Walking through the Armenian cemetery in Moscow, you can see this magnificent sculptural tombstone - it seems that the young man sat down in a comfortable chair and just dozed off for a while. But it has been dormant for more than a hundred years. Read more about the history of death and afterlife of Nikolai Tarasov in the article.

This grave is included in the catalog as "one of the best tombstones of Moscow of the Art Nouveau era" and has the conservation status of "revealed object cultural heritage"The philanthropist, millionaire oilman, founder and inspirer of the cabaret theater "The Bat" Nikolay Tarasov (1882-1910) was buried here. Armenian family of merchants Torosyans.

A successful merchant-manufacturer and owner of the oil fields, he received a 6 million inheritance from his father, and was one of the richest people Moscow at that time. Tarasov's main passion was the theater - he himself wrote poems and plays, which were then staged in his cabaret theater. Often the most prominent theatrical figures gathered there - Stanislavsky, Moskvin, Kachalov, and many others. Tarasov was also a shareholder and a generous patron of the Art Theater, and once he practically saved the troupe, which had nothing to return from a tour from Germany. Then Nikolai donated 30 thousand rubles to Nemirovich-Danchenko.

Tarasov died at the age of 28 by committing suicide. All his life he loved the theater, and his death was, in its own way, theatrical. The reason was Nikolai's ex-lover, actress Olga Gribova. After the end of a stormy romance with Tarasov, Gribova appeared new friend hearts - 23-year-old Junker Zhuravlev. The actress loved the young man, and he loved the cards. Once Zhuravlev lost a huge amount, for those times, - 25,000 rubles. He did not have the opportunity to give that kind of money, and he asked Gribova to help, threatening suicide. Olga asked Tarasov for money for him, but he sharply refused. After some time, the unfortunate player really took his own life. The day after Zhuravlev's funeral, Gribova followed him. Upon learning of the death of his beloved from the newspapers, Tarasov shot himself. According to witnesses, he quickly went to the secretary, pulled a revolver out of the drawer, put the muzzle to his temple and pulled the trigger. It happened at the end of October 1910.

Tarasov was buried at the Armenian cemetery. Sculptor Nikolai Andreev (the author of the famous monument to Gogol) made a shocking monument - Nikolai Lazarevich is depicted at the moment immediately after his suicide. On the pedestal lies a dead body with a helplessly thrown back right hand. The face is very accurately made from a death mask, and it seems that the young man is sleeping peacefully. But if you look at the grave from the side, you can understand that this is a death bed supported by mourners (they are depicted in the style of traditional old Armenian miniatures).

The grave is surrounded by a forged fence made in Venice according to Andreev's drawings depicting the Garden of Eden with peacocks and bunches of grapes.

Archangels Gabriel and Michael stand on the sides of the entrance. Unfortunately, at the moment, most of the grating is in a very sad state, and some of the fragments have disappeared.

In the Soviet years, the figure itself on the tombstone also disappeared. Who abducted her and for what purpose - have not been found out.

The figure of Tarasov-Torosyan was restored in 1991 by the sculptor Yuri Orekhov (the author of another, Roman monument to Gogol, which stands in the Villa Borghese). And now the young millionaire is once again dozing in his beautiful chair.

Now Russian cinema does not indulge the viewer with good and memorable films, those that you want to review many times, which is why people are drawn to old Soviet films. We remember all the stories by heart, catchphrases and, of course, favorite actors. In the era of the USSR, the masters of reincarnation did not yet receive fabulous fees, but they were rich in people's love. Their fate was often not easy, they had to overcome the difficulties of wartime, constant lack of money or problems in relations with the authorities.

One of these outstanding personalities was the famous Soviet actor Gribov Alexey Nikolaevich. Perhaps not everyone will remember his last name, but it is worth looking at the photo to remember his famous images in cinema or theater.

Early childhood

Alexei Gribov was born in Moscow in 1902. In official sources, the actor's family is designated as working, because his father was a driver in the house of wealthy industrialists, and his grandfather worked all his life for railway. However, at the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th, such professions were extremely rare, so the men in the Gribov family were distinguished by their courageous views and the desire for everything new and interesting. Alexei's father even took part in the Moscow-Paris car race.

