Habit of getting married
It was a sin for Alexander to complain - he received love in full. They say that women fell in front of him and “stacked themselves in piles.” A tall, gray-eyed, blond man with a piercing gaze and magnetic charm, Kuznetsov probably knew how to create a life for his loved ones that was pleasant in all respects. And how many women he had, hardly anyone can say for sure.
Officially he was married three times. I walked down the aisle for the first time at the age of 21 with actress Lyudmila Sobko (they played together in the “Comrade” propaganda theater). The marriage produced a son, Daniel . But Alexander soon fell in love with fellow student Zhanna Tokarskaya . Yulia Rutberg appeared . He graduated from Shchuka, she just entered. And immediately... “fell in love.”
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“There is a tradition at the school: the first year is served by the fourth,” Yulia told me years later. “We ironed their costumes and set up decorations. In a word, they communicated so closely that three first-year girls immediately fell in love with the fourth-year students. After which Ksyusha Strizh with Igor Minaev and Sasha and I got married, and Kolya Stotsky and Ira Klimova were close to this... Nevertheless, everyone later separated.
It was, of course, impossible to predict this. Sasha and Yulia organized a real student wedding: with skits, congratulations, and cheerful revelry. We lived with Yulia’s parents on Smolenskaya Square - opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They studied, worked (Kuznetsov, while still a student at Shchuka, ended up at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya), gave birth to Grisha . And they were happy...
Everyone chooses for themselves
Alexander's career was rapidly going uphill. He started acting in his early 20s (despite the fact that before “Pike” he studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute for five years). And at the age of 27 - thanks to Jack Vosmerkin - he gained such fame that it was... well, almost impossible not to become arrogant, not to ascend.
Alexander Kuznetsov in the film “Greetings from the Front.” 1983 Still from the film
Kuznetsov “didn’t go crazy.” It was clear that acting was his calling. And you just need to move on. Step by step. Or - step by step. This is exactly what happened to Alexander. But for this he had to refuse to work with... Gaidai . "Crazy!" - my colleagues were probably gossiping. And he just made a choice. And Leonid Iovich, to be honest, was no longer the same as before. The main role in the film “The weather is good on Deribasovskaya, or it’s raining again on Brighton Beach” went to Dmitry Kharatyan . And Kuznetsov went to real America...
“He went on a business visa to dub a movie,” Rutberg explained. - And then he called and said that he was staying. This was in 1990, and Sasha believed that our country had neither culture nor economy.
Alexander Kuznetsov in the film "Men's Anxiety." 1985 Still from the film
-Have you already broken up then?
- No, but everything was going that way. His decision was the last straw...
— Didn’t he invite you with him?
— Sasha invited me to visit, I went. But I realized that I had nothing to do there. Everything is foreign... Despite the fact that I once knew English very well. You have to be born in this country. Should I start at 25-27 years old with washing dishes? Who Sasha was here and who he became over the years there is incomparable. I am a very proud person. And I prefer to be the first in my country rather than the 1051st in America.
“I couldn’t convince her,” Alexander later admitted. And, it seems, he even regretted it... The six-year marriage ended in divorce. Everyone went their own way.
In the film "Primorsky Boulevard". 1988 Still from the film
Who is Andrey Kuznetsov?
He would have turned 46 in April. And he would most likely be a good coach, maybe he would lead the Russian national team - no offense to his comrade Vladimir Alekno
will be said.
Yes, Romanych himself knows that Andrei Kuznetsov
, or simply Kuzya, was a unique person and could become an extraordinary coach. Only he lived a short life - at the age of 28 he died in a car accident on the way to celebrate the New Year, 1995, in the Italian Gioia del Colle.
“For all the clubs for which Andrei played in Italy, he was a kind of lifesaver,” Yuri Sapega
, the closest friend of the deceased captain of the Russian national team. — First, he brought the Roman “Lazio” to the Italian major league, then he did the same with the club from Gioia del Colle, and the team from Ferrara, for which he played before the tragic December 30, was in the lead in A2. I know how much he didn’t want to go to Gioia for the New Year, where the coach of his former team invited him, but he went anyway... After what happened, they called me from Ferrara and asked me to replace the deceased Andrei and agree to play in his place. But I’ve already switched to coaching a year ago and couldn’t replace him. No one can replace him..."
