story is considered to be the best of any adaption of the novel. In film, he is best known and loved for the role of Athos in a Russian version of D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers (1978) and its sequels (1992, 1993). He also has written children's poetry, scripts, memoirs and comedic materials.

## Family

* Father: Boris Moiseyevich Smekhov (10 January 1912, Gomel, Belarus - 8 October 2010, Aachen, Germany - professor, doctor of economics. Grandfather - Moisey Yakovlevich Smekhov - accountant.
* Mother: Maria Lvovna Schwartzburg (1918-1996) - doctor, head of her department in a Moscow clinic. Grandfather - Lev Aronovich Schwartzburg, born in the town of Shpola in Kiev Province, and then moved to Odessa. He was a shoemaker.
* Uncle (father's side) - famous book illustrator Lev Moiseyevich Smekhov (1908, Petrovichi - 1978). He was the father of artists Arkady Lvovich Smekhov (b. 1936) and Zinovy Lvovich Smekhov (b. 1939). Veniamin's other uncle (father's side), Yefim Moiseyevich Smekhov, was the head artist for the publication Meditsina.
* Alla Aleksandrovna Smekhova, a radio editor, was Veniamin's first wife and the mother of his daughters Alika (b. 1968), an actress and singer and Elena (b. 1963), a writer. His grandchildren include Elena's son, Leonid Smekhov (b. 1987), and Alika's sons, Artem Smekhov (b. 2000) and Makar Smekhov (b. 2007).
* Veniamin has been married to Galina Aksenova (Galina Gennad'evna), Candidate of Art, professor at the Moscow Art Theatre School, translator, and film and theatre scholar, since 1980.

## Biography

Smekhov spent his childhood in Moscow on Second Meshchansky Street (present day Gilyarovsky Street). He saw his father only after he returned from the Second World War in 1945. From 1947 to 1957 he was a student at School № 235 on Pal'chikov Lane where he was a part of the Palace of Pioneers drama club. V.E. Struchkova led the club and Rolan Bykov worked with the students. In 1957 Smekhov was accepted into the B.V. Shchukin Theatre School, the conservatory of the E. Vakhtangov Theatre. He studied in the class of V.A. Etush. It was Veniamin's uncle, Lev Smekhov, who encouraged him to study at the school. In 1959 he was removed from his class and began the second year of study as an auditor. This was a probationary measure. In April of 1959 he regained his student status. His graduation performances included Moliere's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme in which he played Covielle, and Ostrovsky's Warm Heart in which he played Narkis.
In 1961 Veniamin graduated from acting school and was sent to the Kuybiyshevsky Drama Theatre where he worked for one year. Upon his return to Moscow in 1962, director A.K. Plotnikov accepted him into the Moscow Theatre of Drama and Comedy. In 1964 Yuri Lyubimov became head director of the theatre. Lyubimov reorganized the theatre and it became the Taganka Theatre. From 1985 to 1987 Veniamin worked in the Sovremennik Theatre where he, along with Leonid Filatov and Vitaly Shapovalov, fled after Lyubimov's expulsion from the Soviet Union. Veniamin returned to the Taganka Theatre in 1987 and worked there until 1998.
Veniamin began acting in films in 1968, but he gained widespread popularity after playing the role of Athos in the famous made-for-television film D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers, filmed at the Odessa Film Studio in 1978. He played Athos in all of the followup films as well.
In 1967 he began working as a freelance television director at Gostelradio USSR, the main producer of literary-drama programs. His first work was the teleplay Mayakovsky's Day. It was based on his own script and aired as a part of the Poetic Theatre series. In 1990 he began directing theatre performances, operas and made-for-television films in Russia and abroad, and he taught acting for several years in American universities. During this time he continued to act at the Taganka Theatre when he was in Russia.
In America Veniamin released a series of compact disks, The Library of Russian Classics, in 1998. He has made around 20 solo audio books as well as a large collection of audio book compilations.
In 2011 Veniamin returned to the Taganka Theatre as a guest actor and director. He reprised the role of Woland in Master and Margarita on two occasions that included a dedication performance in memory of actor Vsevolod Sobolev and the 50th anniversary of the Taganka Theatre. He currently performs as an actor in two poetic performances No Years (he also composed and directed this performance) and The Spine of the Flute. He lives in Moscow and very frequently tours with his performances and evenings of poetry. Veniamin also makes poetic programs and documentary films for television. He is also the author of several books of both poetry and prose, and memoirs. He has called himself an actor, director, writer and traveler. Veniamin has participated in theatrical online readings of the works of Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy and Mikhail Bulgakov, including Chekhov Is Alive (25 September 2015), War and Peace. We Read the Novel (8 December 2015) and a Google-Reading of Master and Margarita. I Was There (12 November 2016).

