The exhibition showcases a costume used by actor Oleg Yankovsky to play Prince Myshkin in a performance of The Idiot, based on the novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The exhibit is part of the actor’s memorial collection, which is kept at the museum. The suit consists of a black coat with a cape and a grayish blue, woolen jacket, which is fastened by four buttons covered with fabric. The costume set also has a woolen vest with five plastic buttons and a white cotton shirt. The stage costume is complemented by a black neck tie scarf.
Saratov was the place where the path to fame began for Oleg Yankovsky, who earned the title People’s Artist of the USSR. He was born in 1944 in Dzhezkazgane (in Kazakhstan). In 1951, the Yankovsky family moved to Saratov, where the future artist graduated from High School No. 67, and the Saratov Drama School. The museum’s collection contains a journal with the marks earned by Oleg Yankovsky, a student in grade 3A for the 1953–1954 academic year, his student notebook for his speech on stage, and a program for the play Zateinik (The Entertainer), where he acted in the role of the character Eduard. Starting in 1967, Yankovsky played in performances held at the Karl Marx Saratov Drama Theater, and it was on that stage where the premiere for the play The Idiot was held. In 1968, he made his film debut, playing one of the main roles in the film Shield and Sword. This role made Yankovsky one of the most well-recognized and beloved film actors in the country.
Critics consider the role played by Yankovsky on the stage as Prince Myshkin his best one in Saratov. The play The Idiot was held at the theater for several years. He was admired not only by Saratov residents, but also by audiences in other cities when the theater was on tour. The circles with stage directors in Russia’s capital started to talk about the Saratov actor. In 1973, the Saratov Drama Theater performed in Leningrad on the stage of the M. Gorkiy Big Drama Theater. Stage director Mark Zakharov attended this performance. Later on, he recalled how he immediately realized that he was looking at an outstanding, talented actor. Zakharov invited the actor to see him in the Moscow-based Lenkom Theater, where Oleg Yankovsky worked for 36 years.
Saratov was the place where the path to fame began for Oleg Yankovsky, who earned the title People’s Artist of the USSR. He was born in 1944 in Dzhezkazgane (in Kazakhstan). In 1951, the Yankovsky family moved to Saratov, where the future artist graduated from High School No. 67, and the Saratov Drama School. The museum’s collection contains a journal with the marks earned by Oleg Yankovsky, a student in grade 3A for the 1953–1954 academic year, his student notebook for his speech on stage, and a program for the play Zateinik (The Entertainer), where he acted in the role of the character Eduard. Starting in 1967, Yankovsky played in performances held at the Karl Marx Saratov Drama Theater, and it was on that stage where the premiere for the play The Idiot was held. In 1968, he made his film debut, playing one of the main roles in the film Shield and Sword. This role made Yankovsky one of the most well-recognized and beloved film actors in the country.
Critics consider the role played by Yankovsky on the stage as Prince Myshkin his best one in Saratov. The play The Idiot was held at the theater for several years. He was admired not only by Saratov residents, but also by audiences in other cities when the theater was on tour. The circles with stage directors in Russia’s capital started to talk about the Saratov actor. In 1973, the Saratov Drama Theater performed in Leningrad on the stage of the M. Gorkiy Big Drama Theater. Stage director Mark Zakharov attended this performance. Later on, he recalled how he immediately realized that he was looking at an outstanding, talented actor. Zakharov invited the actor to see him in the Moscow-based Lenkom Theater, where Oleg Yankovsky worked for 36 years.
