Gravestone of Nikolay Cherkasov

myminifactory

Nikolay Konstantinovich Cherkasov (27 July 1903 – 14 September 1966) was a Soviet actor and a renowned People's Artist of the Soviet Union. Born in Saint Petersburg, he would later become known as Petrograd and Leningrad before reverting to its original name after his passing. From 1919 onwards, Cherkasov honed his craft as a skilled mime artist at Petrograd's prestigious Maryinsky Theatre, the iconic Bolshoi Theatre, and other esteemed venues. After graduating from the Institute of Stage Arts in 1926, he began acting in Leningrad's Young Spectator's Theatre. As one of Stalin's favorite actors, Cherkasov took on title roles in Sergei Eisenstein's monumental sound films Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Parts I & II of Ivan the Terrible (1945 & 1946). Although Part II was not officially released until 1958 due to political reasons, it cemented Cherkasov's status as a Soviet cinema icon. In addition to his notable performances, Cherkasov also played memorable roles in other iconic films. He appeared alongside other legendary actors of Stalinist cinema, including Lyubov Orlova and Faina Ranevskaya, in the 1947 comedy Springtime. For his portrayal of Alexander Popov in the film Alexander Popov (1951), Cherkasov received a prestigious Stalin Prize of the second degree. Cherkasov continued to showcase his versatility as an actor by taking on diverse roles throughout his career. In 1957, he portrayed Don Quixote in director Grigori Kozintsev's screen adaptation of that novel. Throughout his illustrious career, Cherkasov received numerous accolades and recognition for his contributions to the world of cinema. In 1941, he was awarded the Stalin Prize; in 1947, he was named a People's Artist of the Soviet Union. He also authored his memoirs, "Notes of a Soviet Actor," in 1951. Sadly, Cherkasov passed away in Leningrad in 1966 and was laid to rest at the Cemetery of Masters within the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The image of Cherkasov as Alexander Nevsky is immortalized on the Soviet Order of Alexander Nevsky, a testament to his enduring legacy. The State Museum of City Sculptures was founded in 1932 with the aim of preserving and protecting city sculptures and gravestones. As a leading institution dedicated to this cause, it has become responsible for maintaining many of St Petersburg's most famous sculptures. Located within the former territory of the Aleksandro-Nevsky Lavra, which was granted to the museum upon its founding, the main branches of the State Museum are concentrated in this area. The Tikhvinskoe Cemetery, established in 1823 and named after the Our Lady of Tikhvin Church built between 1869 and 1873, became a branch of the museum known as the Necropolis of Masters of Culture in 1932. This esteemed cemetery is home to many leading figures from Russian culture, including writers Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Karamzin, and Ivan Krylov; composers Aleksandr Borodin, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Musorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky; and artists Boris Kustodiev, Ivan Kramskoy, and Ivan Shishkin.