It was not possible to leave Sovremennik in English - all sorts of versions of Elena Yakovleva's unexpected act were exaggerated everywhere. Perhaps the only one who remained silent and refused to comment was Elena herself. She promised to tell the truth later - "when the time comes."
Now the actress is almost impossible to find in Moscow. Easier, for example, in the USA, Canada, Israel. Or you dial a number: "I'm in Yakutia, I'll be such and such." You call exactly on the appointed day and hour: "I changed the schedule, I urgently fly to Krasnoyarsk." And so for several months. Washington, Philadelphia, Toronto, Minsk, Kyiv... A year has passed, but how to catch her, elusive? Lucky: in Moscow, Elena plays in the private performance "Paper Marriage", and our meeting took place.
Elena, literally the day after your departure, they didn’t write anything: “a black cat ran between you and artistic director Galina Volchek”, “competitors finally ate you to play your roles in Five Evenings”, “We Play .... Schiller", "Pygmalion", "Murlin Murlo"...
- (Interrupts.) You know, even now I don’t want to stir up this topic for one simple reason: finally everything calmed down, and - thank God! Well, they said what they wanted, and they said. Maybe out of desperation, maybe they were afraid that I would tell why what happened happened ... Of course, when they lie, it's unpleasant, but it's on their conscience. People who know me, who are in the know, know the truth very well.
You are the first year in your career - outside the stationary theater. Can you list all the pros and cons of a new life?
Elena Yakovleva: I don't see any cons yet. Of course, I miss the "home" that is no longer there, the people who are still dear to me. But, firstly, now there is no such insane oppression of the monthly repertoire, and secondly, it seems to me that this year I have healed my nerves so decently. (Laughs) Now I have the freedom of choice, I can change my schedule as I want. And most importantly, I'm in a great mood all the time. For example, an old dream came true recently - I visited Kamchatka. I flew in a helicopter over active volcanoes, they gave me a tour of the valley of geysers - I got such a pleasure .... I saw a live bear! A giant-sized brown bear came right at me...
Probably saw: bah, Elena Yakovleva herself granted ...
And I told him: "Hi, old man!" (Laughs.)
And then he faints...
It was something like this ... There are reserved places: the fish just jumps into their hands, there are thermal springs around, hills, some kind of incredibly clean, untouched by civilization wildlife... And what mosquitoes, my God?! Wow, such! (Shows - with a meter!) When I flew away from there, by God, I almost burst into tears. Honestly, I didn't want to leave.
You once said that you didn’t have a chance to become an actress initially. Dad was a military man, and all your childhood and youth were spent in military garrisons, where, of course, there were no theaters ... And even before entering theater university you didn't play any part.
Elena Yakovleva: Yes it is. But on TV, I reviewed all the performances, which, by the way, were shown quite often then. I watched them, one might say, avidly. It probably started from there. I also read poems at all festive evenings. Teachers were praised, called "actress". In a word, I really wanted to go on stage. But she was afraid to go to Moscow, besides, there was no extra money in the family. Therefore, she went to work in the library, at the same time she studied as a cartographer. But inside something still sits something so incomprehensible, itchy - just no strength to endure. I think: we should still go to the theater ...
In your collection of awards and titles - for the "Best female role in the film "Heart Is Not a Stone" at the Shanghai festival, "Best Actress" of the Rome Festival for her role in the film "Ladder" ... I'm not talking about "Intergirl", which received many prizes, including the Prize of the Tokyo Film Forum. How did you feel when you became popular?
Elena Yakovleva: Do you want to tell me your first impressions? In the 1990s, Intergirl and I were sent to the film market in Cannes. On this trip, I was dressed up with the whole theater. Vyacheslav Zaitsev took out his coolest suits from stocks, said: “In this you can go to a cocktail party. In this - to a social event ...” Galina Borisovna Volchek took off her jewelry and gave it to me. And that's how they lay in my bag, they remained - I never went anywhere. I remember when I came back from there, do you know what I did? burst into tears! From humiliation. From a very unpleasant feeling that the Goskino officials left you as the last ... First they settled in some kind of "serpentine" hostel for students on the embankment. Then one of them moved me to some kind of "Hilton-Schmilton", gave strict instructions that I should not stick out. And they forgot me there. No per diems, not a cent in my pocket. At the same time, they themselves lived in luxury hotels, enjoyed life to the fullest.
