According to experts, our home environments play a decisive role in the development of our personalities. This can be said for Egor Kas, whose parents have always been invested in culture. Therefore, it is no surprise that even from an early age, he began to develop remarkable artistic skills. The twenty-year-old Russian, studying Communication and Digital Media at IE University, is passionate about all things literature, photography, cinema, and, above all, theater.
“From a young age I have always had a creative spirit instilled in me,” he proudly recalls. Perhaps he is thinking of the days when, as a young boy, Egor would go with his father to the theater in his hometown of Stavropol, located in the southwest of Russia. Back in his home country, he enjoyed attending classical music and jazz concerts, as well as a number of theatrical productions. “I remember how those visits to the theater used to make me so happy. I used to laugh a lot, too, as I looked around at everyone enjoying themselves.”
This “cultural education,” which was planted nearly five thousand miles away from Segovia, is already bearing its fruit: Egor is a very active student on campus, always eager to take part in the next artistic or cultural activity. Currently, he is one of the leaders of the Theater Club, a group of students that is putting on a play to be performed next year on IE’s campus. There are already around fifty students interested in taking part.
Egor opened up to us about his family. In particular, his mother, who is always busy thinking about how to advance his creative development, and his sister, a bright literature student. When he was ten years old, his family moved to Valencia, where Egor studied at the prestigious British school, Caxton College. There, he began to make his first steps towards becoming an actor and became involved in student performances. He soon discovered his vocation for theater, namely an interest in performing. He also loved to work backstage and to take part in organizing productions.
At IE University, Egor had a leading role in the play “Memorias de la Rosa y el León.” Performed by IE students this year in the Aula Magna, over thirty students of nearly twenty different nationalities were involved in this production. “I played an evil character and although I consider myself a versatile actor, it makes no difference to me if I act in a dramatic or a comedic role,” he laughs. It was a huge success and a similar experience will be offered again next year. For now, Egor is keeping his upcoming roles under wraps, suggesting that now is not the right time to reveal anything.
“Would you like to be a professional actor?” I ask. “I see theater as a hobby. However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to study it professionally; in life, you never know where you may end up. My mother is insisting that I go to the United States to train. She believes I have a real talent for acting.”
Egor knows what it takes to become an actor: “First and foremost, an actor has to be humble, put in a lot of work, and train very hard.” The young Russian referenced Tom Hanks as his inspiration, one of Hollywood’s most renowned actors. “From dramatic to comedic roles, he can do it all.” Ever since a young age, Hanks has been Egor’s idol and he believes that he has probably seen “Saving Private Ryan” about fifteen times.
Photography
In Segovia, Egor is in the third year of his Communication and Digital Media degree. Here, he has also been able to unleash another great passion of his: photography. His love for photos stems from when his mother gave him a camera as a child. Since then, he has not been able to put it down. “Segovia is a wonderful place to photograph, you can capture a lot of wonderful images of its nature, streets, and monuments. In particular, I love the Alcázar. It’s a fairytale castle.”
Egor has nearly five thousand photographs in his portfolio. “When will we be able to see an exhibition?” I ask. He stopped talking and answered with overwhelming humility: “I suppose I have around twenty or thirty photos that I actually consider to be good.” I know he has many more.
Along with photography, another of his hobbies is cinema. “At the moment, I am trying to find an internship with platforms such as HBO or Netflix. The phenomenon of TV shows, which is developing as we speak, fascinates me,” he says.
Egor has fully immersed himself into life in Segovia. “I love this city and it saddens me that there are people who do not appreciate its full charm.” Egor’s favorite part of the city has to be an elevated area called El Pinarillo, which is close to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Fuencisla. There you have a stunning view of the Alcázar. What he does not like as much are Segovia’s frigid winter temperatures. “Even though I was born in Russia, I am half Valencian, which is why I don’t like the cold,” he concludes smiling.