Honored Art Worker of Russia Kirill Laskari

Cyril Laskari - this name is well known in the art world. Multifaceted creative personality, a man of great talent and aesthetic taste, ballet dancer, outstanding Soviet and Russian theater figure, director, playwright, writer - all this is about him. Let's get acquainted.

About childhood and family

Cyril Laskari was born on July 17, 1936 in Leningrad in the family of people of art. His father, Alexander Semenovich Menaker, was a well-known stage actor, Kirill's mother, Irina Vladimirovna Laskari, a ballerina of the Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi. Grandmother by the mother of Ida Lixperova was an actress and acted in film. His brother by father is Andrei Mironov, an outstanding theater and cinema actor.

When the boy was three years old, his father left the family. Since 1952, after reaching his 16th birthday, the boy began to bear the name of his mother. When it was time to determine the profession, Cyril Laskari decided to follow in the footsteps of his mother and entered the Leningrad Ballet School, successfully graduating in 1957.

Laskari - ballet soloist

After graduation from the school. A. Vaganova novice ballet dancer joined the troupe of the theater. Kirov. Here he worked for two years. In 1959, Cyril Laskari moved to the Maly Theater and already on his stage makes a dizzying career. Two decades in a row, the ballet dancer was the leading soloist of this Melpomene church. He danced almost all the title parts in the productions that took place at the Maly Theater.

The actor was the Humpbacked Horse in the "Humpbacked Horse", Rochefort in the "Three Musketeers", the Nomenclature unit in the "Directive Bow", the Tenant in the "Story of a Girl". Among his other parties are Barmaley in Doctor Aibolit, Jester in Seven Beauties, Conductor in Ivushka, Petrushka in The Ballad of Love, Milkman in the Blue Danube, German in The Eve, The groom in Petrushka ", A brilliant performance of the Venetian dance in" Swan Lake ".

Activities as a director and choreographer

In parallel with the ballet Cyril Laskari tried himself as a director. His work could be seen at the Maly Theater. The most famous of them is the remarkable ballet "Old Man Khottabych". Laskari also staged performances at the A. Raikin Miniature Theater.

Director's work of Kirill Alexandrovich could be seen on television. He was the director of a number of film-ballets: "The Tale of the Slave Nikishka" (M. Baryshnikov's film debut took place here), as well as "Returns" (G. Firtich's music), became a choreographer in the TV movie "Marina".

He was invited as a choreographer by the Leningrad Theater of Musical Comedy. Here he worked in plays: "Don Giovanni in Seville", "The movie is shot" (music by A. Eshpai), "Artist's Life" (and even wrote a libretto for this production), "Mr. X", "Calif-Aist", " O, Bayader, Ball in Savoy, Gypsy Prime, Doña Juanita, Mistakes of Youth, Vienna Meetings. Among his productions is the ballet The Age of the Butterfly. He was also the choreographer of the ballet The Adventures of the Chess Soldier Peshkin.

Laskari Kirill Alexandrovich left a bright trace in the history of cinema. A talented choreographer was invited to the set-up, where he performed dance performances for all his favorite films: in 1961 - "Amphibian Man", in 1971 - "Shadow", in 1974 - in the famous movie "Straw Hat", in 1979 Year - "Three in a boat, not counting a dog", a year later - "Only in the Music Hall", in 1982 - "Pokrovsky Gate."

Among the founders of the now world-famous Leningrad ballet on ice was also K. Laskari.

Writer and screenwriter

Kirill Laskari, whose biography is filled with creative searches, left his mark on the world of literature. He begins writing first the libretto, and then the scripts and books. Peru Laskari owns such plays as The Marquis de Carabas Oath, The Corpse of the Hudson, The Mistakes of Youth, I Do not Want to Be a King, Eggplant with Eggplant. In his scenario, in 1989, the film "Fuflo" was made.

As a writer-prose writer, Kirill Alexandrovich made his debut in 1983. His work "Twenty-third pirouette" is embodied in cinematography. Based on the play at the film studio Lenfilm in 1986, the film Myth was filmed.

Readers can get acquainted with the books of the writer. In 2000, he published his book "The Ascendant Syndrome", in 2003 - "Improvisations on the topic", in 2005 the volume "Errors of Youth" was published.

In 2002, the artist was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of Russia.

September 30, 2009, shortly before his death, Lascari was awarded the Order of Friendship, and on October 19, 2009, he passed away. KA Laskari was buried at the Volkov cemetery of St. Petersburg.

Personal life

Cyril Laskari was married twice. His first wife was Nina Urgant. The second time he married Irina Maguto (Irina Laskari), actress of the puppet theater "At the Moscow Gate." She starred in the movie "Straw Hat" (played the role of Virginie) and in the episode of the movie "And this is all about him." Son - Cyril Laskari - was born on August 11, 1977 in Leningrad. By profession - a screenwriter, as well as a poet and writer. Kirill Alexandrovich Laskari was friendly with his brother on the father, the great Andrei Mironov, and no less brilliant artist Vladimir Vysotsky.