5 September 1954 - 18 October 1997
On October 18, 1997, Kryukov left this world at the age of 43. His wife, son and many friends and admirers mourned him. This page provides a cursory look at his family, childhood, apprenticeship, career, adulthood, and finally the illness that led to his death. The source was the book "Yuri Kryukov". Portrait of the role, or fragments of memories, written by a fan of his talent Pille-Rijn Purier for the fiftieth anniversary of the actor in 2005.
Childhood.
The family of Yuri Kryukov comes from a suburban village. In 1905, his paternal grandfather decided to try his luck in Estonia and, having settled here as a railway worker, married a 15-year-old Russian girl. His maternal line leads from under Pärnu.
Yuri was 5 months old when his father, engineer Igor Kryukov (1907-1955), died. After him remained widow Maria Kryukov and two children - Yuri and his older brother Oleg. Most of his childhood, Yuri remembered his mother, spoke about her with special warmth and love. Maria Kryukov was a woman with a good voice, a wonderful sense of humor, a very humane and a very good cook. Uri took care of her mother for the rest of her life, most of whom lived with her in the center of Tallinn on Vambol Street. Their apartment was in a convenient location: near the theater, Radio and TV center. Five lived in a 3-room apartment, and even rented one room, because there was not enough money.
But in the early 90s, the new government of independent Estonia decided to return to all Estonian bourgeois who had emigrated before the Patriotic War their former lands and living spaces, which had been inherited in Soviet times to the new owners. Let us leave the fairness of this decision beyond the scope of our story, let us only say that the Hook family was forced to look for a new home. This greatly affected the health of Yuri's elderly mother.
She died alone in a new apartment in front of the TV. Coincidentally, at this point on TV was the film "Bal at Savoy" with the participation of her son.
The sons inherited their father’s appearance and their mother’s illness. Brother Oleg died earlier from a stroke, like his father, very young - at 37 years old. His brother studied at a Russian school, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Polygraphy and worked as the general director of the publishing house “Eesti Trukkitöstus”.
Apprenticeship.
From the age of six, Yuri Kryukov went to Tallinn High School 7, where teachers immediately encountered his “unbearable character”. He himself did not share opinions about the superprestige of the school, considering many moments simply ostentatious. Once on an excursion to the Hermitage, the future movie star decided to become an artist and for 9 years attended an art circle at school, and also sang at the age of 8 in the Tombis Boys Choir.
“I really like to watch ships come into the port,” wrote 6-year-old October Yuri. I painted such a large ship on the emblem of our Star.
By the time of apprenticeship, one can also attribute the first role in the film “Passenger from the Equator”, played at the age of 13. Ilmar Yuri was chosen for the role of Hiyumaa schoolboy among a large number of children from all over the Baltics. Since the character was supposed to be a skilled swimmer, the film had to swim a lot, including in the rough night sea; as much running and climbing rocks. But the understudy was used only once, when shooting a jump into the water from a 35-meter cliff.
At the age of 17, Yuri entered the Tallinn State Humanitarian University (TRK) at the Department of Performing Arts. He explained his choice in those years only by the fact that with such grades in the certificate he would not be accepted anywhere else. But in fact, one should not underestimate the childish role of a 13-year-old schoolboy in a Soviet film. The beginning of his acting training was facilitated by the fact that the auditions at the Department of Performing Art were conducted exactly in the year when he graduated from school. A year later, the head of the course Voldemar Panso (a very famous Estonian theater actor and director) admitted that he was not a supporter of admission to the faculty of this student, but Grigory Kromanov (director of the "Last Relic", "Diamonds for the dictatorship of the proletariat" and "Hotel" of the deceased climber") took responsibility for the young talent. Later, Kryukov himself admitted that he came to act completely unprepared.
On the course of Voldemar Panso (1972-76) also studied Sulev Luik (a famous actor - "Hotel" "Deceased climber" (Tallinnfilm), "Spirits Day" (Russia) and other films) and Peeter Volkonsky (master of performance, singer, poet and composer, so-called "Estonian Boris Grebenshchikov".)
Maturity.
Yuri after the end of the shkola is very ambitious, very demanding of life, very much wants to get everything possible from it. He later said that life only reveals its most interesting aspects after thirty. However, he felt the same after the forty-year barrier.
Yuri has been married three times in his life. The first time in 21 years, but four years later divorced and remarried. From the second marriage was born son Alexander.
