Many of you are probably familiar with Alexei Tolstoy's novel "Walking Through Torments" or its adaptation, where one of the characters is Mammoth Viktorovich Dalsky, depicted as a daring robber and adventurer. In Tolstoy's version, the hero dies from a shot by an old acquaintance, but in reality, his death was different. Let's delve into the details.

Mammoth was born on September 2, 1865, in the Kharkov province into a noble family, received a good education, and had talent. His parents envisioned him as a lawyer, but he unexpectedly dropped out of university and decided to become an actor. By 1886, he joined Vorontsov's troupe and began performing on the stage of the popular Vilnov Theater.

Starting his acting career, Dalsky quickly achieved success and received an invitation to the Moscow New Theater of Elizabeth Goreva. He justified the trust placed in him and became one of the most famous actors in Moscow. Roles in plays by Pushkin and Schiller brought him initial fame, and leading theaters in Russia, including the Maly and Alexandrinsky theaters, began to invite him. Ultimately, he chose the Alexandrinsky Theater, where the chief director awaited him.

On March 8, 1890, Mammoth debuted on the stage of one of the best Russian theaters and soon was overwhelmed with new roles, from Chatsky in "Woe from Wit" to Hamlet and Othello in Shakespeare's plays. He always gave his all and strived for new achievements, but over time, his fame waned, and new roles were not offered. In 1900, he left the stage, attempted to create his own theater, but only occasionally reminded people of himself. In 1916, he stopped acting and, after the February Revolution, became interested in anarchism.

After the Bolsheviks came to power, Mammoth was arrested by the Cheka but was soon released. On June 21, 1918, he headed towards Shalyapin and, jumping onto the step of a tram, fell unsuccessfully. He could have died on stage or perished on the barricades, but his life tragically ended under the wheels of a tram. Thus ended the journey of the legendary actor, who never managed to find himself outside the theatrical stage.