On July 8, Karen Shakhnazarov celebrates his jubilee. By the age of 70, he had achieved success in his career, became famous as a film director, and made many cult films. The only thing that Shakhnazarov did not succeed in was to become happy in his personal life.
The first time Karen Shakhnazarov married in his youth, following graduating from the directing department. The filmmaker saw his future wife in a cafe and decided to go to the registry office immediately following the release of his first film, Kind Men. Alas, the marriage collapsed as quickly as it was created. Six months following the wedding, the couple broke up on a good note. Then it seemed that the young and promising director would still have a chance to find his soul mate.
Indeed, soon Karen Georgievich met the journalist and art critic Elena. In 1983, the lovers got married, two years later they became the parents of Anya’s daughter, and everything was fine with them. At least, that’s what Shakhnazarov thought. Of course, there were quarrels in the family, but they always ended in reconciliation, and at the end of relations in the family, an idyll reigned. That is why the screenwriter was so surprised when his wife secretly fled to another country.
In the second marriage, Karen Shakhnazarov has already managed to become a major and successful director. The picture “We are from Jazz” appeared on the screens, the audience was delighted and looked forward to new creations, and Shakhnazarov was actively pursuing a career. My daughter was four when the filmmaker was invited to the festival in Cannes. He returned five days later, but instead of his daughter and wife, a note was waiting for him at home: they say she went to America to show Anna Disneyland. Karen Georgievich did not see his relatives once more.
The film director said that there were no prerequisites for divorce in their family. Nevertheless, he decided to give up the search and leave his family alone. Shakhnazarov clearly understood that the escape was planned in advance and organized with someone’s help. Karen Georgievich made the film “American Daughter”, so similar to his own story, and lost hope of seeing the heiress at least once. Fortunately, following 20 years, Anna herself decided to find him.
At the end of the 2000s, when Shakhnazarov came to the States for work, the heiress contacted him through a familiar journalist. Relatives met and got to know each other personally, and then continued to keep in touch. It turned out that the heiress of Karen Georgievich is also connected with the cinema and works as a director for famous directors. Once she even came to Russia to meet half-brothers.
The sons of the filmmaker were born in a third marriage. In the 90s, Karen Shakhnazarov married actress Daria Mayorova, who gave him two heirs: Ivan and Vasily. The couple lived together for regarding 10 years, but this marriage of the director eventually came to an end. The screenwriter maintained a good relationship with his ex-wife, and took an active part in the life of his sons.
Now Karen Georgievich is a lonely bachelor. However, according to the film director, this does not upset him too much. Shakhnazarov says he likes to be alone with himself.
