For Ostap Bender, Menshikov should receive $800,000

Childhood of the future actor

In 1975, on September 15, a boy, Nikita Tatarenkov, was born into the family of a career military officer in the city of Serpukhov, Moscow Region. Both the birth of a son among hereditary military men, and the city of Serpukhov with a population of 126 thousand, which since 2020 has been bearing the honorary title “Settlement of Military Valor” - all the circumstances were in favor of Nikita Tatarenkov’s military career. Nikita spent his early childhood in the village of Mirny, Arkhangelsk Region, at the place of work of his father, who served in the missile forces. However, fate prepared a different path for him, and his military career remained on the sidelines.

While still in high school, the teenager became interested in theater, played in amateur productions of plays, and this fact influenced Nikita’s choice of future profession.

Study in Shchukinka

In 1992, Tatarenkov entered the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute, which was opened at the theater. Vakhtangov. The 90s were a difficult time for people in the acting profession. The collapse of the USSR did not have the best effect on theatrical art and cinematography. Very few films were made and they were not of the best quality; many actors could not realize themselves.

Nikita takes the course of Yuri Veniaminovich Shlykov, a famous Russian actor who is still involved in teaching, working in theater and cinema. During his student years, Tatarenkov showed himself well as a leader, studying acting. He organizes parties, being at the forefront of student theater life, and plays various musical hits on the guitar, attracting the attention of women. Many girls were captivated by a charming, talented guy. Fellow students envied Tatarenkov's ability to communicate easily and his leadership qualities.

According to classmates, Nikita liked actress Alena Ivchenko, now known for many TV series (“Nude”, 2002, “Poor Nastya”, 2003, “Women’s Intuition”, 2004, “Doomed to Become a Star”, 2005 -2007 and many others). Among her latest works are “More than a Doctor”, “The Wrong Berry”, “Vasilisa”, “Hotel Eleon”, 2020.

There is an incident, because of which Nikita Tatarenkov almost paid with his acting career. Coming out during the exam with blue lips, he plunged the examiners and the public into confusion, everyone began to laugh, and the exam failed. The commission did not believe that the incident was unintentional. It turned out that he accidentally drank ink instead of water from a standing bottle. The young talent was protected throughout the course to prevent his expulsion.

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A long-term relationship connected Menshikov with actress Margarita Shubina, and relatives already expected that this romance would culminate in a wedding, but Shubina was never destined to become Oleg Menshikov’s wife.

In the photo: Oleg Menshikov with his wife Anastasia

It is unknown what kind of black cat ran between the lovers, but gradually the romance faded away, and Margarita remained in the past. To forget about the difficult separation, Oleg Evgenievich began an affair with circus performer Lyudmila Kolesnikova, but it was short and did not leave a noticeable mark on the actor’s biography.

In the photo: Oleg Menshikov and Anastasia Chernova

And only in 2005 an event occurred that completely changed Oleg Menshikov’s personal life, but those around him learned about it much later. At forty-five, the actor married a girl twenty-three years younger than himself.

The actor’s future wife, when they met, was studying at GITIS, and the fateful meeting took place at a concert - Anastasia Chernova found herself in the same company with Menshikov, who immediately charmed the girl. Oleg was the life of the party, joked a lot, and at the end of the evening, quite unexpectedly, he asked her for her phone number.

Their romance lasted two years, and then the actor invited Nastya to become his wife. Menshikov did not want a noisy celebration of the wedding, so the wedding was very modest - after the ceremony at the registry office, the newlyweds celebrated an important event in their personal lives in the presence of only their closest friends.

After the wedding, they settled in Menshikov’s two-room apartment on Frunzenskaya Embankment. Meeting Anastasia forced Oleg Evgenievich to change.

“Meeting Nastya disciplined me in many ways, taught me a lot and continues to teach me... You stop thinking about yourself. “I used to have some love stories, novels, but I didn’t take responsibility for anyone, only for myself,” shares the actor.

The actor’s wife is from Taimyr. Having arrived in Moscow, she entered GITIS, and during her studies she became the wife of a famous actor, which her classmates did not immediately find out about.

Having become the wife of Oleg Menshikov, Anastasia Chernova moved away from the profession - she never acted in a movie, and she doesn’t work in the theater either. The only role in her career was a tiny episode in the TV series “Streets of Broken Lanterns.”

Her whole life is devoted to her husband, his problems, and she is almost happy, with the exception of one thing - she has no children. When she and Oleg just started living together, and Anastasia started talking about wanting a child, Menshikov was categorically against it - he had a lot of work, and children require constant attention and care.

After fifteen years of marriage, he changed his view on this, and was ready to become a father, but in order for Oleg Menshikov’s children to be born, desire alone was not enough - due to health problems, Anastasia and Oleg cannot yet become parents.

The actor even turned to Chinese healers for help, but this did not help.

Now the actor’s wife still lives only for her husband, but never ceases to hope that she will still be destined to experience the happiness of motherhood.

“I adore my husband! I'm ready to live in his shadow. He’s a brilliant actor!” says Anastasia.

According to Nastya, her husband is a difficult person, and not because he is so famous, but simply because he has such a character, and it took her a very long time to get used to addressing Oleg Evgenievich as “you.”

The actor names traveling among his favorite hobbies - he has already visited many countries, but one of the most memorable for Menshikov was a trip to Tibet.

First successes

A big victory for the aspiring actor during his student years was his participation in the play “The Idiot” based on F. Dostoevsky, where he played the high school student Kolya Ivolgin. The play was staged at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. For his acting, Nikita Tatarenkov was awarded the Debut of the Year award in 1996.

In the last year of study at the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute, fortune again turns its face to the young talent. Filming of Nikita Mikhalkov’s legendary film “The Barber of Siberia” begins, where the aspiring actor gets the role of cadet Alibekov. Here Nikita meets the already famous actor and director Oleg Menshikov, who will play an important role in the fate of Tatarenkov.