Little Alyosha faced grief and death already in childhood, his mother died when he was only two years old. The father did not remain a widower for long and soon another woman appeared in the house, the boy remembered the arrival of his stepmother for the rest of his life, he associated her appearance with the oranges that she brought new wife Gribov Sr.

Soon more children were born in the family, and Alexei, as an older brother, had a great responsibility. Father, despite his high qualifications, often drank and quarreled with the owners, and therefore the family constantly moved from place to place. They did not live well, and from childhood the boy worked part-time both with his father and in other places. But the boy did not lose heart, actor Alexei Gribov and his family were taught by life to fight and, most importantly, never give up in the face of difficulties. And soon an outlet appeared in his life, a hobby that over the years became everything for him.

The emergence of interest in the theater

Thanks to his father's work, Alexei often traveled with him and his master von Knop out of town. Not far from the estate was a summer theater, where the boy ran away and rested from boredom and the routine of his home. There he first saw the play of actors in the play "Children of Vanyushin" and, of course, fell in love with the theater. His two aunts also helped to maintain his interest, who gave his nephew tickets to the theater on big holidays. So, the actor later recalled with emotion the case when he got to the show of the play "The Snow Maiden", but could not sit through to the end, and later he was very sorry that he did not see the snow girl melting. Alexey Gribov was not content with just watching theatrical productions, but staged fairy tales and small skits even at home with my sister.

First World War did not bypass the family of the future actor. Father was called to the front, and sixteen-year-old Alexei was forced to go to the factory. Hard work for 12 hours a day did not frighten the teenager, he did not stop working even after the revolution, when the factory passed into the hands of the Bolsheviks and his father returned from the front. Moreover, Alyosha still managed to participate in amateur performances in the youth club. Probably, then he fully understood that the theater was his vocation, but it was here, in this acting school, that he met his future mentor, who gave Gribov a big impetus to life.

The beginning of an acting career

It is very difficult even for a talented person to find himself and his vocation in a timely manner. Lucky is the one who can meet a good mentor, someone who will direct you in the right direction. In this sense, Gribov was very lucky, he ended up in an educational institution, the founder of which was a successful lawyer Vyacheslav Baranovsky. That one contained private school, where, in addition to basic education, performances based on Russian classics were staged.

Baranovsky immediately saw a talented person in Alyosha and took an active part in his life. So, the boy was a member of the family of a lawyer, Vyacheslav Valeryanovich worked with him according to his own special program, taught acting skills and even took the young man from hard labor at the factory, arranging him for himself.

In Barnovsky's school-studio, Alexey Gribov for the first time plays a significant role in the play "Poverty is not a vice", and since that time he no longer sees life outside the theater. He enthusiastically accepts knowledge from his teacher, who, by the way, did not at all predict his beloved mentor of the acting path. Here their paths diverged, Gribov decides to enter the Moscow Art Theater, while Baranovsky expected him to be engaged in science.

And Alexey made the right decision, far from immediately and very difficultly, his creative life began, but Gribov was still able to prove that he was a very special actor, with his own unique charisma.

Work at the Moscow Art Theater

Aleksey Gribov did not immediately achieve his goal, his biography is rich in failures. Seeing the play "At the Bottom" based on the play of the same name by M. Gorky on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, directed by the famous Nemirovich-Danchenko and Stanislavsky at that time, the future actor simply went crazy from the gamut of feelings that overwhelmed him. He saw himself only there, among the great talents. However, the first three attempts to enter the institute were unsuccessful. Gribov did not despair, and thanks to his perseverance, he not only got into the ranks of the actors of this theater, but also with his very first role in the production of "The Battle of Life" he earned the praise of the master Stanislavsky himself. He called him a real folk talent. True, the mentor saw in Gribov precisely the talent of a comedian, while the latter dreamed of drama and high feelings.

For the first few years, Alexey played mainly episodic roles, but even a small appearance on the stage was preceded by serious preparation. Unconditional love for the theater helped Gribov to hold out all this time.

