The real name is Utesova. Biography of Leonid Utyosov

Look around and try to find a person who does not know what a beautiful Odessa is? "For Odessa" at least once heard all the residents of our country. Some there have visited and breathed in its special air, others like it and know from books, films and songs. As they say in Odessa: "Do you want songs? I have them! "And the first musician and singer who is remembered at the same time, of course, Leonid Utesov. The real name of this legendary in all respects the artist of the theater, cinema and variety art is Weisbein, and the real name is Lazar or Leiser. At home they called him simply Ledya, Ledechka.

Childhood in Odessa

Leonid Osipovich Utesova biography began on March 22, 1895 (in the encyclopedias the date is indicated on March 21) in the city of Odessa. Then in the house number 11 on Triangular lane a boy was born who was destined to become famous himself and glorify his city. After many years, the lane changed its name to Utesova Street.

Family Weissbeynov (real name Utesova) was numerous - the father and mother were brought up by five children. Father, Joseph (Osip) Kalmanovich, worked as a freight forwarder in the port, mother - Malka Moiseevna - stood at the helm of her family, controlling all household members (including her husband) with a firm hand. The Jewish mother and wife are "something separate", so no one rebelled against matriarchy in a house in Triangular Lane. Ledechka, apparently, inherited the stern nature of the mother, which could not but be reflected in his fate. But if Malka Moiseevna directed her character to solve family issues-husband and child management, victorious battles with traffickers on the Privoz, then Ledya spilled it out on the surrounding outside of the father's house.

Firstly, he fought a lot and successfully, and even became a kind of celebrity in the boyish society of Odessa. Secondly, Ledya Weissbein became the only student expelled from the Faig Commercial School, an institution famed for its liberal orders. In those days, Jews (and the real name of Utesov, as we recall, Jewish) could be only 5% of the total number of pupils of any educational institution in Russia. And only Feig had permission to receive 50% of the sons of the chosen people. Ledya Vaisbein (the real name of Utesov) either struck, or poured ink on one of the teachers and was banished from the walls of the school forever. Soon the young hooligan hired in Borodanov's circus to the post of "writer of posters" and left the city.

Nomadic life

In the circus he learned to walk on a rope, work on a trapeze, to amuse the public in the image of a "red clown". Sprouting through towns and villages, in 1912 Ledya returned to Odessa and went to work in the theater of comedy and farce to Skovronsky. However, he set the condition: "No Weissbane" (the real name of Utesov) - and advised me to choose a more elevated surname. The young artist understood the advice literally and began to pick up a pseudonym, consonant with the names of the hills: Skalov, Gorin, Gorsky and, finally, Utesov. At the same time he changed Ledu to Lenya.

From this moment, the real name of Utesov will be known only in a narrow domestic circle. The country will recognize him and fall in love with a new "sublime" name.

"What do you call a boat ..."

In 1913 the newly-made Leonid Utesov (the real surname will never appear on theatrical posters) entered the Theater of Miniatures, located in the city of Kremenchug. Here the theatrical career went up the hill.

The young actor released a benefit performance titled "From tragedy to trapeze". The play was going on for hours on end. First, Leonid played the stage from a dramatic performance, then sang an act from an operetta, followed the part of the first violin in the violin trio, and then played pantomime. But that's not all. Next came the satirical couplets, the humorous story, the dance, the romance, the parody, the juggling, and in the finale the flight to the trapeze. He was very well received, especially in Odessa. A great admirer of the versatile talent of the young artist became the famous king of the underworld - Misha Japonchik (Vinnitsky his real name). Leonid Utesov, he more than once rescued in matters related to his (Mishkin) "department."

Marriage

Like any popular artist, and even more so young and hot, Leonid had a lot of fans. In addition, he regularly started novels with partners in performances. And in 1914 he married the young actress Elena Goldina (Lenskaya). Soon they had a daughter, Edita. In this composition, their family existed for the next 48 years. Elena, like Malka once, took the helm of the family ship into her own hands, and only thanks to her, he stayed afloat for so long.

Theatrical life

Leonid Utesov played in many theaters: the Bolshoi and Mal Rishelievskies, the theater of miniatures of the city of Kherson, the mobile theater "Mosaic". In addition to the theatrical stage, the young actor appeared on the stage. In 1917 he became the winner of the contest of the couplets, held in Gomel. In 1919, played a small role in the film "Lieutenant Schmidt - freedom fighter."

In the twenties, Utesov and his family moved first to Moscow, and then to Leningrad. He moved from one theater to another, never for a long time lingering.

Creation of a jazz orchestra

This "fluttering" continued until 1928, when Leonid Utesov finally found his main love - jazz. It happened during a trip with his family to Paris. There he attended the performance of an American jazz band led by Ted Lewis and was delighted with what he saw and heard. Returning home, Leonid managed to organize his own jazz orchestra, which he called "Thea Jazz." Then the name changed several times (the State Jazz Orchestra of the RSFSR, the State Variety Orchestra of the RSFSR), but the main thing was that the team managed to play jazz in Soviet Russia, which, to put it mildly, was wary of musical directions like this.

Initially, the orchestra performed mostly foreign compositions, but soon the basis of his repertoire consisted of specially written songs and instrumental pieces. His favorite author was Isaak Dunaevsky - a personal friend of Leonid Utyosov.

"Funny boys"

All-national fame and love to Utesov and his orchestra brought in Alexandrov's famous film "Merry Fellows", which was released in 1934. After this, all residents of the country decided to sing his songs and recognize the artist in person.

Military and post-war years

During the Great Patriotic War Leonid Utesov traveled a lot with concerts to the front, repeatedly got under bombardment and shelling, but continued to speak before the soldiers.

When the war was over, Utesov's orchestra toured the country a lot, morally supporting compatriots, because, as his song says: "We are helped to build a song and live." In the following years the band continued active concert activity, radio and television performances began, records were recorded. The daughter of Utesova, Edith, performed along with her father - was the soloist of his orchestra.

In the declining years

In 1962, his wife Elena died. Despite the long parallel connection with Antonina Revels, to survive the death of such a loved one turned out to be a difficult test for Leonid Osipovich.

He stopped speaking, and simply without the extreme need to leave the house. True Antonina remained close, but officially married Utesov offered her only in 20 years, after the death of her daughter in 1982 from a serious illness. However, happiness was short-lived. A few months later, Leonid Osipovich died at the age of 87 years.

Despite the fact that most of the life of Utesov lived in Leningrad, he always remained Odessa. And now, 30 years after his death, remembering this man, we see sun-drenched streets, we feel a salty wind from the sea on the lips and hear:

"There is a city that I see in a dream,
Oh, if you only knew how expensive
Near the Black Sea appeared to me
In blooming acacias the city ... "