How to protect a marriage from suffering and save yourself from the despair of loss: Alla Sigalova and Roman Kozak

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

Before the meeting, each of them had their own life, their own achievements and losses, victories and disappointments. Even their first meeting could not change anything in their usual world order. But fate gave them real happiness: to find each other and become happy, no matter what. Alla Sigalova, choreographer, actress, presenter, and also a judge of dance shows. Roman Kozak, a famous theater director who directed the Stanislavsky Theater and the Pushkin Theater. They met once to be happy. And neither Roman's serious illness nor his death could destroy this happiness.

Broken dreams are no reason to be disappointed

Since childhood, Alla Sigalova dreamed of studying ballet, at the age of nine she entered the Vaganov Choreographic School. True, they did not want to take her there because of her high growth, and the family had to raise all their connections so that the girl was enrolled in a famous educational institution.

She was a successful student, but twice she was almost expelled for fights, and almost immediately after graduation, Alla was in for the most severe disappointment. A back injury, once received, almost led the 18-year-old ballerina to disability, displacement of six vertebrae at once and the prohibition of doctors to practice ballet.

Then Alla fled from Leningrad to Moscow, unable to be in the city where, as it seemed to her then, her life was destroyed. She spent a year in the capital, as she herself admits, "in some closet," and then pulled herself together, outlined a new goal and entered the directing department at GITIS. And in her third year she fell in love.

Her happy romance lasted nine years, but Alla Sigalova does not name her lover's name even today. It only says that she was incredibly happy all these years. They parted only after realizing that they need to move on, they need to grow and develop, and without this there is no future.

Later, Alla Sigalova got married and even gave birth to a daughter, her beloved Anechka. Her marriage could not be called successful; she very quickly parted with her husband and directed all her energies to creativity. She served in the theater "Satyricon", and then left and created the "Independent troupe of Alla Sigalova."

Even then, the students and members of the troupe called her "the iron lady" and Madame Absolute. She perfected every movement, was strict, but fair, and at rehearsals she desperately swore if she noticed even a hint of laziness or disregard for work.

The members of the troupe visited her house, discussed something, argued about something, drank tea and talked about life. But then the door slammed in Alla Sigalova's house. And soon she refused from the troupe. Roman Kozak appeared in her life.

Meeting on the second try

They met in the hospitable house of Pavel Lungin, where they were deliciously fed with dumplings. But for the first time, Alla Sigalova was not at all in the mood to react to the sparkling jokes of a new acquaintance. The choreographer was not impressed by the sense of humor, elegance or irony of Roman Kozak.

After some time, Alla Sigalova, together with her mother and daughter, rested in Plyos, where Roman Kozak and his family were. The director did not even greet the choreographer, but she sincerely thought that he was just an ill-mannered person. Indeed, in addition to a passing acquaintance at a party, both already had a name, each of them was already a famous person.

And after a very short time, Roman Kozak approached Alla Sigalova with Cortazar's book with a request to read it, and then agree to write the script for the dramatization with him. They started writing together after returning to Moscow. Alla Sigalova admits: Roman chose the only right path. He could find an approach to her only through the profession, because in the case of banal courtship, he did not have a single chance.

Undeterred happiness

It was love. They were happy, but Alla was free, and Roman had a family. She never tried to "take" him away from the family, because she is convinced that such a man simply cannot be "taken away", Roman Kozak always made all decisions himself. First she let him into her house, then she gave the keys.

One evening Alla Sigalova returned from rehearsal quite late and saw a suitcase in the hallway. He came to stay in her life forever. Subsequently, they never talked about the day he ended up in her house with a suitcase. Alla understood: this step was not easy for Roman.

Everyone who knew Alla Sigalova before marriage did not tire of being surprised at her transformation. The choreographer suddenly became softer and more feminine, the steel notes left her voice, and she became much softer during rehearsals.

True, since then, no guests have been received in her house. And not because Roman and Alla were unfriendly, no. It's just that for them the house was their fortress, their quiet haven. When it became known that Alla was expecting a child, she decided to complete her work with the Independent Troupe. By that time, she understood: the most important thing in life is the family, and in it the children are most important.

In 1994, the son of Roman and Alla, Mikhail, was born, only strengthening the incredible feeling of happiness that already existed. Roman Kozak was an amazing father, as Alla Sigalova says, funny. But his whole world was centered around his son. Roman's daughter from her first marriage was always a welcome guest in their house and Alla Sigova was able to make friends with her.

The spouses almost did not intersect in their work, but they constantly discussed something, argued about something. They were never bored together, as they never got tired of each other's company. They left all bad things outside their doorstep and enjoyed the opportunity to be around. When trouble came to their house, they also closed the door in front of her.

Continuing to live

In the early 2000s, Roman Kozak was diagnosed with oncology. They could fall into depression together, lament the frailty of life and be afraid to face the truth. But Alla Sigalova and Roman Kozak decided to live. They shared their illness and their lives. True, they made allowances for the fact that Roman periodically needed to be treated. And they were treated with different methods and in different countries for 10 years. Continuing to live and create.

Even when Roman Efimovich was already feeling very bad, they did not say that his life was coming to an end. They talked about the future, made plans, waited for the premiere of a new performance and were going on vacation.

In May 2010, Roman Kozak passed away. But Alla Sigalova did not allow herself to fall into despondency, she continues to live. She learned to hide her cry deep inside and conduct an internal dialogue with her husband. She sometimes writes letters to him, in which she confesses her love and thanks him for the given happiness. And when it is difficult for her, she again hears the words pronounced by Roman: "Turn on humor!"

She smiles and moves on, happy and confident. No matter what. Death simply could not separate them, because this is love.

Alla Sigalova became one of those ballerinas who were able to change their lives and start from scratch outside the ballet. Among her colleagues were those who said goodbye to their ballet career, but were able to achieve success in the acting profession.