So we started talking about trips, and I remembered another story. We went to the festival in Tokyo with Peter Efimovich Todorovsky. We were well received there! When all the events were over and we had to fly away, the Japanese asked us to return tickets in order to participate in the closing of the festival. And I couldn’t stay - I have a performance in Moscow. "Don't worry, we'll get you on time." And instead of the Aeroflot plane, with seats near the toilet, when people go, roughly speaking, to urinate and ask for an autograph (that's how we flew to Japan), I was sent back by the Tokyo-Moscow-London flight. Of course, I will remember this flight for the rest of my life! There is a shower on board, and almost all the cuisines of the world are on the menu. You open the drawer, and there is a small beautiful Japanese toothbrush, toothpaste. Everything and everything: slippers and kimonos... I flew like a queen on the second floor of this not even an airplane, but rather an "aero castle", with a prize in my hands, happy, happy, and I managed to do it just in time for the beginning of the performance. Fiction! These two trips in my life are like heaven and earth.
I always thought that Japan was a puritanical country, and they dared to invite you to star in their version of Playboy!
Elena Yakovleva: I really received such an offer during the Tokyo Film Festival. And I want to note that the Japanese publish pictures with erotic elements, but without nudity. There is a maximum that can be frank - a neckline, for example.
Why did they refuse?
Elena Yakovleva: Pyotr Efimovich Todorovsky then said: "Len, this is Playboy. No need ..." And, to be honest, I myself was a little scared. Since then in the USSR there was no sex, but here ... "a magazine for men." As far as I know, as a result, Natalya Negoda withdrew.
By Soviet times the script of "Intergirl" was extremely frivolous, the film turned out to be bold. Nevertheless, both the "sex symbol" and other erotic labels "bypassed" you, although there was a great reason.
Elena Yakovleva: I don't think I have this gift. And as for labels... You know how we do it, don't we? Everyone tells me that I am the Russian Meryl Streep. Well, just Meryl Streep, and that's it! Let's say you are interviewing, and I, without any ulterior motive, with irony, talk about it. I'll say this three or four times, and the fifth one will take it and write: "I asked the Russian Meryl Streep ..." Label! And you put it on yourself.
Recently shown documentary taken for your anniversary. Your partners and partners spoke such warm words about you...
Elena Yakovleva: By and large, I am a happy artist! Because in general I don’t have such “oh, I wouldn’t want to meet her (or him)” about any actor with whom I have ever worked. And I was lucky for men right from a deep youth. For example, one of my first paintings is "The Flight of a Bird". There - Avtandil Makharadze ("Repentance"), Efremov Sr. ... A handsome man - in the very juice, with his velvety eyes that bewitch women, with some kind of insane ability to look at women like that, that really everything inside turns over.
So it's not a legend? Did he really have a magical effect on women?
Elena Yakovleva: And how! It would seem, take any photo of him: well, what - a man and a man, even a little clumsy. Definitely not a playboy. (Laughs.) And - an incredible sea of charm! Then I had a partner - Yura Bogatyrev, whom I generally adore. Or Rodion Nakhapetov, and even before leaving for America - another handsome man. Innokenty Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky, with whom we not only filmed a lot, but also talked a lot in everyday life. And now what are my partners ...
You have been promoting the bright image of a Russian detective for so many years. Surely at home keep an award personalized pistol, the crust "Honorary Worker of the Ministry of Internal Affairs", major's shoulder straps ...
Elena Yakovleva: No, no, no, none of that. Weird. I myself am surprised. But ordinary people congratulate me on Police Day. You walk down the street on November 10, and almost every second person says: "Happy holiday, comrade major!"
It is clear that "Intergirl" and "Kamenskaya" are the first things that come to mind when Elena Yakovleva is mentioned. What picture do you consider your business card?
Elena Yakovleva: If I didn’t go to creative meetings, then, probably, I would agree that these two. But it turns out that the audience remembers and loves many other films. For example, "Anchor, more anchor!". Very often they remember "Education of cruelty in women and dogs", "Flight of a bird" ... It turns out that they left some kind of imprint in people's memory. I remember one woman thanking me so much for the film "Retro Threesome": they say that my heroine helped her avoid a serious life mistake. That is... Here! Therefore, as such a "seasoned actress", I will answer very banally: my "calling card" is yet to come! (Laughs.)
Your husband Valery Shalnykh, with whom you have been living side by side for more than half a century, also left Sovremennik almost after you. Out of solidarity?
Elena Yakovleva: I think there is another reason. It's hard for him. In general, it’s hard to leave the theater where he worked for 38 years ... But leaving Sovremennik to nowhere is his decision. While he is looking.
