Beno Axionov

Beno (Băno) Axionov (Бэна Максавіч Аксёнаў; Бэно Максович Аксёнов; Băno Axionov; Bäno Axionov; born 2 April 1946) is a Russian-Moldovan actor, director, drama teacher, screenwriter. Meritorious Artist of Moldova (1991). Laureate of national and international theater festivals.

Biography
Axionov was born in Minsk, to father Max Fishman    and mother Lidia Axionova. At age 5 he moved to Kishinyov, now Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. He attended schools No. 3, 5, 41, 4. He began taking part in sports at the age of 14, was by track coach Evgeniy Zybchenko, who recommended he tries hurdling. He became the 1963 - 1966 national champion in the 200-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Since 1965 Axionov studied at the Moldova State Institute of Arts and the Leningrad University of Theater, Music and Cinematography, then continued his studies in Moscow at the Maria Knebel's Laboratory of Directing,  in higher director's courses and an internship at the Mossovet Theater with Pavel Chomsky in Moscow. From 1969 to 1973 he worked as an actor and director assistant in Tiraspol. From 1973 to 2006 he worked as an actor and director in Kishinyov. From 1969 to 2006 simultaneously with working in the theater Axionov appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in Moldova and was involved in several TV projects about culture, theater, and literature as an actor, and interviewer. He had great success with his show where he was the presenter of the children's TV program "Ugodayka" (Guessing game), in the role of a cheerful, cunning, funny and all-knowing clown "Ugodayka". Axionov has made appearances on a variety of television shows as the host of actual satirical television programs "Arichul" (Hedgehog) and "Arichul's Shop". From 1976 to 2000 he was a regular figure of the TV program "Theater of Miniatures", as an actor and director. Many years directors actively filmed him in commercials. In 1984 Băno Axionov was awarded a badge of honor «Excellent Worker of Culture». From 1971 to 1985 he was a drama teacher at the Moldovan State Institute of Arts. In 1991, he was awarded with the title Honored Artist of the Republic of Moldova. In 2006, the book "Theater Beno Axionov" was published in Moldova. Since 2007 Beno Axionov lives in Karlsruhe, Germany. He has been working as an independent director and theater teacher, he has taught and conducted master classes, and given lectures on the history and culture of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Axionov has written plays and staged them as director in Moldova and Germany.

Selected roles and productions in the theater
He has more than 200 stage roles. Among his works: Alexander Ostrovsky «It's a Family Affair-We'll Settle It Ourselves» - (Rispolozhensky's role), Anton Chekhov «The Witch» - (Gykin's role), Eugène Marin Labiche «The Italian Straw Hat» - (Fadinard's role), Anton Chekhov «A Marriage Proposal» - (Lomov's role),  Romanian folklore «Făt-Frumos» - (the title role), Richard Brinsley Sheridan «The Duenna» - (Isaac Mendoza's role), Alexander Ostrovsky «Jokers» -  (Obroshenov's role), Charles Perrault  «Puss in Boots» - (the title role), Friedrich Schiller «Mary Stuart» -  (Mortimer's role), Evgeny Schwartz «Two maples» - (Baba Yaga's role), Aldo Nicolaj «Celestino Viola's career» - (the title role), Charine and Giovanni, musical «A Married Idyll» - (Zanni's role, Mother's role, Taxi Driver's role, Conductor's role, Family Friend's role, Doctor's role, Policeman's role, Sea Captain's role, Dancer's role), Tudor Mușatescu «Titanic Waltz» - (Spirache Necșulescu's role), Anton Chekhov «The Seagull» (Medvedenko's role), Molière «The School for Wives» - (Molière's role and Alain's role), Grigori Gorin «Memorial prayer» – based on the works of Sholom Aleichem - (Menahem-Mendl's role), Albert Camus «Caligula» - (Cherea's role), Alexander Ostrovsky «Bankrupt» - (Rispolozhensky's role). From an article "Paradoxes of the profession", newspaper Nezavisimaya Moldova October 13, 2004, by Vitalii Țapeș, professor, doctor of Philosophy, people's artist of Moldova:"'Băno Axionov has undoubtedly become one of the brightest and biggest stars of our theatre... By his disposition, way of existence and self-expression he is both a skomorokh and a comedian, a clown and a tragedian. He is always different, complicated, sometimes uncomfortable and unpredictable, but always bright and very kind... He created a lot of wonderful characters: comic, tragicomic and tragic...'" He has staged over than 60 performances: «King Matt the First» by Janusz Korczak, «Luise Miller» by Friedrich Schiller, «Ladies and Gentlemen» stories by Anton Chekhov, « Pages from Egmont» by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ludwig van Beethoven, «The Robbers» by Friedrich Schiller, «The Human Voice» by Jean Cocteau, «Book of Songs» by Heinrich Heine, «Just a heart...»  by Marina Tsvetaeva, musical «The Mystery of Mother Elderberry» by Hans Christian Andersen, «Life and Songs» by Rainer Maria Rilke, «Puss in Boots» by Charles Perrault, «Nothing in me will forget about this» by Itzhak Katzenelson, Elie Wiesel, Hannah Szenes, «Stop the Plane - I'll Get Off» by Efraim Sevela, «The Suicide» by Nikolai Erdman, «Love and hatred» by Victor Hugo, «The Tale of Tsar Saltan» by Alexander Pushkin, «Diary of a Madman» by Nikolai Gogol,  «Trouble from a tender heart» by Vladimir Sollogub, «Another Man's Wife and a Husband Under the Bed» by Fyodor Dostoevsky

From an article in the book «Băno Axionov Theater» by Mihai Munteanu, professor, people's artist of the USSR "Băno Axionov is certainly the greatest representative of Russian dramatic art in our country... The performances, he directed, captivate, charm and make the spectators delve into and see the performance from the inside, feel the significant phenomena of modern life. They agitate both thoughts and feelings, at the same time leaving wonderful sensations of touching the beautiful"

Selected filmography
Beno Axionov participated as an actor in 20 movies:
 * 1964: Robin Hood (Tsentrnauchfilm) – Bill.
 * 1976: Mark Twain vs... (Moldova-Film) – Crook, saloon regular.
 * 1979: And the day will come... (Moldova-Film, 2nd episode) – Journalist.
 * 1979: Hello, I have arrived (Moldova-Film) – Engineer.
 * 1979: Emissary of the Foreign Center (Moldova-Film) – Agent.
 * 1980: Big, Little War (Moldova-Film) – Makhnovist.
 * 1993: Train to California (The Favorite, Eolis-film) – Grigenaru.
 * 1995: The Lower Depths based on the play by Maxim Gorky (Moldova 1, 6 episodes) – The Tatar.
 * 1999: The Return of the Titanic (Cinema space, 2 episodes) – Pavlik.
 * 2000: Anthology of Jokes (Moldova Studio) – Electrician.
 * 2019: Who Is Next?, according to Anton Chekhov's story "Surgery" (Germersheim Film Studio) – Grandfather.