How Leonid Yarmolnik was able to replace Vladimir Vysotsky not only on stage, but also in the heart of his beloved woman

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

Once a young and talented artist of the Taganka Theater Leonid Yarmolnik had a chance to replace on stage the untimely departed legendary bard and actor - Vladimir Vysotsky. But then he could not even imagine that soon he would have to replace Vladimir in love, becoming the only man for the one with whom he has been happily married for 37 years.

The popular Russian film actor Leonid Yarmolnik has come a very long creative path. Whoever he just happened to be on this path: he acted in films and acted as a producer himself, hosted television programs and sat in the chair of a strict member of the KVN jury. His name is known to all lovers of theater and good cinema. His works have been repeatedly awarded state and national prizes, prizes and diplomas.

But Yarmolnik refused the title of "Honored Artist of Russia" in 1994, and 10 years later he also refused the title of "People's Artist of the Russian Federation", which they planned to confer on him without an intermediate title in connection with his 50th birthday. He argued for his refusal by the fact that, and cited as an example Vladimir Vysotsky, with whom he served in the same theater for several years and was in warm and friendly relations. By the way, after the death of Vladimir Semenovich, it was Leonid Yarmolnik who transferred almost all of his roles that he played at that time in the theater.

Turning the pages of a biography

Leonid was born in the Far East, in the small town of Grodekovo, Primorsky Territory, in 1954 in the family of Isaac and Faina Yarmolnikov. Parents never hid their Jewish origin, and Leonid took it for granted. The boy's father was the commander of a motorized rifle battalion, and his mother was a physician, worked in a laboratory as a doctor. When the boy was 7 years old, his father was transferred to the other end of the country, to Lviv, where the future actor's school years passed.

Lenya was a gifted child from childhood, school subjects were given to him easily, but the lessons themselves did not arouse much enthusiasm. But outside of school, Yarmolnik Jr. started many hobbies: he went to the pool, learned to play the accordion, loved to read, and also, having started attending the school drama club, at some point became very interested in theater.

In high school, wanting to stand out among his peers, he was often original: he grew long hair and wore round glasses, for which school friends awarded him the nickname "Lennon" because of the similarity with the famous "Beatle", and teachers scolded and threatened to expel him from school.

Having received a certificate, Leonid went to Leningrad to enter the Institute of Theater, Music and Cinema. But it didn't work out. The young man had to wait a whole year to try his hand again. Deciding this time not to risk it, he chose the Shchukin Moscow Theater School, where he was accepted. Yarmolnik is a very active person by nature. This quality has always helped him to easily meet people and make friends. Therefore, plunging into student life, he immediately became the soul of the company. One of the closest friends of the actor was the notorious Alexander Abdulov, a student of GITIS.

After graduating from college in 1976, Leonid was assigned to the Taganka Theater, where director Yuri Lyubimov immediately introduced the newly-made actor to the main troupe, allowing him to play one of the key characters in the production of The Master and Margarita. There he also met Vladimir Vysotsky, with whom he worked side by side on stage for four years.

Career in film and television

Dreaming about cinema Leonid began as a student. And in 1974 he made his debut in the film "Your Rights", which was very mediocre and had no success with the audience. Therefore, the actor considers his first successful debut role to be the role of the criminal Gnus in the film "Detective". The second significant work in the career of an actor was the role of Theophilus (son of Baron Munchausen) in the movie "That very Munchausen". But when, in 1979, Leonid Yarmolnik appeared in front of a multi-million audience of TV viewers in the form of a “chicken tobacco” in the humorous TV show Around Laughter, he was overtaken by real success. The new face, bright, memorable appearance and unconditional talent immediately attracted the attention of the public. This is how she remembered and fell in love with him.

In 1984, Leonid had to say goodbye to the Taganka Theater. It was then that the director Yuri Lyubimov was replaced by Anatoly Efros and some of the artists left the theater. Together with them and Leonid Isaakovich. He began performing as an entertainer at parties and concerts. And in the late 80s, he and his friend Andrei Makarevich and his group went on tour to America.