At that time, the Moscow Art Theater was literally overflowing with stage geniuses - B. Livanov, N. Khmelev, V. Kachalov. The novice actor for a long time was only in the crowd behind the recognized authorities. Everything changed in the 30s, when the younger generation of the Moscow Art Theater gradually emerged from the shadows, and Alexei Gribov was already entrusted with significant roles. So, he plays the textured Sobakevich from "Dead Souls" by N.V. Gogol, Chebutyrin in "Three Sisters" by A.P. Chekhov.

Fabulous fame did not fall upon him, his path rather resembled a gradual ascent, Alexei Gribov really experienced each of his roles, he was appreciated in the theater and recognized for his extraordinary talent. Confirmation of this came a little later, when he was entrusted to play Lenin himself, the privilege of only selected and very successful actors. His leader was strikingly different from the previous ones, somewhat humanized, not a celestial.

At one of the performances, the former mentor Baranovsky turned out to be in the auditorium, he was delighted with Gribov's game, reconciliation took place, and Alexei, as before, began to visit the house of an old friend often.

Path to cinema

The films of Alexei Gribov are known to everyone who is over 30-40 years old. Yes, and young people, if they have not heard the name of the actor, can easily recognize his famous roles. In the cinema, he began acting in the mid-30s, at first, just like in the theater, Gribov got minor and small roles. But very soon the textured appearance and great talent of the actor attracted the attention of directors.

Gribov himself did not give his participation in films such of great importance, the theater was and remained his only love all his life. And the general public learned about Alexei Nikolaevich precisely from the TV screens.

Surprisingly, he was given with the same constancy the role of both exemplary heroes and people with a small soul, bureaucrats or envious people. He did not become a hostage of one image, which is probably why he fell in love with all the people.

In 1939, Alexei Gribov played a German underground worker, and in the late 40s, moviegoers saw him in the image of Voroshilov. Even in his first years of work at the Moscow Art Theater, Stanislavsky predicted for him the role of a comedian, this prophecy was fully justified. Favorite and familiar characters from the film "Swedish Match", the unforgettable construction manager Nehod from " Faithful friends"or the captain of the ship from the painting" Striped Flight "- all these are the works of Alexei Gribov.

He was especially good at tragicomic roles. In the film by V. Azarov "Adult children" rose eternal problems misunderstanding of different generations. But one role has become special for Alexei Nikolaevich, anyone at the mention of his name will immediately remember the cunning Timofey Khramov from the movie "Head of Chukotka" and his famous sayings.

All films by Alexei Gribov carry positive emotions, even negative characters are presented to the viewer in such a way that they will not leave anyone indifferent to the experiences of the hero.

Special Type

A real actor never goes on stage as if to work, there were such talents in the history of our country who literally lived on stage and intertwined all their personal tragedies with the conflict of the work.

For almost forty years Alexey Gribov played the fool Chebutykin from A.P. Chekhov's play "Three Sisters", this was his role, each time through suffering and turned inside out. After all, appearance, in fact, would not allow him to play heroes-lovers or aristocrats. Small in stature, stocky, with a broad face and a somewhat prominent figure. The comical appearance was offset by the tragedy of the content. Each role was different, but he always remained the same - Alexei Gribov. Films, performances with his participation have never gone unnoticed.

Even his peasants, workers, servants stood out on the stage, first with a figure, then with a game. And few people will remember his comedic characters in the cinema without a smile on their face. Gribov Alexey's filmography includes more than 60 films, even in the difficult time of the heyday of socialist ideology, when the party itself dictated the rules of the game for the actor, he managed to bring originality to his hero, to separate him from the masses.

It was a truly popular character, it was noted by critics, and the elite, and a simple spectator. No wonder Gribov has many awards and State Prizes. Even while touring abroad with the Moscow Art Theater troupe, he remained Russian from head to toe, foreign film connoisseurs even called him the Soviet Jean Gobain.

Difficult character

Our mothers and grandmothers, without any Internet prompts, will be able to answer who Alexey Gribov is. A photo of an actor in Soviet times was often found in magazines, newspapers or on movie posters. In the USSR, people used to treat the guild of actors as celestials, they wrote only good things about them, they always smiled radiantly from the TV screens. But above all, they were just people, with their experiences, problems and eccentricities.