With his third wife, Julla Toming, they met at the opening of the Tallinn Drama Theatre after renovation. The next day, we met by chance at the Radio House bar and talked. And only 6 years later he took her to the registry office, only two. After dinner at the restaurant, Yuri went to audition. They spent their honeymoon (or a week) in Stockholm. To the public, he kept the events a secret and lived with his second wife, a variety dancer. But the last year they spent together. This third marriage lasted 13 years. According to the stories of the widow, Yuri in the family was very temperamental, but could not bear it on people. He did not consider himself a sociable person. He liked to listen more than to talk in front of a large audience.
About his famous beard, Yuri had no special theory, just he did not like to shave and did it only at the request of the director for a specific role.
It is fair to say that in the late 80s, most of his life was occupied by alcohol, but through the efforts of Julle he overcame a pernicious passion. He was never particularly interested in smoking.
Career.
Yuri Kryukov came to the Drama Theater immediately after graduation from the Department of Scenic Art in 1976 and served there for the rest of his life. His first role was in Richard III, directed by Axel Küngas, it was the role of the commandant of the Tower. Yuri had only four lines of text, but he was still very worried. For the first 6-7 years in the theater before each performance, he got nervous to the point that sometimes his voice disappeared. But there was no trace of excitement on the stage.
He also took part in entreprises. Yuri admitted that he feels absolutely happy on stage. He was subject to pop and dramatic genres, up to the operetta. Only the ballet remained untried until January 1996. But you can say that he touched on this area of art. He eventually played the choreographer Mylord in the series Men's Club, and mastered 56 episodes. Work on his only role in the series dragged on from January 1996 to spring 1997. He was invited to other Estonian TV projects, in particular, in the TV series Salmonid, about the personal life of the Estonian business dynasty, but he did not accept the proposals, directly calling this project vulgar. Instead, he gave all his courage "men's club" (M-klub).
Yuri Kryukov did a lot for children's broadcasting on the only Estonian channel until the 90s. He participated in the TV show of the 70s and prepared the legendary New Year lights. He also hosted his own film program. Movie! Film! " on Channel 2 (analogue of Cinema " Eldar Ryazanov). Among other things, he gave his energetic, temperamental voice to the lovers of Mexican soap operas.
Radio actor Yuri Kryukov became even before he graduated from the Faculty of Performing Arts, in 1975. He led programs and quizzes for children. During the period 1977-96, he conducted twenty-six children's quiz programs, having managed to "talk" more than one hundred children-players.
He also voiced the role of the narrator in the cartoon "Tom and Fluffy".
Illness.
In 1996, Yuri Kryukov showed symptoms of stomatitis, according to his doctor. The tumor of the tongue grew within two weeks. A later test taken by the surgeon revealed a suspicion of cancer. He had his first operation in October. Yuri cheerfully winked at his wife, Yulla, from the gurney as he was being taken to the operating room. He was hoping for the best. However, during the operation, the diagnosis was confirmed. Cancer. Radiation procedures followed.
Yuri played at this time in the theater wordless roles and roles with a minimum of words - he was happy that at least so can do what he loves, recalls Yulle. The last role was a comedy - in the play of Ivan Menzel "Cemetery Society", ironically, he played a dead man. At this time, the actor was already seriously ill, his diction became slurred. And Yuri was incredibly grateful to director Ivo Eensal for the opportunity to be on stage again.
Ita Ever (the famous Estonian actress - films "Chertenok", "Mischievous turns", the Russian audience is known for the main role of Miss Marple from "Secrets of blackbirds") remembers how Kryukov, who no longer had rehearsals, just came to the theater to sit, look at his colleagues and smell the scenes.
Medicine was powerless, and Yuri and Julle went to the healers. But neither they nor the prayers in the church helped. In recent months, Yuri could not speak at all, he wrote notes to his wife.
From the second operation, the actor refused and chose chemotherapy. The prognosis of doctors was more than disappointing, and after the first procedures it was decided to write a will. Kryukov was under examination in 1997. In autumn, with the help of the publishing house Eesti Express, the von Kral Theatre, the association Park Hotel and the Rein Kilga Foundation, they found the best doctor - St. Petersburg professor of medicine Viktor Tarasov. But it was too late. I did not have time to examine the juvenile doctor.
Yuri Kryukov died on October 18, 1997.