What made actor Alexei Gribov marry the widow of his mentor

2023 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 05:58

Alexei Gribov can rightfully be called a legend of the Moscow Art Theater: he came to the theater as a 22-year-old boy and played on the famous stage for almost half a century. In the movie, the actor played more than 70 roles, being remembered by the viewer in the images of Captain Vasily Vasilyevich in "Striped Flight" and the director of a photo studio in "Zigzag of Fortune". Outside of the profession, Alexey Petrovich was the life of the company, but for a long time he was known as an inveterate bachelor. He really got married for the first time after 30 years, while the marriage of Alexei Gribov was a kind of forced measure.

Original talent

Alexey Gribov was born in 1902 into the simplest and most diverse family. His grandfather left the peasants and worked as a machinist on the railway, his father served as a driver, and his aunts were teachers in Ivanteevka. Alexey was educated at an elementary school in Leontievsky lane of the capital, worked at a silk-weaving factory, which was closed after the revolution.

Later, Gribov decided to get the profession of an accountant, and in 1919 he entered the school-club of working youth. It was there that he became infected with the theater. He first got acquainted with art at the Maxim Gorky Studio, where they were engaged in staging stories. Alexei Gribov entered the school of the Third Studio of the Moscow Art Theater, after which he was enrolled in the troupe of the renowned theater.

For several years he was part of the auxiliary staff, but at the same time, even in small episodes, he did not go unnoticed. Alexei Gribov in the theater was considered a real master in the embodiment of various versions of the Russian national character. He succeeded in the roles of brawlers and mischievous people, but heroic images turned out to be no less vivid. The range of his work at the Moscow Art Theater was very wide: Khlynov in "Ardent Heart" by Ostrovsky, Luka in the production of "At the Bottom" by Gorky, Epikhodov and then Firs in the play "The Cherry Orchard", Sobakevich in "Dead Souls" and many, many others …

Appearing in films for the first time in the image of the commander of a tank battalion Gorbunov in the film "Hot Days" in 1935, Alexei Gribov subsequently starred a lot. His filmography includes more than 70 works and amazes with the variety of roles played. Today it is difficult to imagine the "Head of Chukotka" without the collegiate registrar played by the actor Khramov, "Striped Flight" without Captain Vasily Vasilyevich or "Zigzag of Fortune" without the director of the photo studio Polotentsev.

First marriage

Despite the fact that Alexey Gribov has always enjoyed success with women, the first time he got married rather late, already in the mid-1930s. Yes, and this marriage was a measure, rather a forced one.

Once on the street, he accidentally met the wife of his former teacher at the School-Club. Elena Baranovskaya was crushed by the recent death of her husband and was very upset by the loss. Alexey Gribov remembered very well what the teacher had done for him in his time. It was with his light hand that the teenager got into the School-Club No. 2 of the Zamoskvoretsky District, and then joined the theater. Despite the fact that after the teacher was very upset by the departure of the student to a professional theater and stopped all communication with him, Alexey Gribov felt obliged to help Elena Baranovskaya in memory of his teacher.

Alexei Nikolaevich suggested that the tear-stained woman change the situation and go on tour with the Moscow Art Theater in Tbilisi. The actor was very convincing in his desire to help Elena Vladimirovna, and she went with him to Georgia. During the tour, he touchingly took care of his companion and, as a result, sympathy arose between them.

Naturally, this caused rumors in the theater and condemnation of Elena Baranovskaya, who was much older than Gribov. To stop all kinds of speculation and protect Elena Vladimirovna from evil tongues, after returning to the capital, Alexei Nikolaevich made an offer to the widow of his mentor.

They lived together for almost 15 years, but even after the divorce, the actor continued to help the woman until the end of his life. Even when Aleksey Gribov was already seriously ill, his driver or adopted daughter brought her food.

A short romance

After that, Alexei Nikolaevich had a fleeting romance with Isolde Apin, a student of the directing department of the Moscow Art Theater School. At that time she already served as an assistant director in the theater, and in 1947 gave birth to Alexei Gribov's son Alyosha.

True, their real family did not work out, the spouses broke up, but Alexei Nikolaevich, who himself continued to live in a communal apartment, provided his ex-wife and son with housing by building a cooperative for them. He himself continued to live in an old communal apartment, where he owned two rooms. In one lived Elena Vladimirovna, in the other - the actor himself.

Alexei Nikolaevich was a well-known lover of antique objects, having a particular weakness for the furniture of the Pushkin era, with which his room was furnished. At the same time, basins and buckets were on the floor near the mahogany cabinet, into which water dripped from the leaking ceiling.

last love

Alexey Gribov was very busy in the theater, acted in films, in his free time he enjoyed attending races or football matches with the participation of his beloved "Spartak".

But the cheerful, sociable and kind Alexei Gribov had one serious drawback: the actor was overly addicted to alcohol, and he could drink not only with friends, but also in complete solitude. True, this hobby led to his acquaintance with his third wife, Natalia Valandina. The girl was 26 years younger than the actor and worked as an assistant director in the film "Gutta-Percha Boy", where Mushrooms starred.

Once he started drinking and did not show up on the set. They decided to send pretty Natalia after him, rightly deciding that he could not refuse her. At first, the actor did not want to let Natalia into the apartment. Firstly, he was angry with himself because of another breakdown, and secondly, he was clearly embarrassed.

The fact is that Natalya, who entered, could see the old issue of the Ogonyok magazine on the shelf in the closet, where her photograph was adorned on the cover. She became the heroine of the magazine after a few years before meeting the actor, she won first place at the pioneer counselors' show.

On that ill-fated day, Alexei Nikolaevich at first categorically refused to leave the house. Natalia turned out to be very persistent and still brought the actor to the set. There she first let Gribov sleep, and then brought him to his senses, and he was able to fully work out the day.

After filming, the actor approached Natalia and offered to "devote her sobriety." The girl agreed, and soon Alexei Nikolaevich was already courting the girl. After the marriage with Natalia, he really did not drink alcohol for four years, although he was given it with difficulty. Together with his beloved Natasha, he raised her two daughters, Maria and Alena.

Alexey Gribov often went on tour with the theater, visited many countries and wrote tender letters to his wife from everywhere. Natalya Iosifovna not only answered him in full reciprocity, but admitted: she did not even imagine that it was possible to love so much.

True, later everything returned to normal, the actor again began to abuse alcohol. Subsequently, this led to a stroke, which happened to the actor in 1974. At the same time, trouble happened to the actor right during the play "Three Sisters" in Leningrad, but he continued to play until one of the spectators in the hall noticed what was happening to the actor and demanded to close the curtain, reporting directly from the place: stroke, I'm a doctor. " The performance was interrupted, but then it was played to the end at the request of Gribov himself, and only then an ambulance was called.

Alexey Gribov recovered very slowly, the consequences of the stroke were severe, the actor lost his speech and could not walk. Alexei Nikolaevich, thanks to the efforts of his wife, lived for three more years, returned to teaching at the Moscow Art Theater School, but did not go on stage. On November 26, 1977, the actor's heart stopped.

Alexey Gribov served at the Moscow Art Theater for over half a century. The same amount was given to him by the magnificent Anastasia Georgievskaya, who embodied many vivid images on the legendary stage. Until the last day of her life, Anastasia Georgievskaya worked, but they learned about her death only a week later.