Why Olga Ostroumova and Mikhail Levitin broke up after 23 years of marriage

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

For almost a quarter of a century, Olga Ostroumova has been the happy wife of the wonderful actor Valentin Gaft. But before that she had lived for 23 years with the famous director, artistic director of the Moscow Hermitage Theater Mikhail Levitin. In this marriage, two children were born, but today the actress is very reluctant to speak about her previous family, although her ex-husband speaks of her exclusively in superlatives.

Different destinies

Mikhail Levitin was born and raised in Odessa, his family was not rich, but was considered quite prosperous. At least, Misha's father, even in times of general shortage, knew how to get what he wanted, hypnotically acting on sellers with the power of his charm.

Mikhail Levitin, after graduating from a theater studio and a little experience on stage as a worker, came to Moscow with the firm intention of becoming a student at GITIS, and it never even occurred to him to doubt his abilities. Mikhail Levitin was sure that he would certainly achieve what he wanted, although at that time he was only 17 years old. Levitin entered the course of Yuri Zavadsky, who unexpectedly felt sympathy for him.

He first married at the age of 19 to Maria Borodina, the younger sister of his classmate. She studied at Moscow State University, was charmingly beautiful and similar to the young Natasha Rostova, for the role of which she even auditioned when Sergei Bondarchuk was going to shoot "War and Peace". In the first marriage of Mikhail Levitin, everything was fine, except that the young head of the family was absent from home all the time. He could stay overnight in Moscow, while his wife constantly lived in their rented apartment in Pushkino.

Olga Ostroumova grew up in a very poor family, and for the time being her relatives did not even know that Olga was going to become an actress. True, the parents, having learned about their daughter's dream, only collected some simple food for her journey and bought a train ticket to Moscow. In the family, it was simply customary to treat the aspirations of adults and children with due respect.

She was seriously preparing for admission, but practically flunked the first audition, muttering an excerpt from excitement just under her breath. But on the following rounds, the applicant showed herself in full glory and was enrolled in the coveted GITIS.

Even in her student years, she married her classmate from the theater faculty Boris Annaberdiev. True, when, after graduation, the actress's husband was assigned to Ashgabat, Olga Ostroumova remained in Moscow, she was accepted into the troupe of the Moscow Youth Theater, where she met Mikhail Levitin.

Happiness as amended

He played Pippi Longstocking, and she played Miss Rosenblum, and at first Levitin did not like it at all. On stage, she was quite tough and seemed even angry to Mikhail Levitin. Only later did he consider the beauty of the actress, and then deeper feelings came.

He saw that she was weak and confused, and then he was surprised at how honest and noble she was. Olga Ostroumova also drew attention to the director, but the novel, which lasted for several years, was too painful for both. Olga did not want to lie and did not know how: she immediately confessed to her husband her feelings for another man and asked for a divorce.

But Mikhail Levitin did not dare to leave his wife for a long time. The actress suffered not from the ambiguity of her position, but from what makes a good person suffer. Later, the director still talked with his wife, filed for a divorce, and then his marriage to Olga Ostroumova.

The children born, Olga and Mikhail, named after their parents, became a strengthening link in their family. The relationship between the spouses was quite happy: Mikhail Levitin sincerely admired his wife, she touchingly took care of him and their heirs. And she never paid attention to rumors about his novels and anonymous letters. She loved, was faithful and expected the same from her husband. Olga Ostroumova devoted more time to her family than to creativity, and was quite pleased with her fate.

Irreconcilable differences

But Mikhail Levitin, by his own admission, never avoided hobbies outside the family. He shared his short-term novels and his love for Olga, and later said that all his novels were temporary, he was just such a person. Each, according to Mikhail Levitin, has its own addictions. Someone cannot live without alcoholic beverages, someone will never quit smoking, and he could not get rid of addiction to novels. Perhaps in this way the director justifies himself, but the family for him is something else. He calls his infatuation with other women his habit.

Olga Ostroumova was not ready for such a "habit" of her husband. She did not want to put up with her husband's love at all. She believed him and did not even know that she was not the only one in his life.

Mikhail Levitin admitted many years later: Olga Ostroumova is actually a person without flaws. But she was not ready to accept his amorous nature. Upon learning that he had not been faithful to her throughout the 23 years of marriage, she regarded this as a betrayal. And then she filed for divorce. The main thing that the actress did: she did not deprive the children of their father, did not set up her daughter and son against the person who betrayed her.

After the divorce, each of them went their own way. Olga Ostroumova married Valentin Gaft, and Mikhail Levitin married a girl who made him happy with the birth of his youngest daughter. The third wife of the director is much younger than himself, but with her he almost learned to pacify the storm of his passions.

Valentin Gaft and Olga Ostroumova became the perfect couple, having gone through four official divorces for two before. Their wedding took place in a hospital ward without witnesses, and today they remember it as one of the brightest events in their lives. And most importantly, their late love is real.