[5] During school years he thought of getting into a medical institute to become a surgeon, but later he changed his mind and decided to enter the Faculty of Law of the Volga Region Academy of Public Service.

This evening a variety of games and competitions were held and Smirnov noticed Maksim, gave him Valentina's phone number and forcefully urged to try his luck in the theater department.

Maksim attempted to pass entrance examinations in two universities at once: the Academy of Civil Service and in the theater department of the Saratov Conservatory.

He has an extensive list of leading roles on the Moscow Art Theatre stage: "The Drunks" - Laurence; "The Last Sacrifice" - Dulchin; "The Karamazovs" - Perkhotin, Miusov, Expert, Professor, Pathologist; "An Ideal Husband.

In the Moscow Theatre managed by Oleg Tabakov: "Wolves and Sheep" - Appolon Murzavetsky; "The Devil" - Yevgeny Ivanovich Irtenev.