Category: Russian Language

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

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Vasily Kachalov (real name Shverubovich) was a great Soviet and Russian actor, master of artistic expression, and teacher. He was born on February 11, 1875, in Vilnius, to a priest's family. His father wanted his son to follow in the priestly line, but his mother, descended from an ancient noble family, instilled in him a love of literature and art at an early age.

Let's go to the calling

Kachalov shared his school days at the 1st Vilnius Gymnasium with Felix Dzerzhinsky, Boris Gorev, and Konstantin Galkovsky. Even then, the boy began to understand his calling: he possessed a phenomenal memory, recited poetry expressively, and performed in amateur theatricals. The budding actor's signature performance was a Chatsky monologue.

In 1893, Vasily entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, but even here his passion for the stage prevailed – he began acting in a student drama group under the direction of Vladimir Davydov.

How the pseudonym came about

His theatrical debut took place in 1896 at the Suvorin Theater of the Literary and Artistic Society. It was then that the famous "Kachalov" appeared – a stage name that, according to Faina Ranevskaya, was given to the aspiring actor by Alexander Suvorin himself, the theater owner, editor of the Novoye Vremya newspaper, and a close friend and mentor of Chekhov. According to another version, Vasily's new surname was invented by Fyodor Chaliapin, who saw it in a newspaper he was reading at a coffee shop while meeting the actor. Yet another version holds that the artist chose his stage name after reading an obituary for N. N. Kachalov, the former governor of the Arkhangelsk province, in a St. Petersburg newspaper.

From a provincial theater actor to a Moscow Art Theater legend

From 1897, Vasily Kachalov traveled around the country on tour with Vasily Dolmatov, and until 1900 he performed in Kazan and Saratov in the "Kazan-Saratov Association of Actors" under the direction of Mikhail Borodai.

Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko recognized a future star in the young provincial actor, and in 1900 invited him to join the troupe of the newly opened Moscow Art Theater. However, at their first meeting, Stanislavsky was terribly disappointed, saying, "You're an outsider. An outsider! Perhaps in two or three years you'll become more at home with us, understand us, and accept what we have."

By that time, Vasily Kachalov had already mastered the art of approaching roles, interacting with the audience, and understanding their mood. His remarkable insight and ability to grasp the psychology of his characters quickly made him one of the theater's most indispensable actors. His first major role was Berendey in Ostrovsky's "The Snow Maiden," then he became Stanislavsky's understudy in Chekhov's plays, followed by Tuzenbach in Chekhov's "Three Sisters," the Baron in Gorky's "The Lower Depths," and Ivan Karamazov in a stage adaptation of Dostoevsky's novel.

Anton Pavlovich, though initially critical, praised the actor's work highly and, as a token of his gratitude, presented him with his autographed book after the performances of "The Cherry Orchard" and "Three Sisters." "To dear Vasily Ivanovich Kachalov, as a fond keepsake from the deeply respected, loving, and grateful author."

During the revolutions, Kachalov toured with his troupe, led by Stanislavsky, in southern Russia, Europe, and even America. From 1924 onward, he performed in Moscow and earned enormous fees—up to 1,000 rubles—which he spent not only on personal expenses but also on helping the actors under his charge.

Vasily Ivanovich served at the Moscow Art Theater for nearly half a century, playing around 60 roles and becoming the theater's leading star. Each new role and production was a true event for the entire capital. Kachalov's Hamlet became the best in the theater's history, earning critics the nickname "the Russian Hamlet."

Friendship with Faina Ranevskaya

For many years, the magnificent Faina Ranevskaya and the talented Vasily Kachalov were close friends. According to the actress, their first meeting took place on Stoleshnikov Lane, when she heard a familiar voice. Realizing it was Kachalov, her idol and first love, she was so overwhelmed that she fainted. He, like a true gentleman, helped her come to her senses and stayed with her until he was sure all was well. Several years later, Ranevskaya found herself in Moscow again. Dreaming of attending a Kachalov performance, she wrote him a letter sharing her desire and recalling her fainting spell. In response, she was informed that two tickets were waiting for her at the theater manager.

Thus began a long and strong friendship between the magnificent Faina Ranevskaya and the talented Vasily Kachalov. They often met offstage, visited each other, had long conversations about art, and recited poetry to each other. She described him as intelligent, able to listen and empathize with others. She later admitted: "I've only loved two people in my life. The first was Kachalov. I don't remember the second."

"Give me your paw for luck, Jim."

Another close friend of Kachalov's was Sergei Yesenin, one of the most famous poets of the Silver Age. Vasily greatly admired his work and became one of the first to perform Yesenin's poems on stage. Until the last years of his life, he included them in the program of his literary evenings.

Yesenin dedicated one of his most famous works to his friend’s pet, the Doberman Jim.

"Give me your paw, Jim, for luck, I've never seen such a paw. Let's bark in the moonlight for the quiet, silent weather."

The first line of this poem may seem familiar to you. It's exactly what Lukashin said in "The Irony of Fate"!

Vasily Kachalov became a true legend of Russian theater and a paragon of acting excellence. His name is given to the Kazan Bolshoi Drama Theater, a gymnasium in Vilnius, and streets in Kazan, Novosibirsk, and Moscow.

