The real story of Ostap Bender. Which Ostap Bender is the best?

Who doesn’t know Ostap Bender, the “great schemer” and “son of Lieutenant Schmidt”? Surely every person was watching legendary films“12 Chairs” and “The Golden Calf”, based on the novels of the same name by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov. Ostap Bender is in charge actor these adaptations and works. He can rightfully be called one of the brightest and most memorable heroes of Russian literature. Every phrase of his is a masterpiece! He is smart, cunning, quick-witted, charming, resourceful. Ostap's greatest passion is money. He constantly strives to get them at any cost.

Ostap Bender: years of childhood and youth

Full name The main character of the novel “12 Chairs” is Ostap-Suleiman-Bertha-Maria-Bender Bey. This is exactly how he introduced himself in this novel. However, in the work “The Golden Calf,” written by I. Ilf and E. Petrov later, he calls himself Bender-Transdanubia. The origin of Ostap Bender is difficult to establish reliably, but from some of his phrases one can understand that as a child he lived in Mirgorod and Kherson. He also says that he served time in Taganskaya prison, but after leaving there he tries to “honor the criminal code.” In addition, he claims to be the son of a Turkish citizen. It is known that Ostap studied at a private gymnasium.

"12 chairs"

The biography of Ostap Bender is not described in detail in any of the works of Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov. In the novel “12 Chairs” he appears to readers as “a young man of about 28.” He appears in Stargorod, where he meets Ippolit Matveevich, who has gathered to search for the diamonds of his late mother-in-law. Ostap immediately senses the smell of profit, so he imposes himself on Vorobyaninov as a partner. Bender is madly in love with money, for the sake of it he is ready to commit any scam. The novel “12 Chairs” describes his marriage to the widow Gritsatsueva. He did this only in order to get a chair in which treasures may have been hidden. However, there were no diamonds there, and Ostap, together with Ippolit Matveyevich, set off in search of new adventures. In Stargorod, the great schemer creates the “Union of Sword and Ploughshare” and collects money from local influential people. All funds go into the fraudster’s personal pocket, but he hints to members of the organization about a “sacred goal.” At the end of the novel, Vorobyaninov cuts Ostap’s throat, but the hero does not die.

"Golden calf"

In the novel “The Golden Calf” Ostap Bender appears before readers as a man with his own dreams, weaknesses and experiences. In “12 Chairs” the image of the hero is schematic, but here his character is more fully reflected. inner world. And again he comes up with a variety of scams: posing as the son of Lieutenant Schmidt, selling a recipe for production wheat moonshine and so on.

His biggest dream is to get money underground millionaire Koreiko. Bender achieves this by all means, and in the end he succeeds. At the end of the novel, he tries to cross the Romanian border, but the border guards rob him. However, Ostap Bender remains alive, and this epilogue gives hope that there will be a continuation of the story about this charming adventurer. It is known that Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov planned to write another novel called “Scoundrel,” but this was not destined to come true.

Quotes

Almost every quote from Ostap Bender is unique. His expressions became popular among the people. Here are just a few of them:

• "A sultry woman is a poet's dream."
• “Why are you looking at me like a soldier at a louse?”
• “Breathe deeply: you are excited.”
• “...No criminality. We must honor the code!”
• “Whoever says that this is a girl, let him be the first to throw a stone at me!”
• "The crystal dream of my childhood."
• “I will command the parade!”
• “Foreign countries will help us.”

It seems that you can quote Ostap Bender endlessly. It is worth noting that the novels of Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov are full of funny phrases. Idioms, which are loved by all readers, belong not only to Ostap Bender. Almost all the characters in the novels “The 12 Chairs” and “The Golden Calf” say something funny and memorable.

Scams and fraud

Ostap Bender knows what to do in any situation. He can find a way out of any situation and gain the trust of everyone. Books about him charge readers with positivity, and his phrases and actions invariably bring a smile. Just look at the situation when he introduced himself as an artist in order to get on the ship, but in the end it turned out that he couldn’t draw at all. Once in Vasyuki, Ostap lies that he is a world famous chess player, but loses all the games and is forced to flee from the angry residents of this town. In the novel “The Golden Calf,” he introduces himself as the commander of a large automobile rally, and also sells the technology for making moonshine to American tourists.

