Childhood and youth
Oleg Maratovich Vasilkov was born in May 1970 in Voronezh into a simple family where there was no one from the world of art. His parents worked as engineers. Oleg, like most of his peers, loved going to the movies. At that time, young people did not spend 24 hours a day on social networks, so cinema and sports were the main outlets.
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Actor Oleg Vasilkov
As a child, at the insistence of his father, the boy began attending the classical wrestling section, but soon abandoned training, replacing it with hockey. The grandfather had a great influence on the development of his grandson. He taught Oleg to fishing and birding. The second hobby, according to the artist, has been his passion for 9 years. A simple guy had no dream of becoming an actor. Oleg Vasilkov considered the prospect of “getting on TV” to be as “realistic” as becoming an astronaut.
However, fate sometimes presents amazing gifts, making the fairy tale come true. This happened with Vasilkov. After serving in the army, he returned home and wondered which way to go next. Everything was decided by itself when one of his friends approached Oleg, offering to try his hand at cinema.
Oleg Vasilkov in his youth (still from the film “One Hundred Days Before the Order”)
When asked if Vasilkov wanted to act in a movie, he answered in the affirmative, although he did not really believe in the success of this venture. This is how the guy ended up on the set of the film “One Hundred Days Before the Order” based on the work of the same name by Yuri Polyakov. After the audition, Oleg Vasilkov was not only accepted into the project, but also entrusted with one of the main roles, which aspiring actors can only dream of.
He appeared on screen with such masters of Russian cinema as Armen Dzhigarkhanyan and Vladimir Zamansky. Thus, Oleg Vasilkov managed to quickly break into the world of cinema, without having behind him not only an acting education, but even a theater club at school. When the film came out on the big screens, Oleg Vasilkov no longer wondered what he should do next. In the same 1990, he took the documents to VGIK and immediately entered. He studied in the workshop of Sergei Solovyov.
Oleg Vasilkov: the beginning of an acting career
To be honest, Oleg did not really hope that he would be hired to shoot a new film. But imagine his surprise when director Hussein Erkenov not only took him to star in his film, but also entrusted him with one of the main roles! The young man was in seventh heaven! Without ever acting even in episodes, he began to act on a par with such stars as: Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Vladimir Zamansky, Marina Politsemaiko, Sergei Bystritsky, Pavel Stepanov and others.
The role in this film about the war immediately brought popularity to the actor. After filming, Oleg no longer thought about who to be, but submitted documents to VGIK. He was, of course, accepted, and Sergei Solovyov became Oleg’s personal mentor.
Oleg Vasilkov continued to act in films after university
After graduating from university, Vasilkov continued to act in films, but he only got minor roles. It was a difficult time for cinema back then; there was a catastrophic lack of budget. The actor received his first leading role in the film “Strange Time”. He played a young man with whom a middle-aged woman fell in love. She was presented in the film by Elena Mayorova. The film contained many sex scenes, fortunately the curtain of censorship was then slightly opened. At home, this film was not noted, while abroad it enjoyed great success and received awards at festivals.
Movies
The cinematic biography of Oleg Vasilkov, which quickly began in 1990 with the film “One Hundred Days Before the Order,” continued after graduating from theater school. But since it was the “dashing 90s”, the cinema found itself in a rather deplorable state. Almost no new projects were filmed; there was a catastrophic lack of money for expensive art. Vasilkov appeared in small episodes of low-budget one-day films.
Oleg Vasilkov (still from the film “Strange Time”)
In 1997, Oleg Vasilkov received an offer to play a starring role. It was a sensational film with explicit erotic scenes, “Strange Time.” Oleg Maratovich played a young man who is seduced by an experienced adult woman. Elena Mayorova starred as the heroine. The film was not appreciated in Russia, but it was a considerable success at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
The next bright episode in the artist’s career was a cameo role in the sequel to the cult film “Brother,” which was released in 2000. Two years later, the artist appeared in a cameo appearance in the Russian gangster saga “The Brigade,” which made Sergei Bezrukov, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Pavel Maykov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, and Ekaterina Guseva popular.
Oleg Vasilkov (still from the TV series “Brigade”)
Most often, Oleg Vasilkov appears in supporting roles or episodes. In most cases, viewers see the actor in the form of criminal characters. The performer of average height (168 cm) with a athletic figure organically got used to the images offered to him.
