Oleg Menshikov's the most significant part during the years spent in the Soviet Army theatre is the part of Gania Ivolgin in the staging of Dostoyevsky's novel "Idiot". The performance engaged two casts: the "adult", as Andrey Tashkov, who wonderfully played Myshkin in other cast, called it, and the "young". I saw both performances. Frankly and after so many years I can say that in my opinion, the "young" were more touching, more carried away, more spirited than their older colleagues Aristarkh Livanov, Ludmila Chursina, etc. A certain advantage of theirs was that they were of the same age with Dostoyevsky's characters, and that added a great deal of trustworthiness to the stage life of the novel.
Mikhail Bakhtin called the private life of Dostoyevsky's characters "original, unselfish and fundamental". In this manner Andrey Tashkov and Natalia Nikolayeva (Aglaya) performed their characters. And, no matter how strange it may seem - Oleg Menshikov, though his character can hardly be imagined "unselfish and fundamental".
The combination of great and worthless, tragic and bright, evil and angelic in one human being, so important for Dostoyevsky, was accepted by young actor Oleg Menshikov as undoubted impossibility of a human personality. He felt too the play of light and shade, characteristic of the writer's descriptions, the strict borders between good and evil without soft blends, and finally dramatic emotional splitness. With growing melancholy, at first quite unexpected in "Ganka-the-scoundrel" as he is usually performed by people of ordinary mind, Menshikov sincerely looked for a "human being in a human being", as Dostoyevsky used to say.
"The development of the performance is rather uneven", wrote Inna Soloviyova, "and this unevenness is mostly obvious in the part concerning the relations between the prince and Nastasiya Phillipovna and Aglaya. It seems at times that the relations between the prince and not only Rogozhin, but even Lebedev and Burdovsky are of greater importance for the director. It is wonderful when completeness appears. And Oleg Menshikov playing Gania Ivolgin has it. Completeness and unexpected interpretation. The phrase thrown to him with a jeer - that he will crawl to the Vasiliyevsky island for three roubles - this bright-eyed, slim, as Bonaparte at the Acropolis Bridge, thoughtful boy in a "third-year" frock-coat, but clean and tidy, doesn't want to disprove, but rather raise it as a standard above his head… When Nastasiya Phillipovna throws the roll of money in the fire - here's another trading, another breaking, another swing. And it goes not quite the same way as in the novel, or rather quite the opposite, because in the novel it is vanity that doesn't let the character to thrust his hand into the fire, but on stage Gania's vanity makes him try to get the burning money. Having rolled up his sleeves and thrown away the gloves: this kind of a man I am, without gloves not afraid of humiliation - no way… He faints not because he can't bear to see 100,000 burning, but because humiliation - quite unexpectedly - is intolerable: neither to crawl for three roubles to the Vasiliyevsky, nor to get into the fire for 100,000…"
In the immaculately precise, as if drown with light strokes, portrait of the character from the long bygone performance I feel like stressing (concerning Menshikov) two deep-laid, essential moments. The first is about his artistic manner, which he claimed rather definitely even then: the ability to create a complete type, organically balanced, when the smallest details of his character's life are impressed in strong connection with each other. Simultaneous penetration and development right up to the end of his scenic or screen life, his fate performed for the viewer.
The second moment of Soloviyova's appraisal is as truly and principally precise in conceiving Menshikov-actor's nature, when the critic speaks about "unexpected interpretation". Refusing platitude in every-day life, Menshikov has never gone the beaten ways. It is not the matter of his principle rejection of some traditional views of classics, for example, or common spectators' aspirations for this or that character. He simply has own particular and cultured view of life, which cannot but result in the profession.
Oleg was 23 when he played Gania Ivolgin. It seems to be the age of inexperience and disarming courage. Menshikov chooses the second and enters Dostoyevsky's world with it, its special essence of finest connections and deepest phenomena, the struggle of passions inside a human being, all that is quite usual for Dostoyevsky's characters. Tragedy becomes nearly common plotline. Menshikov captured Dostoyevsky's idea that you cannot make a strict division - either a butcher, or a victim. The alternative "either-or" is replaced by the opposite connection "both-and". That's why Menshikov doesn't accept the common view of Gania - a small, ordinary, mean creature. His Gania possesses his own main idea, his own burning lust - to "burst through", to achieve freedom with money, lots of money. To obtain thus the highest possible position in the society. Being young and rather naive (just imaging it living in Menshikov's Gania!) he doesn't understand that a sufficient capital and significant social status will make him obey their rules.