Your son Denis has been raving about paleontology since childhood, then he was engaged in karate, horseback riding, wrote novels, acted in films ... What is he doing now?
Elena Yakovleva: Now Denis has completed the third year of the Institute of Television and Radio, directing department. Finished something, but recently put me and Valera before the fact that he wants to take a time out and leave the institute for a year. He explained this by saying that he wants to work this year for film set- anyone. The main thing for him is to decide how he ultimately sees his future.
Once, when asked what Elena Yakovleva wants as a woman, you said, “What I want consists of a million tiny “I want.” What does today's “free bird” want?
Elena Yakovleva: First of all, I want Denis to finally decide what he will do during this year, which he decided to spend in an adult way. Then at once a lot of my "want" little ones will disappear. I want Valera to end not the most successful period in her life. I believe everything will be fine. If nothing interesting happens at all, then we - two not the worst artists - will find a third, fourth, make some good performance and we will ride with him.
And for herself, her beloved, what does Elena Yakovleva want?
Elena Yakovleva: And that nothing changes. That's how this year has gone, so let it go on. True, if it gets even better - I will not refuse!
Two versions.Elena Yakovleva has filed a letter of resignation from the Moscow Sovremennik Theatre. This was reported to ITAR-TASS by Evgenia Kuznetsova, assistant artistic director of the theater for the literary part. The actress believes that Sovremennik did not take good care of her professional development, Kuznetsova explained. The last premiere with the participation of Yakovleva was the play "Five Evenings" in 2006. However, according to Kuznetsova, this was only “a formal reason - for five years the actress refused three roles. Having written a letter of resignation, Yakovleva promised to play all the performances until the end of the season. However, on June 5, 7 and 11, replacements were played. with Galina Volchek, Yakovleva confirmed that her resignation remains in force, but promised not to let the producer of the tour in Yekaterinburg and play all four performances there. However, due to health reasons, she could not take part in them. Since the actress is sick, the theater management does not consider it possible to sign an unrevoked statement until Yakovleva recovers," the artistic director's assistant concluded. | Elena Yakovleva survived from Sovremennik In early June, the media disseminated information that the actress had lost her voice, which caused the theater's tour in several cities to be disrupted. Then, on the forum of the Sovremennik Theater website, a message appeared that Elena Yakovleva had written a letter of resignation. Performances with the participation of the actress began to be replaced by others, and the theater administration said: "The replacement is associated with a serious illness of the people's artist, as a result of which she completely lost her voice." |
More talk
Valery SHALNYKH, Elena's husband and stage colleague, is very worried about her.
“Two years ago, Galina Volchek was actively talking about the need to change generations in her theater,” artist Yevgeny Gerchakov admitted to me. - Then Kvasha and Gaft just got sick. She began calling me to work. But on reflection, I declined. I listened to the opinion of my colleagues that Sovremennik is a female terrarium of like-minded people. I remember Liya Akhedzhakova complaining to me: “I am not Volchek's favorite. She can do anything with me, despite my popularity and titles. You have to keep an eye out for her. It’s Neelova, everything is possible with us, but not for me. ” Previously, Volchek loved Yakovlev, put a lot on her, but, apparently, over time, Lena became uninteresting to her. By the way, she didn’t let Lenochka celebrate her anniversary, and she didn’t let Lidia Ivanova either.
Alena BABENKO at the head of the department in favor
For more than 20 years, the actress Maria Selyanskaya, the daughter of Evgeny Evstigneev, who was once the husband of Volchek, has been working in Sovremennik. Of course, Selyanskaya knows firsthand about all the intrigues within the team. She also connected Yakovleva's departure with her quarrel with Galina Borisovna.
- The conflict happened before my eyes, - said Maria. - It was just a rehearsal. Lena found out that many new performances were being prepared for staging, but she was nowhere to be found. So I wrote a statement in my heart. Unfortunately, Galina Borisovna does not value anyone! I do not think that Yakovleva will change her mind and return to the theater.
By the way, in 1986, Elena Alekseevna already left Sovremennik for a while and worked at the Theater. Yermolova. But three years later she returned. Now there are rumors that Yakovlev may be called to the Theater. Vakhtangov. Sergey Makovetsky is allegedly ready to provide patronage there.
These rumors are nonsense! - commented the artist.
In fact, at the Theater Vakhtangov, only graduates of the Shchukin school work. It is unlikely that for the sake of Elena, who graduated from GITIS, this law will be forgotten.
- Most likely, Lena will be a free artist, - says Selyanskaya. - She takes off a lot and will not be left without a piece of bread.
