Athos – 80 years: Veniamin Smekhov celebrates anniversary

Left me like the chair was empty. But I feel like a wave of some sort. Turn your head: he.

Honestly, nowhere. Materialized. Benjamin B..

“What’s wrong with you, the blue sweater? / In the eyes of the anxious breeze…”

the Performance ended, everyone falls. I turn my head again to anyone. Click – and vanished. But before you slip away, cloud clearly said – I heard his voice: “Polytechnic – after all, what an amazing aura to this room.”

it was All very Bulgakov. It was a sin not to remember that laughter Taganka played the role of Woland in the play “the Master and Margarita”, from which many then went crazy.

And if we talk now about titles, the fact laughter ten years ago from the rank refused decades before did not notice, why would he now. Now he explains: “he can’t help himself asked. Maybe they wanted to, but resist”. Maybe being just too sincerely uttered once the monologues of Woland from the stage: “Never ask for anything! Never and anything, especially those who are stronger than you.”

the password to the artist Smehova – he revealed the words which describes your life: “how interesting!”. He is everything in life and in his profession interesting. And that’s why the main thing in it: laughter is always mysterious and interesting. “Believe in art – he says – for which the main in the country – the common people of my country”.

While all longing in pandemic frenzy, have Smekhova was such a “Boldino” spring “I was finishing the book “Life away” and all three of my plays – “the backbone Flute” at the Taganka Theater, “parsnips” in the “Gogol-center” and “Iranian conference” at the Theatre of Nations was canceled in March, in April, was canceled in may and transferred to the future.” He finished writing his memoirs, and his book “Life in the” already published “Old movie” – on the 80th anniversary of the author (tenth of August).

why is “away”? In which “guests”? And childhood in a communal apartment – also, consider “visiting”. Father returning from war, have inspired a love for poetry and word – and Mayakovsky. Thought like to be a writer – and began to study in drama, because it surprised the examiners: as I read “one hundred forty suns sunset blazed, in July rolled out the summer…”. In the Shchukin school, where from the second year Smekhova (along with Zbruev) almost got expelled, someone seemed to be too modest (clamped), not “away” in the theater. (“I was 17 years old, and it has become for me a real tragedy. I fainted at the hands of my classmates”).

And received Vakhtangov training, suddenly asked in Kuibyshev (Samara). And a year later, returning, found himself, as he says, in the midst of “serious storms in the atmosphere of the world theatre” Taganka. Here it will become Woland (not only them) – but outside of the theater circle, like hypnosis, it is recognized Athos. Then again prewarn��worst of all in Germany (and not only) he will even put Opera.

Look around and you’ll suddenly wonder: “why all the current twentieth anniversary giving me the freedom (in honor of receiving in 2000 a modest pension of the citizen of the Russian Federation) I feel completely happy and loaded with man”? And has played more than in the past. And television projects. And the whole country, and traveled halfway around the world – welcome guest.

Unexplained many things in life. Who is who in the party in this world, why the fate is so and not otherwise? He explains: the book about it – about the unexplained.

About something that may have no answers.

Smekhova here eight chapters – ten-year segments of life. Until today four important Smekhova performances (for Yevtushenko, Mayakovsky, Pasternak, plus “the Iranian conference” at the Theatre of Nations) and the movie “the Land Elzy” (Irina Pechernikova), the premiere of which tightened the quarantine.

laughter recalls that once Bella Ahmadullina said about the brilliant playwright and poet Nikolai Erdman: “he was deprived of the talent of possessiveness”.

Mother says it all the time in the same accuses, not even questioning.

Here’s another from the same beloved Mahovym Erdman: “What are you always say “art”? Currently, trade is also an art!” “What you always say: “trade, trade”? Currently, the art – trade!”

the Talent of Benjamin Smekhova and most importantly his art to give himself. And change is not to ask.

* * *

on the Eve Lyubimov encouraged everyone to apply for participation in this evening. At the same time, the literary Manager of the Levin posted a message about that tomorrow on the first rehearsal evening of the poet A. Voznesensky called… Then transferred – Zolotukhin, Vysotsky, Demidova, Irina Kuznetsova, Khmelnitsky, Vasiliev, and all.

How to apply if you already solved? I said Lyubimov. Got nasty in General. And he was genuinely surprised: as it is solved, who solved? And on the same day the list was assigned with a pencil my name.