The secret life of a movie star

The press and anonymous sources on the Internet have been writing for several years that the People’s Artist’s marriage and his affairs with women are just a cover, and even then a very formal one. Because everyone who communicates with Menshikov on duty has long known about his homosexual inclinations. And the artist’s real life partner is his longtime friend Nikita Tatarenkov. They met on the set of the film “The Barber of Siberia,” where a young graduate of a theater institute played a small role.

Since then, a strong friendship has developed between the two actors. They often spent time together and went on vacation. The same Lyudmila Kolesnikova in an interview hinted at the constant presence of Tatarenkov in Menshikov’s life. They say that the situation remained the same in his marriage to Anastasia Chernova. Although formally Nikita is also married and has a daughter growing up in his family.

Another wave of rumors stirred up the collaboration of two actors on the set of the film “The Golden Calf” (2006). They say that it was at the insistence of the movie star that the role of Shura Balaganov was given to Tatarenkov. Together with Ostap Bender, played by Menshikov, they were inseparable throughout the entire filming period. The actors came to work together, during breaks they hid in Oleg Evgenievich’s personal trailer, and in their free time they went shopping, where he bought expensive gifts for a close friend. In addition, Nikita had previously collaborated a lot with Menshikov, playing the best roles in the “Theatrical Partnership 814” he created.

Naturally, the famous actor never commented on these rumors. But most fans are still inclined to believe in their veracity. They are sure that Menshikov does not lead such a double life of his own free will. Unfortunately, Russia is not yet as progressive in this regard as Europe or America. And the disclosure of non-traditional sexual orientation can cost a public person his career, the love of the public and a quiet life.

Fatal meeting

After participating in The Barber of Siberia, Nikita Tatarenkov left the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, where he worked after receiving his diploma. Oleg Menshikov invites a young talented actor to the “Theatrical Partnership 814”, in which he himself was a producer, and sometimes a director and actor. From this moment on, Tatarenkov received roles in such plays as “Kitchen” directed by Galina Dubovskaya, “Players” (directed by O. Menshikov and P. Shepotinnik), “Cats” and “The Lonely Shepherd” (directed by E. Grishkovets).

There are rumors about Menshikov's unconventional orientation, but the master strictly keeps his personal life a secret, literally behind seven seals. According to classmates, Nikita has become more secretive, in contrast to his student days, when he was open in communicating with friends. Most likely, communication with Oleg Menshikov makes itself felt. A young man listens to the advice of his mentor and friend.

For many, Nikita Tatarenkov remains a mystery, whose photo with his future wife in the company of Oleg Menshikov and his girlfriend was repeatedly circulated in the yellow press, emphasizing their inseparability even with their other halves.

Oleg Menshikov - gay?

The idol of millions of Russian women, elegant Oleg Menshikov, leads a closed life, never communicates on topics of family relationships and, at 57 years old, has no children. On Internet sites you can find anonymous comments left on behalf of theater employees who claim that Menshikov is a homosexual.

This is what he writes in the comments on one

from the sites, a user with the nickname “gutenmorgen”, quote:

«I’m wondering - when they start writing about Oleg Menshikov (for example), this Russian actor is no different from Spacey and behaves in the same unbridled way to this day! All the young actors at Ermolovsky (where Menshikov is the director) suffer from his harassment - but alas - they are silent!

In Russia there is “no sex” - just as there are no “homosexual actors” forcing young guys to endure their sexual harassment. Menshikov even pesters guys on the street - I am a witness!

It is precisely because of the damned public morality that Russian homosexuals for an hour cannot find a way out of their homosexuality and ..begin harassment... and or like Bogatyrev Yuri (genius) “went into the bottle and did not return.”

Obscurantism and cowardice, humility and duplicity, mental prostitution and hypocrisy - this is what needs to be banned in Russia and not homosexuality! Children born gay by nature, alas, under this government and under the “Mizulins” will grow up just like Spacey, if they are rich and... die like Bogatyrev - if they don’t earn their “freedom”!”

Are Oleg Menshikov's blue dreams not news?

Rumors about the artist’s homosexual inclinations have been circulating in social circles for a long time. Many who know Menshikov well did not hesitate to talk about this openly. At first there was a lot of talk about Oleg’s romance with the graceful actor Andrei Rudensky, and since 1999, Menshikov began to be seen more and more often with the young, sugary actor Nikita Tatarenkov, writes LifeStar

.

The artists met on the set of “The Barber of Siberia,” and soon began appearing almost arm in arm at social events. A year later, Nikita hastily left the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya and went to the creative association “Theatrical Partnership”, produced by Menshikov, where he received the best roles from him in all performances.

Nikita Tatarenkov and Oleg Menshikov

There was even more talk about Menshikov’s gay passions, and in order to strengthen his shaky reputation, in 2005 he decided to get married. With a woman. But it turned out even worse.

The actor’s chosen one was the little-known young actress Anastasia Chernova. Menshikov proposed over the phone, without yet knowing the girl personally. And only after that they started dating. But even after the wedding, the actor and his wife appeared in public in the company of... the same Tatarenkov. Moreover, in a conversation with journalists, Nastya indirectly confirmed the fact that her marriage to the famous actor is fictitious. “Do you want me to call my husband? He will come down and tell you a fairy tale about how everything is fine with him!” the girl said.

Moreover, Menshikov began wearing two wedding rings. As it turned out, this technique is often used by representatives of the “gay” environment, who, in order to avoid unnecessary gossip, get companions or wives for going out, who are called “seagull” or “beard”. One ring is a standard engagement ring, and the other is a sign of gratitude and loyalty to a true “friend.”

