Lyudmila Ivanova - Valery Milyaev. “We put together maybe two hundred songs…”

Actress Lyudmila Ivanova is familiar to every fan of Russian comedy. She did not play a single leading role in films. The image that she created in Ryazanov’s film “Office Romance” is given an insignificant place in the plot. But nevertheless, the role of Shura became the most striking in her filmography. Actress Lyudmila Ivanova played more than a hundred film roles and made a huge contribution to Russian theatrical art. She has several directorial works to her credit. The biography and work of the artist is the topic of the article.

Childhood

Lyudmila Ivanova is an actress whose biography began in Moscow in 1933. Her father was a famous polar explorer. Mother is a housewife. The family had wealth. And therefore, from an early age, the future artist had the opportunity to visit the capital’s theaters. Already as a schoolgirl, she firmly decided that she would become an artist. The parents, fortunately, respected their daughter’s choice.

Lyudmila Ivanova lived a difficult life. The actress, whose biography includes many experiences, disappointments, and losses, created images of life-loving, energetic women on the screen. Like all those who were born in the thirties, she always, remembering her childhood, first of all talked about the war and evacuation. Lyudmila turned eight years old on June 22. It was her birthday. Walking with her mother along one of the Moscow streets, she heard on the radio the terrible news about the invasion of Hitler's army.

Lyudmila Ivanova was a believer. She was baptized at the age of ten, which was a rather unusual and unsafe step at that time. When she converted to Orthodoxy, one of her relatives asked, “How will you become a pioneer now?” Lyudmila replied that her faith would not prevent her from joining the all-Union organization. “After all, the first communist was Jesus Christ,” said the idealistic girl. By the way, the artist was convinced of this all her life.

Youth

Actress Ivanova Lyudmila Ivanovna lost her father at a young age. When I was in my first year, I took care of my seriously ill mother. The heroine of this article lost her son and in recent years was confined to a wheelchair.

Actress Lyudmila Ivanova in her youth played the roles of mature women. Life experience may have helped her in this. In the mid-fifties, she worked in a traveling drama theater: she could not leave her sick mother for a long time. But Lyudmila Ivanova had an amazing character. The actress, whose cause of death amazed even those who often met her in the last months of her life, suffered from many illnesses, but was always cheerful and strong. I never lost heart. And only those close to her knew about her terrible diagnosis.

The first steps of a theater actress

Luda graduated from the Moscow Art Theater in 1955, after which she was assigned to work in the theater on the periphery. But again the young actress Lyudmila Ivanova faced an insurmountable obstacle. The fact is that the illness still did not let go of her mother; the woman could not remain without her daughter’s supervision. The girl was looking for a way out of such a difficult situation. Soon Luda received an offer to work in the troupe of the Moscow Mobile Drama Theater. The aspiring actress did not like this kind of work, but at that time she had no other choice, and she agreed.

Ivanova worked in this theater for two years, during which time she went through a real school for actors to survive in difficult conditions. The troupe traveled all over the country, sometimes the artists had a very hard time, the tour lasted for several months. Lyudmila was involved in many productions that were popular with the audience, but despite such stability, she dreamed of changing jobs. Soon fate gave her such a chance.

"Contemporary"

Actress Lyudmila Ivanova was at the origins of this famous theater. Igor Kvasha, Galina Volchek, and Evgeny Evstigneev studied in the same course with her. Oleg Efremov was their teacher. Finding herself on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater for the first time, the young artist realized that she wanted to play in this theater. Actress Lyudmila Ivanova performed her first role in the production of “Forever Alive”. The reason she hasn't played any leading roles is because of her type.

Lyudmila Ivanova had the appearance and temperament that allowed her to create images of loud, excessively active women both on stage and in films. But these characters, who have nothing in common with the main heroines of classical plays or performances on a military theme, are loved by the audience, perhaps more than the sophisticated images of Chekhov's ladies. The actress herself has admitted more than once that each of the heroines is very dear to her.

Famous heroine

TV viewers remembered Lyudmila Ivanova for her role as Shura in the film “Office Romance.” The actress (a photo of her character is presented below) played her so brilliantly and sincerely that, according to her son’s recollections, he was repeatedly asked the question: “Is your mother really that stupid?” Lyudmila Ivanovna was an intelligent and educated person. She, it would seem, had little in common with the woman who was “promoted to a public position and could not be pushed back.” But, like the activist from “Office Romance,” Lyudmila Ivanovna loved to help people. However, she managed it better than her famous heroine.

