Benjamin Zuskin
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Zuskin was a Jewish actor and director in Moscow State Jewish Theater
. Zuskin had a title of the People's actor of the Russian SFSR. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize in 1946.
in 1899, a son of a tailor. He attended a cheder
. Zuskin was admitted into a college in 1911. During World War I, Russian authorities considered Jewish population in wartime regions as treasonous and in 1915, about 250,000 were expelled into inner cities of Russia. The Zuskin family was sent to Penza
where Benjamin kept on his studies and took roles at a local theatre. In 1920 he became a student of Sverdlovsk
Geological Institute, but in 1921 asked for transfer to Moscow Geological Institute.
, set on the stage a play "Sholom Aleichem
's Party". In 1922 he played a major role in "Witch" by Abraham Goldfaden
.
. His roles showed to the audience a quarry of talented people among their routine activities.
Zuskin was a partner of Mikhoels until the latter's suspicious death in car accident in Minsk
, in January 1948 when he became the Theater's artistic director. Since 1935 he was also teaching at the actors' studio at the Theater. His most famous role was that of the Fool in King Lear
with Solomon Mikhoels in the title role.
, he was arrested at a hospital while being treated for nervous exhaustion and later executed on Joseph Stalin
's orders in the event known as the Night of the Murdered Poets
on August 12, 1952.
Moscow State Jewish Theater
The Moscow State Jewish Theater, Russian language: Московский Государственный Еврейский Театр, also known by its acronym GOSET: ГОСЕТ) was a Yiddish theater company established in 1919 and shut down in 1948 by the Soviet authorities....
. Zuskin had a title of the People's actor of the Russian SFSR. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize in 1946.
Biography
Zuskin was born in the town of Zemelis in LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
in 1899, a son of a tailor. He attended a cheder
Cheder
A Cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.-History:...
. Zuskin was admitted into a college in 1911. During World War I, Russian authorities considered Jewish population in wartime regions as treasonous and in 1915, about 250,000 were expelled into inner cities of Russia. The Zuskin family was sent to Penza
Penza
-Honors:A minor planet, 3189 Penza, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1978, is named after the city.-Notable residents:...
where Benjamin kept on his studies and took roles at a local theatre. In 1920 he became a student of Sverdlovsk
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
Geological Institute, but in 1921 asked for transfer to Moscow Geological Institute.
Theatre life
Zuskin joined Moscow State Jewish Theater in 1921. In the same year Zuskin, together with Solomon MikhoelsSolomon Mikhoels
Solomon Mikhoels ; was a Soviet Jewish actor and the artistic director of the Moscow State Jewish Theater. Mikhoels served as the chairman of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee during the Second World War...
, set on the stage a play "Sholom Aleichem
Sholom Aleichem
Sholem Aleichem was the pen name of Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, a leading Yiddish author and playwright...
's Party". In 1922 he played a major role in "Witch" by Abraham Goldfaden
Abraham Goldfaden
Abraham Goldfaden ; was an Russian-born Jewish poet, playwright, stage director and actor in the languages Yiddish and Hebrew, author of some 40 plays.Goldfaden is considered the father of the Jewish modern theatre.In 1876 he founded in...
.
Accomplishments
Zuskin's performance blended with Alexander Granovsky's system of organic interrelation of a word and gesture, plastics and rhythm of movements. His characteristic features were light humor and romanticism which gave additional tints to a controversial life of Jewish hamlet of shtetlShtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
. His roles showed to the audience a quarry of talented people among their routine activities.
Zuskin was a partner of Mikhoels until the latter's suspicious death in car accident in Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, in January 1948 when he became the Theater's artistic director. Since 1935 he was also teaching at the actors' studio at the Theater. His most famous role was that of the Fool in King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
with Solomon Mikhoels in the title role.
Filmography
Zuskin was a featured actor of Soviet movies.- A Man from a Shtetl («Человек из местечка»), 1930.
- Happiness Hunters («Искатели счастья»), 1936.
- Unsubdued («Непокоренные»), 1945.
Execution
As a prominent member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist CommitteeJewish Anti-Fascist Committee
The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee was formed on Joseph Stalin's order in Kuibyshev in April 1942 with the official support of the Soviet authorities...
, he was arrested at a hospital while being treated for nervous exhaustion and later executed on Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's orders in the event known as the Night of the Murdered Poets
Night of the Murdered Poets
On August 12, 1952, thirteen Soviet Jews were executed in the Lubyanka Prison in Moscow, Russia as a result of charges of espionage based on forced, false confessions resulting from coercion and torture. This massacre is known as the Night of the Murdered Poets....
on August 12, 1952.
See also
- Pale of SettlementPale of SettlementThe Pale of Settlement was the term given to a region of Imperial Russia, in which permanent residency by Jews was allowed, and beyond which Jewish permanent residency was generally prohibited...
- History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionHistory of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet UnionThe vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
- Yiddish theater
Further reading
- Zuskina-Perelman, Alla (B.Z.'s daughter): Benjamin's Travels (Puteshestvie Veniamina: Razmyshlenia o zhizni, tvorchestve i sudbe evreĭskogo aktera Veniamina Zuskina. Moskva: Mosty kultury; Ierusalim: GesharimGesharimGesharim / Bridging Cultures is a Russian publishing house established in the 1990s which publishes books on Jewish topics in [Russian language|Russian]]...
, 2002)