In 2006, filming of the series “Golden Calf” began. Menshikov was invited to play the role of Ostap Bender, and at first they wanted to invite comedian Pavel Derevyanko to play the role of Shura Balaganov, but Oleg Evgenievich categorically insisted that the role go to Nikita Tatarenkov.

During long filming in the remote and uninhabited town of Plyos, the lovers, apparently, were finally tired of maintaining the regime of secrecy and the couple allowed themselves to relax. Menshikov and Tatarenkov came and went from filming to the hotel together, relaxed and had fun together. Only Tatarenkov was allowed to visit the personal trailer of his eminent friend. All other members of the film crew, including director Ulyana Shilkina, were strictly prohibited from doing this. Oleg Menshikov pampered and took care of his pet in every possible way: he took him on a boat, looked after his friend’s health and bought him jewelry. Oleg and Nikita did not spoil the rest of the actors and participants in the filming process with their attention. Such is male friendship...

As one famous director shared with KP, Menshikov, although he received the status of a star, turning into one of the sought-after and highly paid actors, many filmmakers are not eager to invite him to the roles of passionate Don Juans and machos.

“Menshikov, for all his external beauty, acting, talent, has an internal complex,” the director said. “It can portray love, but at the climax, when you need to show the highest degree of passion, it doesn’t work.” You have to feel, and if you don’t have the feeling, you can’t play! Playing men on screen, he seems to be in conflict with himself... Forgive me, you can get drunk to such a stage that you mistake a woman for a man. You can be with a woman, but not feel the proper pleasure... And although at present, unconventional orientation, as they say, is even in fashion among the beau monde, in reality it is a very big tragedy for men. To feel that you are made of a different cloth... As Dostoevsky said, God loves whomever he loves very much and for whom he hopes a lot, sends him a lot of misfortunes”...

"Golden calf"

The actor gained great fame by starring in Ulyana Shilkina’s film “The Golden Calf” in 2005 in the role of Shura Balaganov, received under the patronage of Oleg Menshikov, who plays the role of Ostap Bender. Nikita Tatarenkov and Oleg Menshikov, in addition to filming, spend a lot of time together, which causes a strong reaction from the public.

The actors arrive to filming in Menshikov's car - a black jeep. All free time is spent in the room where Oleg Menshikov lives while working on the painting. Entry to outsiders is prohibited. Menshikov occasionally goes outside to talk on the phone with his wife and get some fresh air.

The film caused mixed opinions among viewers. Some people liked the series (it consists of 8 episodes), others complained that the director was unable to convey the entire palette of humor that the authors put into the work “The Golden Calf.” In the same year, Nikita Tatarenkov starred as Ivan Platonovich Kalyaev in the film “Empire Under Attack” directed by S. Nazarov and A. Malyukov, as well as in the Ukrainian film “Hunting for the Shadow” in the role of Andrew.

Four women or sad attempts at disguise

Oleg Menshikov, whose personal life and orientation were quite carefully hidden until a certain time, tried to build “traditional” love. However, the attempts were in vain. Those fans of his acting and directing talent, for whom the news about his sexuality came as an absolute surprise, could have guessed it by reading only the memoirs of his classmates.

“When Menshikov was assigned to a girl in high school, he drew a line with chalk to avoid her touch.” - said classmates.

At a time when unconventional sexual preferences were not welcomed, they were disguised as friendships with women, passed off as love passions, or nominal marriages for a bashful public. And only now they began to declare this with pride and complacency, to demonstrate it and portray it as an indispensable distinctive feature of talent.

Oleg Menshikov
Now it no longer seems strange that the highest paid actor in Russia is childless, and has never publicly spoken out on the topic of family values, marriage, and childbirth.
The absence of a macho role or a passionately loving man in the roles that made him famous also seems understandable. One of the famous directors in his interview said that Menshikov knows how to portray love, but in love scenes where high intensity of feelings is required, he comes into conflict with himself and does not work at the climax points.

Oleg Menshikov, whose personal life, orientation and talent, as expected, were in full view of his fans and friends, built his relationships with women in an unusual way, and even successfully misled some of them. For example, his former friend, actor Andrei Galushko, is still convinced that rumors about gayness are a consequence of envy and gossip, because in Shchepka Menshikov had an affair with Vika Sorokina. And a certain Natalya Tsyganova, the author of the actor’s biography, on this basis even called Oleg a “ladies man.”

The actor is suspected of being gay

After a long time, Margarita Shubina, an actress of the Mossovet Theater, found herself near the celebrity, whose relationship was suddenly interrupted, and none of her relatives “guessed” for what reason.

Circus performer Lyudmila Kolesnikova, according to journalist-fans, became a way to distract herself from an unsuccessful romance with Shubina, but quickly left the actor’s life orbit. And he proposed to his wife, Anastasia Chernova, on her birthday over the phone, and carefully hid the preparations for the upcoming wedding from everyone. I didn’t even buy the wedding rings myself.

Excited comments from his current employees, who preferred to remain anonymous sources, say that he wears two wedding rings on one finger, one a real engagement ring and the other as a sign of affection for a current friend.

Oleg Menshikov with his wife Anastasia Chernova

Handsome, bright, immensely charming, attractive in appearance, declared a “ladies man,” Oleg Menshikov, whose personal life, orientation and connections were always in plain sight, experienced 4 “whirlwind romances”:

• with Vika Sorokina, who unexpectedly married someone else and left for London, and then, allegedly, many years later, on a London tour, she promised her lover, who refused such an offer, to leave everything and go to him;
• with Margarita Shubina, who, just as unexpectedly, abruptly began to move away from her former lover, although she had a huge influence on him;
• with Lyudmila Kolesnikova, whom they prefer to mention in passing and reluctantly;
• with Anastasia Chernova, to whom he did not even bother to propose marriage face to face.

If you believe what is written in various publications, marriage with Chernova was a condition that was presented to Menshikov by one of the high-ranking women, his patrons. And the girl herself, after the wedding, very transparently hinted that their marriage was nothing more than a fiction and existed only on paper.

