Lyudmila Vlasova and Alexander Godunov: Romeo and Juliet, separated by an iron curtain

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

Legends were made about their feelings at the Bolshoi Theater. Lyudmila Vlasova and Alexander Godunov absolutely could not live without each other and were ready to sacrifice almost everything that was in their life to their feelings. And their goodwill parting seemed absolutely incredible. Although everything looked exactly like that: he decided to stay abroad, she flew to the Soviet Union. They never saw each other again. And they never stopped thinking about each other.

Eclipse of the heart

Lyudmila Vlasova was sitting in the WTO buffet and did not know where to hide from the piercing gaze of the young man at the next table. He simply did not take his eyes off her, reacting to every movement. Colleagues explained to Lyudmila that this is a talented new dancer, Alexander Godunov. That evening, films-ballets with the participation of Vlasova were shown. After the demonstration, she went up on stage with other artists and again felt the look of a young man who looked like a Viking.

Going down, she herself invited him to accompany herself home. It seemed that he was dumbfounded with happiness and generally lost the sense of reality. Alexander Godunov saw her during several years of meeting at the WTO, she was with her husband in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. The young dancer instantly fell in love and arrogantly made a promise to himself to win her, whatever the cost.

She had an absolutely wonderful husband, Stanislav Vlasov. He literally carried his wife in his arms, blew off dust particles from her and did everything to make her feel like a real queen. Lyudmila Vlasova was happy and was not going to leave her husband. But feelings for an enthusiastic young man, who was 7 years younger than her, completely captured the ballerina.

When her husband found out about her romance, he had to choose. All participants in the love triangle suffered from this situation. Over time, she moved to Alexander, but for a long time she was tormented by remorse, realizing how much pain and suffering she brought to her husband.

One breath for two

When Lyudmila Vlasova and Alexander Godunov began to live together, the happy and inspired dancer gave his word that his beloved Milochka would not need anything. He could not imagine life without her and was ready to make any sacrifices, if only she was happy next to him.

Each parting seemed unbearable to them. When Lyudmila went on tour, he wrote down all his experiences in a diary. He wrote, addressing her, and in each line the same thought came through: "I cannot live without you …"

Godunov was touchingly caring and gentle with his wife. He did not allow her to wash the dishes and peel vegetables, so as not to spoil her hands. He gave her all his salary right in the theater, leaving himself only three rubles "for beer." And once he presented his wife with an absolutely royal gift: an old ring with a sapphire.

When she left for the rehearsal, he drew a sad little man, depicting himself waiting for Milochka. And after her return, the little man was joyful and personified the joy of meeting his beloved. At first, he was not allowed on a foreign tour, but once Vlasova's refusal to go without her husband entailed the personal intervention of the Minister of Culture Furtseva. They were allowed to leave together, after Lyudmila Vlasova personally gave her word: they will definitely return.

READ ALSO: Together they starred in the film "June 31", and the entire film crew could not take their eyes off this amazingly beautiful couple >>

One way ticket

They went on tour together more than once, always returning with a bunch of gifts for family and friends. Later, the exit was closed again for several years. Lyudmila knew about this weakness of her husband, but she never made remarks to Godunov in front of strangers. But just one look of hers was enough for him to stop.

The ballerina knew for sure: she would never leave the USSR, she would not leave her mother, who raised her and her brother on her own. Sasha knew about this, so the conversation about staying abroad was not even discussed. When Alexander began to be released again, they came to America. Lyudmila and Alexander were still inseparable. She still thinks: Godunov was deliberately put in a situation where he could not return home with her. Then a former compatriot constantly revolved around them and painted all the delights of life in America. He painted Alexander pictures of incredible success, talked about millions of royalties.

That day Godunov was going for gifts, but the same photographer Bliokh was waiting for him at the hotel again. Lyudmila Vlasova believes: it was Bliokh who brought Godunov to visit some of his friends, where Sasha was drunk. Perhaps they even added something forbidden. Then everything was a matter of technique: a few photographs of a Soviet ballet star in an obscene form and that's it. Alexander Godunov, seeing these pictures, understood that after returning to his homeland, they would stop releasing him again. They might even be fired from the theater.

When Alexander came to his senses, the deed was already done. Under pressure from circumstances, he asked for political asylum. And all the time he repeated the same phrase: "Where is Mila?"

When Lyudmila Vlasova realized what had happened, her confidence never left her for a second: her husband was cynically and mercilessly set up. He had some kind of pathological need to constantly be with his wife. He could not voluntarily part with the woman he loved more than life.

READ ALSO: The tragic fate of Alexander Godunov: the scandalous escape from the USSR and the mysterious death of the famous dancer >>

The bitter fruits of love

It was still far from the end of the tour, but Lyudmila asked the Soviet consul to send her home. She seriously feared that she could be kidnapped and forcibly left in America. Vlasova even saw a man with an unreadable face in a black car outside the hotel. And at night, someone approached her number.

The ballet dancer spent her last, as she thought, night in the United States in the family of an embassy worker, by five o'clock she was brought to the airport in a roundabout way. And then there were three days of horror. The Americans did not release the plane, persuading her to stay. A whole picket has gathered at the airport, demanding freedom for Lyudmila Vlasova. American intelligence officials refused to believe that she voluntarily wanted to return to the Soviet Union. Lyudmila Vlasova was adamant. She knew that her mother was waiting for her at home.

Later they called up with Alexander, he still told her about love, he gasped from the inability to see his Darling. Each appearance of her on the screen was a real holiday for him. Lyudmila Vlasova also continued to love him. But I never showed it to anyone.

He could not get used to her absence. He started an affair with Jacqueline Bisset, who was incredibly similar to Lyudmila. But Jacqueline left Alexander, unable to come to terms with his hobby for alcohol. Only Milochka could force Godunov to control herself.

Over time, Lyudmila also learned to live without him and even got married again. After the death of Alexander Godunov, Lyudmila and Jacqueline Bisset met in Moscow. When we met, Jacqueline burst into tears, hugged Lyudmila and said: "All his life he loved only you …"

Alexander Godunov was far from the only defective dancer. From time to time, the Land of the Soviets was shocked by reports that this or that actor or athlete decided to stay abroad, refusing to return from the tour. Not everyone who fled the USSR in search of recognition, professional growth and high incomes had a successful life. For many, talent has allowed them to achieve success, while others have not been able to cope with loneliness and depression.