VOLCHEK conducts a tough personnel policy following the example of Oleg Efremov, with whom he created Sovremennik together
Many did not believe that you would return to Sovremennik - you left so decisively with your husband. How did it happen that you returned?
Firstly, I have returned so far only to this performance. I was persuaded by Galina Borisovna Volchek and Marina Mstislavovna Neelova. Perhaps they conspired to lure me onto this ship called the Sovremennik?
Honestly, I'm returning for the first time - and then for the role of Mary Stuart and thanks to the persuasion of Galina Borisovna, who did a lot for me. For the sake of any other performance, I would have thought well whether to return or not. Leaving the theater, I most of all regretted that I would not play the Queen of Scots. Probably, if you really want something, then it turns out. I really, really missed Mary.
What did Rimas Tuminas say about your return?
Rimas was at rehearsals, gave us instructions, but did not evaluate anything. Maybe he will say after the premiere.
And what kind of rosary do you have in your hands?
Before the premiere in 2000, this rosary was presented to me by Rimas Tuminas. He brought them from the Baltic States and, as it were, blessed me with them. I kept the rosary, and now they are useful to me for the role.
Elizabeth is reasonable, cold, and Mary is impulsive, passionate. What temperament do you prefer?
I don't know about passion. Elizabeth, in my opinion, is a more passionate person than Mary, she just hid all her impulses, put a taboo on them. I'm closer to Maria. Persistence is not my thing. Not a single thing that I started in my life was ever completed. I quit everything as soon as I get bored. I do not have a single hobby, because I can neither collect nor systematize, nor multiply, nor get anything.
Have you changed in these seven years?
Every day something changes. And there is hope that this new one will make Maria in my performance even more beloved by the public.
What were your feelings when you returned to Sovremennik?
We hug each other, kiss, miss each other very much. It feels like those seven years never happened. But I repeat - "Mary Stuart" - a special case. We often lose something, gain something, sometimes there are no acquisitions without losses. But if this is yours, the present, given from above, then the return is inevitable.
You said you don't have a hobby. What do you love?
Lying on the couch with a book in hand. Fortunately, my husband does not drive me off the couch and does not require anything. Our long and prosperous marriage is a lucky coincidence, not my merit. Yes, and Valera is not my first husband, which also refutes the myth of my constancy. It so happened that he finds the strength and desire to endure me and my antics for so long. It looks like I'm so white and fluffy, but in life, believe me, it's far from sugar.
Nikolai Lebedev, with whom you starred in the film The Crew, is starting to film the adaptation of the novel The Master and Margarita. If he offered you the role, would you take it?
I can hardly refuse such beautiful person like Nikolai Lebedev. Although I don’t think there are roles for me there.
REFERENCE
Elena Yakovleva - theater and film actress, People's Artist of Russia. She graduated from GITIS, after which she became the leading actress of the Sovremennik Theater. She starred in the films "Intergirl", "Black Square", "New Christmas Trees" and other films. In 2011, she left Sovremennik, and now she has returned as a guest actress.
In Omsk, Yakovleva told why she left Sovremennik
People's Artist of Russia Elena Yakovleva almost burst into tears, telling the people of Omsk about true reasons leaving the theater, which gave more than two decades. During a creative meeting of Omsk viewers with People's Artist Russia Elena Yakovleva the actress was asked about the reasons for her departure from the Sovremennik Theatre. Yakovleva admitted that she had not yet given any interviews about this, but only listened to what they were saying about her. “Fortunately, I am not friends with the Internet, because there, they say, they write something terrible in general,” says the actress. - Well, God bless them. I left for one simple reason. For many, many years since 1984 there have been the same performances. And I wanted something new. When I met Galina Volchek, then told her that I was 50 years old, and I was playing a girl, and asked me to give me some fresh play. Galina Borisovna answered me that she could not find such a play, and this has been the case for the past four years. I think: “Well, as much as possible,” and decided to leave. In order to give yourself all the time completely, you need to take something from somewhere, accumulate something. And I realized that in Sovremennik I can’t take anything from anywhere. I honestly told Galina Borisovna about this, and I hope she understood this. “I realized that I have such a condition that I can rush anywhere, and took a break for myself,” continues Elena Yakovleva. – I said that until December I would not consider any proposals, but I would just read plays and think. Next time you need to plunge not with a hot head and prove something to someone. I'll just find a good play, a good director, and maybe get on stage again. “At the last performance of Pygmalion, I fell backstage,” says Yakovleva. - The leg fell into a hole in front of the last, most main stage. I flew into the darkness, and there, it turns out, there was a winch. I finished the performance, but then it turned out that I had two severed ribs. Then, on this basis, she did not finish her performance in the theater. I wanted, of course, to finish the game and leave quietly, calmly, but it happened. They say that I went to the Vakhtangov Theater, and the artists from the Moscow Art Theater seem to be worried, and Lenkom too. But I won't do anything for a long time. I may not go to any theater, but simply agree to play some kind of performance. I gave everything to the theatre.