Appearance and age

Ostap Bender is a handsome and prominent man. He is very charming, so all women without exception like him. He easily gains people's trust, presents himself as a completely different person (policeman, fire inspector), but he gets away with everything. Ostap, under other circumstances, could have achieved great success, to make a career, but he directs all his energy to dubious matters, deception and fraud. In the novel “12 Chairs” the hero is about 28 years old, and in “The Golden Calf” he is 33 years old. He does not have a noble origin, but is very smart and cunning. Ostap is an undoubted leader in any society. People are ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.

Annual festival "Benderiada"

Few people know, but the city of Vasyuki, described in the novel “12 Chairs,” really exists. At least, residents of the small town of Kozmodemyansk, located on the right bank of the Volga, believe that it was there that the legendary chess tournament took place, in which Ostap shamefully lost all the games. Every year this city hosts an entertainment festival called “Benderiada”, full of fun competitions, as well as performances of dance and musical groups.

During the festival, residents and guests of Kozmodemyansk can take part in a real chess tournament, play beach volleyball, eat delicious barbecue and even buy a chair at auction (there are 12 of them for sale in total, and a diamond is hidden in one of them). Large cruise ships often stop in the city, and tourists go out and explore the local attractions. During the Benderiada there are especially many visitors, because this festival attracts guests from all over the country.

Ostap Bender in the cinema

Based on the novels of Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov, many TV series and films were shot, not only in Russia, but also abroad. The very first Ostap in cinema was Sergei Yursky, who starred in the film “The Golden Calf” in 1968. One of best paintings about Bender was filmed by Leonid Gaidai in 1971. The role of the great schemer in it was played by Archil Gomiashvili, whose age did not correspond to the age of Ostap in the novel “12 Chairs”. However, most TV viewers consider this particular picture to be the most successful of all that were made about Bender. The musical film “12 Chairs” from director Mark Zakharov is also popular. Ostap was played in it by the inimitable Andrei Mironov.

In 2006, the series “The Golden Calf” was released, consisting of 8 episodes. The main role in it was played by Oleg Menshikov. According to critics, Ostap, played by him, turned out to be the most unsuccessful of all.

Museums and monuments

Monuments to Ostap Bender are installed in many cities, including: Yekaterinburg, Cheboksary, Odessa, Kharkov, Pyatigorsk, Krymsk. In St. Petersburg in 2000, a monument to the great schemer also appeared.

Bronze Ostap immediately catches the eye of passers-by. There is a permanent cap on his head, and a scarf around his neck. There is even a tradition among residents of St. Petersburg: in order for everything to go well, you need to rub Bender’s nose.

In the city of Kozmodemyansk (the prototype of Vasyukov) there is a “Museum of Satire and Humor” dedicated to Ostap Bender.

It is located at Sovetskaya Street, building 8. In the museum you can see a lot of interesting things, including portraits and photos of Ostap Bender, his quotes, objects related to him, sculptures, and an old car. Tourists who visited there claim that they received many positive emotions. The museum has a very cozy and positive atmosphere.

Conclusion

Novels about Ostap Bender were written many decades ago, but today he remains one of the most popular literary characters. Books about his machinations are read with great pleasure. And the films in which Ostap was played famous actors(Andrei Mironov, Archil Gomiashvili, Sergei Yursky, Oleg Menshikov and others), periodically broadcast on the main federal channels. In principle, his image is negative, because he is a fraudster, a liar and a deceiver. However, despite these significant negative aspects, Ostap Bender remains a favorite hero of many generations.

Few people know that Ostap Bender is not a collective character. He had real prototype- Inspector of the Odessa Criminal Investigation Department Ostap Shor, whose life was no less exciting than that of his literary brother.

Editorial Faktrum in admiration publishes material from the online magazine “Culturology”, revealing Interesting Facts from the biography...

...In the spring of 1927, an imposing middle-aged man entered the editorial office of the Gudok newspaper. He went to two young reporters, whose last names were Ilf and Petrov. Evgeny Petrov familiarly greeted the newcomer, because it was his brother Valentin Kataev. Soviet writer winked conspiratorially at both of them and declared that he wanted to hire them as “literary blacks.” Kataev had an idea for a book, and young reporters were asked to put it into perspective. literary form. According to the writer’s idea, a certain leader of the district nobility, Vorobyaninov, tried to find jewelry sewn into one of the twelve chairs.