And it so happened that after the collapse of the Union, Vlad Listyev invited the actor to television. Yarmolnik made his debut as the host of the "L-club". Later, the programs "Gold Rush", "Garage" and "Hotel" appeared with his participation. The time was troubled, and at the hour when many artists found themselves behind the board of life, Leonid found his own niche, thanks to which he was not only able to stay afloat, but also financially helped his friends-actors who were on the verge of poverty.

During these years, the actor starred quite a lot, and most often he got the role of negative and comic characters. This role created many difficulties for him in the future. So, at one time, because of this, they refused to accept him into the Union of Cinematographers. And this is despite the fact that Leonid Isaakovich's filmography was already very extensive at that time. Later in the creative biography of the actor there were very deep roles, both dramatic and psychological. For example, the role of a disabled photographer from the film Barak was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation and the Nika Prize. The first prize was presented to the artist personally by the President of Russia.

Until 2012, Yarmolnik occupied the chair of a permanent member of the KVN jury, but after a conflict with Maslyakov, Leonid left the program. For several years Yarmolnik was also on the jury of another TV show - "Just the same". After a long time, the artist resumed his theatrical activity, however, already on the stage of the Sovremennik Theater.

Recently, the 66-year-old actor has done little in films, and devotes more time to producing. In general, he prefers to lead a secluded lifestyle, spending more time with his family.

Leonid Yarmolnik: "As for love, I am a happy person."

The actor's personal life was very stormy and eventful. There were civil, fictitious, and official marriage in it. And, of course, there were also divorces. However, all this in order.

First serious love

For the first time, our hero fell in love like an adult while studying at the Shchukin school. The object of his passion was a girl named Galina. She was older for an ardent youth and treated his feelings very condescendingly. Nevertheless, the euphoria of falling in love inspired and inspired our hero, until the girl moved to South Sakhalin. For some time, correspondence was conducted, and soon it completely disappeared.

First true love - Zoya Pylnova

The first true love of the actor was his colleague at the Taganka Theater. It somehow happened that Yarmolnik fell in love with the actress Zoya Pylnova, who was married to actor Vladimir Ilyin. And, despite the fact that she was seven years older than Leonid, an affair began between them, which ended with the woman leaving her husband for a young lover.

In a civil marriage, the couple lived for almost seven years. But the relationship between Leonidas and Zoe was destroyed by tragedy. When it suddenly turned out that the woman was expecting a child, the happiness of the spouses knew no bounds. But the baby was not destined to be born. In the seventh month of pregnancy, Zoya lost her long-awaited child. They could not survive this loss together.

Being in complete depression, Pylnova blamed herself for leaving her husband for her lover, committing a great sin. And soon the woman with repentance returned back to Ilyin, with whom by that time she had not had time to officially divorce. Thus, everything fell into place. And Leonid had to come to terms with the death of the baby and the departure of his beloved woman.

Fictitious marriage

The first official marriage of Leonid Yarmolnik was fictitious: the actor concluded it with Elena Valk, the granddaughter of the famous Marshal Ivan Konev, in order to obtain a Moscow residence permit. But Yarmolnik himself does not particularly like to remember this episode of his life and says that with this marriage he wanted to finally put an end to the boring relationship. However, none of this, good came out: a little time after the wedding, he met the one whom he really fell in love with.

Love for life

Once Sashka Abdulov, comforting Leonid in a friendly way, said that. And Yarmolnik, having listened to his friend, set out on all bad things to extinguish both the bitterness of resentment and disappointment in love. After parting with Pylnova, Leonid had many women. But, having become closely acquainted with Oksana Afanasyeva and having fallen in love almost at first sight, he will soon become an ideal husband and father.

Afanasyeva was Vysotsky's girlfriend, therefore, as soon as their romance began, he was told from all sides that he was too tough to compete with Vysotsky himself. - asked his friends and relatives. Nevertheless, Yarmolnik still managed to achieve the location of the girl, and to this day they are together. And, as the actor later admitted, he and Oksana never discussed her first love.

Oksana Afanasyeva - the last lover of Vladimir Vysotsky

The ancestors of Oksana Afanasyeva (born 1960) were very creative people. So, one grandfather was Chaliapin's impresario, and the second was the director of Isadora Duncan's studio school, he wrote many books about Yesenin and Duncan. Grandma was an operetta actress and singer. Uncle is a famous artist Sokolov-Skalya. Great-grandfather - a lady's tailor, couturier, he kept his atelier, next to the Moscow Art Theater. He sewed and dressed all the Moscow Art Theater actors. It was the talent of her great-grandfather that Oksana took over, becoming a designer and costume designer.