Oleg Menshikov and Nikita Tatarenkov

However, photographs of their debut appearance as a married couple demonstrate this more than clearly. But the “gossipers and envious people” stubbornly continue to list obvious facts. But fans claim that Menshikov wears the second ring solely as a memory of his “heart friend” Nikita Tatarenkov. Allegedly, the actor married Chernova at the insistence of Galina Dubovskaya, who taught at GITIS, who threatened to slander Nikita in front of the general metropolitan public.

Participation in cinema

From 2000 to 2005, Nikita took a long break from filming, which he compensated for with theatrical work. To date, the actor has starred in the following films:

• “The Siberian Barber”, 1998 (Junker Alibekov).
• “Empire under attack”, 2000 (Ivan Platonovich Kalyaev - a real-life prototype of a revolutionary).
• “Golden Calf”, 2005 (Balaganov Shura).
• "Shadow Hunt", 2005 (Andrew).
• “Tunguska meteorite”, 2007, filming was not completed.
• “Crazy November”, 2008 (Klimkin Anton).
• TV series "Admiral", 2009 (Lieutenant).
• “Terrible time”, 2010 (Ivan Shuisky).
• “At risk”, 2012 (Burkalin Ilya Ilyich).

Theater works

The peak of Tatarenkov’s theatrical work was his activity in the “Theatrical Partnership 814”. The actor combines filming with theatrical activities. His main theatrical roles are “The Idiot”, 1996 (Kolya Ivolgin, Theater on Malaya Bronnaya), “Kitchen” (Siegfried, New), “Players”, 2005 (Glov Jr.), “Cats” (Cat- brawler), “The Lonely Shepherd” (Shepherd, “Theatrical Partnership 814”).

Currently, the actor is in demand in the theatrical field. In May 2020, he plays in many new and old productions of plays - “Romeo and Juliet”, “Tchaikovsky”, “From the Void”, “The Lucky Ones”, “The Inspector General”, “The Players” at the Ermolova Theater.

Family

Many media outlets ask personal questions to Nikita Tatarenkov. The actor’s personal life is under a special taboo. Numerous photos of Tatarenkov with Oleg Menshikov are published, where Nikita often ends up third, taking into account Menshikov’s wife.

It turns out that the actor has a wife, who also has a theater education, a daughter, Sonechka, and a completely decent marriage. Nikita Tatarenkov and his wife rarely appear in public. And numerous gossips are probably unfounded.

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LYUDMILA KOLESNIKOVA: “I CONSIDERED OLEG AS A HUSBAND”
- Probably Menshikov saw you under the circus dome and instantly fell in love?

- No, I'm afraid to disappoint you. It might have been romantic, but that's not how it really happened. By the time we met, despite my nineteen years, I was completely independent. With a profession, a decent salary and... with a rich boyfriend. She lived with her parents in the city of Zheleznodorozhny and already from her second year at the Moscow Circus School she worked at the Circus on Vernadsky. My fiancé was younger than Oleg, unmarried and with serious intentions. He looked after him so beautifully: the southern islands, bouquets of a hundred roses, dinners in Paris... If it weren’t for Oleg, maybe everything would have worked out with him...

I don’t know why, but many men are terribly turned on by the thought of an affair with an aerialist. Fans were constantly breaking into my dressing room backstage. But it was not so easy to approach me. At first I behaved just as unapproachably with Oleg, especially since I had absolutely no idea who he was. I worked in England for two years and was almost never home. An actor and an actor, just think! For me, he was just another suitor, that’s all.

...It was the beginning of summer. I just returned from the Maldives. I come to the circus for a rehearsal, and here our choreographer Sasha invites us to the housewarming party: “Be sure to come, Lyudochka!” - “I don’t know... And when?” - “When you say it, then it will happen!” Long before the invitation, Sashka often mentioned that he had a friend Oleg, a famous actor. To be honest, I ignored his words - I wasn’t interested in cinema at all. And Sasha again for his own: “Oleg asks who will be... Well, how about you, will you come?” I remember I was still surprised at Sasha’s persistence.

In the evening after the rehearsal I arrive at Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Sasha has guests, the tables are set. Oleg appeared: cute, but too old for me. Wide pants, an untucked shirt... I didn’t even really look at him. To my shame, I have not seen a single film with his participation. No, I’m lying, I watched Burnt by the Sun, but didn’t know that he was playing there. I remember we were introduced to each other: “Luda.” - "Oleg". - "Very nice". - “Let's get to know each other.”

“It seems like he came specifically to look at you.”

- As it turned out later, these were bridesmaids. But I didn’t know this; I was invited to a housewarming party. I’m sitting, gorging myself on salads, talking to someone, and not even looking in his direction. Sasha took Oleg and me to show the apartment. I remember in the bedroom I touched the bedside table with my hand, and suddenly Oleg’s palm accidentally fell on mine. For one moment. “Oh, sorry,” he immediately pulled his hand away. And that’s it... In a word, during the whole evening we didn’t even exchange a word with him. Oleg left very soon, as I now understand, so that there would be no temptation to drink more than necessary. Clearly he wanted to show his best side. Later, when our romance began, he often repeated: “I owe Sasha the rest of my life for meeting you...”

— Menshikov noticed that the girl did not recognize him as a celebrity?

- Of course, I noticed. Maybe that's what got him interested in me. And Sasha didn’t miss Father when we met. I returned home and told my mother: “You know, I met some actor at Sashka’s. Oleg, Oleg... Menshikov, it seems. Don't you know who this is? "I know of course! - Mom was surprised. - This is Kostya in the Pokrovsky Gate.