Many who worked with Gribov note his difficult character, even Nemirovich-Danchenko said that as an actor he is a genius, but as a person it is not clear. According to the memoirs of his son, Alexei Nikolaevich was sometimes intolerant, he could be cruel towards colleagues or even in the family. The theater occupied him completely, the only thing that Gribov was still interested in was cars, a trait inherited from his father and grandfather. Often he was irresistible and passionate, and even played horse races, and not always successfully for himself.

Another heavy trait inherited from his father is drinking binges. According to the recollections of relatives, sometimes alcohol took possession of him for several days, but Gribov always found the strength to return to normal. Once, even such a passion for alcohol helped him find his love.

In general, the personal life of Alexei Gribov is not known to everyone, there was something tragic in it. So, at the very beginning of the war on the street, the actor accidentally met the wife of his teacher Baranovsky, her husband died, and she did not know where to go and how to eat. Gribov unexpectedly married a woman much older than himself, a strange act, if you do not take into account that at that difficult and hungry time, thanks to such a marriage, Baranovskaya had the opportunity to receive food cards for Alexei Nikolaevich.

He met his second wife, the beautiful Izolda Apin, after the war, and very soon they had a son, but two complex characters could not exist together for a long time, and they parted.

Aleksey Gribov, whose personal life was not easy from the very beginning, found his last happiness later, precisely when he was lying at home, devastated after another hard drinking, and a car with a charming director's assistant, Natalya Valandina, arrived from the theater. The relationship between these two people was not easy. But still, she became his third wife, nursed the artist after a severe stroke and remained with the actor until the end.

Last performance

Alexei Gribov is a truly beloved and truly popular actor, he left all his strength and health there, on stage. On tour of his beloved theater in Leningrad, even before the performance, the artist became ill. He already foresaw trouble and even shared his experiences with colleagues, but did not go to the doctor and went on stage with everyone. This was the most significant role of Chebutykin, he courageously tried to continue playing, but soon could not speak. The performance was interrupted, but the actor took the stage again! Due to an oversight or stubbornness of the organizers, the performance was not stopped, and the doctors were able to help Alexei Nikolayevich only a few hours later, when it became obvious that the body would not be able to recover from a severe stroke.

It is hard to imagine how difficult it was for the artist to suddenly be locked in his body and not be able to do what he loved. But in Moscow, he was able to recover a little and even began to teach at the Moscow Art Theater School. Alexey Gribov, whose films and roles in the theater made a great contribution to Soviet cinema, died on November 26, 1977 quietly, in front of the TV, among relatives.

To list all theatrical works and films with the participation of Alexei Gribov, it will take a lot of time. He was truly a workaholic. This quality was especially appreciated by Ekaterina Furtseva, the Minister of Culture of the USSR, she even offered him to head the Moscow Art Theater, which the actor refused, emphasizing that everyone should mind their own business.

It is noteworthy that Gribov is the only one who, after Nikolai Simonov, was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, in those days it was a huge privilege. But even all the merits did not save from the ubiquitous economy of the state. Alexey Nikolaevich could play performances much more than the statutory norm per month, which once greatly agitated and angered the inspection commission. They found a way out - they simply ordered to refuse him some work.

Gribov was never afraid of small roles, there were plenty of them in his asset, if he felt that something unusual and significant could come out of this, he took on the role. The difficulties of filming did not frighten him either. So, in the film "Brave Men" he was so carried away by the game that he almost fell off his horse into the abyss.

In general, he was an actor of the major league, with an amazing ability to work and the ability to show a truly popular character on stage.

Actor's memory

Alexey Gribov, whose filmography and theatrical works can serve as an example for any modern actor, studied with Stanislavsky himself and Nemirovich-Danchenko and became a real master of the stage. His characters were never passing or random, each carried his own philosophy, was a personality.

So, it is rare for a talented person to be recognized during his lifetime, Alexei Gribov was lucky in this sense, he was loved by the people, had dozens of awards and earned the recognition of his colleagues in the shop.

The corresponding honors were given to the actor even after his death. The grave of Alexei Gribovar is located at the Novodevichy cemetery, anyone can honor the memory of the famous actor here. In Moscow, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where the artist once lived.