## Theatre Roles

Shchukin Theatre School
* 1957-1961
The "Gorky" Kuybiyshevsky Drama Theatre
* 1961
* 1962
Moscow Theatre of Drama and Comedy
* 1963
Taganka Moscow Theatre of Drama and Comedy
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1975
* 1977
* 1978
* 1980
* 1981
* 1985
Sovremennik Theatre
Taganka Theatre
* 1988
* 1990
* 2013
* 2015
Politheatre
* 2012
Gogol' Center

## Filmography

Acting Roles 1. 1968 - Two Comrades Served - Baron Krauze 2. 1969 - The Air of Sovnarkom - Petrovsky (not credited) 3. 1971 - Twenty Years Later - Aramis 4. 1976 - Smoke and the Baby - Smoke (voiced by Vladimir Ferapontov) 5. 1977 - Middle of Life - Dennis 6. 1979 D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers - Athos 7. 1979 I Ask to Accuse Klava K. of My Death - Uncle Seva 8. 1983 The Story of Voyages - Local Don Quixote 9. 1984 Favorites of the Moon - episode 10. 1986 Seven Cries in the Ocean - Baron Porto 11. 1988 Puppy - Alexander, journalist for Komsomol'sky Truth 12. 1990 Trap For the Single Man - Maksimen 13. 1991 Fool - Benjamin Borever 14. 1992 Key - Alexander Brown 15. 1992 Musketeers Twenty Years Later - Athos 16. 1993 The Secret of Queen Anne or Musketeers Thirty Years Later - Athos 17. 1993 Breakfast With a View on El'brus - Sumarokov 18. 2004 Middle Age, Or All Men Are bas... - Alexander, Sonia's Admirer 19. 2007 The Captain's Children - Lev Goreyno 20. 2008 Montecristo - Ilia Orlov 21. 2008 The Magician Friend Is Flying In - Semen Semenovich 22. 2009 The Return of The Musketeers, Or the Treasure of Cardinal Mazarini - Athos 23. 2009 Proposed Circumstances - Georgiy Strunin, Director 24. 2011 Furtseva - Peter Vladimirovich Boguslavsky 25. 2011 Countertrig - Baron von Libenfel's, Olaf's Uncle 26. 2012 The Toy Salesman - Ivan Polikarpovich, Professor 27. 2013 Finding a Husband In the Big City - Alexander Gordeev, Lisa's Father 28. 2014 Spiral - Yakob Arnol'dovich 29. 2014 The Frog Princess - Kashcheev 30. 2014 Bones - Vitaliy Borisovich Deykevich 31. 2016 Mafia: The Game of Survival - Luka Sergeyevich
Television Productions 1. 1965 - The Room 2. 1965 - Four Friends and the Magic Slippers 3. 1969 - Khafiz 4. 1971 - Twenty Years Later - Aramis 5. 1972 - The Magician From Shiraz - Khafiz (he was also the author of the script and director) 6. 1983 - Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves - Mustafa (he was also the author of the script and song lyrics) 7. 1983 - Monsieur Lenoir, Who... - Victor Lenoir 8. 1984 - The Life and Books of Alexander Green - Visitor, Til's, Bill, Read-Headed Young Man, Guard 9. 1984 - Ten Jazz Scenes Based on Macbeth - Macbeth 10. 2002 - Willy-Nilly Doctor - Sganarel' 11. 2016 - Disturber of the Peace - Hussein Guslia
Director 1. 1967 - Mayakovsky's Day (television) 2. 1971 - First Songs - Last Songs (television) 3. 1972 - Magician From Shiraz (television) 4. 1973 - Frederick Moro (television) 5. 1982 - Gentlemen From Congress (television) 6. 1985 - The Sorochinsky Market (television) 7. 2002 - Willy-Nilly Doctor (television) 8. 2013 - Movie Star Between the Hammer and Sickle (documentary film about Marina Ladiynina) 9. 2013 - Vladimir Tendryakov. A Portrait In the Background of Time (documentary film) 10. 2015 - The Last Poet of the Great War (documentary film about Ion Degen) 11. 2015 - Boris Zaborov. Searching For Lost Time (documentary film about Boris Zaborov) 12. 2016 - Archives. Film 1. Alexander Dovzhenko and Yulia Solntseva 13. 2016 - Archives. Film 2. Elem Klimov and Larisa Shepit'ko
