Stage director Anna Babanova, who prepared the play “Being Smoktunovsky”, said that she discovered interesting details about the Soviet artist while examining previously closed archives. Her observations were cited by kp.ru [Source: kp.ru].
She noted an entry in Smoktunovsky’s profile that stood out. The director, Innokenty Mikhailovich, reportedly signed an oath to secrecy, stating he was in the service of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and that he would not disclose all known circumstances. This admission, uncovered during archival review, raised questions about the actor’s past and the nature of his work in the security apparatus.
Babanova explained that the Norilsk Theater belonged to the Gulag system, and as a consequence its staff were automatically linked to service with the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. She highlighted that while Smoktunovsky was employed in Norilsk, he filled out a questionnaire indicating he had not changed his surname and that he had not been a prisoner of war. The filmmaker suggests that Smoktunovsky may have been crafting a different personal narrative for himself, a hypothesis supported by the archival record. [Source: kp.ru]
According to Babanova, the choice to move to Norilsk came on the recommendation of theatre figure Alexander Duchman. Duchman is also said to have advised the artist to alter his surname. In the director’s account, Smoktunovsky subsequently modified a film ending, changing the surname spelling from Smoktunovich to Smoktunovsky—a small adjustment with potential biographical implications.
Earlier commentary from a music critic noted changes in the fee structure following the inception of the Central Bank Oversight, referencing broader administrative shifts that intersect with Smoktunovsky’s era. This contextual backdrop helps frame the archival discoveries within the cultural and political climate of the time. [Source: kp.ru]