The creative tandem immediately got to work. Literary heroes Ilf and Petrov were “copied” from their circle. Almost everyone had their own prototype. One of the episodic characters was a mutual acquaintance of the writers, a certain inspector of the criminal investigation department of Odessa, whose name was Ostap Shor. The authors decided to keep the first name, but changed the last name to Bender. As the book was written, this episodic character kept coming to the fore, “pushing the rest of the characters with his elbows.”

When Ilf and Petrov brought the manuscript to Kataev, he realized that the work turned out completely different from what he had originally intended. Valentin Petrovich decided to remove his name from the list of authors, but demanded that Ilf and Petrov print a dedication for him on the first page of the published novel.

When the novel gained enormous popularity, fans began to look for the prototype of the main character. Some Arab scholars seriously argued that Ostap Bender was a Syrian; their Uzbek opponents adhered to the point of view regarding his Turkic origin. Only at the end of the twentieth century the name became known real Ostap Bender. He was Osip Veniaminovich Shor. His friends called him Ostap. The fate of this man was no less exciting than his literary character.

Ostap Shor was born in 1899 in Odessa. In 1916, he entered the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute, but graduated young man not sued. Happened October Revolution. The journey home took Ostap about a year. During this time, he had to wander, get into trouble, and hide from his pursuers. Some of the adventures that Shore later told his friends about were reflected in the novel.

When Ostap Shor reached Odessa, it changed beyond recognition. From a prosperous city of enterprising businessmen and Italian opera, it turned into a place where criminal gangs ruled. This was not surprising, since in the three years after the revolution in Odessa, power changed fourteen times. Residents of the city united into people's squads to fight crime, and the most zealous fighters for justice were awarded the title of criminal investigation inspectors. That is exactly what Ostap Shor became. His height of 190 cm, remarkable strength and a keen sense of justice made Shor a thunderstorm for the criminals of Odessa.

Several times his life hung by a thread, but, thanks to his sharp mind and lightning-fast reaction, Ostap always managed to escape. The same cannot be said about his brother. Nathan Shore was famous writer, who worked under the pseudonym Nathan Fioletov. He was about to get married. Nathan and his fiancée were choosing furniture for their future apartment when three people approached him and, asking for his last name, shot him at point-blank range. The criminals simply confused Ostap with his brother.

Ostap Shor took his brother’s death very painfully and after some time he left the UGRO and went to Moscow. Due to his impulsive nature, Ostap constantly got into all sorts of troubles. The expression of the literary character: “My dad was a Turkish subject” belongs to Shor. When the question arose about conscription Ostap often said this phrase. The fact is that children of foreigners were exempt from military service.

To hint at the work of the real Ostap in the criminal investigation department, Ilf and Petrov several times in the novel indicated with specific phrases that their main character- a good detective. In the chapter “And others.” Ostap Bender is busily drawing up a report from the scene of the incident: “Both bodies lie with their feet to the southeast and their heads to the northwest. There are lacerations on the body, apparently inflicted by some kind of blunt instrument.”

When the books “12 Chairs” and “The Golden Calf” were published, Ostap Shor came to the authors and insistently demanded to pay for the image copied from him. Ilf and Petrov were perplexed and tried to justify themselves, but at that time Ostap laughed. He stayed with the writers overnight and told them about his adventures. In the morning, Ilf and Petrov woke up in full confidence that they would publish the third part about the adventures of the great schemer. But the book was never written, because Ilya Ilf fell ill with tuberculosis.

Ostap Shor himself lived to be 80 years old. All this time he wandered around Soviet Union. In 1978 it was published biographical novel Valentin Kataeva’s “My Diamond Crown,” which contained obvious hints about who the image of Ostap Bender was based on.

For almost a century now, the works of Ilf and Petrov about the adventures of the great schemer have not lost their popularity. During this period, the novels “12 Chairs” and “The Golden Calf” went through several film adaptations, and phrases from them have long become catchphrases. Few people know that Ostap Bender is not a collective character. He had a real prototype - Odessa criminal investigation inspector Ostap Shor, whose life was no less exciting than that of his literary brother.