Yuri Sapega and Andrey Kuznetsov
I won’t say that Kuznetsov and I were close friends. But it is a fact that from the moment we met, we developed mutual sympathy, a special relationship - kind, even trusting. We met in the year of Andrei’s debut in the USSR national team.
I remember the amazing night from October 4 to 5, 1987. Belgian Ghent, where the European Championship has just ended.
“I now have my first serious gold,” the usually not very talkative Kuzya admitted to me, still under the impression of the just completed final with the French. “There’s only a few things left to do—collect a full set of gold medals—from the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Then I'll probably calm down.
Andrey Kuznetsov in the uniform of the USSR national team
The talented guy ended up in Moscow in 1982, when he was in ninth grade in his Poltava and studied at a local sports school. “Even then it was possible to unmistakably say that this guy would be good,” explained Vladimir Kondra
, who, in fact, brought Kuznetsov to the capital. “Which he later proved, playing for Iskra, CSKA, the youth and adult national teams of the country, which I had the opportunity to coach.”
His first Olympics misfired - the Soviet team lost to the US team in the final.
“We were probably not strong enough to resist the Americans today.” But I still have time - in four years they should take their toll in Barcelona. If there is a team, Andrei thought after the Olympic final in the capital of Korea on October 2, 1988 on the balcony in the Olympic Village.
- Do you have any doubts?
— I asked. - What more! By and large, it wasn’t even here, although there were plenty of performers - and very good ones: Zaitsev,
Andrey Kuznetsov
Panchenko, Antonov, Shkurikhin, Sorokolet. In four years, none of them will be on the team anymore. And who will replace him? Who will coach the national team? Although the core of the future team is already obvious - Sapega, Krasilnikov, Cherednik, me...
“It was a pleasure to work with Andrey,” Valentin Zhukov
, a former coach, and at the time of our conversation the president of the All-Russian Volleyball Federation. “I realized this at the Schoolchildren’s Spartakiad in Tashkent, where I led the RSFSR national team, for which he played. No words were needed - Kuznetsov understood everything at a glance: even without taking a break, I could explain to him on my fingers what and how to do. And Andrei always strictly followed the coach’s instructions.”
And here is another confession - Yuri Pitertsev
, member of the VFW presidium: “Kuznetsov was a great player. He alone could decide the fate of the game and even the match. For a team game, such a master is a rare occurrence. Yes, he had the rarest talent. He was a real leader. Although this quality of his was not very noticeable outwardly.”
An introvert by nature, he was indeed a so-called informal leader, although in any team, be it Soviet or Italian, he was usually singled out among others. Vyacheslav Platonov understood the power of Kuzi’s influence on the players
. But he didn’t want to admit it for reasons known only to him. Or maybe this was due to the fact that Kuznetsov was quite critical of Plato’s approach to games.
— Were you not alarmed that during the season Platonov did not field the same starting line-up in any official game? It would be nice if he did this due to player injuries. No, everyone was healthy. You see, when personal ambitions do not allow a coach to step on the throat of his own song, when he acts contrary to common sense, this does not lead to anything good,” Andrei told me in August 1992 after the failure of the team at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, where the CIS team finished only seventh.
But Kuznetsov’s partners valued him very highly. “When Andrei was not on the site, we were somehow lost.
Andrey Kuznetsov in the uniform of the Russian national team
When he was in the starting lineup, confidence immediately appeared, and we were ready to fight with anyone. Perhaps this is my personal feeling, because I played next to him more than others, not only in the national team, but also in the Italian Lazio. It was he who helped me learn Italian volleyball and the language too. He was a true friend,” Ruslan Olikhver
, as always, was extremely frank.
In November 1993, we spoke before a qualifying match for the 1994 World Cup in Athens.
— What did the two years spent in Italy give you?
— Taught a professional approach to work. I also began to think about my future, especially since Lyudmila and I will soon have a second child.
