Natalia Romanova
1 time ago
Vladimir Menshov This month, the melodrama finally reached cinemas, in which Vladimir Menshov played his last leading role. On September 17 he could celebrate his 84th birthday. Alas, the actor and director died two years ago, a couple of months short of his 82nd birthday.
“This is a job for real men”
We know Vladimir Valentinovich equally well both as a gifted actor and as a talented director. A native of Baku, Menshov first graduated from the acting department of the Moscow Art Theater School, and then studied directing in the workshop of Mikhail Romm at VGIK.
Vladimir was late for his exams at VGIK. But the mentor decided to give the enthusiastic Menshov a chance. Mikhail Ilyich is famous thanks to such films as “Pyshka”, “Murder on Dante Street”, “Nine Days of One Year”, and the documentary “Ordinary Fascism”.
“I was one of the last people to see Romm alive. My classmate and I left him at about 11 pm. On the way we talked about future work and plans. And the next day, at two o’clock in the afternoon, Mikhail Ilyich died in the arms of his wife. In the very office where we sat in the evening.”
We love Menshov in such roles as Pasha Golikov in the film “Where is Nofelet?”, Geser in “Watches” and many others. But Menshov himself gravitated more towards directing. We are grateful to him for such brilliant films as “The Hoax”, “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears”, “Love and Doves”.
Vladimir Menshov in the film “Where is Nophelet?”
“A person who has truly tried the profession of a director would not exchange it for anything. This is a job for real men. Directing is an opportunity to create a parallel world. As powerful, as convincing as life itself,” Vladimir Valentinovich was sure.
“You have to leave, there’s nothing you can do”
When Menshov passed 80, he tried to remain cheerful as before. He did not leave public space, did not retire. A year before his death, he became an honorary guest at the film festival “Vivat Cinema of Russia!”
Today, too, Menshov’s now deceased colleague Viktor Merezhko said then: “Volodya looked bad, I was even surprised how abruptly he lost. It was clear that every step was difficult for him, it was so difficult for him to get up on stage.”
In an interview with his daughter Yulia Menshova, Vladimir Valentinovich talked about death philosophically:
“It’s time for my generation, this is exactly how they have to leave: one by one, at 80 years old. You have to leave, there’s nothing you can do. So that not somewhere on the street you will die, but somehow still die peacefully in bed. And finish things.”
Yulia Menshova with her father
And yet, Menshov’s death shocked his loved ones, colleagues, and fans. So quickly he burned out from the consequences of the coronavirus.
I was going to, but didn’t have time
Vladimir Valentinovich was a rather private person. At least he didn’t like to be frank about his health with anyone except those closest to him.
“We talked on the phone right before Volodya was taken to the hospital. And there wasn’t even a hint that something was wrong, he didn’t say a word to me,” the actor Alexander Pankratov – Cherny was surprised.
Menshov did not immediately agree to hospitalization; at first he tried to be treated at home. An ambulance was called when things got really bad. Yulia Menshova shared with fellow journalists: “Dad had very serious contraindications to vaccination. However, he was just about to do it – under the supervision of doctors. But I didn’t have time.”
Vladimir Valentinovich was diagnosed with Covid on June 26, 2021, and on July 5 the actor and director passed away. He is buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Valery Belotserkovsky and Karen Oganesyan released a new melodrama, “It Happens to People,” on September 14. Vladimir Menshov played one of the main roles in this film, which combined several stories about love.
Photo source: Ekaterina Tsvetkova/Global Look Press, still from the film, Anatoly Lomokhov/Global Look Press, Olga Emelyanova, Artem Kostenko