To hint at the work of the real Ostap in the criminal investigation department, Ilf and Petrov several times in the novel indicated with specific phrases that their main character is a good detective. In the chapter “And others.” Ostap Bender is busily drawing up a report from the scene of the incident: “Both bodies lie with their feet to the southeast and their heads to the northwest. There are lacerations on the body, apparently inflicted by some kind of blunt instrument.”

Not only Ostap Bender had his own prototype. These

Full name: Bender Bey, Ostap Suleiman Ibrahim Bertha Maria.
In the Russian manner: Bender, Ostap Ibrahimovic.
Date of birth: July 25, 1900, 20 hours 15 minutes.
Place of birth: Odessa.
Nationality: half-Turk, half-Russian.
Profession: combinator.
Father: Ibrahim Bender Bey, Turkish citizen.
Mother: Maria Bender, Russian countess, lived on unearned income.

Well, who doesn’t know the Great Combinator Ostap Bender? Perhaps only the most backward layers of the population of the black tribe Mumba-Yubma, whose vocabulary is less than 300 words. All moderately intelligent people (even Moomba-Yumbians.....from the carved drawings on wooden bark) know at least by hearsay who Bender was and what he did. And even more so for those who own a TV: how many wonderful films have been made about the adventures of Ostap! In addition, a lot of jokes have been told about the Great Schemer! In short, everyone knows about Ostap Bender, they talk about him, they make films, they tell jokes. And how many phrases have we borrowed from the mouth of the Great Combinator (“the key to the apartment where the money is”, “how much is opium for the people?”, etc.). U-ummmmm. Thus, Bender is a rival of Julius Caesar himself!!! That's how he's known.
However, it is unknown how the fate of the Great Combinator would have developed (and whether he would have become a Great Combinator at all) if, having been born in Odessa, he had not dreamed from that very Odessa childhood of the more than distant, but beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro (this is where- then in Brazil)! This was the dream of his whole life - all his actions were aimed at fulfilling it. However, you can’t go to Rio on a dream alone, and Ostap never had a lot of money, while for such a trip you need a lot of it. He didn’t always have them for food. You could, of course, devote yourself to some specific, honest occupation and earn money from it: of course you’ll be well-fed, but in Rio..... That’s why Ostap became a combination operator, he became a combinator to fulfill his childhood dream! Well, the Great is the merit of Bender’s talent, talent, as they say from above.
But while the schemer became Great, not wanting to find a certain refuge in life, fate threw him in different directions Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union. Ostap was almost completely indifferent to politics; he was neither white, nor red, nor even brown. For him, the main thing was Rio de Janeiro and how to get there, and under whose authority it made no difference to him to fulfill his dream. And so in 1927, having visited all corners of our vast Motherland, the son of a Turkish citizen and a countess with unearned income finally found himself in Stargorod without socks, without a key, without money and without an apartment where they could lie. All he had left of his clothes was an old suit, the same old scarf and orange boots - it was in this form that he was destined to go down in history.
Having stopped in Stargorod for an indefinite period, Ostap Bender began to think about how to arrange his life further. And bye Great schemer thought he met the former leader of the district nobility, once important person, and now a small provincial employee Ippolit Matveevich Vorobyaninov, known among his relatives under the cute nickname Kisa. This same Kisa, under pressure from Ostap, tells the Great Schemer about the death of his mother-in-law, who, while dying, told him about the family treasures she had hidden in one of the twelve chairs of her furniture set. Everything in Bender’s soul instantly turned upside down - this is the fulfillment of his cherished dream! Oh Rio, Rio!!! However, before celebrating, Ostap was forced to find out that the Kissin set was sold in parts to different owners. Having somehow agreed with Vorobyaninov on how to divide the future loot, the Great Schemer, together with his new comrade, goes in search of chairs throughout the Soviet Union. However, what two people know, a pig knows. Soon, the unfortunate priest Fyodor Vostrikov stands in the way of Ostap Bender and Kisa Vorobyaninov, who confessed to the dying mother-in-law of Ippolit Matveevich and thus learned the secret of the family diamonds. In the bitter feud and constant travel, Father Fyodor manages to obtain a considerable number of chairs. But they turned out to be empty. The unfortunate priest was unable to survive such a blow and he goes crazy and ends up in