- And you already know who?
- There must be a boy.
On December 10, 1993, Andrei Kuznetsov had a son, Andrei.
On December 30, 1994, Andrei Kuznetsov Sr. died. The wife and children who were in that car survived.
PS In November 1994, a month before the tragedy, Andrei came to Moscow for the last time. And with a smile he told his friend and housemate: they say, the gypsy guessed that he would die in a car accident when he was not even 30...
The stars are nearby
For Kuznetsov it was thorny. I had to improve my English to the level where I was no longer ashamed to go on stage. And still he did not grab the stars from the sky. He remained a Russian emigrant. Whose destiny is mainly the roles of former compatriots.
Fortunately, Alexander managed to get into decent Hollywood projects. In the USSR, he starred with Evstigneev, Gundareva, Dzhigarkhanyan, Gaft . In America, he worked on the same set with Sylvester Stallone, George Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, Sandra Bullock ... And meeting Meryl Streep simply changed his life. A private conversation resulted in an acting lesson. Which he then generously shared with his students.
In the film “The Ice Runner” (USA), 1992. Still from the film
“I have never felt disdain for myself because I am Russian,” said Alexander. Sometimes the entire film crew applauded him. It happened that his episode was filmed in the first take. And when he uttered one phrase “Yes, ah no” in front of the camera (they didn’t offer anything else!), director Clint Eastwood decided to change the script and extended the contract for a whole month. At Warner Bros. studio!
In short, for a person not born in America, everything was going well. Alexander attended acting schools. Then he started teaching himself. He went to the registry office again, choosing as his wife the Russian emigrant Anna Aitova , whom he met on the set. The third son was born - Ivan ...
However, this marriage was not destined to last long - Anna found a replacement for Alexander. He believed “it is natural that partners outgrow each other. We grow up, we get wiser, we change.” One thing was upsetting: at first Anna forbade him to see his son. But then everything got better, Alexander enjoyed spending time with the baby. In addition, from the age of 14, the elder Daniil lived with him in Los Angeles...
In the film “The Alaska Kid” (USA), 1993. Still from the film
Return
And suddenly, having lived in America for 18 years, Alexander began an epic journey of... returning to his homeland. The role of Jack Vosmerkin became prophetic for him.
He already lived mainly in Moscow. But I still flew to Hollywood for work. Although in Russia they began to actively invite him to filming. Performances appeared at the Film Actor Theater. Kuznetsov founded an international film school, launched a reality show, conducted trainings, and taught at the Moscow Art Theater School. I was also involved in business... It feels like I was in a hurry. I wanted to make the most of it. Even though the return home was forced: business near Nizhny Novgorod, divorce in the USA, mother’s illness in Moscow...
In the film "Capercaillie-2". 2009 Still from the film
Maybe he took on an unbearable burden? How else can we perceive the blatant injustice that a bright, kind man, a strong, healthy man who went in for sports, yoga and tango, ended his earthly journey at 59 years old?
After all, there was a beloved woman ( Kristina Tatarenkova from the advertising business). And, it seems, he was happy. Seven and a half years...
At some point, having returned to Moscow, Kuznetsov thought about returning to Rutberg ( she had difficulties Anatoly Lobotsky “I thought that I would hardly meet a better woman... I tested the waters very carefully, but it was not possible to enter the same river a second time.”
In 2012, he admitted that he was preparing for his wedding with Christina. That same year, Grisha's son gave birth to his first grandson... Everything went on as usual. Maybe even better than many.
Alexander Kuznetsov with Kristina Tatarenkova, 2020. Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Belousov
Biography of Soviet actor Mikhail Kuznetsov
Mikhail Artemyevich was born in Noginsk (Bogorodsk) near Moscow in 1918. Soon after his birth, his father died, and his mother, in order to feed her son, had to move closer to her relatives, who lived in the village of Tikhoretskaya on the Don. The future actor Mikhail Kuznetsov spent his childhood there.
