The actor Konstantin Varlamov (1848–1915) was born into a family of the composer Alexander Varlamov who created such famous Russian art songs as “The Lonely Sail Whitens” and “Do Not Wake Her At Dawn.” Konstantin Varlamov never knew his father: Alexander Varlamov had died before his son turned one. After the tragic loss, the family faced financial difficulties which prevented Konstantin from getting training at a drama school. Varlamov started to take part in amateur plays and perform in provinces. In 1875, he was accepted into the Alexandrinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg.
Konstantin Varlamov was a born actor performing in vaudevilles, melodramas, tragedies, dramas, operettas and even ballets. He believed that everything could be made into acting. Varlamov used to say that he could declaim a cookbook, a tear-off calendar, or a dream dictionary. Throughout his career, the actor had over 1,500 roles.
Among them were the roles of Muromsky in “Krechinsky’s Wedding”, Groznov in “Truth is Good, but Happiness is Better”, Kuroslepov in “An Ardent Heart”, and Yusov in “A Profitable Position”. Plays by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky constituted a great part of Varlamov’s repertoire.
Konstantin Varlamov also took part in a play directed by Vsevolod Meyerhold. In 1910, Meyerhold was staging the play “Dom Juan” by Molière at the Alexandrinsky Theater, and Varlamov was assigned the part of the valet Sganarelle. In the director’s mind, this play was to have a “ringing theatrical sound” to it, and this was achieved just as Varlamov appeared on stage as Sganarelle for the first time.
Varlamov’s residence was always open to guests. On weekdays, up to 20 people — actors, writers, artists, famous lawyers — came there for lunch. It was there that the kapustniki (a tradition in Russian theater) first appeared. During Lent, when all theaters closed upon the decision of the Synod, Varlamov invited his colleagues over for the famous cabbage pies.
Konstantin Varlamov was a born actor performing in vaudevilles, melodramas, tragedies, dramas, operettas and even ballets. He believed that everything could be made into acting. Varlamov used to say that he could declaim a cookbook, a tear-off calendar, or a dream dictionary. Throughout his career, the actor had over 1,500 roles.
Among them were the roles of Muromsky in “Krechinsky’s Wedding”, Groznov in “Truth is Good, but Happiness is Better”, Kuroslepov in “An Ardent Heart”, and Yusov in “A Profitable Position”. Plays by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky constituted a great part of Varlamov’s repertoire.
Konstantin Varlamov also took part in a play directed by Vsevolod Meyerhold. In 1910, Meyerhold was staging the play “Dom Juan” by Molière at the Alexandrinsky Theater, and Varlamov was assigned the part of the valet Sganarelle. In the director’s mind, this play was to have a “ringing theatrical sound” to it, and this was achieved just as Varlamov appeared on stage as Sganarelle for the first time.
Varlamov’s residence was always open to guests. On weekdays, up to 20 people — actors, writers, artists, famous lawyers — came there for lunch. It was there that the kapustniki (a tradition in Russian theater) first appeared. During Lent, when all theaters closed upon the decision of the Synod, Varlamov invited his colleagues over for the famous cabbage pies.
