Stepan Shkurat
Stepan Shkurat is a Honored artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, a national artist of the USSR, one of the best master of the stage given by the land of Poltava.
This amazing man was born in December, 15, 1885 in a small town Kobeliaky, in Poltavs'ka Oblast. He was a farm-hand, a stove-maker; he managed skills of this occupation perfectly. He didn’t have any music or dramatic education.
Since 1905 Stepan was living in Romny, in Sums'ka Oblast. At the same year he has joined amateur performances. Since 1910 Stepan Shkurat was an actor of the Romna’s national dramatic theatre.
In 1918 he took part in building the monument in memory of Taras Shevchenko and victims of Revolution in Romny.
After ten years Stepan Shkurat was working at the locomotive depot. Suddenly Ivan Kavaleridze – director, - invited amateur artist for shooting at the Odes'ka Kinofabryka.
The first film – called “Heavy Rain” – with Shkurat came out on screens in 1929, he was playing Ivan’s character.
In 1929 Stepan Shkurat acquainted with Olexandr Dovzhenko who had invited him to play Afanasiy Trubenko in his film “The Land”. Stepan Shkurat transformed in his character to much, so he was crying while the stage of Vasiliy’s funeral, the son of Panas. He didn’t pay any attention when someone was prompting to him that it was just actor’s playing.
Alexander Dovzhenko considered that Stepan Shkurat is the type of the ukrainian peasant, that’s why he took Shkurat in such films as “Ivan” (1932), “Aircity” (1935) and “Shchors” (1939).
One of the most famous Shkurat’s roles is the role of striker Potapov in Vasilev brothers film - “Chapayev” (1934). After a year Stepan Shkurat was given a Honored artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
In 1935 Ivan Kavaleridze invited the actor to take part in a film “Natalka-Poltavka” for the role of Mykola which was a “young” role for Shkurat. Stepan was hesitating, but after consultation with Kavaleridze he gave his agreement. The film came out on screens in 1936, and was demonstrating during 21 day in the USA, it was something like a record.
Against Shkurat’s participation in “Zaporozhets beyond the Danube” were definite objections, as some people wanted to see a professional singer in this opera-film. But Stepan worked hard, he took special lessons, took an examination and got his role. His dramatic talent and voice has a big influence on Shkurat’s colleagues.
After the II World War Stepan Shcurat didn’t act in films a lot. Usually he was playing in episodes.
The last famous role of Stepan Shkurat was Yavtuh, in a screen version “Viy” of Gogol’s novel.
Till the end of his life Stepan Shkurat was singing in Romny’s chorus. In spite of age-specific sickness, Shkurat was visiting Kiev and Sumy with concert tours.
He liked to sing to his closer friends; especially he liked to sing his favorite song “Oh, an eagle flyed”.
After his wife’s death, - she gave him thirteen children, - Stepan felt melancholy. Often he was going out to the river’s shore for looking at water and thinking about life. Right there he caught a cold and got pneumonia. He died in February 26, 1973. He died six month after his wife.
Other films with Stepan Shkurat is “Fata Morgana” (1931), “Taras Shevchenko” (1951), “Pedagogical poem” (1955), “By a high price” (1957), “The Tale of our days” (1958), “ A strees-walker” (1961).