A week has passed. Sasha began to remind me about him: “Oleg is always interested in you. He asks how you are doing, how old you are.” - “So what, he said, how old am I?” - “He said... He laughs: “Too young!” “He’s asking a lot of questions about you,” so carefully Sasha began to “knead the ground.”

One fine day I’m going on a date with my boyfriend, suddenly Sasha calls: “Oleg is inviting you to a play today.” I’m standing with a towel on my head, in a bathrobe, and I don’t know what to do. “Thank you,” I say, “but I can’t do it today... Maybe next time?” “Oleg asked so. He really wants to see you,” before he could finish the sentence, I blurted out: “Okay! When and what time?” And only after hanging up the phone, I realized: “Lord, what have I done?!” The groom is waiting for me, one might say, in five minutes, and I’m running to someone unknown and why!” I'm coming to the theater. I found my seat in the seventh row. I remember I was still offended - why not the first? I didn’t know then that seven was Oleg’s lucky number. I sit and suffer. I was still that “theater girl”! The play “Kitchen” is very difficult, I don’t understand anything. To keep myself occupied somehow, I try to recognize Oleg on stage: yeah, here he is! No, the timbre of the voice is not similar. Or maybe this one? I only saw him once in my life. Finally Oleg appeared... I understood this from the applause.

After the performance I go into his dressing room. Instead of the questions about the performance that I was expecting, I hear: “Hello! How are you?” And there was such warmth from him, as if we had known each other for a hundred years... Then we went to dinner. a small group approached: Oleg, Sasha, later Oleg’s friend, actor Nikita Tatarenkov and a girl arrived. We sat until late, then walked along Tverskaya, and at night we wandered into the Hermitage garden. (By the way, I didn’t even think that five years later I would be working at the Hermitage Theater.) I remember Oleg suddenly argued with Sasha that from that day on he would quit smoking. We are standing at the Minsk Hotel. It’s five in the morning, Sasha and Oleg are excitedly shaking each other’s hands, and I’m breaking them. Oleg solemnly swears: “From this minute, not a single cigarette! If I break my oath, I’ll give Lyuda a car.” He actually quit smoking, though only for a while. But he never gave me the car!

At dawn the guys caught a taxi for me. “When you get there, call me,” Sasha asked. “Why do you want this? - Oleg was surprised. “She’ll call me!” And he gave me all his phone numbers. When I returned home, I immediately called. “See you tomorrow,” Oleg said, saying goodbye. As I fell asleep, I thought: “He’s probably joking.” But the next day he really showed up. And he came for me without a driver. But I must say that Oleg did not like to drive and only got behind the wheel in exceptional cases. Oh, that was a real feat for him! All evening he, terribly proud of himself, told how he got lost on the way to me, how he asked dumbfounded passers-by where to go, how people were amazed to recognize Menshikov himself in the unfortunate driver.

— From that day on, did Oleg start courting you?

- Rather, gradually tame it to yourself. Oleg didn’t take me by storm, but let me get used to it, get attached. Then he flew away on some business, and we called each other every day. And Sasha, for his part, continued to stir up my interest, kept repeating: “Oleg really likes you.”

A month has passed. And I suddenly caught myself thinking that I was really looking forward to his calls, that I missed him, that I was constantly thinking about him... On the day Oleg arrived, Sasha and I went to meet him at the airport, and from there we went to Oleg on Frunzenskaya . The three of us sat in the small kitchen and celebrated our arrival. Oleg's apartment was small, beautifully furnished. Expensive Versace furniture, lots of flowers in pots, and a piano against the wall. Don’t think that he rushed to the instrument from the doorway and started playing to conquer the girl. No, we just listened to music, fooled around, took pictures, the boys drank whiskey.

I went to his house for the first time and from that day on I stayed there. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Sasha was our guest. He probably understood this too, because he soon disappeared unnoticed. We were alone for the first time without even kissing. “Well, shall we go to bed?” - said Oleg. This phrase sounded so natural, as if I heard it from him every day... As soon as we woke up, he said: “That’s it! Suitcases - come to me! I was dumbfounded: “So fast! What about the parents? Oleg immediately took out two rings: “One for you, the other for me. Now together forever! At first we didn't even know which hand to put them on. I remember they consulted with someone: do they wear rings on their right or left hands before marriage? These wedding rings were inherited by Oleg and were dear to him as a memory.

— Didn’t you want an official relationship?

“I was a young girl and, of course, I dreamed of a family, of children... But it seemed to me that all this should happen after the wedding. A beautiful dress, a veil, a romantic trip to the island... Oleg was a supporter of a quiet trip to the registry office. For me, everything happened too quickly: intimacy, engagement, and an offer to live together... In one night we decided everything: that we loved each other, and that we would have children. We even agreed that our future children would study in London, live in Italy and come to visit us, the old ones... At home, I honestly told my mother about everything. She didn’t even have time to come to her senses when the phone rang. “Hello, this is Oleg,” he introduced himself to his mother. “Can I have Luda?” She just opened her mouth to express outrage at my sleepover when he immediately disarmed her: “I love your daughter!” Of course, my parents were embarrassed by the age difference, Oleg was the same age as my mother: “Meet whoever forbids you. Why live together right away?” Actually, I thought the same thing and was not yet ready to live in a civil marriage before the wedding...

— Did you introduce him to your parents?

- No, they only communicated by phone. By the way, Oleg tried to get to know them, but for some reason I avoided it. He often drove me to the house and although he didn’t say directly: “Can I come in?”, I felt: he really wanted this, but for some reason I never decided to invite him. There were still some doubts... And then there was no time: either trips abroad, then he was too busy, then I... But we often communicated with his parents. We went to see them in Ilyinskoye (Oleg, like me, is from the Moscow region). An ordinary wooden house, a garden, a yard dog. His dad, Evgeniy Yakovlevich, is wonderful, I immediately became friends with him. But with my mother, Elena Innokentyevna, the relationship was polite, but strained. She was a little jealous of Oleg towards me, or maybe I seemed too young to her. One weekend Sasha came to the dacha with his wife and child. I remember I took the baby in my arms and thought: “Someday we will have the same miracle...” And I accidentally caught Oleg’s gaze: there was so much tenderness in him...

