Grigory Chukhrai and Iraida Penkova: "You just knew how to wait like no one else "

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

His "Ballad of a Soldier" at one time caused a storm of protests from Soviet officials and won 101 prizes in different countries of the world. He shot about the war in a way that no one else could. Grigory Chukhrai had the right to his own vision of what was happening: he went through the whole war, he never hid behind other people's backs. And I saw how, despite all the horror of the war, here, in this crucible of fear, the highest feelings arise. These feelings helped to survive. He himself met his happiness at the beginning of the war, and married on May 9, 1944, exactly one year before the Victory. She was waiting for him from the front and waited only in 1946. And then life began …

Meeting in the rear

In the winter of 1941, Grigory Chukhrai, a paratrooper, arrived for training in Essentuki. His company was located in a mansion near the club, where they held dancing on weekends. I went to the club and Gregory, however, could just stand at the wall all evening. Until one day I saw Irina. She immediately attracted his attention, it seemed, he did not meet in the life of a girl more beautiful.

When they were introduced to each other, Grigory embarrassedly asked why he had not seen her at the club before. It turned out that the girl went to dig anti-tank ditches. After dancing, he accompanied Irina with her younger sister Luda home. They agreed to meet in the city cinema three days later.

Grigory was late for the meeting, he was already detained at the exit by the commander. Preparing for a date, the young man bought expensive tickets for a concert where he intended to take Irina. Not finding the girl at the cinema, he began to look for her inside, but she was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, he invited a girl to the concert, asking for an extra ticket. And in the intermission, Grigory met Irina's friend, who reproached him: Ira did not wait for the gallant paratrooper at the cinema, she went home alone. Through this friend, Grigory conveyed that he would be waiting for Irina at the weekend at the club.

Fortunately, Irina was not going to hide her grudge against her unlucky gentleman, she simply chose not to talk about this topic. Chukhrai was sure: there are simply no girls better than Irina. When in the mornings Grigory led the company to the dining room on behalf of the commander, he met Irina in the vacant lot behind the station. They managed to exchange only glances or a couple of words, but this was enough for the happiness of the young paratrooper.

Irina also did not hide her sympathy for the soldier. Although the rumor has managed to condemn her. It was believed that Irina, with her beauty and her article, could count on the best game, and if she wanted, she would have no end to the cavaliers from the officer corps. Irina chose for herself the company of Gregory and his friends.

Through distance and separation

After completing a responsible assignment, Grigory Chukhrai ended up in a hospital with pneumonia. After visiting Irina, Gregory, inspired by love, quickly recovered. And soon after being discharged, their company went to the front. No matter how hard they tried to keep this fact a secret, the whole city came to see off the paratroopers, and Irina was among those seeing off.

They met again in July 1942, when Grigory Chukhrai was on a business trip in Essentuki. Then, lying on the floor in the room where Irina lived with her mother and little sister, he sleeplessly looked at the ceiling and thought that after the war he would certainly marry Irina. And then he stopped himself. All his dreams came with conditions. If he remains alive, if he returns, if he does not become crippled … A day later, Irina again accompanied him to the front. Later Essentuki will be occupied by the Nazis, and Grigory will lose sight of his Irina.

But every day he will think about her. The thoughts and hopes associated with this girl, whom he loved, warmed him. He was afraid of losing her and believed that everything was fine with her.

He will find her again after the liberation of the Caucasus and, after asking for a two-week vacation, went to Essentuki to marry his beloved girl. The round trip took 10 days, but he returned to the location of the unit, knowing that now his wife was waiting for him.

Post-war happiness

They saw each other again in early 1946. He took his wife to his parents, in the Dnepropetrovsk region, and he himself went to enter VGIK. Even during the war, he promised himself that he would certainly make films. In memory of those who did not return.

In the fall of 1946, the couple had a son, Pavel. At first, Irina lived with Grigory's parents, who moved to the Yaroslavl region, but went to Moscow to give birth. They settled with Irina's distant relatives, in Ilyinka. During the day, Grigory studied, then led an amateur performance in a military unit, and in the evening he hurried to Ilyinka.

After the birth of her son, Irina will live apart from her husband for another two years, later she will leave her son under the supervision of her husband's parents and come to her husband. In 1961, their daughter Elena was born.

They had to go through a lot together. They lived in rented apartments and were often in great need. But they were always warmed by that very bright feeling that came to them during the difficult war years.

Due to health problems, Grigory Chukhrai made only 6 films on his own. He always thought he was worried about a splinter left in his lung after the war, but it turned out to be a heart. He passed away in 2001.

Grigory and Iraida Chukhrai lived together for almost 60 years, raised children, had time to rejoice at their grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Now his children continue their father's work.

The son of Grigory Chukhrai, Pavel, also became a director, one of whose most famous works was The painting received many awards, was popular not only in Russia, but also abroad, and was even nominated for an Oscar.