He grew up as an ordinary boy, loved to kick the ball with his friends, helped his mother a lot with housework. The only thing that distinguished him from his friends was his frantic love for the stage. Even then, Mikhail knew that sooner or later he would play in the theater. It is interesting that he did not dream of a career in cinema; most likely, he knew negligible little about him.
At that time, art and the involvement of men in it was perceived as a game, considered something frivolous, and in the circles where Mikhail grew up, even shameful. Under pressure from loved ones, the young man entered a vocational school, mastered the profession of a turner, and got a job at a factory. By that time, he and his mother were already living in the capital again. Theaters were within walking distance, which allowed the guy to visit them as soon as possible. During performances, he literally switched off, enthusiastically watched what was happening on stage, and often spoke the characters’ dialogues together with the actors.
Mikhail Kuznetsov entered a specialized theater educational institution when he was already a lathe worker. The young man accidentally learned that Stanislavsky himself had opened a studio and was recruiting young talents to study there. But the audition time coincided with a work shift at the factory. Mikhail took a desperate step - he burned his hand with acid, and immediately after visiting the first-aid post he went to the exams.
In 1941, Mikhail Kuznetsov became a graduate of the Stanislavsky State Studio - his dream came true, he became an actor and could go on stage.
Faith Hope Love
But fate loves chess. White starts. And sometimes black people win.
In 2014, suspecting a health problem, the actor went to get examined and heard something terrible: “grade 2-3 prostate cancer.” There was no time to hesitate for a day. The tumor was immediately removed. Alexander underwent radiation therapy. But there was no improvement. He decided on unconventional methods of treatment. And I flew to a Brazilian healer twice. Relatives tried to dissuade me. But the actor believed in the correctness of his path. He even came on television to tell the truth. I believed that everything would be fine. He admitted that the disease must be accepted “as a sign of God... And begin to change.”
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Unfortunately, faith in the best did not save Alexander. In 2018, Christina left him. And then, out of nowhere, the masseuse Maria Stanko appeared, who quickly moved to live with the actor. A woman who left her legal husband in Ukraine to “unwind” in Russia.
The Irony of Fate
June 2019. In the studio of the popular TV show, Maria could neither sit nor remain silent. She got up and walked around. She screamed and waved her arms. It seemed like another minute and she would attack all the women in the hall - ex-lovers, friends, students of Alexander Kuznetsov. The 44-year-old woman, who had devoted herself to acting for the last nine months and then took it upon herself to call herself a widow, blamed everyone. Including employees of the “secret laboratory in Dubna”, who allegedly tested the latest drugs for the treatment of cancer on Alexander. And they killed him...
In the film "Sabre Dance". 2020 Still from the film
Sadly, it all looked like a well-rehearsed performance with a decent fee. Otherwise, why would there be a camera at the ready behind the scenes, like a piano in the bushes, filming how Maria throws accusations at Alexander’s ex-wives, and Yulia Rutberg, unable to stand it, breaks down on the mat...
Such performances have long become a bad tradition on our TV: as soon as they bury a famous person (not even 40 days have passed since Kuznetsov’s death) - and pandemonium begins: showdowns with wives, children, mistresses, inheritance... And, it seems, no one is interested in the fact that a good person and the strong artist left behind a good hundred film roles.
Kuznetsov loved his work. He loved three handsome sons. Yes, I just loved life. In which there had to be women. Shortly before his death, he admitted that he developed a malignant tumor due to excess testosterone. Such is the irony of fate. Bitter...
Personal life
The actor says about himself that he is an amorous monogamist. The personal life of Andrei Kuznetsov is a small but strong family. The artist has two beloved women, to whom Andrei rushes every day - his wife Svetlana and daughter Sophia. But this is all that can be found out about the Kuznetsov family. Kuznetsov does not like to tell the details of life outside the theater and film set. Neither journalists nor fans are allowed into his own fortified house.
Andrey Kuznetsov with his wife
Andrey Kuznetsov likes to spend his free time with his family. The actor and his family often go out into nature. The style of clothing in everyday life is democratic - jeans, T-shirts, leather jackets. The artist is in excellent physical shape, although he is not able to go to the gym every day or go on a diet due to constant employment.