It should be said that the actress accepted Ryazanov’s proposal without hesitation. The only thing that upset Lyudmila Ivanovna was her rate: she was paid very little for the filming. However, the artist’s husband, only after reading the script, assured her that the film would bring her fame and audience love. The husband's prediction came true.

Other film roles

The actress first appeared on the set in 1958. Her film debut was a small role in the film “Volunteers”. Then there were the films “Bad Joke”, “Train Stop”, “Singing Teacher”, “Sleeping Lion”. In 1974, Lyudmila Ivanova played the role of the main character’s faithful friend in the Soviet-Polish film “Remember Your Name.” Viewers remembered her for her colorful image as an active employee of the design bureau in the film “The Most Charming and Attractive.” Lyudmila Ivanova also played in the following films:

1. "The Master and Margarita" (1994).
2. "Moscow holidays".
3. "Maximilian".
4. "The Envy of the Gods."

Lyudmila Ivanovna Ivanova: the path to cinema

Everything worked out for Ivanova with the theater, but she dreamed of working in films and beautiful roles. If I managed to make friends with cinema, I didn’t succeed with beautiful roles. Her heroines are enterprising neighbors, energetic aunts, old women... Despite this, actress Lyudmila Ivanova warmly remembers all her Mari, Claudius, Shur... She became in some way related to each of these characters. The most famous role, of course, is the restless Shurochka from Office Romance. The actress perfectly managed to portray on the screen the exact image of a trade unionist who could not live without his trade union assignments. After the release of this picture, there was not a person who did not know the actress who played Shurochka.

Lyudmila Ivanovna can make a masterpiece even from the smallest and most insignificant role. In addition to “Office Romance”, Ivanova played in many other films that were loved by the audience: “Ladies Invite Gentlemen”, “Singing Teacher”, “Chance”, “Womanizer”, “The Most Charming and Attractive”, “Groom from Miami”, “American grandfather".

Books

Lyudmila Ivanova had amazing energy. She acted in films, taught, composed songs and wrote several literary works. In addition, Lyudmila Ivanova is the author of seven books of memoirs. The first one was published in 2000. It's called "I love you." In this book, the actress talks about her life and theater. Talks about friends and colleagues - Galina Volchek, Valentina Gafta, Anna German.

In her next work, “I Remember,” the author reflected the events of a wider time period. In this book, Lyudmila Ivanova told the reader about her pre-war childhood and evacuation. In 2011, the actress published a book dedicated to her husband, “When I’m Young Again.”

Other works by Lyudmila Ivanova:

1. “My “Contemporary””.
2. “Both sad and funny.”
3. "Nina Doroshina"
4. “We will sing and draw.”

Family

The actress lived with her husband, Valery Milyaev, for fifty years. They met in the early sixties. He invited her to go skiing out of town. On the way, I sang the song “Gorky Park”, not knowing that the authorship belonged to Lyudmila. This is where their lifelong romance began.

The husband of the famous actress was a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences and a writer. With him Lyudmila Ivanovna shared a love for bard songs. Valery Milyaev himself is the author of several famous works. The eldest son, Ivan Valerievich Milyaev, followed in his mother’s footsteps. He works as a production designer at the Impromptu Theater.

In 2010, the actress’s youngest son suddenly passed away. Alexander was a psychologist by training. Just like his mother, he was a deeply religious person. Lyudmila Ivanova outlived her son by six years. The cause of Alexander’s death was a heart attack, caused, according to doctors, by an incorrect exit from fasting. The actress's husband died in 2011.

Filming[ | ]

Filming took 63 days. The film was shot in large sequences, with three cameras, which was new for Soviet filmmaking.

The actors for this film were selected very quickly, since Eldar Ryazanov had some kind of “reserves” left after screen tests in his other films:

• Svetlana Nemolyaeva auditioned for the role of Nadya in the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”;
• among the contenders for roles in it were Oleg Basilashvili (he was supposed to play Ippolit, but on the eve of filming his father died) and Alisa Freindlich (she also auditioned for the roles of Shurochka Azarova in “The Hussar Ballad” and Alevtina in “Zigzag of Fortune”) . The only performer of the main role taken “from the outside” was Lyudmila Ivanova (Rimma Markova and Nina Agapova also auditioned for the role of Shura).