Scenarist 1. 1967 - Mayakovsky's Day (television) 2. 1971 - First Songs - Last Songs (television) 3. 1972 - Magician From Shiraz (television) 4. 1983 - Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves 5. 1985 - Sorochinsky Market (television) 6. 2013 - Movie Star Between the Hammer and Sickle (documentary film about Marina Ladiynina) 7. 2013 - Vladimir Tendryakov. A Portrait In the Background of Time (documentary film) 8. 2014 - Volcano Theatre (documentary film) 9. 2015 - The Last Poet of the Great War (documentary film about Ion Degen) 10. 2016 - Archives. Film 1. Alexander Dovzhenko and Yulia Solntseva 11. 2016 - Archives. Film 2. Elem Klimov and Larisa Shepit'ko
Voice Work 1. 1971 - Good! (based on B. Mayakovsky) 2. 1970 - Late Child - text from the author 3. 1973 - Mayakovsky On Love (television) - reads poetry 4. 1978 - A Lucky Person - behind the scenes text 5. 1979 - Call of the Fading Summer - behind the scenes text (not credited) 6. 1987 - Face To Face With Height (Soviet Sport №3) - speaker 7. 2003 - Bowl (documentary film about Andrei Pozdeev) - text from the author 8. 2003 - Preserve Everything That Is Dear.., Or Erdman and Stepanova: A Double Portrait In the Interior of An Era - reads for Nikolai Erdman 9. 2008 - Hostages of the Future (documentary film about David Burlyuk) - behind the scenes text 10. 2009 - A Room and a Half, Or Sentimental Travels to the Homeland (documentary film) - text from the author 11. 2009 - Great Novgorod - Motherland of Russia (documentary film) - behind the scenes text 12. 2009 - Great Novgorod in Russia's History - behind the scenes text 13. 2011 - Participated in the voice work for the album, Blood Holiday, of the group The King and the Joker 14. 2012 - Participated in the voice work for the album, On the Edge, of the group The King and the Joker 15. 2013 - Terezine. Code of Life - (documentary film) - behind the scenes text 16. 2013 - I Am Zal - behind the scenes text (voice of Zal) 17. 2015 - Boris Zaborov. Searching For Lost Time (documentary film) - behind the scenes text 18. 2016 - Archives. Film 1. Alexandra Dovzhenko and Yulia Sol'ntseva - behind the scenes text 19. 2016 - Archives. Film 2. Elem Klimov and Larisa Shepit'ko (documentary film)
Dubbing 1. 1974 - Agonia - King Andronnikov 2. 1976 - Pastoral 3. 1976 - Only the Wind Knows the Answer - Kessler 4. 1982 - The Chosen Ones - Dr. Fausto 5. 1983 - Paul Gauguin 6. 1987 - Pretender - Dino Castello 7. 2017 - The Death of Stalin - Vyacheslav Molotov (dubbing was not utilized)
Animation Voice Artist 1. 1969 - Mystery - Buff (based on V. Mayakovsky) 2. 1974 - The Wizard of Oz - Bastinda 3. 1975 - What Do You Want? 4. 1979 - Adventures of Captain Wrongel - Admiral, Radio Announcer, Reporter 3 5. 2014 - Lelya and Min'ka - text from the author 6. 2014 - See the Music - Antonio Sverchinsky