Since childhood, she was surrounded by the same talented people. Oksana's father was a famous Soviet writer, so cinema and pop artists, writers and poets entered their house. The girl received a good education in a special school with a French bias, after which she easily entered the institute and soon became a fashion designer.

While still very young, Afanasyeva was close to Vladimir Vysotsky. It was she who became the bard's last love and shared the last two years of her life with him. They loved each other, although many considered their relationship to be nothing more than an easy infatuation. But, they were connected by something much more than intimacy: for the girl, these feelings became the first true love, and for Vladimir Semenovich - a breath of fresh air. The couple was even going to get married. Although for this it was necessary to officially register the relationship. And since Vladimir was still married to Marina Vlady, he found a priest who agreed to do this without stamps in passports. But this was not destined to happen. Vysotsky died right in the arms of Oksana, having only managed to say how much he loved her.

Happy acquaintance and 37 years of marriage

For the first time Oksana saw Leonid on the screen in the movie "The Same Munchausen". Together with Vladimir, having watched the premiere of the film, they noted the good performance of the young actor. A little later, it was Vysotsky who introduced Oksana to Yarmolnik, as a stage colleague. But, of course, at that time Oksana did not give special attention to this acquaintance.

Re-acquaintance took place two years after the death of Vysotsky, when Afanasyeva was already working at the Taganka Theater as a costume designer. And it happened very trite. Once in the foyer of the theater, Oksana noticed how Leonid's gaze literally caught her. She immediately went to the artist and asked to light a cigarette. Having exchanged a couple of phrases, the girl felt that the actor had powerful charisma and she was drawn to him - painfully Yarmolnik reminded her of her first love. Moreover, she more than once saw him on stage in the roles that her beloved once played.

A little later, Leonid ended up with Oksana in the same company, which celebrated the May Day holidays., - Yarmolnik recalled the very beginning of their romance.

However, young people legalized their relationship when Oksana was seven months pregnant, in 1983. The wedding was celebrated very modestly, in the circle of loved ones. However, there was a real wedding celebration in the life of the spouses: with guests, the bride's dress, gifts and shouts of "bitter". True, it took place when their daughter Alexandra was already 15 years old. Prior to this, the couple divorced fictitiously in order to resolve the housing issue with the housing of the actor's parents.

When Alexander's daughter was born, Leonid's happiness knew no bounds - he finally became a father. And when my father's daughter grew up, she followed in her mother's footsteps. After graduating from MGHPU them. Stroganova, became a designer for the production of glass sculptures and stained glass windows. By the way, her stained glass windows are considered one of the best; she has been collaborating with renowned Venetian masters for many years.

Leonid and Oksana always admitted that their family life was never boring. The actor, having an explosive character, could make scandals several times a day, which did not upset or upset his wife. She knew perfectly well that her husband loved her and that his bad mood was temporary. Therefore, I never paid attention to it. Thanks to this understanding, the spouses, over the course of many years of life together, coped with everyday troubles and did not pay special attention to the gossip that appeared every now and then.

P. S

However, not only gossip … There was a serious crisis in the relationship in their family. No wonder they say: "A gray head is a devil in a rib." Seven years ago, Leonid Yarmolnik was seriously carried away by the aspiring actress Victoria Romanenko, with whom he even went to Courchevel to meet 2014. But this romance quickly ended when Yarmolnik found out that he had become a grandfather. Daughter Sasha got married and gave birth to a son, Petya. Leonid was in seventh heaven with happiness and devoted himself entirely to this little miracle. Now he spends almost all his free time with him, walks, talks, comes up with different games. And when you need to leave, she really misses the baby and constantly communicates with him on the phone.

By the way, today Oksana and Leonid Yarmolniki are happy together. They rejoice at their growing grandson, do what they love, and their life is still inextricably linked with the theater. There is always a part of their soul in it, because it was thanks to the theater that they found their happiness. |

Continuing the theme of strong family relationships, I would like to offer the reader our publication: Why actor Alexander Lazarev Jr. secretly got married after 30 years of living together.