Add information about the person

Biography

A native of the Armenian merchant family Toros, which came from Armavir. He had capital income in many joint-stock companies He inherited his fortune from his father.

In Moscow, the Association of Manufactories of the Tarasov Brothers traded very successfully and also brought considerable income.

In 1906, having barely entered into the inheritance, Tarasov, while in Berlin, lent money to Nemirovich-Danchenko without any conditions, when the troupe of the Moscow Art Theater got into a difficult situation during a tour in Germany. So Nikolai Tarasov became a shareholder and a member of the management of the Moscow Art Theater and a sponsor of many actresses, including Alisa Koonen.

In 1908, together with his friend Nikita Baliyev, he founded the cabaret theater "The Bat". They decided to find a house for the future cabaret, and as a result they found a completely abandoned room - a basement in Pertsov's house not far from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Prechistenka. When the boarded-up door was broken open and Tarasov and his friend entered the basement for the first time, a bat flew out. Immediately, they decided to call the future cabaret " Bat».

Images

Miscellaneous

• The life of Nikolai Tarasov ended tragically because of the love triangle. His former mistress, actress Olga Gribova (wife of the tycoon Gribov) asked Nikolai Tarasov for money for her lover, cadet Nikolai Zhuravlev, co-director of the Baranovskaya manufactory, who lost a lot of money at cards. Tarasov refused, and the cadet shot himself. The next day, Olga Gribova also shot herself, but unsuccessfully and died in the hospital. On the third day, Tarasov found out about this from the newspapers and also shot himself. A friend of Olga Gribova allegedly ordered a coffin and a wreath to Tarasov's address, when he did not yet know about his death former mistress. The servant found the body of the suicide and the already delivered coffin. On the day of Tarasov's death, the performance was canceled at the Moscow Art Theater.
• He was buried at the Armenian cemetery in Moscow. The tombstone, which reproduces the scene of Nikolai Tarasov's suicide, was made by the famous sculptor Nikolai Andreev. Tarasov's gravestone is considered the best of all the cemetery memorials created by Andreev. The grave is surrounded by a forged fence, made in Venice according to Andreev's drawings. In Soviet times, the figure of Tarasov on the tombstone disappeared. It was restored by the sculptor Yuri Orekhov.

Bibliography

• Armenians are the creator of alien civilizations: 1000 famous Armenians in world history / S. Shirinyan.-Yer.: Auth. ed., 2014, p.177, ISBN 978-9939-0-1120-2
• “Honor your father and mother”, a chapter from the book Tarasov A. Millionaire: Confession of the first capitalist new Russia, M., Vagrius, 2004, ISBN 5-475-00046-8
• Vladimir Sedov. Tarasov's mansion in Moscow
• THEATER FOR YOUR OWN, OR A STORY WITH THREE SUICIDES Trud.ru No. 36 02.03.2006
• Rustam Rakhmatullin Admiring Moscow: Kuznetsky Most and above " New world» 2002, No. 11
• "Russian memorial sculpture" M., 1978

Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, the very center of Moscow, almost every surviving house is fraught with one or another story. Stories can be sad, funny or tragic. That's about tragic history, which took place in the house number 9-11 on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, and will be discussed. But first, a little about what this house is famous for, which is well known to those Muscovites who studied at technical universities and were forced to carry out a great many drawings. On the first floor of this house was located in Soviet time famous shop "Drafter".

Bolshaya Dmitrovka street, house number 9. Architect A.E. Erichson 1905

Initially, the house of General N.N. was located on the site of the current house. Muraviev. Creating a regular Russian army, Peter the Great sought to adopt many useful things from the armies of European states. One of these innovations was the creation of the quartermaster unit, which was the prototype of the modern General Staff. By the beginning of the 19th century, this service had undergone a number of changes and began to be called, at the behest of Emperor Paul, “His Imperial Majesty’s Retinue for the Quartermaster.”