Oleg told me right away that he wanted children. I dreamed in the future, when they appeared, to buy a big house. We even played with the names of our future children. I remember walking past bushes of blooming jasmine, Oleg said: “Oh! If it’s a girl, you can name him Jasmine!” He enthusiastically made plans: family, home, children...

- Maybe it was just talk?

“It seems to me that he felt like a boy in love with me again.” Therefore, I was happy to make plans for the future; this is typical of youth. I very soon forgot about the age difference. Before meeting me, he was going through a difficult period. Oleg did not act in films, he only played in the theater. So he grabbed onto me like a life preserver.

- Well, what about the past? You have a fiance, Menshikov probably also had his own life before you...

“My boyfriend soon guessed everything and disappeared, but I didn’t ask what Oleg had... And he didn’t ask any questions either.” He left me to choose: what if I regret it later? He said this: “You and I have two backpacks on our backs - I have a bigger one, you have a small one...” From the first day we did not take off the ring, sometimes Oleg put his on his thumb so as not to lose it. It turned out to be too big. I considered Oleg to be my husband; in my phone he was written as “Husband”. It’s as if we had decided everything many years in advance. And at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that all this was not happening to me, that this was some kind of mirage, a parallel world.

By the way, he immediately alienated me from my friends. A close friend found out that I was dating Menshikov only on my birthday, that is, two months after we met. Seeing Oleg, she was literally dumbfounded: “Why didn’t you tell me anything?” He arrived at the restaurant first, presented with a bouquet of flowers and a small heart with diamonds from Tiffany. Very soft and elegant. I still don't take it off. We continued to hide our relationship from prying eyes. Oleg had a premonition that publicity could ruin everything. For example, he didn’t want to go to the Moscow Film Festival, I insisted on it...

We went out to buy an outfit for me to go out into the world. His choice of a black and white, very sexy dress surprised me. He didn’t like it when I attracted attention to myself, and he rejected my skirts and heels as soon as we started dating. He advised me to dress more simply, mostly in a sporty style. I loved it when we had something alike in our clothes. Sometimes I wore his things, I still have his sweater.

The Moscow Film Festival was our first. Previously, only people from his close circle knew about me. Oleg immediately warned: “Lyudochka, keep in mind that they will start writing all sorts of nasty things about us. Please don't pay attention. We can handle it together!” Our appearance on the stairs of “Pushkinsky” caused a sensation - we were immediately surrounded by correspondents. Then, according to tradition, there was a banquet on the embankment in Neskuchny Garden. By the way, Oleg did not like the VIP zone, where Nikita Mikhalkov receives only a select few. We had fun with his friends - Marat Basharov, Yuri Bashmet... Oleg was in high spirits and introduced me to everyone as his bride. He took me to Nikita Mikhalkov. He looked me up and down appraisingly and purred something in Oleg’s ear as a sign of approval. After the banquet, we crossed our favorite bridge to the other side and found ourselves at home. I remember on the bridge Oleg took me by the hand and said: “Look at the moon. It will always be like this: you, me and this moon!” Everything was wonderful. Now I’m thinking: “Why did I go to this festival then? They would continue to hide their relationship. Maybe everything would have turned out differently..."

- Why?

“I didn’t know how journalists treated Oleg, that in their interpretation I would be an “escort girl.” It was not in vain that Oleg warned: the next day the newspapers came out with our photographs and comments. Oleg immediately advised: “Don’t read!”, but I couldn’t resist, and even my girlfriends cut off the phone and read out the “places.” Somewhere they wrote: “They said that he was gay, but he had a girlfriend,” in another newspaper they stated: “This stranger is just a cover for his friendship with Tatarenkov! " It was a shock for me. Oleg was afraid of this reaction from me...

“Didn’t you want to find out the truth?”

— I didn’t dare for a long time. Even when they hinted to me, she abruptly ended the conversation. How can I suspect the person closest to me of something?! Only a year later I asked: “Is this true? What are they saying about you? He replied: “No, it’s not true.” And I believed him, after all, with me he was a man! After the festival, people started calling my home phone: “Give me an interview!” Tell me, who are you?" There was a terrible stir around my person. They came to us in Zheleznodorozhny, sat in ambush, and journalists pestered my mother with questions. One newspaper, having published my photo, turned to readers: “Write to the editor if you know who she is.” Some “well-wisher” called and gave me away.

Meanwhile, Oleg and I’s life continued. I remember how we went to St. Petersburg. Oleg is so loved in this city, he is greeted so warmly! Palace museums were closed to us, and we walked around them completely alone. There Oleg endlessly photographed me. By the way, he himself doesn’t like to be photographed - he thinks it’s very bad. But he was constantly filming me. I remember he snapped at me near the Atlanteans of the Winter Palace. Someone told us that if you rub your Atlas finger and make a wish, it will certainly come true. So I made a wish: “Let Oleg and I have a child...” At that moment he took a picture of me...

At banquets, girls constantly flocked to Oleg: either they would ask for an autograph, then they would invite me to dance, or they would try to take me for a walk, despite my presence. Sometimes I had to push aside an overly persistent fan with my shoulder. When Oleg drinks, he carries away. One day, with the words: “We have to go,” I dragged him away from the farewell banquet. In the morning he wakes up on the train and asks in fear: “How did I behave?” “Disgusting,” I say. “You laughed loudly and waved your arms!” Oleg was terribly upset.

— Did Oleg go to the circus to your performances?