a madhouse. Ostap and Kisa continue their search and, having opened all the chairs, get the last one, in full confidence that there are finally long-awaited diamonds there. Wherever Bender, Vorobyaninov and Father Fedor visited, hunting for treasures - in Ukraine, Moscow, the Volga region, the Caucasus! Therefore, it is not surprising that, unlike Ostap, a man with a strong will and strong character, the minds of the other two could not stand it. Fedor, as we already said, ended up in the SD (Madhouse), and Vorobyaninov, thirsting for a full, and not divided, reward for his torment, cut the throat of the sleeping Great Schemer with a razor, frightened by the latter’s joke: “Kisa, I won’t give you anything - you’ll be mine.” secretary, okay, I’m just kidding!” However, there were no jewelry in the last chair - they had long been found by the watchman of the railway club, where one chair accidentally ended up, and a new club building was built on them (all the above-described events in the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Twelve Chairs”) !
Ostap Bender's First Great Combination not only failed, but also almost ended in the death of the son of a Turkish subject. However, Ostap was not the type to die at the hands of an old-regime maniac; he was not born for this. Bender miraculously managed to survive the cat's razor and continued his glorious life, forced to admit defeat and temporarily “lay low.”
Three years later, in 1930, Ostap learns that in the city of Chernomorsk an employee of the Hercules institution named Koreiko, from the time Civil War 1917-1922 rich in speculation and embezzlement, and thus made no more, no less, but a million rubles! The great schemer decided, frightening Koreiko with exposure, to take away his million and, having finally solved his financial problems, end up in the coveted Rio de Janeiro! In this combination, Bender is helped by three accomplices: the old man Panikovsky, an experienced pickpocket, apartment and simply petty swindler, dating back to tsarist times, the mature Kozlevich, a former burglar and now “tied up” working as a taxi driver, and young Balaganov, a swindler from Soviet times, posing as his son famous revolutionary. It was from Balaganov, whom he met in the provincial town of Arbatov, that the Great Combinator learned about Koreiko’s millions in Chernomorsk. Bender and Balaganov captivate Kozlevich and then Panikovsky with stories of impending wealth. In Kozlevich's car, the company rushes to Chernomorsk.
In Chernomorsk, Ostap Bender completely exposes Koreiko, but the latter manages to escape from the Great Schemer outside the city.
Bender, the man in highest degree assertive, he sets off in pursuit, which is clearly not to the liking of his accomplices who love easy but big money. On the way, the old Panikovsky dies, unable to withstand the severity of the chase, Kozlevich and Balaganov leave, surrendering to failures and disappointed in Ostap’s promises. The great schemer continues the fight and finally catches up with Koreiko, receiving the coveted million. However, Bender missed the most important fact, the fact of his residence in Soviet Russia, where you can’t just go abroad without a specific state-important matter, even for a lot of money, and therefore you can’t get to Rio, you can’t buy a car or an apartment in the capital - all this in the USSR is provided for services to the authorities, and not for money . Therefore, the triumphant is forced to live in trains and hotels, constantly and aimlessly traveling. And besides, impersonate either a famous scientist, or an artist, etc. and so on. Otherwise, he will not get either tickets or hotel rooms. In addition, wealth has to be hidden. In general, there is no shine - only fears, worries and troubles.
Disappointed Ostap Bender returns to Chernomorsk to the girl he loves. However, the beloved has already gotten married, gently rejecting the Great Schemer. And then Ostap makes a radical decision: he bought gold and set his sights on fleeing abroad - the last opportunity to get to beautiful Rio de Janeiro! However, here too Bender fails: foreign border guards completely robbed him and almost killed him. Completely defeated, the Great Combinator returns with nothing, uttering the historical phrase: “No need for applause! I didn’t make the Count of Monte Cristov. I’ll have to retrain as a house manager.” (all the above-described events in the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Golden Calf” ).
The figure of Ostap Suleiman Ibrahim Bertha Maria Bender Bey still delights everyone, despite all his failures - the main thing is not victory, the main thing is a beautiful game - this is what the legendary Great Combinator believed and he was completely right! His further fate is shrouded in mystery - we can only be sure of one thing: despite his last phrase, known to us, he did not become a house manager - that’s not his character, although he most likely never ended up in Rio either.