The appearance of Andrei Myagkov and Liya Akhedzhakova in “Office Romance” is also connected with “The Irony of Fate”[3]. According to Eldar Ryazanov, Myagkov was specially given such a mustache and glasses with rough frames so that at the beginning of the film he would give the greatest possible impression of a “office rat” and a lack of initiative slob. It was quite difficult to do this, since two years before this the actor starred in the role of the lyrical romantic Zhenya Lukashin from “The Irony of Fate,” but the director tried to take his current character as far as possible from the previous one[3].

According to Ryazanov, the scene of the “romantic feast” of Kalugina and Novoseltsev at her home is an exceptional improvisation of these two actors, played at the highest level of acting. [ source not specified 904 days

] Also improvised was the scene of Novoseltsev’s appeal with a “rationalization proposal” to Kalugina, at Samokhvalov’s celebration[3]. The snow on trees with still green foliage, captured in the film, fell in Moscow on September 25, 1976[4]. Initially, such a scene was not planned in the film, but the director decided not to miss this whim of nature and lengthened the film by 3.5 minutes[3].

In order not to turn the film into a television performance with action exclusively indoors (like, for example, Ryazanov’s next film “Garage”), Ryazanov decided to “dilute” the scenes inside buildings with views of Moscow bustling with pedestrians and cars, as well as its landscapes[3].

The film takes place almost all the time in one building of a statistical office. Three parts of this building were actually filmed in different places in Moscow [ source not specified 904 days

]:

• The entrance to the institution and its facade is the entrance to the former apartment building of Khomyakov at the address: Petrovka Street, building 3/6. The current Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport and the Bolshoi restaurant are located there.
• All internal premises (including the offices of Kalugina and Samokhvalov, as well as the working hall of the institution) were built in the pavilions of Mosfilm.
• The roof with plants is the roof of the Nirnzee house, located at Bolshoy Gnezdnikovsky Lane, building 10.

The characters live in different places in Moscow and the Moscow region, so that you can trace each person’s route from home to work, as well as emphasize their social status[5]:

• Lyudmila Kalugina - in an “elite” house at 43 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street [6] (the façade of the house faces Skatertny Lane);
• Yuri Samokhvalov - on Gorky Street, in a house next to the Central Telegraph (center of Moscow).

Ordinary employees live in residential areas:

• Novoseltsev - in Chernyshevsky Lane;
• secretary Verochka - on Chertanovskaya Street;
• Ryzhova - in the Moscow region, in the Yaroslavl direction[7]

When Olga Ryzhova first meets Samokhvalov, she says that she lives in a separate apartment “outside the city, but not far from the station.” At the same time, Losinoostrovskaya was removed as a station near Moscow. Thanks to numerous acting improvisations, much more material was filmed than was included in the final version of the film (almost 3 episodes). [ source not specified 904 days

] For example, an episode was cut from the film in which Shurochka (after the appearance of the “revived” Bublikov) rushes through the corridors of a statistical office shouting:

It's not my fault! A namesake died, and they called us!

An angry Bublikov comes at her with his fists. Finally Shura plucks up courage, comes out to meet him and exclaims:

Long live the living comrade Bublikov!

Everyone applauds, and Bublikov says in amazement:

Comrades, thank you for everything![3]

In the original script, Verochka’s husband was one of the main characters in the film, also an employee of a “statistical institution.” According to the scriptwriters, he constantly sorted things out with his wife. His role was played by Alexander Fatyushin (Mikhail Svetin auditioned). There was a lot of footage filmed with him, such as how they argued about whether to have a baby, or how they left after work on a scooter. But due to an eye injury, Fatyushin was unable to film[3].

As a result, this character was practically removed from the film altogether - he only talked with Verochka on the phone, but even the “voice on the phone” was voiced by another actor. Fatyushin himself appears sporadically in the film:

• for a couple of seconds, right after the credits, when Novoseltsev tries to borrow 20 rubles from Olga;
• in the scene of general amazement when Bublikov, who has “changed his mind” about dying, appears in the lobby of the institution;
• in the scene of the staff of the institution being touched by the new appearance of Kalugina in love[8].

The bronze Pegasus that Novoseltsev carries was previously featured in Leonid Gaidai’s film “The Diamond Arm.” He will also be shown in the films “Formula of Love” by Mark Zakharov, “Old New Year” by Naum Ardashnikov and Oleg Efremov and “Shirley Myrli” by Vladimir Menshov.

