How Vladimir Menshov managed to live almost 60 years with his wife, whom he considered a man of another civilization

On July 5, 2021, the great director Vladimir Menshov passed away. He left behind a rich creative heritage, and the films made by Vladimir Valentinovich will be watched by many more generations of grateful viewers. But most of all today, of course, are those close to Vladimir Menshov who grieve. He lived with his wife Vera Alentova for almost 60 years, but until the end he considered his wife a person from another civilization, which is simply impossible to fully understand.

Great is seen at a distance

They met at the MHAL Studio School, where both studied at the acting department on the course of Vasily Markov. At the same time, Vera Alentova was in very good standing with the teachers. They openly warned their beloved against marriage with a provincial boy who has nothing for his soul. But Vera Alentova was not at all going to heed the warnings, because her chosen one had the most important thing: warm feelings.

She was ready to live according to the principle "with a lovely paradise and in a hut." However, at first they did not even have a common hut. Vera Alentova and Vladimir Menshov lived in different hostels for another eight years before they got an apartment. And at the very moment when the couple were finally able to live together, they decided to leave.

As the director's wife later admits, their love was simply tired of too long a period of life apart, numerous everyday problems and lack of money. But the hardest part was getting used to living together. They decided not to torment each other with an endless showdown, but to try to live apart.

Of course, each of them could arrange their life with another person. Vera Alentova did not suffer from a lack of fans, and it was a sin for Vladimir Menshov to complain about the lack of female attention. However, the breakup allowed the couple to understand that they were meant for each other. And that period apart showed how invaluable their feelings are, still pure and hot.

People from different civilizations

It was not easy for Vladimir Menshov and Vera Alentova. When the director was already 80 years old, and together with his wife they lived for more than 55 years, Vladimir Valentinovich admitted that he could not fully understand her. They are people not just from different worlds - from different civilizations.

Even at the very beginning of their family life, Vera Alentova decided to cook cabbage soup for her husband. She prepared a five-liter pan and said: you need to buy 200 grams of meat. Vladimir Menshov's timid attempt to notice that there is not enough meat for such a volume was cut off categorically: "200 grams!" You should have seen the surprised face of the butcher, who had to chop off these unfortunate 200 grams. After these cabbage soup, the young husband decided to master cooking.

When he was going to repair something in the house or trite to hammer a nail into the wall, his wife immediately took the hammer away from him, saying that he could not do anything except shooting films. And she herself was engaged in repair work. Vera Valentinovna generally knows how to do everything herself. Well, other than cooking.

Serious passions were sometimes in full swing in the family. The couple criticized each other to the point of hoarseness, later their daughter, actress Yulia Menshova, joined this process. They could discuss something loudly, argue, prove, without being offended by harsh words.

And yet the spouses succeeded best of all in joint silence. True, if suddenly Vera Valentinovna violated him with some question, she could hear her husband's angry cry in response. He mentally lined up another dialogue, and she intervened in "subtle matters" with an untimely uttered phrase.

When Yulia Menshova staged her debut play “Love. Letters "with his parents in the lead roles, Vladimir Menshov was afraid of his daughter's failure to tremble in his hands. So he tried to take the production into his own hands. Naturally, Julia did not give up the reins of the board. During the rehearsals it was very noisy, and Vera Alentova had to maneuver between her husband and daughter. Fortunately, then they all had the wisdom to understand: all their hot cries, quarrels and disputes actually come from great love for each other. And out of fear for loved ones.

But most importantly, Vladimir Menshov and Vera Alentova always looked in the same direction. They understood each other without words and became simply inseparable. And they always knew it.

Vladimir Menshov considered the family to be an interweaving of time-consuming work and great luck. He was lucky to meet his man, but then this luck needed to be supported by actions. Therefore, he tried never to forget to give gifts to his beloved wife, invent surprises for her and arrange small and big holidays. Which he did all his life.

Unfortunately, on July 5, 2021, Vladimir Menshov passed away. He died in hospital from the effects of coronavirus infection. Vera Alentova is now also undergoing treatment in one of the capital's clinics. It is impossible even to imagine what the actress is going through when she finds out about the death of a loved one …

He was amazingly talented, life-loving and strong. The illness took his life, but his memory will live on in his films and roles. And also in the hearts of those who love him.

The hardest thing now is probably daughter of Vladimir Menshov. Despite the fact that she is almost 52 years old, Yulia Vladimirovna always felt the love and support of her father. Now she has lost one of the main supports in life …