And Evgeniy Petrov published his adventurous novel “The Twelve Chairs”, it was clear to everyone that the film adaptation of this masterpiece was a matter of time. To date, 10 projects have been filmed based on this story. And also 5 more film adaptations of the novel “The Golden Calf”, which is a continuation of “The Twelve Chairs”. Various artists played the main character named Ostap Bender. The actors tried to create their own unique image of the Great Schemer. Who did it better?

Who is Ostap Suleiman Berta Maria Bender Bey

First of all, it’s worth remembering a little about Ostap Ibrahimovich Bender himself.

He is the main character of two novels: The Twelve Chairs and The Golden Calf. About his childhood and youth little is known. The hero himself only said about his past that his father was a Turkish subject. Contemporaries of Ilf and Petrov argued that this circumstance indicated that the Great Schemer was from Odessa. In addition, it is likely that his parents were Jewish traders who at that time took Turkish citizenship so that their children would not be forced to fight in the Russian-Turkish wars.

In “The Twelve Chairs” Ostap’s age is 27 years old, and in “The Golden Calf” he is 33. It turns out that Bender was born either in 1897 or 1900.

The outfit in which the Great Schemer first appears on the pages of the novel indicates that he has recently been released from prison: that is why he is dressed out of season, and he does not have housing (at that time the state took away living space from convicts).

At the beginning of The Twelve Chairs, Bender dreams of becoming a polygamist, but he does not have enough money for decent clothes to start this “venture.” Having made friends with the janitor, he witnesses the return of Ippolit Matveevich Vorobyaninov to the city, looking for his mother-in-law's treasures hidden in one of the confiscated chairs. Having agreed to look for the treasure together, the heroes actively begin to search for treasures throughout the USSR.

Throughout the book, Ostap and Ippolit Matveevich, by hook or by crook, obtain 11 chairs, which turn out to be empty. On the eve of the discovery of the latter, Vorobyaninov kills Bender so as not to share. But it turns out that the treasures were found long ago - a new club was built on them.

In "The Golden Calf" it turns out that Ostap manages to survive the assassination attempt. The authors of the novel do not tell how exactly this happened. Most likely, the owner of the apartment where the treasure hunters lived returned home earlier and managed to save the wounded man.

In any case, in “The Golden Calf” Ostap Ibrahimovic appears before the readers alive and ready to earn more. This time he has a whole team of assistants. Together they are trying to collect dirt on the underground Soviet millionaire Alexander Koreiko.

The first film adaptations of novels about Ostap Bender

Shortly after publication, the novel "The Twelve Chairs" was translated into foreign languages, gaining popularity outside the USSR. The Poles were the first to film it in 1933. Despite the fact that they retained the original title, the plot was greatly changed, in addition, in the film the characters had Polish names. Ostap Bender in it is Kamil Klepki performed by Adolf Dymsha.

The Cubans were the second to film the work of Ilf and Petrov in 1962. Like the Poles, they adapted the plot, in connection with which Ippolit Matveyevich turned into Hipólito Garigo, and Ostap Bender was hiding under the name of the clever servant Oscar. The actor who played this role is Reynaldo Miravalles.

In 1963, the Cuban "Twelve Chairs" was shown on World Festival in Moscow. Probably, this film gave Soviet artists the idea that it was time to film it themselves. famous work. And in 1966, the two-part television play “The Twelve Chairs” was released.

The main character was played by Igor Gorbachev. This actor became the first performer of the role of Ostap Bender in the history of Soviet cinema. It is noteworthy that Alisa Freindlich played Ellochka the cannibal. Despite the rather sparse scenery, the picture turned out to be quite worthy for its time, and Gorbachev's Great Schemer was quite funny, but it lacked the lightness and intelligence that subsequent performers brought.

Film "The Golden Calf" 1968

Oddly enough, the first novel about the Great Schemer, on the basis of which a full-length film was made, was The Golden Calf. Chronologically, he is the second.