The words of the song “Nature has no bad weather” were written by the director and co-author of the script, Eldar Ryazanov (according to him, in that case he went through a lot of versions of poems by famous poets, but never found anything). He gave them to the film's composer, Andrei Petrov, under the guise of a poem by the English poet William Blake, so as not to embarrass him. He did not feel the “forgery,” but when he found out the true authorship, many poems of famous poets offered by Ryazanov in further cooperation seemed to him to be poems by Ryazanov himself[3]. The song became a laureate of the Song-78 festival. In the concert it is performed by Lyudmila Senchina, since Alisa Freindlich was unable to take part in the filming due to her busy schedule in performances at the Lensovet Theater.

During the filming of the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” Andrei Myagkov expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Eldar Ryazanov “did not allow” him to perform songs. In this New Year’s film, Sergei Nikitin sang for him, but in “Office Romance” Myagkov performed the vocal parts independently[3].

At the beginning of the first episode (1:44), among the signs with the names of organizations, you can see “NIICHHAVO” at KLOOP, which is a reference to NIICHAVO from the story “Monday Begins on Saturday” by the Strugatsky brothers and KLOOP - a feuilleton by Ilf and Petrov, which ridiculed those who do not know what Soviet institutions. There are also “Glavkost”, “Spetsisolator at MZSTUFKhTs”, “Glavburenie” (a possible allusion to the “Deep Drilling Office”) and “Glavryba “Mosrybstroy”” (“Heart of a Dog” by Bulgakov).

Disease

Despite her advanced age and chronic illnesses, the news of the actress’s death shocked both relatives and colleagues. Lyudmila Ivanova suffered from diabetes for many years. The actress, whose cause of death became known on the evening of the day of her death, had been unable to move independently in recent years. Shortly before the tragic day, she underwent surgery on the hip joint, which resulted in complications. Long-term treatment, infectious damage to the body... Then surgery to remove the joint. All this completely undermined the actress’s health.

At the end of September 2020, Lyudmila Ivanovna was hospitalized. Doctors were unable to save her life. Theater and film actress Lyudmila Ivanova passed away on October 7, 2020. Colleagues at the theater recall that until her last days she worked and tried not to draw the attention of others to her illness. She suffered from constant physical pain, but was afraid of being a burden to her son and grandchildren. Lyudmila Ivanovna also suffered from mental pain. The death of her husband and son was not easy to cope with. But at work, in the Impromptu studio, and in recent television interviews, the actress was, as always, smiling and friendly.

Lyudmila Ivanovna Ivanova was buried next to her son at the Pyatnitskoye cemetery.

The terrible grief of Lyudmila Ivanova

Shurochka from “Office Romance” lost her son. The cause of death was a severe form of influenza.

Shurochka from “Office Romance” lost her son

40 days have passed since actress Lyudmila IVANOVA lost her youngest son. On the forties, she and her husband came to Alexander’s grave. Everyone who has ever known the queen of the episode, Lyudmila IVANOVA, noted her smiling, cheerful disposition and fantastic openness. Now the actress is unrecognizable. A little over a month ago, Lyudmila Ivanovna’s youngest son, Alexander, passed away. The strange, absurd death of a 39-year-old man, like a black veil, fell over the face and soul of a wonderful actress. But it seemed that Sasha still had a lot ahead of him...

— Girl, do you like skiing? - A young man with a fluff above his upper lip timidly asked the lively beauty Lyudmila Ivanova clinking of glasses, when the official part of the New Year's holiday at the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences came to an end.

— It’s original that you invite girls on a date, young man! - Luda laughed, narrowing her eyes, and looked at the author of New Year's songs for the concert with an appraising glance. - Well, let's go if you're not afraid!

Then, celebrating the New Year 1962, neither Lyudmila Ivanova nor Valery Milyaev even knew that their chance meeting at a festive light would develop into an almost half-century-long romance.

Boy and... boy

A song with the words “The time comes, birds fly from the south, people lose their heads, and there’s no time for sleep…” Milyaev composed it when he met Ivanova. Their sympathy imperceptibly became love, sincere, strong and the most real. Lyudochka, accustomed to male attention, was won over by the gentleman primarily with unexpected gifts. Valera often pampered his chosen one with snowdrops, which he hid from prying eyes in his briefcase.