At the end of 1810, a 14-year-old student of Moscow University, Mikhail Muravyov (the future count), a great lover of mathematics, gathered around him comrades with interests close to him and organized with them the Society of Mathematicians. He also wrote the charter of the society. The aim of the society was to disseminate mathematical knowledge through writing, translation and teaching. Mikhail Muravyov's father, Nikolai Nikolayevich, was elected president of the society. Having retired after the end of the war, N. N. Muravyov in the spring of 1815 again took up teaching military sciences in Moscow at his home. His listeners were relatives and close friends. Upon learning of this, the chief quartermaster, Prince Volkonsky, suggested that these young people join the columnists.

In 1816, a school was officially formed, which received the official name - the Moscow Educational Institution for Columnists. However, it still remained dependent on N. N. Muravyov, who provided him with his stone two-storey house along Bolshaya Dmitrovka No. 9, a decent library, a large number of tools and other teaching aids. Having provided his house for an educational building, N. N. Muravyov himself lived in one of the outbuildings surrounding the main building. The Moscow School for Columnists brought up many future Decembrists: I. B. Abramov, N. F. Zaikin, V. P. Zubkov, P. I. Koloshin, A. 0. Kornilovich, V. N. Likharev, N. N. Muravyov , P. P. Titova, A. A. Tuchkova, Z. G. Chernyshova, A. V. Sheremeteva and others. In the summer of 1826, by the highest order, the school was abolished. The reason for its closure was that a large number of graduates of the Moscow educational institution for the columnists was involved in the case of December 14 "Decembrists". Of those involved, 13 people were convicted ...

Since 1818, feeling a lack of funds to support his beloved offspring, Muravyov was forced to rent out his main house to the English Club, moving his students to the second wing. The English club, which was located in this house, saw within its walls both A.S. Pushkin and his friends. Then the club moved and already in 1903-1905. the two-story mansion was rebuilt and merged into a single whole with house number 11, becoming the profitable house of the merchant Mikhailov. On the first floor there was the famous fur salon of the supplier of the Court of His Imperial Majesty, merchant A.M. Mikhailova, who sold boas, stoles and flirty hats, in general, the fur dreams of many women ...

1910 ... it was at this time that the very tragedy that was mentioned above broke out. The cause of the tragedy was both love and complex human relationships. Main actors only four: the director of the Baranovskaya manufactory Zhuravlev, the Moscow beauty Olenka Gribova, the oil tycoon and philanthropist Nikolai Lazarevich Tarasov, and also the philanthropist, wealthy industrialist Nikolai Pavlovich Ryabushinsky.

History has not preserved for us the image of Olenka Gribova, but her appearance is typical and let conditionally this girl in the photo personify our ... femme fatale

The first character in the story was a successful careerist, a bon vivant. He could often be found in the "Slavianski Bazaar" or among the gypsies in the "Yar". Olenka Gribova was a good friend of Zhuravlev, a lady pleasant in all respects. She was incredibly beautiful and had a dizzying success with men. Only people with money and position entered the salon of Olenka Gribova, she turned heads and broke fates.

N.L. Tarasov

"It is difficult to meet a more complete type of elegant, attractive, moderately modest and moderately daring dandy. It does not at all imitate the heroes of Oscar Wilde, but it makes you remember them. It does not imitate any type at all, in itself: simple, sincere, soft even gentle, but bold.

V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko about N.L. Tarasov

The third character in the story is the most significant. Nikolai Lazarevich Tarasov is a representative of a wealthy Armenian-Circassian family. And for all that, a dandy, an athlete and a lover of progress (Tarasov had the most powerful car in the city). He used English perfumes, the name of which he kept secret. Every day I walked along the Kuznetsky bridge, and at the end of the walk I sat alone in the confectionery Tremblay (corner of Petrovka and Kuznetsky). Nikolai Lazarevich wrote elegant poetry. But, however, he did not have his own manner, he was more and more fond of imitations. For example, fashionable then Verlaine. He presented the actor V. Kachalov with a sketchbook "under Korovin" made with his own hands. Of the many artists, only Benois was able to unravel the fake.

