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Nikolay GubenkoActor, director, deputy
Date of Birth: 17.08.1941
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Nikolai Gubhenko: A Life in the Arts and Politics
- Acting Career
- Film and Directing
- Return to the Theater
- Political Career
- Later Life and Legacy
Nikolai Gubhenko: A Life in the Arts and Politics
Early Life and EducationBorn on August 17, 1941, in the catacombs of Odessa during a bombing raid, Nikolai Gubhenko faced tragic loss from the outset. His father, a military pilot, was killed in action. His mother, a construction engineer, was executed by Nazi occupiers for refusing to cooperate. After the war, Gubhenko lived in an orphanage and later transferred to a military boarding school, where he discovered his passion for theater in the drama club.
Acting Career
In 1958, Gubhenko enrolled in the theater studio at the Odessa House of Actors. After graduating, he joined the auxiliary cast of the Odessa Young Spectators Theater. Seeking further training, he moved to Moscow and enrolled in the actor training program at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). After completing VGIK in 1964, Gubhenko became a member of the Theater on Taganka.
Film and Directing
Gubhenko's first film role came in 1964's "Ilyich's Outpost." Leaving the Theater on Taganka, he returned to VGIK to study directing. Graduating in 1970, he directed six feature films and one short. From 1977 to 1978, he taught a course on film direction at the Filmmakers Union's Advanced Training Center.
Return to the Theater
Gubhenko returned to the Theater on Taganka as an actor in 1964–1968 and again in the 1980s. From 1987 to 1991, he served as the theater's chief director. After the split of the company, he became the artistic director of the "Commonwealth of Taganka Actors" theater in 1993.
Political Career
Gubhenko joined the Communist Party in 1987 and was elected to the Central Committee in 1990. From 1989 to 1991, he was the Minister of Culture of the USSR. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he became the President of the International Association for Cultural Cooperation. He was also elected to the State Duma as a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) and served as vice chairman and then chairman of the Committee on Culture.
Later Life and Legacy
Gubhenko passed away on August 16, 2020, one day before his 79th birthday. He was buried in the Kuntsevo Cemetery alongside his in-laws. Despite not having children, Gubhenko left a lasting legacy as one of the most influential figures in Russian arts and politics. His contribution to the arts, particularly through his theater work, is considered a significant achievement in the cultural history of Russia.