So I decided to leave the theatre in writers, because they do not have developed acting fate, were among the participants of the evening, which became the short play “Antiworlds”.

came and went, already feeling like an actor of the Taganka Theater. For this I am grateful to the Muse Andrei Andreyevich Voznesensky. Next was a rehearsal, was stunned viewers, the show itself and Voznesensky read his poems.

the Evening “the Poet and the theatre”, opened with introductory remarks Lyubimov – that the great drama always written by poets, and only the twentieth century has deprived the stage of poetry, prose despicable prevailed, and we now want to bring back the drama of its first principle, – that’s why we have ascension. Then Andrew said something about the importance of poetry in the theatre and I remember, suddenly remarked: “All poets go to the theater, but the – side is ��Victor Sides”. The late poet Sides just at this time made their way into the hall, some sideways… Everything was happening so dashing, fun, festive.

the Success was stunning, and in early February was born exactly in the play “Antiworlds” the repertory, as an equal member of the team performances of the Taganka Theater (them was three).

the first play was Arthur Miller, and after the ascension, fell in love with all of us, but as the two executors of his (and our) favorite poem “Oza”, called me with Vladimir Vysotsky in the office of Yuri Lyubimov. Then he mocked, not knowing the English language, as Voznesensky spoke with the great Arthur Miller, is in Russian, but the words were English. Miller understood it. He was delighted with the spectacle, never realizing in Russian, but apparently responding to the music of these constructivist texts.

During the same performance, as I later learned, Konstantin Simonov and Alexei Arbuzov told Lubimov about me that I read well of ascension. After that, Lyubimov drew his final favorable attention, and thank you again the ascension and this performance – I believe in myself as an actor.

* * *

“Antiworlds” walked for many years. They ended in the year of death of Vladimir Vysotsky or the year after, when it became clear that it has spread.

it’s Amazing how Lyubimov guessed the need for the highest layers umstvuyuschie intelligentsia, intelligent people (a great expression of Dima Prigov) of the country. These meaningful citizens to this day come across in my days of touring or big trips to various places in Russia, and in America, Australia, Germany, Israel, France. Come with faded applets, that’s sixty some year you me signed, sign now. And the program is full of signatures… In this production were all good and Alla Demidova, which “Marilyn Monroe”, and Aida Chernova, great pantomimist playing “Striptease” (and read his Valery Zolotukhin). And Tolya Vasilyev, and Showa Sobolev. Zina Slavin we triumphantly read “Paris without rhymes”. (Director Peter Fomenko has been a Director title, and “Antiworld” and “Fallen and the living” in many ways, by the way, his success was owe to him.)

In the “Antiworld” reveled in the absolute recklessness of the Russian theater, who wants to break through somewhere where it was not expected. Poems magically evolved in the story. “You know, told me something my friend, alas, the late, beautiful artist and Professor good Yuri Avsharov, and in this play there is a hero. It would seem that all the poems in isolation, but is a hero. This is the Time”… And Yura said that he had not seen such a theatre to people so loved each other. It was not the absolute truth. But in the white space of the podium, where we were seated Lyubimov, m�� so listened to everyone who came out to read that there were total heart connection.

One day Andrew returned from Paris, read at the end of the famous “Polytechnic” (he surely had to read this poem), and then called us with Volodya to yourself. We arrived, he gave us drive – for those times it was elegant and beautiful plate of the poems of Andrew, which he read Andrew. To me, he wrote some lovely words, and Wysocki – unforgettable briefly and firmly: “Volodya nerve of the century”. Absolutely sniper to a point.

once we were visiting Andrew and Zoe in the New year (sixty-seventh) – in the company of Maya Plisetskaya, Shchedrin, Maya Turovskaya. The new year masters combined with new home – they moved into the apartment of academician Sidorenko, and Zoe was still unhappy, kind academician left the apartment. I came with my then-wife and Volodya with a classmate and friend of Igor Kochanowski (his song Volodya were brilliantly performed). Having dined and drank, we listened as Andrew read his new poems. And after the Italian champagne, which brought the Maya, he performed “the Letter from celosvetove”. Plisetskaya began to laugh at the words – “was in the ballet – men girls grabbing girls all as on selection – white sneakers. Here I write, and stifle tears dripping don’t let yourself be missed, my dear!”… Here is Maya Plisetskaya showed the world the extraordinary vocal talent: she just wept.. It was a time of absolute celebration, “antimirov”, which even the most intelligent physicists and lyrics went three or four times.

(From the book of Igor Vyrubova “Andrei Voznesensky”).