Soon they got married, and Vanechka was born - his father's copy. At that time, Ivanova had many performances at Sovremennik, and therefore her husband, who was writing his dissertation at that time, took care of the household chores. He washed, and ironed, and did magic in the kitchen. And while walking with the baby, she always goes to the theater so that the young mother can breastfeed her son, because she returned to the stage 12 days after giving birth.

Seven years later, a second boy appeared in the family - Sashka. The eldest was more like his mother - with his soul wide open, and the younger, like his father, preferred to communicate with books, although he loved to misbehave, which caused a lot of trouble for his parents. Apparently, that’s why Ivan went to study at the Moscow Art Theater School, became a decorative artist, quickly started a family and children, but Alexander’s fate turned out to be more complicated.

Lastly I'm sorry

Alexander Milyaev studied at Moscow Pedagogical University to become a psychologist. He worked in his profession for some time, and then suddenly took up growing flowers. He had a whole greenhouse of bizarre plants that both customers and friends admired. And in moments of relaxation, he played the guitar, performing his parents’ songs with special trepidation.

He got married for the first time during his student years.
The marriage to a girl named Karina was short-lived. The next romance - with Ksenia - did not result in a stamp in the passport. And about 10 years ago he met the charming Nadezhda. The beauty is also passionate about biology, works at a scientific institute, and specializes in genetics. A common hobby brought Nadya and Sasha closer; they realized that they could not exist without each other, like a flower without water. The couple lived in perfect harmony, built a house in the village, and thought about children. But their dreams were not destined to come true. Alexander, like his mother, was a deeply religious person. He kept fasts and went to church. I decided to keep Lent especially strictly this time. And on Easter, April 4, he broke his fast from the bottom of his heart: he ate a hearty meal, smoked, and drank a glass.

— On the evening of April 4, we talked with Sasha on Skype.
He looked quite healthy and cheerful. In general, as usual. He definitely didn’t have any premonitions or signs,” shared Milyaev’s longtime friend, who has been living in England for several years. “And the next day I found out that Sasha passed away that night. The heart stopped. Unexpectedly and instantly. The death of her son hit Lyudmila Ivanova like an avalanche.

— Three weeks before his death, Sasha fell ill with the flu. The disease was difficult. He walked around the apartment in a dressing gown and with his beloved cat in his arms. By Easter, things were getting better,” Lyudmila Ivanovna said haltingly, with indescribable melancholy in her voice, when we headed with her to Alexander’s grave at the Pyatnitskoye cemetery. “On that tragic night, he woke me up and said: “I’m not feeling well at all. Mother, let's sing! We've delayed. And then he said: “You are my great mother!” He lay down and died... As soon as he left, the flowers in our house all withered. And the cat couldn’t find a place for itself after he left. A week later she was gone...

Lyudmila Ivanovna could no longer speak. She was choked with tears. And my soul probably wept even more furiously. She touched the grave mound and whispered “Sorry!”

How to leave a fast correctly

On May 31, the summer Petrov fast begins. It will last until July 11. Of course, he is less strict than the Great, but the charter of the church prescribes abstaining from modest (animal) food. Despite the loyalty of Petrov's fast, nutritionists still warn about the danger that may arise if it ends abruptly. Experts from the Ministry of Health advise you to carefully listen to their advice:

* The consumption of animal food on the day of breaking the fast should be limited; you should not consume more than 150 - 200 grams of meat, more than one egg and sauces containing a large amount of animal fats.

* It is better to prefer fish, fruits, vegetables and cereals. They will help restore the functioning of the digestive organs, which during fasting “worked” on an unusual schedule.

* Special caution is required when drinking alcohol. Alcohol should never be consumed without food, and it is advisable to limit its amount.

Expert commentary

Dmitry VAYTSER, Doctor of Medical Sciences, medical nutritionist:

— Unfortunately, the story of the son of the beautiful actress Lyudmila Ivanova is not an isolated case. It is after Lent that people with alcohol poisoning, serious pain in the stomach and heart are admitted to the ambulance. The heart is precisely the most vulnerable organ of a person, who limits himself to the usual intake of food for weeks. Deaths are also common after such a long period of abstinence. Therefore, we nutritionists always recommend that you undergo a complete examination before starting to fast. This is especially true for people between 25 and 40 years old.