P.P. VERSHIGORA: DIRECTOR OF THEATER AND CINEMA, TEACHER, WRITER

Abstract

Ukrainian cinema researchers did not explore life, creation and cinema pedagogical activity of the greatestUkrainian and Russian writer, historian, director of cinema and theater, military and public figure, General-major, Laureateof the State Premium of the USSR (1947), Hero of Soviet Union Petro P. Vershigora (3.05.1905, v. Severinovka,Rybnickiy region, Moldova – 27.03.1963, Moscow), which was reputed not only the literary and CRT works, by pedagogicalactivity but also personal bravery and talent for organization during the Great Domestic war-time.

In 1927–1929 years Petro Vershigora studied on the director faculty of the Odessa Musically-Dramatic Institutethe named of Beethoven. After graduation of it Vershigora worked as actor, assistant of director in the Odessa Theater ofRevolution.

1930 P. Vershigora studied at the Kiev State Institute of Cinematography to the common group of scenario writersand film directors. During winter vacations (January-February of 1931) Peter Vershigora drive with so-called "culturetrain" on Donbas in town Stalin (now Donetsk), where future film director, operators and scenario writers, as reported inthe student newspaper "Shots", organized the scenario club, three photo clubs, produced three photo newspapers inwhich showed life and way of life of Donbas workers and Kiev "culture train".

As a result of one situation P. Vershigora was forced to abandon studies and begin to work as director and actorin created All-Donbas Theater of Working Young People of town Stalin.

From 1932 to 1934 years Petro Vershigora worked in Theater of Working young People of Izhevsk and Gor’kiy(now Novgorod). Vershigora carried out the row of theatrical performances among which "Heaved up virgin soil" of M.Sholokhov, "Platon Krechyt" of O. Korniychuk, "Bunit – fasten!" Bondarovskiy etc.Knowledge’s are purchased Peter Vershigora generously passed to the young artists. For example, in 1934–1935 teaching lectures and conducted the course of direction on the Moldavian faculty of Odessa Theatrical Collage.Together with students and like-minded persons Peter Vershigora organized the first Moldavian Theater of "Kostek". Infuture students of P.P. Vershigora became the famous Moldavian artists.

In 1936 year Vershigora begin to study at Film director’s Academy of High State Institute of Cinematography inMoscow. In Academy he listened the lectures of S.M. Eyzenshteyn, passed practice on the Odessa film studios.

After that Vershigora moved to Kiev film studio, where became student of O. Dovzhenko for the Film directorylaboratory at the Kyiv film studios. Peter Vershigora on advice a teacher decided not to wait the scenario of feature filmwhich would become him by diploma work, but made a few scientifically-artistic and documentary movies: "Collectivefarm the named of Stalin", "Beet", "Complex mechanization", "Soviet Moldavia".

Under the direction of O.P. Dovzhenko Vershigora wrote a script feature films for an own start, which was notsaved in the war-time.

Soon Petro Vershigora, as well as his friends-directors on the Kiev film studio Viktor Ivanov, Тimofiy Levchuk,Mikhylo Vinyarskiy, Grigoriy Lipshic' et al, went a volunteer in the rows of the Red Army, where for short space a waypassed from the commander of platoon to the commander of battalion.

Petro Vershigora militated bravely, was injured, and after treatment in a hospital headed the brigade of the cinemaof photo of correspondents. From April to June, 1942 studied on the courses of secret service agents at the Reconnaissancedepartment of Bryansk front after successful completion of which was neglected in a rear to Germans fororganization of reconnaissance work.

In September in 1942 P. Vershigora was directed to partisan connection of Sydor Kovpak in which was a secondin a command from secret service. After the recall of S.A. Kovpak on "large earth", P.P. Vershigora led the FirstUkrainian partisan division the name of Sydor Kovpak, that under his wire carried out two raids – to Poland and districtsof Western Byelorussia (Bilovez'ka dense Forest, Grodno) – so-called "Nemanskiy raid".Except for the rank of Hero Soviet Union P.P. Vershigora was the recipient of an award many battle rewardsamong which: two order of Lenin, Red Flag, "Bogdan Khmel'nickiy" of a 1 degree, by the medal "Partisan of Domesticwar of a 1 degree" and others like that.

After war of P.P. Vershigora tried to return to the cinema: on his scenario of Boris Dmokhovskiy in 1947 beganto make the movie "People with a clean conscience". However, unfortunately, shooting were shut-down. In the next attemptsof screen version Vershigora allowed to be only a consultant.

To write a script movie for Vershigora was not a problem, Vershigora wrote the story of "Checoltan", a few storiesand play about Khotinsk of revolt "Oak Kotovskiy".

The attempts of rising of other scenarios of Vershigora made off a failure. Most fruitful was literary activity ofP.P. Vershigora: he is an author of documentarily fiction works about partisans: "People with a clean conscience" (1946;State Premium of the USSR, 1947), "Karpatskiy raid" (1950), "Raid on Sun and Visla" (1959). "Ivan-hero" published collectionof stories in 1960, novel "House is native" (1962). Author of book from history of partisan movement "Military creationof folk the masses" (1961), coauthor of work the "Partisan raids" (1962). P.P. Vershigora combined writer, public andpedagogical activity – teaching in Academy of General Staff of the USSR.