Oleg Maratovich himself has long come to terms with this state of affairs. With his characteristic humor, he says that visually he bears little resemblance to a nuclear physicist, so he quite calmly accepts the fact that directors most often offer him to portray bandits.
Oleg Vasilkov (still from the film “Flint”)
Oleg Vasilkov is loved by many viewers and directors. He is one of the favorites of director Alexei Mizgirev and appeared in several of his films. The most famous of them are “Flint”, “Tambourine, Drum” and “Convoy”.
In the latest project, Vasilkov brilliantly played a crazy army captain. This image is not only central in the film, but also one of the favorites in the artist’s repertoire. Although, according to Oleg Maratovich, this work turned out to be very difficult. The filming process sometimes lasted 14 hours a day and was extremely grueling, but the result was completely worth the effort.
Oleg Vasilkov (still from the TV series “Kotovsky”)
His most famous works in the 2000s were the paintings “March of the Slavic Woman” and “Palmist”. And in 2011, the actor appeared in three bright projects at once - “Burnt by the Sun - 2”, as well as the TV series “Witch Doctor-2” and “Kotovsky”, which were loved by many viewers.
Oleg Vasilkov's filmography is extensive. And even though the actor played leading roles in a few of the projects, this does not detract from his merits and talent. After all, it is often the supporting characters who create the general background, which, under a combination of different circumstances, brings success to the project. In this regard, how can one not recall the role of Fedka in Vladimir Khotinenko’s film novel “Demons,” which Vasilkov played masterfully, managing to deeply feel and embody the image of a murderer-convict.
Oleg Vasilkov (still from the film “Demons”)
In 2015, viewers saw their favorite artist in two films - the military drama film “The Battle of Sevastopol”, where he played Captain Makarov, and the crime series “Method”. In the latest project, Oleg Maratovich appeared in the image of a hero named Glukhoy, who helped investigator Rodion Meglin (Konstantin Khabensky) in his work. Both films received warm reviews from viewers and high marks from film critics.
A year later, the artist’s repertoire was replenished with a high-profile project - the series “Olga”, in which he played the role of the ex-husband of the main character (Yana Troyanova) and the father of her daughter Anya (Ksenia Surkova).
Actor Oleg Vasilkov told in Voronezh why his character was removed from “Olga”
Tomorrow, March 29, the comedy “President's Vacation” will be released in Russia. The main role in the film was played by the actor, our fellow countryman Oleg Vasilkov. Three days before the start of the film, the artist presented the film in Voronezh at the Luxor cinema (Arena shopping and entertainment complex).
Oleg Vasilkov is known to viewers for his roles in “Method”, “Olga”, “Demons”, “Battle for Sevastopol” and others. In total, the actor played in more than fifty films and TV series. In the comedy "President's Vacation" he got an unusual role. According to the plot, the Russian President is tired of living in the “fake reality” created by his employees, and decides to go on vacation to Crimea for a week. So that no one recognizes him, the head of state is given plastic makeup. However, the unlucky artist took as a sample a photo from a magazine, on the cover of which there was a photograph of the outcast Valera. Members of the presidential security guard took the real Valera under surveillance and gave him a luxurious holiday in a sanatorium, while the president went on a trip by car with his teacher Zina (actress Anna Tsukanova-Cott). During a trip along the M-4 Don highway, the president gets acquainted with real problems and listens to the opinions of ordinary people about power.
Filming took place in the summer of 2020 and lasted about 35 days. In addition to Vasilkov, Nastasya Samburskaya starred in the film, with Gosha Kutsenko and Dmitry Dibrov in the episodes. Before the reincarnation, Dmitry Grachev was invited to play the role of the president, who often plays Vladimir Putin in the Comedy Club due to his resemblance to the head of state. At a press conference in Voronezh, Oleg Vasilkov spoke about filming in Voronezh, preparing for the role and how traffic police officers mistook him for a “malicious offender.”
Actor Dmitry Grachev often plays Vladimir Putin in Comedy Club
— Oleg Maratovich, who was more difficult for you to play – Valera or the president?
— For some reason, director Ilya Sherstobitov was very worried about Valera. But I was ten times more worried when I played the president. Valera is a non-existent person, and the president is real. Before I accepted the role, I had my doubts. But curiosity won.
— How did you prepare for the role?
— There was no special training. I just watched everything related to officials more often. Well, I read the script several times, of course. In the image, I also took inspiration from Grachev, how he portrays the president, so that we would be similar.
