Maria Mironova and Alexander Menaker: Theater of two actors and a play of 40 years

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

An amazing creative and family union has existed for over 40 years. On stage, she played an aggressive wife, and he played a weak, downtrodden husband. But in life they were bound by true love and endless tenderness. The game continued in their house, but not at all the same as on the stage.

Creative interest

They first met in 1939 behind the scenes of the Moscow Theater of Miniatures after Menaker's concert, which was an extraordinary success. Meeting the actor's eyes, Maria casually introduced herself. He answered her in the same casual, arrogant way. At that moment, neither he nor she could even imagine that soon their lives would radically change their usual course.

Maria Mironova was married to director Mikhail Slutsky, he is married to ballerina Irina Laskari. He lived in Leningrad, she - in Moscow. But their paths have already crossed. As it turned out later - forever. In the meantime, they began to be seen more and more often together, but those around them believed that this was only a creative interest. But he was already in love.

Alexander Menaker accompanied his Maria everywhere: to the theater, to the bakery, to the hairdresser's and to the clinic. But soon they had to leave: Maria was leaving with the theater on a summer tour to Rostov, and he was supposed to join them later.

When she entered the Rostov hotel, a telegram from Alexander was already waiting for her. Then telegrams began to arrive every day, and she limited herself to short ironic answers. True, in one she asked to bring her cheese and tea to Rostov. And in another she said that happiness was just around the corner.

Before leaving, he collected a whole basket of treats, having bought a lot of delicacies: cheeses, tea, sweets, even an outlandish pineapple. He also made himself a suit of Masha's favorite color - pink and sand. And I prepared a huge bouquet. There was only one thought in my head: "Happiness is not far off!" He hoped to see her on the platform, but no one thought to meet him.

Southern romance

Alexander Menaker was accommodated in a hotel on the same floor where Maria Mironova lived. He immediately asked the maid to give his beloved a basket and a bouquet. And then he sat dumbfounded in the room, not understanding why she did not react to his message in any way. He could not find a place for himself, and she still did not leave the room.

And he gave up. He decided that he didn't need her at all. Capricious, eccentric, impulsive. Angry and convincing himself not to succumb to the charms of the actress, he donned a new suit. And went straight to her door.

Maria, seeing him on the threshold, was taken aback for a second. And then she laughed out loud. She was amused by his outfit, because the heat in the south was incredible.

At first, he was offended when she criticized his gifts. And only then I realized that behind its barbs and whims a certain game is hidden, you just need to understand its conditions. And he accepted them.

Soon they never parted. Four days later, Maria Mironova wrote a letter to her husband about parting, advising Menaker to do the same. She stepped into a new relationship and into a new life without a shadow of a doubt. After the end of the tour, we went on a trip by boat. In September of the same 1939, they legalized their relationship.

Family theater

Soon he moved to her in Moscow and on the very first day he witnessed the genuine anger of his chosen one. Maria read in his diary an entry that he moved to Moscow and stayed with Mironova. She was ready to immediately put him out the door with his things so that he could look for another inn. And he just did not have time to write the last phrase "for life."

Friends of Mironova and Menaker noted with surprise that the couple played not only on stage. Their family-creative duo enjoyed extraordinary success, they invariably gathered full houses during the tour. And at home their delicate game continued. They exchanged remarks, they sprinkled jokes. But in every word there was an aching tenderness and endless love.

In 1941 they had a son. There was a war, Andryusha's illness, trips to the front line with concerts. They overcame everything together, all the hardships and difficulties. And they never stopped looking at each other with love.

After the death of her husband, Maria Vladimirovna will repeatedly talk about the role of her husband in her life. She admits that Menaker has always been the head of their union, both creative and family. If not for him, then Maria Mironova simply would not exist. She would remain one of the many unknown actresses.

Strong woman

Alexander Menaker's heart stopped beating on March 6, 1982. Five years later, Andrei Mironov died of cardiac arrest.

Maria Vladimirovna was left alone and behaved with dignity and restraint in public. Her friends said with admiration that she did not shed a tear, despite the pain of loss. But later, Maria Vladimirovna admits that no one sees her tears.

She created her own museum. The room contains photographs of her beloved men, theatrical costumes in which they played, manuscripts, sheet music … She came here, to her altar of memory and had long conversations with her men. Until I leave.

The son of Maria Mironova and Alexander Menaker, an amazing actor, a favorite of the audience Andrey Mironov considered my mother the main woman in his life.