In this black and white film, the audience saw the cheerful and resourceful Ostap Bender (actor Sergei Yursky), with whom it was simply impossible not to fall in love. Yursky at that time was already known for his role in “Republic of SHKID”. Despite the fact that in some scenes he clearly overacted, he was a great success in the role. Bender Yursky managed to maintain his optimism until the last frames of the film, which clearly contrasted with the book, in which Ostap burned out from the inside, disappointed in himself and his life.

By the way, it was Sergei Yursky who turned out to have the brightest Bender; even Archil Gomiashvili could not achieve such lightness in his acting. Yursky was 33 years old at the time of filming, like Ostap. By the way, at first the actor refused to participate in the project, and Vladimir Vysotsky applied for the role of the descendant of the Janissaries. But later the actor was persuaded to “command the parade.”

Frank Langella in the 1970 American film adaptation of The Twelve Chairs

In the USA, the novels of Ilf and Petrov were also very popular. Therefore, in the early seventies, the young director Mel Brooks, today known for B-category comedies (Spaceballs, Dracula: Dead and Loving), made a film of the same name based on it. It is worth noting that the Americans clearly did not skimp on the decorations, while many funny moments from the novel were not included in the film, and others were greatly distorted.

A pleasant feature of Brooks's "The Twelve Chairs" was the relatively happy ending. In it, Vorobyaninov does not kill Ostap, but, on the contrary, persuades him to continue traveling together.

The main role in the project was played by Frank Langella (“Dracula” 1979, “Junior”). It is worth noting that he perfectly got used to the image of a resourceful swindler and did not overact. However, Langella's Bender turned out to be too American, and therefore it was not accepted by domestic viewers, like the film adaptation itself.

Film “12 chairs” by Leonid Gaidai 1971

A year later, the film “12 Chairs” was released in the USSR. Its director was Leonid Gaidai. This brilliant comedy creator managed to make a masterpiece that matches the spirit of the book.

Many famous artists auditioned for the role of the tandem treasure hunters, including Andrei Mironov and However, the picky Gaidai rejected them. Instead, he entrusted the role of the boorish one to Sergei Filippov, who starred in the film despite cancer. And a Georgian actor named Archil Gomiashvili was invited to play the descendant of the Janissaries. At first he refused, although he had previously toured Georgia with a musical based on The Golden Calf. Moreover, the filming of “12 Chairs” began with another actor. However, he not only looked unfunny, but also got lost against the background of Filippov. Ultimately, Leonid Gaidai persuaded Gomiashvili to play Bender.

According to the majority, Archil is one of the best performers this role. The actor managed to create the image of a resourceful and unprincipled, but charming scoundrel. However, he spoke in the film instead of the performer since Gomiashvili himself had a noticeable accent.

Ivan Darvas as Ostap Bender in the Hungarian film adaptation of The Golden Calf

4 years after Gaidai’s two-part film, the rascal Ostap Bender appeared on Hungarian television screens. The actor who played this role is Ivan Darvash. He is very famous in his homeland, but in the USSR and the CIS he is practically unknown. In the case of Darvash, the situation with Frank Langella was repeated, when the actor played his role with dignity, however, not understanding the national specifics of the work, he was unable to truly reveal the inner world of his hero.

“12 Chairs” by Mark Zakharov with Andrei Mironov in the title role

5 years after Gaidai, another famous Soviet director, Mark Zakharov, decided to film his version of the novel by Ilf and Petrov.

This is how the four-part film “12 Chairs” (1976) appeared. Subsequently, Leonid Gaidai often made fun of Zakharov’s film adaptation, calling it a “crime.” But in vain, because most film fans are still arguing with foam at the mouth which of the films is better, because main role V new picture played by the brilliant Andrei Mironov.

Ostap Bender in his performance turned out to be completely different from all the previous ones. He was no longer as young and optimistic as Yursky and Langella; so resourceful and charming, like Gomiashvili’s. But the Great Schemer acquired intelligence, which was harmoniously combined with impenetrable arrogance. In addition, the main feature of Mironovsky Ostap was his singing. The song “My Sail Is White” became a real hit and helped the actor reveal the inner world of his character, something that Gomiashvili was deprived of from Gaidai.