The meeting of Gania and prince Myshkin was performed silently - by mimicry and plastics. Well-bread, drilled General Ivolgin's son, even at work (writing some paper, probably) seats his back straight and proud. Beautifully bent his head and customarily moves his hand. Having finished, starts to study a strange visitor, estimating his appearance with hidden mockery: "this" coat, who in Petersburg will put it on in such a cold weather?! Yes, a beggar, a beggar came here. Screws up his eyes - who is this stranger? Does he deserve speaking to him? Well, may be not…
And later Gania will have a few more such meetings with the prince: eye-to-eye. By that time Gania will manage to study the "idiot" quite well. The "idiot" will turn out to be of much higher moral values than the others. Gania realizes that prince Myshkin for all accounts is something extraordinary. In his own way he becomes attached to the prince, but still refuses to accept his way of life, communication, which is in deep contradiction with Gania's idea, but nevertheless attracting him with their exceptionality and innocence. Opposites, as it is well known, tend to attract.
Gania understands and doesn't understand at the same time: this exceptionality comes unbelievably easy to the prince. And Gania himself has to achieve his "idea" through efforts, suffering and humiliation. And thus reveals irresistible difference between the two young men. The prince accepts it without hesitation. Moreover - he tells Gania about his "ordinarity" and thus unwillingly catches him on the raw. And that Gania can never forgive.
Having heard the prince, he seemed to be at a loss: Myshkin destroyed all Gania's grounds so easily! He was intending to marry Nastasiya Phillipovna, this boy! Considering it a feat! At least he was convincing himself of it, and seemed to have convinced! For the idea's sake even the disgrace of being a courtesan's husband can be endured. For the idea's sake he resigned himself to Nastasia Phillipovna's arrival to their noble, but poor house, bore Rogozhin, endured a spit from his own sister. The only thought helped: "I'm a hero!" The hero who will claim his rights one day, who will be praised and accepted! But he keeps silent so far… Till the moment when some hidden power (may be that very power of attraction between two opposites) makes Gania reveal the most secret.
This conversation with the prince is staged so that Gania faces the audience. He needs not only Myshkin, but all of us to support the dream about 75,000 giving the way to the desired heights. "Prince, I don't marry her for money", Gania's voice strengthens. "I marry her for passion, for attraction, for I have a goal. The meanness is that money gives talent and will give - till the end of time!" It is not a confession. It is the desire to make the prince let Gania into his life accepting him as equal. At the same time Gania subconsciously understands the inaccessibility of this desire, and tosses. Slaps the prince in the face - out of weakness. Out of hatred - against himself. Dark eyes flash with anger - he is helpless. "Will you always be crossing my way?" Gania cries. In fact, the prince crosses not Gania's way, but the way of his beliefs and hopes to achieve all that's desired… Before he dashes to the fire for the roll of money, he had torn off the gloves. He went to the fire like a soldier rushes to embrasure - this is the moment he will do it! Will overcome everything! Himself - in the first place!.. But fell down unable to do it. It means that poor Gania's soul is still alive and resists to kill its human nature.
With Menshikov "Ganka-the-scoundrel" still haven't got used to meanness. He will probably get used to it later, though through sharp unbearable pain. Or may be he will stop halfway in depression, and moments of meditation will seem endless. Poor Ganechka will understand that he believed in a phantom, and that phantom distorted all his essence, all his life… Who knows? Anyway in the first act Oleg Menshikov's Gavriil Ardalionovich Ivolgin was very likely not to avoid this future.
The second act seriously corrected this likelihood. At first the actor curiously extended Gania's posture after the faint by the fireplace. As if he was still asking himself: why he couldn't toe the line behind which the way to the desired future seemed to start? What was that? Emotional weakness? Silly nobleness and honor? Or the insignificance of a plebeian who has yielded to the first obstacle?
Meanwhile his brother Kolya reads aloud an article, which was the result of Lebedev and his company's efforts and aimed at blackening prince Myshkin. Here's the prince himself, but Gania at first is as if aside of him. Slightly aside. Then a first peering look with brief triumphant sparks. Gania will throw it on Myshkin when the latter starts to say he is ready to satisfy Burdovsky's claims. Then, at first still restraining himself, Gania will start to speak smoothly, letting know he is not very happy to participate in this affair. He plays a noble defender. But gradually his intonation changes. Condemning Burdovsky, he speaks about the prince not choosing the words: the situation is on edge. Ivolgin is not afraid of his recent fiasco, having returned to his idea about self-contained authority and the power of money - as a principle ennobling and all-justifying.
But for some reason these moments I felt sorry for Gania, and this feeling was stronger than the moment when he fainted at the fireplace. Sorry, because Gania unconsciously confessed to his impotence before his own dark passions, leading him to the spiritual death.
Passion-idea is one of Dostoyevsky's dominants. Young Oleg Menshikov found it very close to his own searches. Not once he will return to the power of such passion-idea in his best stage and screen roles.
Meanwhile... Meanwhile the part of Gania Ivolgin opened a new bright name for theatre.

(from the book by Elga Lyndina "Oleg Menshikov", Moscow - Panorama, 1999)

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F. M. Dostoyevsky "Idiot"