- No, he was very worried about me and, I think, did not want me to do aerial gymnastics. This is a risk, a danger. You know, the relationship with Oleg hit me so suddenly and powerfully that I even abandoned my profession for some time. I forgot about work, and about girlfriends, and about parents. Oleg filled everything with himself. I lived his life, came to the office of Theater Partnership 814, and often waited for Oleg after rehearsals. I remember I was even present at some readings... Oleg introduced me to everyone exclusively like this: “This is my future wife.”

— By the way, how did Oleg’s entourage perceive you? After all, his “Partnership” includes like-minded friends who have been with him for more than one year.

“I won’t say that everyone was happy with my appearance. A certain moment of tension was felt. “Some upstart appeared next to our Oleg!” - sometimes one could read it in the eyes of his retinue. He began to spend a lot of time with me, we left parties earlier, which caused general discontent. Maybe Oleg would drink more and stay, but she takes him away! His assistant, the second director, who for some reason was terribly afraid of me in my heart, flattered my eyes. From this flattery I realized how much she hated me. It was she, they say, who later found Oleg a young wife at GITIS... I don’t know what those around him told him about me, but Oleg often repeated: “They don’t want you to be with me.”

— What, did Oleg have problems with alcohol?

“He warned from the very beginning that this problem existed in his life and that he could disappear for two or three days. During his work, he definitely needed a release, and I understood this. When Oleg drank, he became “his guy” - cheerful and indecently cheerful, but every time the next morning after a noisy party he felt guilty.

“Didn’t you keep him company?”

- No. I didn’t drink or smoke, and Oleg absolutely loved it. He also liked that I was who I was: I didn’t walk around the apartment with a glass of champagne, languidly blowing cigarette smoke into the ceiling. He hated cheap pathos. I can easily wash the dishes and fry eggs. For the first time, it completely plunged him into sacred awe. I remember sitting with Nikita Tatarenkov at Oleg’s on Frunzenskaya. I'm terribly hungry, but too lazy to go somewhere. “I can cook you scrambled eggs!” - I suggest. When I put a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Oleg, he somehow became timid: “No, no, I won’t.” Nikita eats the scrambled eggs on both cheeks, and he frightenedly twirls his fork. Then I finally tried it and asked for more.

— By the way, the press wrote very actively about the close friendship of Nikita Tatarenkov and Menshikov...

— Nikita played in his plays, then they starred together in “The Golden Calf.” Nikita often came to visit us with his girlfriend, but more often alone, he traveled with us everywhere, we had lunch together. Sometimes something jealous slipped into our relationship with Nikita, but in the end... Nikita Tatarenkov was and is...

— Do you think there was more truth or play in your relationship?

“It was a love-fairy tale that we ourselves composed.” After the first night, we immediately and irrevocably decided: we are husband and wife! We had a habit of walking together along Frunzenskaya Embankment. We went to “walk” each other, like walking dogs. “Well, doggy, let’s go for a walk?” - Oleg told me. Our secret place was the Neskuchny Garden, where we loved to fantasize. There is an abandoned small mansion in the garden. We often wandered around it. “This will be our home. Whoa, do you see the window on the second floor? This will be my bedroom." “Where is mine?” - I’m offended. - “And yours is opposite...” - “Why is mine so far away?” - “To miss each other.” And after a pause: “Do you see the largest window? This will be a common bedroom...” We invented our future life, populated it with friends, things, houses, some objects... Sometimes, perhaps, I lacked reality. The foundation of our common house was very shaky. Oleg was not only the inventor of our relationship, but also an excellent performer. And I’m not a good actress—a young, naive girl. But the play is complex, not for two performers, there were three of them in it...

-Who is this third one?

- I don’t want to talk about it... Ill-wishers hinted at me, then they began to warn me - I just brushed it off. And when Oleg changed, I began to think... It all started with a trip to the Cote d'Azur to a famous businessman, Oleg's friend. He had a huge villa on the seashore. This man became very interested in my person when he found out that Oleg was going to marry me. In the fall, a friendly group of us - Vanya Demidov and my daughter, me and Oleg and Nikita Tatarenkov - went to France. Relax and, as I understand it, introduce me at the same time.

I remember before the trip I asked him: “How long are we leaving?” “For a month,” Oleg answered. I sighed in disappointment: “Oh, that took so long!” And he was offended...

The villa shocked me. A real castle with a huge park and swimming pool. Everything was great at first. And then somehow unexpectedly Oleg changed. “Maybe he got carried away with work?” - I thought. Oleg had just started working on a new play, “The Players,” which he was going to stage in Moscow. I got up early, disappeared somewhere, I had breakfast alone, then went to the beach. His desire to be alone and my reluctance to be alone clashed... Everything began to fall apart. Oleg, who was usually like fireworks, suddenly became frighteningly gloomy and silent. After an explosion of fun, suddenly there was some kind of torment, incomprehensible torment, as if there were two Olegs in front of me. I remember we were walking along the embankment and were silent for a long time. It’s as if all the words have already been said, life has been lived. At times this painful silence was terribly depressing. “Why is he silent? - I wondered. She often told him: “I don’t recognize you.” I didn’t know him like that, he scared me like that...

One day, a group of us went on a boat trip on the huge yacht of our hospitable host. We moored in Portofino. We walked for a long time along the ancient narrow streets. It even seemed to me that the old warmth had reappeared between us. That evening Oleg warned that he would spend the night on deck. I was just about to go to bed when Vanya Demidov completely unexpectedly appeared in the cabin and stunned me from the threshold: “I think about you all the time, I dream about you!” Then he tried to hug him. “Van, what are you doing? - I was indignant. “I love Oleg!” - “Well, where is your Oleg?” - “Sleeping on the deck.” - “He’s sleeping... Well, think so...” At that moment someone knocked on the cabin door. I was incredibly scared. First thought: “Oleg. He may understand everything wrong!” Thank God it was the maid. “Leave immediately!” — I told Vanya and pushed him out of the cabin.