— Were there any difficulties with other actors during filming?
- Not really. Anya just turned on the music loudly all the time. I then threw out her flash drive just during filming in Voronezh. I get into the car, and the music is blaring to such an extent that it’s a nightmare. And we communicated with Nastasya exclusively by text. I just remembered that she drank some special sparkling water.
— In “The President's Vacation,” according to the plot, the characters meet stereotypical characters - traffic police officers who take bribes, a priest who violates traffic rules... Have you ever met such characters in your life?
— There was a funny incident with the traffic cops. A long time ago I was returning from Crimea and overtaking at night through a continuous road. I was stopped. The traffic cop didn’t understand that I was an actor, he just thought my face was very familiar. He said I must be a habitual offender. He remembered some incident, stuck it on me and charged me twice the fine. And regarding the priest, I don’t really agree with the director. I saw a lot of priests, I went to different remote places that few people know about. And I have never met such priests as in our film. By the way, the first time I confessed was in Voronezh in a small church not far from the Chernavsky Bridge in the private sector.
— Your hero in the film, together with his teacher Zina, ends up in a Voronezh hospital, the conditions in which leave much to be desired. Have you ever encountered anything similar?
— Yes, in the glorious 90s I was admitted to Moscow Hospital No. 7 with a head injury. They took a picture of my back. And sitting next to him was a guy with a broken spine - they took off his head. It turned out that we are both healthy. It took another six days to figure out what was what. Then everything became clear, they took the right picture for me. After this incident I became disabled, and now I receive a pension. And I didn’t really go to the doctors anymore.
— Tell us how the filming went in Voronezh?
— We filmed in Voronezh for only two days, so I can’t remember any bright episodes. Everything went quickly. I remember the panoramic restaurant, where there was a small stage. I haven’t even been to such restaurants in Moscow.
Still from the film " President's Vacation". This episode was filmed in a Voronezh restaurant
— You lived in Voronezh for 18 years. Is there anything that connects you with the city now?
— Unfortunately, there are no relatives left in Voronezh. Sometimes I come to visit friends; I was there a week ago. The city is like a relative. The further childhood goes, the closer it is. I lived on the left bank next to the lake on Minskaya. Here I took a picture on my phone of the balcony of the apartment where I lived. There were, however, more swans before.
— There is often false information about you on the Internet and even fake news about your death. How do you feel about this?
- No way. Well, I'm a little afraid. It seems that the mind dictates that life will end in death, otherwise there will be no meaning in it. I am already a grown boy, many people my age have already begun to die. When your grandparents are alive, you’re kind of third in line and calm. And when there is no one left, you begin to think.
— Many people remember your character – the husband of the main character in the series “Olga”. Will he appear next season?
— My character won’t appear in “Olga” at all, because we quarreled with Yana Troyanova (plays Olga. - “Yo!” ) at the beginning of filming. She was playing around a lot, but I didn’t like it (Vasilkov decided to leave behind the scenes what kind of conflict arose between the actors. - “Yo!” ).
TO THE POINT:
The film "President's Vacation" attracted interest in Sweden
The film's producer Olga Andrianova, who also played the director of a sanatorium in Crimea, came to the presentation of the comedy "President's Vacation" in Voronezh. She said that the film was not financed by any government organizations, but was made with funds from the production house - the first full-length feature film about the current head of state. There is a lot of political and social humor in the film, and all the jokes are written very subtly.
“We tried to film with love for our homeland, to show that, despite some daily shortcomings, good things can happen,” says Olga. “We tried not to drag it anywhere.” When I watch a film, and I’ve seen it more than a dozen times, I myself don’t understand whether we are white or red. Somewhere towards the end it becomes clear who the Reds are. We left one scene in which teacher Zina’s father scolds the authorities, accusing them of corruption and the occupation of Crimea. And at the same time he says: “When I took a bottle of alcohol out of the institute, I was shaking, as if people were not ashamed to use stolen goods.” This shows how people have certain concepts that do not apply to themselves, although they easily apply them to others.
After the Russian release, the film “President's Vacation” is planned to be shown in the West. According to Olga Andrianova, the creators of the comedy have already been contacted by an independent cinema in Gothenburg, Sweden, where they want to show “The President’s Vacation” at the Russian Cinema Days.
