The Laughers of Meyerhold

The main creative inclinations of the author of this book, Alexander Hort, primarily extend into the realm of satire and humor. Therefore, his interest in the work of the masters of the "joyful craft" is not surprising. Among them are three great comedians - Erast Garin, Igor Ilyinsky, and Sergey Martinson. They can be considered contemporaries of the century, having gone through all the stages of Soviet history together with their country: the revolution, the New Economic Policy, industrialization, the tragic 1930s, the Great Patriotic War, and the five-year plans… They were not mere bystanders, but full participants, one might say, active contributors. They met while working together in the most revolutionary theater of the 1920s - the State Theater named after V. Meyerhold. Later, they shone in cinema and on stage. Through their performances, these actors lifted the spirits of countless audiences. However, in everyday life, fate did not always smile upon them. The author attempted to understand the reasons - both objective and subjective.