This story begins on May 26 - it was on this day that the actress filed a letter of resignation. Her step shocked both the management and the artists. Theater director Leonid Erman at that time was sure that these were “difficulties of character, a difficult moment of age”, and so on. Moreover, Sovremennik remembers that a few years ago (now already in the last century) Elena Yakovleva went to the Yermolovsky Theater for a season to Valery Fokin (now heads the St. Petersburg Alexandrinka and the Moscow Meyerhold Center). But she returned to Chistye Prudy and recalled this as an absurd act of her life.
And here is the new treatment. Like any conflict situation, it is like a tangle in which no ends can be found. There were no obvious, conspicuous and discussed reasons in the troupe. Yes, while on tour in London, Lena complained to me that she had not had new roles for a long time, that although she plays brilliantly, she still plays the old repertoire. “The last premiere I had was in 2005 - “Five Evenings”, and what do I have? “- she reasoned behind the scenes of the theater in the West End, where she flew to “ The Cherry Orchard” and was a huge success with the London public. Not to mention compatriots living in the British capital.
On the one hand, it's true. But there is another truth - sides artistic director responsible for creative destiny(including employment) of each actor and the troupe as a whole. Galina Borisovna Volchek believes that the claims of her actress are not entirely justified. At the beginning of the season, she was offered a big role in the play, which is considered the “bomb” of this season, “Enemies. Love Story” based on Singer directed by Israeli director Yevgeny Arye. But Elena refused, and, from my personal point of view, it was her mistake. Now the role of the Pole Jadwiga is played by Alena Babenko. In addition, Yakovleva did not accept other plays proposed for her consideration - perhaps she did not see herself in this dramaturgy.
Whatever it was, but the resentment swelled - and, it seems to me, the last point for her was the injury that she received at the play "Pygmalion", in which she has been working with brilliance since 1995. In the darkness behind the scenes, she ran into a board, which inexplicably ended up in the backstage space, which Yakovleva knows by millimeters with eyes closed. As a result, she received a severe blow to the chest, she even underwent surgery.
So from the details, which, perhaps, at another time no one would attach special significance, there were layers of misunderstanding, disagreements. Maybe it was worth trying to find out the relationship between them from the very beginning, but ... The last straw from the position of the theater management was the tour in Yekaterinburg - more precisely, the failed tour. And they were forced to cancel them when the tickets were sold (“Sovremennik” in the city was loved and expected) due to Yakovleva’s illness.
I'm trying to contact Lena by phone.
- I'm on the set.
- Lena, your departure from Sovremennik - maybe this is an emotional outburst?
- No, not in a fever. This is a conscious step. I won't comment on anything.
- No, I'm not crying, I have a runny nose, there are air conditioners, I caught a cold.
— I'm sorry, but does this mean that you will go to another theater? For example, in Vakhtangov, which everyone is talking about in connection with you.
- No, it's funny.
“And yet you have already received offers?”
- There were, and, oddly enough, a lot.
— What are you doing now?
- I'm filming. I have two paintings - "Mommies" and "Beetles".
So, when does the season open? Maybe you should take a time-out for a year - the situation is so difficult, maybe you should take a break?
- I have scripts, maybe I'll choose something for the fall. Sorry, my name is already.
This is not just a case. This, I am sure, is a real drama - both for the beautiful actress Elena Yakovleva, for Galina Volchek, and for the troupe. In any case, all the actors with whom I spoke (for example, Olga Drozdova, Marina Aleksandrova, Sergey Yushkevich), in different words, but in one voice say that they are infinitely bitter, sad.
Olga Drozdova:- I do not think that there are people who would be happy in the theater of her departure. Everyone is sorry.
- Do you think reconciliation is possible between the actress and the artistic director? And in general, if you are all so sorry, did you try to influence somehow, to talk?
— Yes, they tried, but, obviously, they missed the time. What about reconciliation? I think everything is possible.
Elena Yakovleva also categorically answered the same question: “No comment.”