It is interesting that the 1976 film “12 Chairs” starred some artists who had previously played in Gaidai’s film. Among them are Savely Kramarov and Georgy Vitsin.

Summarizing the long-term debate about whose film is better, we can say with confidence that although both films were based on the same novel, each of them is unique in its own way. The same thing with the leading actors, Mironov and Gomiashvili created two wonderful, but completely different images A great combinator, each of which has its own twist.

Ostap Bender performed by Sergei Krylov in the film “Dreams of an Idiot” 1993

After Mark Zakharov’s film, no one tried to film the works of Ilf and Petrov for 17 years. However, after the collapse of the USSR, film production became commercial, and many directors got the opportunity to film their bold projects. Among the attempts to take a fresh look at classical works there was the film “Dreams of an Idiot” (1993), based on “The Golden Calf”.

This film retains the main plot elements of the original. However, they are all adapted to modern times, and the cheerful, charming Ostap has turned into a forty-year-old balding philosopher, who spent the first half of the film trying to get money, and then not knowing how to properly manage it. It is noteworthy that the ending is changed - Bender finds Zosya and confesses his love to her. The girl responds to his feelings, and, taking him with her, they go off into the distance together.

The main character was played by someone famous in the nineties. Despite numerous criticisms, it is worth noting that Bender in his performance is not so bad. Yes, he does not correspond to the book prototype and is much inferior to the previous performers of the role, but it is worth remembering that “Dreams of an Idiot” is a free adaptation of “The Golden Calf”.

Krylov's Bender turned out to be faded and inexpressive, but kind and sincere in his own way. This deviation from the canon is also a variant of reading the novel. Despite the many shortcomings of the film adaptation, the most questionable thing was how Sergei Krylov was able to get this role, because he is more than a weak actor.

as Ostap Bender in The Twelve Chairs by Ulrike Ottinger

11 years after the film “Dreams of an Idiot,” German director Ulrike Ottinger made the film “The Twelve Chairs.” In it, the main role was given to the famous comedian from Odessa Georgy Deliev.

Oettinger's painting was very modernized, but Ostap's costume, and he himself, were too clownish.

It is worth noting that Deliev played very well. He, of course, lacked the lightness and charm of most of his predecessors, but he clearly surpassed not only Krylov, but also an actor named Nikolai Fomenko, who became the next performer of the role of the Great Schemer.

The musical “The Twelve Chairs” 2005 with Nikolai Fomenko in the title role

Speaking about this film adaptation, most viewers asked the question: “Why was it filmed at all?” Despite the constellation of pretty good actors (Ilya Oleynikov, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Dmitry Shevchenko, the film turned out to be very weak.

The actors overacted, especially Nikolai Fomenko, who had previously established himself as a very good artist. Although he quite accurately conveyed Ostap’s boorish character, his character completely lacked charm, and he looked more like a racketeer than a cunning swindler.

Oleg Menshikov as Ostap Bender in the television series “The Golden Calf”

To date last picture, dedicated to the Great Schemer, is the eight-episode television series “The Golden Calf” (2006). Played in it talented actor Oleg Menshikov.

Ostap Bender in his performance is considered one of the worst (those who think so are probably not familiar with the works of Deliev, Fomenko and Krylov). However, this opinion is somewhat biased due to Bad quality the picture as a whole.

Of course, Menshikov is inferior to Yursky, but the version of Ostap Ibrahimovich depicted by him is also very interesting and seems closer to the book original. Many reproach the actor for the excessive softness of his character, but if you remember the novel itself, then the Great Schemer in it is no longer the carefree optimist that in “The Twelve Chairs.” Throughout the book, he begins to show his weaknesses and gradually becomes more and more disillusioned with the surrounding reality and people. However, he constantly tries to keep his cool and continues to joke. This is exactly the kind of Bender Menshikov tried to portray.

Ostap Bender is a hero who has long become a cult hero, and most of his phrases are catchphrases. He was played in films and on television different people. The debate about who did it better continues to this day. By general opinion, three leaders can be identified: Yursky, Gomiashvili and Mironov. However, each viewer chooses for himself whose performance he likes best. I would like to believe that in future years there will not be another mediocre film adaptation of these famous novels, since it is unlikely that there will be anyone capable of playing the Great Schemer better than has already been done.