His maternal great-granddaughter, Olga Lyubimova, is a journalist and theater scholar, and the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation. In memory of the great People's Artist of the USSR, in February 2025, she opened the exhibition "Being Kachalov" at the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater to commemorate the actor's 150th birthday.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: February 11, 2026.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Maxim Shubarev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Setl Group; Jan Izak, CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Setl Group; Ilya Eremenko, member of the Board of Directors of Setl Group; and Eduard Raikin, CEO of NSC (New Service Company) LLC. The guests were greeted by SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy; Vice-Rector for Information, Youth Policy, and Security Maxim Pasholikov; and Marina Petrochenko, Director of the Civil Engineering Institute.

At the meeting, they discussed further cooperation and the development of joint projects. Then, Andrey Rudskoy and Valery Klimov, Director of the SPbPU History Museum, gave the partners a tour of the main building. They shared biographies of prominent university alumni and faculty, and in the Academic Council meeting room, they discussed the lives and work of the Polytechnic University's directors and rectors.

The guests were taken to the museum, where they were introduced to the history of the Polytechnic and also shown a new an exhibition dedicated to Olympic champion Evgeny Kulikov.

Afterwards, the delegation visited the Reading Room and the White Room. The rector spoke about the events held there. Boris Kondin, Head of the Directorate of Cultural Programs and Youth Creativity, discussed in more detail the creative events for first-year students and spoke about the university's Pop and Symphony Orchestra. Andrey Rudskoy emphasized that engineering education should always be combined with creativity.

At the end of the meeting, the guests visited the renovated large physics auditorium and auditorium No. 159 named after Professor Elena Silnikova.

Setl Group is a long-standing partner of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Students from the Institute of Civil Engineering complete internships at the company and regularly attend construction site tours. Many Polytechnic University graduates successfully find employment at Setl Group and contribute to major construction projects in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Furthermore, the company's Chairman of the Board of Directors, Maxim Shubarev, is a 1993 graduate of the university.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The SPbPU Institute of Civil Engineering hosted a scientific seminar, "Hydraulics and Hydraulic Engineering. Sharing Experiences." It was dedicated to the memory of outstanding scientists and teachers, Professors Artur Girgidov and Mikhail Petrichenko. The event was part of SPbPU Science Week.

Artur Davidovich Girgidov (1939–2020) was an Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, and Professor. For over 20 years, he headed the Hydraulics Department of the Faculty of Hydrotechnical Engineering (since 1999, the Faculty of Civil Engineering). A graduate of the Faculty of Hydrotechnical Engineering of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute named after M. I. Kalinin, Artur Davidovich, already in the early 1960s, using the first electronic digital computers, calculated the fluctuations of water masses in a pressure system of a hydroelectric power station with a surge tank. Thus, he was a decade ahead of foreign research. Artur Girgidov's scientific contributions are vast: from the theoretical foundations of hydraulics and the theory of gravity-fed fluid flow to soil mechanics and mathematical models of human limb joints. Artur Davidovich developed training courses and trained generations of hydraulic engineers and construction specialists. As Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Methodological Council for Hydraulics of the Russian Ministry of Education, he developed educational standards. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers and textbooks, as well as four inventions.

Mikhail Romanovich Petrichenko (1951–2021) — Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor, Head of the Hydraulics Department at the Faculty of Hydraulic Engineering (since 1999, the Faculty of Civil Engineering). After graduating from the M. I. Kalinin Leningrad Polytechnic Institute in 1974, he worked at the Central Diesel Research Institute for over 20 years. He rose through the ranks from engineer to deputy head of department. Since 1995, his entire career has been associated with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. He is the author of over 200 scientific papers, 21 inventions, textbooks, and monographs. Mikhail Romanovich combined in-depth interdisciplinary research in hydraulic engineering, construction, and mechanical engineering with active teaching and scientific-organizational work. Under his supervision, more than 10 PhD candidates were trained. He was awarded the title of "Honored Worker of Education of the Russian Federation."

The seminar featured 17 speakers, including representatives from the Civil Engineering Institute and the Physics and Mechanics Institute of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping, Hydrotech LLC, and the Moscow Polytechnic University. The speakers included professors, associate professors, graduate students, and undergraduates, many of whom knew Artur Girgidov and Mikhail Petrichenko personally.

The presentation topics covered a wide range of relevant topics: current trends in the development of semi-empirical turbulence models, the influence of anthropogenic and climatic factors on floods, the study of hydraulic shock using strain gauges, experience in the design and operation of hydroelectric power plants under extreme conditions, the stability of sheet pile walls during construction, experience in three-dimensional numerical modeling of air distribution in ventilated spaces, issues of hydraulics in marine hydraulic engineering, and prospects for the development of the subjects "Hydraulics" and "Hydraulics of Hydraulic Structures."

The seminar concluded with a general discussion, during which participants shared memories of the personalities and scientific legacy of Professors Artur Girgidov and Mikhail Petrichenko. Following the seminar, a tour of the hydraulic laboratory of the Civil Engineering Institute was offered to all interested participants.

This seminar is a tribute to two outstanding scientists and educators, Artur Davidovich Girgidov and Mikhail Romanovich Petrichenko, whose scientific schools laid the foundation for the development of hydraulics at our university. "Artur Davidovich and Mikhail Romanovich were my teachers and academic advisors. Their clarity of thought, dedication to science, and desire to connect theory with practice remain a benchmark for us. Today's exchange of experience is a continuation of their work," noted Marina Petrochenko, Director of the Civil Engineering Institute.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.