The heirs of the Evstigneev dynasty: The famous artist did not learn about the successes of his descendants

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

29 years ago, on March 4, 1992, the famous Soviet theater and film actor, People's Artist of the USSR Yevgeny Evstigneev passed away. He was allotted only 65 years of life, but during this time he played more than 100 roles in films and dozens of roles in the theater, became a laureate of the State Prize of the USSR and the RSFSR. His son and daughter continued the artistic dynasty, however, the father did not see most of their achievements. He did not learn that his only granddaughter would also give him many reasons for pride.

Denis Evstigneev

The only son of Evgeny Evstigneev was born in the actor's first marriage with Galina Volchek. When Denis was little, his father brought home balloons every day. Despite his outward restraint, calmness and prudence, the artist was a very sentimental person and was kind to his son. Denis said: "".

When the boy was not even 5 years old, his parents divorced. Denis stayed with his mother, who soon married the scientist Mark Abelev. Mother often took her son with her on tours and filming, he grew up from childhood in a creative atmosphere and communicated with the same "theatrical children" - Anton Tabakov and Mikhail Efremov. But the choice of Denis's future profession was influenced not so much by his parents as by his grandfather, Boris Volchek, who was an outstanding cameraman, director, screenwriter, honored art worker of the RSFSR, headed the camera workshop at VGIK and was considered one of the founders of Soviet cinema. It was his achievements that most impressed and inspired Denis Evstigneev as a child, and therefore he also chose the profession of an operator.

After graduating from the camera department of VGIK, at the age of 23, Denis Evstigneev began working on the set, and after 4 years he was awarded the USSR State Prize for his work on the film "Servant". In the very first picture he had a chance to shoot his father, and on the set Denis was lost and embarrassed - he did not know how to address his father in front of everyone, and therefore he simply said to him "hey!"

9 years after graduation, he decided to change his profile and try his hand as a director. His father did not know about his achievements in this area - he died in 1992, and the first directorial work of Denis Evstigneev came out only 2 years later. Unfortunately, Evgeny Evstigneev did not live to see his son's triumph: in 1999, as a director and producer, he released the film Mama with Nonna Mordyukova, Evgeny Mironov, Vladimir Mashkov and Oleg Menshikov in the lead roles. The film was very popular, earned high marks from film critics and received a special prize at "Kinotavr" in 1999. After this work, Denis Evstigneev received a well-deserved recognition, they finally started talking about him not as the son of famous parents, but as an independent creative unit.

In the mid-1990s. Denis Evstigneev worked in the field of social TV advertising and created the "Russian Project" - a series of commercials for the first social advertising in Russia, many of the slogans from which went to the people and became catch phrases. In 2001, he directed his last film as a director, after which he again changed his profile and completely focused on producing: Evstigneev worked on the series Escape, Mosgaz, Short Course of a Happy Life, Kuprin,"Executioner", "Spider", "Mysterious Passion", "Gloomy River" and others. Today he says that he has been working in the cinema for so long that he can already do any work on the set - director, producer, and cameraman., and acting. Denis Evstigneev does not exclude the possibility of returning to directing if he comes across a worthwhile script.

Maria Selyanskaya

The family of Evgeny Evstigneev and Galina Volchek broke up when he met another woman - actress Lilia Zhurkina. In 1966 they got married, after 2 years they had a daughter, Maria. This union could hardly be called happy. Lilia had to leave the theater, where both her husband and his ex-wife served, her film career did not develop, while Evstigneev's path to cinema was triumphant. Due to her lack of fulfillment and creative jealousy, the actress often arranged scandals for her husband. In addition, she was opposed to Evstigneev seeing her son from his first marriage, and they had to meet in secret. The actor was increasingly delayed at work to avoid scandals, his wife began to drink, and over the years she developed a neurological disease. This marriage lasted 20 years, until Zhurkina passed away.

Of course, their daughter Maria was going through hard family conflicts. Later she said: "". After her mother passed away, Maria learned that for several years her father had another woman - he had an affair with his student Irina Tsyvina. The daughter took this as a betrayal, and she and her father parted, although they did not stop communicating. It was difficult for Maria to accept his choice, because Irina was only 6 years older than her and studied with her at the same institute. Only after Evgeny Yevstigneev died did Maria become close to Irina, but they did not establish communication with her brother.

It is not surprising that with such parents, Maria herself dreamed of theater and cinema from childhood. She played her first role at the age of 5, appearing in an episode of the film "Nylon 100%" with her father, at 15 she played in another film, after which she entered the Moscow Art Theater School. Since 1990, Maria began performing on the stage of the Sovremennik Theater. She became known to the audience under the name of her first husband - Selyanskaya. Later, she admitted that she was relieved by changing her last name, because all her youth she suffered from complexes because of the nationwide fame of her father. Her first marriage soon fell apart, and the actress married a colleague in the theater, actor Maxim Razuvaev, in marriage with whom she had a daughter, Sophia.

The film career of Maria Selyanskaya can hardly be called very successful - there are no 20 roles in her filmography. She is removed from time to time, but does not worry about it. She says that she is not as jealous of missed film opportunities as her mother. In addition, Maria has always considered herself primarily a theater actress. "Contemporary" became her second home, and there the actress fully realized her potential.

Sofia Evstigneeva

Evgeny Evstigneev did not find out that he had a granddaughter - Sophia was born 3 years after he was gone. But the artist would surely be proud of her success. Both grandparents and Sophia's parents were actors, and she herself also decided to follow in their footsteps. Until the age of 14, she bore the name of her father - Razuvaev. Having learned that the only son of Evgeny Evstigneev Denis has no children, and therefore the legendary family may be interrupted, Sophia decided to take the name of her grandfather.

3 years ago, Sofya Evstigneeva graduated from the acting department of the Moscow Art Theater School and began performing on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater. A. Chekhov. At the age of 20, while still studying, she made her film debut in the short film "Taste", after which she continued to act in films and TV series. Sophia took part in the filming of several projects produced by Denis Evstigneev - for example, in the detective series "Mosgaz". At the moment, the 25-year-old actress has about 20 works in her filmography.

Denis Evstigneev once said that this film was a real salvation for his father: Behind the scenes of "Heart of a Dog".