Pavel Borisovich Luspekayev (;с20 April 1927, Luhansk — 17 April 1970, Moscow) was a Soviet actor who is best known for his role of Vereschagin in the classic Russian movie White Sun of the Desert. Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1997, posthumously).Указ Президента РФ от 6 июня 1998 № 656
Biography
Pavel Luspekayev was born in Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR in 1927. His father Bogdasar Luspekyan was an Armenian butcher from a village near Nakhichevan-on-Don (Russian city founded by Armenian settlers). His mother Seraphima Kovaleva came from Don Cossacks. During the World War II he joined the Soviet partisans at the age of 16 and fought shortly after with the 3rd Ukrainian Front. When his feet suffered severe frostbite, he had to be demobilised in 1944. Luspekayev's lower limbs never fully recovered. p.374
In 1945 Luspekayev became student in the Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School in Moscow. After finishing the school in 1950 he performed in Tbilisi's Griboedov Russian Drama Theatre, in 1956 in Kiev's Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theater of Russian Drama. In 1959 he joined Leningrad's Bolshoi Drama Theatre where he performed in plays under director Georgy Tovstonogov. In 1965 Luspekayev was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist (Zasluzhenny aktyor) of RSFSR. p.459
The long-term effects of the suffered frostbite caused a peripheral vascular disease in Luspekayev's legs when he was 26. The illness progressed, and after he finished the movie The Republic of ShKID (1966) both of his legs had to be amputated just below the knees. p.53
Nevertheless, he continued to perform on prosthesis, even though he was suffering from pain. During filming of White Sun of the Desert in 1969, Luspekayev's condition worsened, and he could barely walk. His wife was carrying a small folding chair, and Luspekayev had to take a rest every 20 steps. In the original script, the role of Vereschagin was a minor one, but during filming, the role began to expand, with some of the scenes being improvised on the spot. The connection between the actor and the role he was playing became so strong, that the crew began to call Vereschagin by name Pavel (Pasha), even though in the script his name was Alexander.
Shortly after the White Sun of the Desert was released, Pavel Luspekayev died from a heart aneurysm. He was buried in the Northern Cemetery of Saint Petersburg.Луспекаев Павел Борисович (1927-1970) see: m-necropol.ru (Russ.)
Personal life He was married to the BDT actress Inna Kirillova. They had one daughter and two grandchildren.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1954 They Descended from the Mountains Boris 1957 The Secret of Two Oceans Kartsev 1959 Blue Arrow Chief of Staff 1960 Ezop Agnostos TV Movie1961 Kochvatz en aprelu Vazgen Aramyan 1961 Baltic Sky Kuznetsov 1963 Nylon Nets Stepan 1965 Mercy Train Lutokhin 1965 The Salvos of the Aurora Cruiser fat officer1965 On the Same Planet Nikolai Markin 1966 Going Inside a Storm Aleksei Ivanovich Denisov1966 A Long Happy Life Pavel 1966 Three Fat Men Gen. Karaska 1966 The Republic of ShKID Kostalmed 1967 On the Wild Shore Gladyshev1967 An Incident That No One Noticed Teterin 1969 Castling to the Long Side Rebrov 1969 Tomorrow, on April 3rd... 1969 Her name is Spring teacher1970 White Sun of the Desert Pavel Vereshchagin 1970 Green Chains Ivan Vasilyevich 1972 Such a Long, Long Road... Ivan Artamonov (final film role)
References
External links
Pavel Luspekayev bio Vladimir Motyl's memoirs about Pavel Luspekayev