Personal life
Oleg Vasilkov got married for the first time in his early youth, when he studied at VGIK. His wife was a student of the same university, Svetlana Bobkina. The union turned out to be short-term and childless. Later, Svetlana explained that this semi-childish romance could not have ended otherwise. As she says, “the young people met sweetly and parted just as sweetly.” After their separation, Bobkina quit acting and soon became known as the lead singer of the Strelki group Gera.
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Svetlana Bobkina, Oleg Vasilkov’s first wife
It must be said that Oleg Vasilkov’s personal life was not easy. In 1997, during the filming of the film “Strange Time,” Oleg Vasilkov met Elena Mayorova. Later, the relationship between the two film partners will be regarded by others as a passionate romance, which was interrupted by the tragic death of the artist.
But Vasilkov himself repeatedly emphasized in interviews that he had only friendly relations with Elena. The actress was going through a crisis in family relationships, and Oleg became for her the person to whom she could “cry into her vest” for hours. Vasilkov tried to court Mayorova, but she refused him, while maintaining friendly relations.
Oleg Vasilkov and Elena Mayorova (stills from the film “Strange Time”)
Soon Oleg Vasilkov married for the second time. His wife's name is Natalya, the couple lived together for 15 years. Vasilkov’s wife first worked as a casting director, then founded her own acting agency.
A daughter, Sofia, was born into the family. But the relationship ended when Oleg suspected his soulmate of cheating. He will later talk about this in the program “The Fate of a Man” with Boris Korchevnikov.
Program “Human Fate” - Oleg Vasilkov
In 2020, Oleg called Maria Tkacheva down the aisle. The third wife is also related to art - she is a director and makes TV series. Their wedding was modest, since the couple only needed to settle legal formalities due to Maria’s constant moves from her native Kyiv to Moscow. His wife is 14 years younger than Oleg; there are no children in their marriage yet.
Another hobby that Oleg carried through the years was collecting miniature steam locomotives. His interest in railway technology arose in childhood - his grandfather was a diesel locomotive driver. Today, the actor’s collection of vehicles is housed in his garage, where he wants to build a miniature station, a copy of the place near Saransk where his grandfather worked.
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Oleg Vasilkov and his wife Maria Tkacheva
Vasilkov copes well with men's responsibilities in the garden. While still married to his second wife, he built 2 large houses made of timber outside the city.
An Instagram account is registered in the actor’s name, where he posts not only photos of his family, but also shots with fans.
Personal life of the actor
As a student, the guy learned the basics of family life. Oleg's first wife was Svetlana Bobkina, but the marriage turned out to be too short and frivolous. In general, Oleg Vasilkov’s personal life is complex. In 1997, the actor met Elena Mayorova, but the couple’s relationship was interrupted on a tragic note. The woman died under strange circumstances. A couple of years later, Oleg married again, his married life lasted ten years.
Oleg Vasilkov now
Now the actor continues to successfully build a professional career. He is in demand in large-scale films and high-rated television projects. Vasilkov, as he admits, does not chase roles, so he chooses only those works that he likes.
Oleg Vasilkov in 2019 (still from the series “Strong Armor”)
In 2020, he starred in the drama series “Godunov”. Then there were works in the medical series “Doctor Richter. Continuation", comedy "President's Vacation", drama "Spitak". In 2020, with his participation, the screening of Pavel Lungin’s war film “Brotherhood” and the horror film “Dawn” started. Oleg plans to expand his repertoire with roles in the projects “Red Ghost” and “Strong Armor”.
Film work
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Towards the end of the 90s, Vasilkov was offered to star in a film that included scenes of erotic content. The artist was supposed to play a young guy who is seduced by a mature lady. Elena Mayorova turned out to be an experienced woman. The film was not appreciated in Russia, but the work turned out to be quite in demand abroad.
Three years later, actor Oleg Vasilkov played a role in an episode of the film “Brother,” filmed in the 2000s. Often the artist appeared in minor supporting roles as a representative of the underworld. Oleg Maratovich himself has long been accustomed to the current situation; he says that he doesn’t look much like a villain, but he reacts positively to proposals where he should appear before the audience in the role of a criminal. However, despite his role, Vasilkov is a favorite of both viewers and directors.
In the 2000s, actor Oleg Vasilkov played many roles; in 2011, he participated in the filming of three films simultaneously: “Burnt by the Sun”, “Witch Doctor-2”, “Kotovsky”. These projects turned out to be real masterpieces and are popular with television viewers. Over the 26 years of his acting life, Oleg Vasilkov managed to star in more than fifty films.