But the theater was still Tarasov's main hobby. Having inherited his father's fortune, Nikolai Lazarevich set off to travel abroad. In Germany in 1906, the troupe of the Moscow Art Theater, then touring in Europe, almost interrupted the tour: they had no money. Nikolai Lazarevich and his friend Nikita Baliyev met with Nemirovich-Danchenko and Tarasov lent thirty thousand rubles to the troupe free of charge. The theater was able to continue touring, and Tarasov and Baliyev were signed up as shareholders and made members of the directorate of the Moscow Art Theater. To tell the truth, Tarasov loved the theater, but there were much more actresses. He was fascinated by Alisa Koonen and constantly rolled with her in his luxury car.

It was the friends Tarasov and Baliev who started a new business at the Moscow Art Theater - they opened a cabaret called "The Bat", where the famous Moscow Art Theater skits were arranged with the entertainer of Baliev (and, of course, at the expense of Tarasov). The cabaret was closed to its own. At first, it was located in the basement of Pertsov's apartment building (Soymonovsky Lane, 1) - a kind of teremka, made according to the drawings of Sergey Malyutin. When Tarasov and Baliyev entered this basement for the first time, a bat rushed towards them. That's how the name came about. The main rule was to joke witty and, of course, not to be offended by jokes.

The venture was a success. One visitor wrote: The faces that we are accustomed to seeing important and businesslike groaned from a spasm of uncontrollable laughter. Everyone was seized by some kind of carefree frenzy of laughter: the professor of painting crowed like a rooster, the art critic grunted like a pig. This can only be found at the seething carnival in Italy or fun France".

N.P. Ryabushinsky

The fourth character, Nikolai Pavlovich Ryabushinsky. A philanthropist, publisher of the luxurious magazine "Golden Fleece", a lover of beauty, who, according to rumors, organizes Athenian nights with naked actresses at his Black Swan villa. Ryabushinsky sponsored at the same time shelters, hospitals, helped artists and composers. It is he who owns the phrase: "Wealth obliges!"

And then tragedy struck. Olenka Zhuravleva successfully fooled both Tarasov and Ryabushinsky, but neither one nor the other achieved success. The heart of the beauty was won by Mr. Zhuravlev, he was timid and gentle and did not take his eyes off the lady of the heart. And then Mr. Zhuravlev decently lost at cards. He turned to his beloved, Olenka Gribova, so that she could borrow necessary funds otherwise, a terrible scandal awaited him for the waste of shareholders' money. He threatened to shoot himself otherwise.

The beauty had no money, and she turned to Nikolai Tarasov for help. No, Tarasov was not at all madly in love with Mrs. Gribova. But honor did not allow to rescue the opponent. Naturally, Tarasov refused. And Zhuravlev really shot himself - also a matter of honor. Tarasov, together with Gribova, went to a memorial service for the director. After that, Olenka Gribova committed suicide. She clumsily shot, ended up in the hospital, but they could not save the suicide.

Nikolai Lazarevich kept track of Gribova's condition through the newspapers. And when I read about her death, he covered himself with a blanket (so that the neighbors would not hear) and shot himself in the temple. This tragedy played out in this house on Bolshaya Dmitrovka No. 9, where Nikolai Lazarevich Tarasov rented a luxuriously furnished apartment. Tarasov occupied the whole floor, part of the apartments he allocated to his friend Nikita Baliyev.

After the tragedy, rumors began to spread that the industrialist and philanthropist Nikolai Pavlovich Ryabushinsky also shot himself. But the fourth figurant did not take place - Ryabushinsky was quietly sitting in Petrovsky Park, in his Black Swan villa, of course, he grieved a lot among his luxurious statues and paintings, but he did not even think of shooting himself.

Monument-tombstone on the grave of N.L. Tarasov. Sculptor N. Andreev

Tarasov was buried at the Armenian cemetery. The sculptor Nikolai Andreev (author of the famous monument to Gogol) made a shocking monument for those times - Nikolai Lazarevich is depicted at the moment of suicide. On the pedestal lies a dead body with a helplessly thrown back hand. Except the pistol was missing. The face of Nikolai Lazarevich is made from a death mask, but it seems that the young man is sleeping peacefully. But if you go around the grave, you can understand that this is a death bed supported by mourners stylized as oriental miniatures. The monument is surrounded by a high forged fence of nine strands, made in Venice, according to Andreev's drawings. The whorls depict the Garden of Eden with peacocks and bunches of grapes. Archangels Gabriel and Michael stand on the sides of the entrance. Most of the lattice is in a very sad state: some of the fragments have been torn apart, some have disappeared. Details of the monument can be viewed here: Vagankovsky (Armenian) cemetery. Tombstone N.L. Tarasova