After this strange conversation, I began to compare some moments, remember various little things: maybe Oleg was really deceiving me? “What if he’s playing with me? Everything was so beautiful, romantic, and then it all suddenly ended…” I thought. And then I finally watched “Pokrovsky Gate” and noticed how he sometimes resembles the pompous Kostya...

“Didn’t you try to talk to him?”

— I didn’t last a week until the month we were supposed to spend on the Cote d’Azur. I remember very well the day when our fairy tale ended. Everything hurt me so much that one evening I couldn’t stand it: “I can’t be here anymore. I'm flying away." We lay next to each other, and he spoke harshly to me in the dark. That I am too small to understand him, that there are many admirers around me, that I am abandoning him here... Oleg did not scream, he simply spoke, but it was very painful. I couldn't stand it anymore. She jumped out into the park and, sobbing, ran along the alley towards the sea. The staff looked after me with bewilderment... The next morning we had breakfast in silence and went to the airport.

Oleg, as if nothing had happened, held my hand the whole way. I don’t understand why I didn’t say then: “Let’s return the ticket, and I won’t fly anywhere.” But I really wanted it! I remember looking back when I was standing at the reception desk, and how he waved his hand. As soon as Oleg disappeared, it was as if something painfully clicked inside. At that second I was ready to drop everything and run after him. It was then, on the plane, that I felt that I loved him. I had never thought about this before... So we went in different directions. “For her - to the left, for me - to the right, well, goodbye,” Oleg later sang in the New Year’s program. I think this is about him and me...

— Do you regret becoming a “runaway bride”?

“Now I can say: “I’m happy I did this.” I gained much more than I lost.”

When Oleg arrived in Moscow, I came to the “Partnership” to give him the ring. I prepared my speech in advance, but as soon as I saw him, I forgot everything. He was rehearsing for “The Players,” so tanned and handsome, in a white shirt. My heart was already jumping. “Maybe we can go to the park for a walk?” - he suggested. - "Let's go to". I babbled a memorized speech, and then, crumpling everything up, I said: “Why do I need your ring if we broke up?” He suddenly smiled and said, spreading his arms: “So what? After everything that happened, let’s just take it and part?” I shook my head: “No!” and threw herself on his neck. However, she still gave the ring away: “We already had rings, let’s try without them...

Oleg plunged headlong into his work, and I began to prepare for admission to VGIK without telling him anything about it. It was because of Oleg that I decided to become an actress. It seemed to me that I would become an actress and finally understand what kind of person he is!”

July 5th, my birthday, was approaching. And the last round fell on the same day. Oleg, as always, was the first to congratulate me - he called me after midnight: “Well, how are we going to celebrate?” We agreed to celebrate modestly, together. And I have admission in the morning. I’m standing in the queue of applicants, suddenly Oleg calls: “Lyudochka, I’m expecting you at the pier in an hour. The ship is leaving." I pushed aside all the applicants and rushed to take the test first. Bang - Ophelia! I read it quickly, just to make it faster. Whether I get in or not, it doesn’t matter! And I’m flying to the River Station. Oleg rented a large ship for me. What a surprise! The table is set in the wardroom, everyone has gathered - Sasha and her friend, Nikita Tatarenkov and Oleg and I. Here I announce to everyone: “I’m back from the exam at VGIK.” Sasha asks Oleg: “Call, let them take the girl. She’s already passed everything.” In the evening we called from the ship and found out that I had been accepted. And we have already celebrated two holidays - my birthday and my admission.

—Have your relationships improved again?

“We started seeing each other again, but much less often.” It was already a different relationship. Regular. Banal. We broke up many times, then made up. We wake up together, he smiles. “Why are you so joyful?” - “It’s still good that you’re around!” Then - again in different directions. Over time, we turned into close friends. Oleg often said: “Sex is not the main thing in life.” He liked the role of such a venerable Actor Akterych next to the aspiring artist. He liked to ask about classes: “Well, how are you doing in your studies?” Now I understand that I was talking complete nonsense, and he nodded importantly in response: “Well, yes, well, yes!..” Now we were afraid to talk about the future, as if all this had disappeared somewhere. We stopped talking about topics that concern us personally. Only our two wedding rings lay side by side for a long time on the chest of drawers in his room...

We experienced the highest degree of relationship almost on the very first day, and then what? I remember once we didn’t see each other for a whole month. I was really looking forward to his call, but pride prevented me from calling myself. You wait and suffer, but there is still no call - a week, two, three... Suddenly at night there is a call: Oleg invites me to the musical “Chicago”. Hooray! We'll see you again. Then it disappears again for a long time. A year passed... One day he called and invited me to the “funeral” of the play “Kitchens”. “Please put on that white dress, remember?” - he asked.

I remember we celebrated his birthday together. This was in the last year of our relationship. It was then that I realized how lonely he was. Oleg sat down at the piano and sang “The Little Little Blue Handkerchief.” Sad words: “You said that you would not forget affectionate, joyful meetings...” And for some reason I gave him a yellow tie. I don’t know why, because yellow is the color of separation... We called each other less and less often. One day I called, and suddenly Oleg told me: “Luda, I’m getting married!” “Well, congratulations! I’m happy for you,” I said, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t meet anyone for a long time, Oleg was such a bright and interesting person. Work distracted me from sad thoughts. They started filming me a lot: this was “Tatiana’s Day”, and “Medical Secrets” and “And the Dawns Here Are Quiet”. So, thanks to Oleg, I became an actress...

I thought about our story for a long time and only now can I say that I finally understood him. I think he was honest with me. I just didn't want to ruin my life. After all, it is impossible to live constantly feeling the presence of a third person. His “backpack of the past” turned out to be too heavy...

SOURCE -

“CARAVAN OF STORIES”, site “Seven Days”, Zaichik Irina