The actor’s friends did not doubt the sincerity of Irina’s feelings.
On April 6, People’s Artist of Russia Stanislav Lyubshin will celebrate his 90th birthday. The next day, or rather evening, the tall and gray-haired master will appear on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater in the play “Game of Towns”. Stanislav Andreevich has a great sense of humor. He is an optimist, although there were many black stripes and suffering on his way.
Playing the role of Alexander Ilyin in Nikita Mikhalkov’s film “Five Evenings”, for which Lyubshin received not only an award in France, the title of “Best Actor of the Year” and a cover in the magazine “Soviet Screen”, he turned gray. Although at that time he was only 45 years old.
About the torment of a partner at one of the last festivals in her life – “Window to Europe” – “Express newspaper” was told by his partner in the picture, Lyudmila Gurchenko.
– I’m not a big fan of going to festivals, – Lyudmila Markovna admitted then. – And with the film “Five Evenings” we traveled all over the world. And they suffered so much with Glory that I said: “That’s enough.” After our travels, I even fell in love with Lyubshin, although before that I might hardly stand him. He became my friend in common misfortunes … According to Gurchenko, following the premiere of the film, she broke her leg. And by coincidence, Lyubshin also received a leg injury.
– And we, two cripples, Mikhalkov took with Five Evenings to Canada. From early morning until late at night – presentations, parties, screenings, interviews. Nikita Sergeevich himself is as healthy as a bull: he doesn’t sleep, he doesn’t eat – and he’s like a cucumber! And Slava and I are not only in fragile health, but also lame. I held on to the last, dreaming of filming with Mikhalkov. Slava broke down first. And once, in front of everyone, he fell on his knees in front of Nikita and begged: “Master, let us go! Have pity! We got tired.”
But, as the movie star assured, 33-year-old Mikhalkov did not show them any leniency.
– I asked Slava not to arrange circus performances, and we only got more parties and shows …
Youth elixir
Lyubshin still fondly recalls these shootings. And he does not hide the fact that for the first time in her life a woman was furious at his presence:
– When I arrived in Kyiv to shoot with Mikhalkov, I immediately found out that Lyudmila Gurchenko did not want to work with me. She saw Nikita Sergeevich himself in the role, although he was too young for this hero. Throughout the filming, she was in conflict with me.
The screenwriter of “Five Evenings” Alexander Adabashyan prescribed a love-erotic scene for the characters of Gurchenko and Lyubshin.
– In an ultimatum form, I declared to Mikhalkov: “I will not kiss Lyubshin. Well, I don’t like him. He kisses badly, ”recalled Lyudmila Markovna. – Nikita asked to be patient and let Slava kiss me. I agreed. But our kiss made such a terrible impression on the director that he immediately deleted the intimate scene from the script. Right before our eyes.
In those years, Lyubshin, unlike Gurchenko, was not tempted in love. His marriage continued with his first wife Svetlana, whom he took to the registry office as a student, when she studied at the Agricultural Academy, and he, before entering the Shchepkinsky School, at the oxygen welding college.
For 44 years, the couple raised two sons. And then all of a sudden everything went wrong.
“Stanislav began to drink very heavily,” Svetlana Desiderovna shared with Express Newspaper following their divorce. – It changed his mind. He was not drunk, he did not drink as much and for a long time as Burkov and Shukshin, but still … Perhaps our disagreements began with this.
Soon, journalist Irina Korneeva appeared in Lyubshin’s life – a smart, modest, serious girl with sea-green eyes. Younger than the artist for 40 years. They met and immediately became close in Poland.
Stanislav played in the play there, and she evaluated his work as a theater critic. Neither Lyubshin nor Irina ever told what happened between them during that interview. But they returned to Moscow as a couple – with the firm intention of getting married.
The couple are still together. From a once very sociable person, Lyubshin next to Korneeva turned into a silent man. But he stopped drinking, took care of his health. Overcame a terrible disease. He began to play a lot in his native Moscow Art Theater.
To questions from young colleagues: “Stanislav Andreevich, where did you get the elixir of youth?” – during the life of Oleg Tabakov, he answered: “In the same place as Oleg Pavlovich.” Bearing in mind that both got young spouses.
Photo source: Boris Kudryavov
