Biography
Alexander Alexandrovic Vyrubov was born on the 21st of July 1882 in Kiev. After High School he followed in his father's footsteps, studying Law at St Vladimir's University, Kiev. Not actually wishing to take up the profession, he subsequently attended the Russian School of Drama in Kiev, graduating successfully in 1905. He had engagements at various theatres such as the Belyayev in Vilnius and was generally cast as hero or romantic lead.
From 1911 till 1922 he acted in the famous Moscow Arts Theatre, founded by Konstantin Stanislavski in 1898. Vyrubov also directed some productions of works by Tolstoy, Shakespeare and Dickens. In these years he was also cast in 18 films and worked with directors such as Cheslav Sabinsky and Aleksandr Chargonin playing alongside stars like Vera Kholodnaya, Lidia Koreneva, Ivan Mozzhukhin and others. All these films originated from the studio of the Russian film pioneer, Aleksandr Khanzhonkov.
In 1922 Vyrubov and a large group from the Arts Theatre embarked on a European tour, visiting Prague, Berlin, Dresden, Paris and Riga. Whilst on tour, they decided not to return to Russia which was in the throes of revolution and civil war. The troupe stayed in Prague and adopted the name of the Prague Group. However, they frequently played in Berlin where numerous Russian exiles were living. There they came into contact with Ufa which frequently engaged Russian actors, and Vyrubov was cast in two Ufa productions: "Das Geheimnis von Brinkenhof" by Svend Gade and "Die Macht der Finsternis" ("The Power of Darkness") by Conrad Wiene, both in 1923.
In 1928, on tour in Chișinău (capital of today’s Republic of Moldova) he met the young Maria Cebotar, fell in love and engaged her as singer and actress on his tour from eastern Europe to Paris, giving her the stage name of Cebotari. Whilst in the French capital, he received an offer for his third German film from Ufa; "Die Herrin und ihr Knecht" (1929) by Richard Oswald. Vyrubov had by then decided not to return to Prague with his colleagues, but to remain in Berlin with Maria Cebotari.
Vyrubov married Maria, 27 years his junior, on the 11th of August 1930 in Chișinău. Whilst Cebotari worked hard at her singing career and quickly learnt German, Vyrubov’s work stagnated and with the arrival of sound films, offers dried up. So he devoted himself to managing his wife's career who became a famed soprano on the opera stages of Europe.
During the filming of "Starke Herzen" ("Strong Hearts in the Storm") in 1937, Maria Cebotari fell in love with her co-star, Gustav Diessl. She divorced Vyrubov in 1938 who nevertheless continued as his ex-wife's manager whilst moving mainly amongst Russian emigré circles.
During the Second World War Vyrubov was based in Riga and Prague. From 1948 on he lived in Paris where his former reputation enabled him to appear in the Russian Theatre. He also went on tour with them; for example to England. His last years were lived out in the "Russian House", a retirement home for Russian artists in Cormeilles-en-Parisis, northwest of Paris. He died there on the 2nd of June 1962.
Author: Dr. Rosemarie Killius
Translation: Fritz Curzon