## Selected Audio Books

* 1998 Viy N. Gogol'
* 1998 Twelve Chairs Il'f and Petrov
* 1998 Master and Margarita M. Bulgakov
* 1998 Russian Folk Tales A. Afanas'ev
* 1998 Chosen D. Kharms
* 1998 Tales From Russian Writers A. Pushkin, V. Zhukovsky, S. Aksakov
* 1998 Queen of Spades A. Pushkin
* 1998 Odessa Tales I. Babel'
* 2004 The Suicide Victim N. Erdman
* 2005 When I Was Athos. Yuri Lyubimov V. Smekhov
* 2005 Shishkin's Forest A. Chervinsky
* 2006 Carousel S. Marshak
* 2007 Chosen V. Mayakovsky
* 2007 The Fifth Mountain P. Koel'o
* 2007 For Whom the Bell Tolls E. Hemingway
* 2007 The Koliymsky Tales V. Shalamov
* 2007 To the Comrades' Children (poems from Soviet Writers) V. Mayakovsky, Y. Vladimirov, S Cherniy, D. Kharms, V. Lebedev-Kumach
* 2008 Walpurgis Night V. Erofeev
* 2009 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves V. Smekhov (reads the author)
* 2009 The Three Musketeers A. Dumas
* 2010 Netlenki (the plays Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Once Upon A Time There Were Hedgehogs, Hammers, People, Dolls and Objects, reads the author)
* 2010 The Angel's Doll E. Kochergin
* 2012 Lover of Death B. Akunin
* 2013 Moscow - Cockerels V. Erofeev
* 2015 One Fine Day V. Smekhov
* 2015 Spring Flip-Flops V. Tendryakov
* 2016 Collection of Essays V. Tendryakov
* 2017 Galaxy of Hound Puppies and Other Tales and Stories K. Paustovsky

## Author

* "The Best Activity In the World." - Journal Yunost', #9. 1970.
* "Notes From the Wings." - Journal Yunost', #3. 1974.
* "The Service of Muses Does Not Tolerate Fuss." - Journal Yunost', #9. 1976.
* "My Comrades - Artists." - Journal Aurora, #5. 1980.
* One Fine Day...Soviet Writer, 1986.
* The Master's Violin. Ogon'ka Library, 1988.
* Alive and Only (memories of Viysotsky). Intercontact, 1990.
* Taganka. Notes of a Prisoner. Polikom, 1992.
* When I was Athos... Moscow Actor, 1999.
* Theatre of My Memory. Vagrius, 2001.
* Aphorisms. Fruit of Leisure. Kindred. Retro, 2005.
* It Doesn't Happen Like That In Life. Ta Taganka In Two Volumes. Vremya, 2008.
* Ta Taganka. Ali Baba and Others. It Doesn't Happen Like That In Life (Collection of Essays In Three Volumes). Vremya, 2010.
* Golden Age of the Taganka Theatre. Staroe Kino, 2012.
* To My Father With Love (II): Collection. Ed. A. Fin, 2012.
* I Only Explain a Stitch In Poetry...Collection of Poetry, Songs and Parodies. Put together by the Taganka Theatre, 2014.
* Notes From the Wings. Staroe Kino, 2016.
* It's Not Like That, Guys...Vladimir Viysotsky Is Remembered By His Friends and Colleagues. ACT, 2017.
* Hello, However...Memoirs About Vladimir Viysotsky. Staroe Kino, 2018.