N.F.Baliev

With the cessation of funding, Baliyev had to independently earn money for the maintenance of the "Bat". It was no longer a closed club, but a public theater with very expensive tickets. After the revolution, Baliyev emigrated to America with his theater. The artists left for Paris, where they were already called "La shouve sourrie" - "The Bat", and then toured on Broadway with great success. Both Melanie Griffith and Charlie Chaplin left their enthusiastic reviews about the theater. However, for various reasons, the theater ceased to exist. Baliyev died in New York at the age of just over 60.

This is what the "Drafter" store looked like in Soviet times

Bolshaya Dmitrovka street, house number 9. Facade details

And the house? And the house in 2003 turned a hundred years old and it continues to amaze the Moscow inhabitants with its bold facade, designed by the architect A.E. Erichson in the Egyptian style. And the tenants are now, as before ... rich and self-satisfied, apartments in the house are insanely expensive ... everything is as it was before, only now there is neither N.L. Tarasov nor the Draftsman store ...

Nikolai Lazarevich Tarasov (1882 - October 1910, Moscow) - philanthropist, millionaire oilman, Moscow dandy and womanizer.
He became famous as a philanthropist. In 1906, having barely entered into the inheritance, Tarasov lent money to Nemirovich-Danchenko when the troupe of the Moscow Art Theater got into a difficult situation during a tour in Germany. So Nikolai Tarasov became a shareholder and a member of the management of the Moscow Art Theater and the patron of many actresses.
Nikolai Lazarevich Tarasov is a representative of the insanely rich Armenian-Circassian family. And for all that, a dandy, bohemia, an athlete and a lover of progress (he had the most powerful car in the city). He used English perfumes, the name of which he kept secret. Every day I walked along the Kuznetsky Most, and at the end of the walk I sat alone in the confectionery Tremblay. Nemirovich-Danchenko wrote about him: “It is difficult to meet a more complete type of elegant, attractive, moderately modest and moderately daring dandy. It does not at all imitate the heroes of Oscar Wilde, but it makes you remember them. In general, it does not imitate any type, in itself: simple, sincere, soft, even gentle, but bold.

If it weren’t for the wealth that ruined Tarasov by the fact that he didn’t have to do anything, he would have been more viable. And one zest for life was not enough for him to live. He did not trust anyone - neither friends, nor women, for any attitude towards him he saw one incentive - his wealth.

The life of Nikolai Tarasov ended tragically because of the "love triangle".
His former mistress, actress Olenka Gribova, asked Nikolai Tarasov for money for her lover, cadet Nikolai Zhuravlev (at his request), who lost a lot of cards. Juncker promised to shoot himself if Olenka did not ask or Tarasov did not give money. For card debt is a matter of honor.

Tarasov refused, reasoning that it makes no sense to give money to an opponent. Juncker shot himself.

The next day, Olga Gribova also shot herself and after several painful days she died in the hospital.

Tarasov watched the fate of Olenka from the newspapers. When he found out that she had died, he went into the bedroom, covered himself with a blanket and shot himself in the temple.

When Tarasov's servant returned home, he found the body of the deceased, a coffin and a wreath. It turns out that Olga Gribova's friend ordered a coffin and a wreath to Tarasov's address in retaliation for her girlfriend, when he did not yet know about the death of his former mistress.

Tarasov was buried at the Armenian cemetery. Sculptor Nikolai Andreev (the author of the famous monument to Gogol) made a shocking monument - Nikolai Lazarevich is depicted at the moment immediately after his suicide. On the pedestal lies a dead body with its right arm helplessly thrown back. The face is very accurately made from a death mask, and it seems that the young man is sleeping peacefully. But if you look at the grave from the side, you can understand that this is a death bed supported by mourners (they are depicted in the style of traditional old Armenian miniatures).