Igor Gorbachev

Biography

Igor Gorbachev was born in Leningrad in the family of Oleg Borisovich and Vera Andreevna Gorbachev.

He graduated from six classes of secondary school No. 9. He survived the blockade winter of 1941-1942, which resulted in a severe form of dystrophy, worked at defense facilities. In 1942 he was evacuated with his family to the Urals (Krasnouralsk, Artemovsky). Returned in 1944. In 1945 he graduated from secondary school No. 79 in Leningrad.

In 1945-1948 he studied at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Leningrad University, participated in the work of the Student Theater of the Leningrad State University, created by Evgenia Karpova. He appeared on the stage of the theater since 1948. His first big role was Khlestakov in The Inspector General, for which he received the main prize at the All-Union Competition-Review of Amateur Theaters and was noted by critics and theatrical community.

In 1948 he went to study at the Leningrad Theater Institute named after A. N. Ostrovsky, class of Leonid Makariev, from which he graduated in 1952. In 1951, while still studying at the institute, he played Khlestakov in the film The Inspector General by Vladimir Petrov. His performance was also highly acclaimed by critics.

In 1951-1954 he served as an actor at the Bolshoi Theater named after M. Gorky, where he was remembered for the role of the sailor Shvandi in the play Love Yarovaya, which was filmed and shown in cinemas.