Leonid Kuravlev 90 years old: such a difficult simpleton

His acting range was probably less than that of such giants as Evstigneev, Smoktunovsky, Borisov. But in the field where he played, he was just not equal. Natural, yes. But he always knew how to create, show, pull out of himself such nuances, shades of colors, a variety of characters that you are amazed.

There are roles in which he expressed us all. Well, like Vysotsky in his songs. Shukshin did not accidentally draw attention to him, believed him. And how Kuravlev treated Shukshin is indescribable. And here is "Lives such a guy," Kuravlev 28. That Pyramidon, so simple and so wonderful. He kept looking for an ideal among women, wanted to take pictures, but he became such an ideal in fact. Yes, from the ground, from the sokha, the driver, it would seem. Just? Is that enough? But the kind of person that each of us wanted to be like is a high-browed intellectual, a scientist, an ordinary hard worker. That's who was worth making a life - it was with this Pasha Kolokolnikov. There at the end, already in the hospital, Bella Akhmadulina herself comes to him, well, so beautiful. And it is no coincidence that she just dissolves in Pashka, it seems, ready for him for anything. Really, how not to fall in love with him? Such a people’s hero, absolutely non-pathetic, in the best, in some higher sense, the most decent, never doing harm to anyone, this is organically impossible for him. And always ready to help. Who if not him? This is the kind of man who came out of the people.

But 10 years later, he played another folk hero, a character. What do you think the movie "Afonia" is about? A man who has lost the meaning of life. Drinking, brawling - leave these words for Soviet newspapers, the magazine "Crocodile". A man without a meaning in life, who may be saved, can only be cured by female love. But back then, at the height of stagnation (another newspaper term), this lack of meaning was revealed by all of us, most of us. Athos was a diagnosis of the state of Soviet society at the time, wasn’t it? Of course, it was possible not to drink (although there were many of them, drunk), but if you do not already understand why you live... And that was exactly what it was - Danelia, and after him and Leonid Kuravlev sniper gave an X-ray of our disease.

Another person from the people as a landmark - from the movie "We, the undersigned". He wants to fix it, almost alone. Climbing the embrasure, and the situation is hopeless. The playwright Alexander Gelman wrote about this, and Tatiana Lioznova put it exactly. Yeah, let's drink to our hopeless cause. But on such sincere enthusiasts, the Soviet Union also held. It was they who saved, rescued, fought with their last strength, not wanting anything for themselves personally, but “the native country would live.” This is the man Lena Shindin, played by Kuravlev.

But when it comes to nuances, shades... Revisit his early films: "Big Sister," "Inception." In that "Beginning" he plays a married man, so fond of Pasha - Churikova, who is Joan of Arc. They sit opposite each other, and director Gleb Panfilov does not yet know what to do, how to show such a feeling. And then Leonid Vyacheslavovich himself said: “And let me sing, and then Inna follows me, and here we are in unison.” Remember how great that was in the movie. Because the soul sings. But then after him, the character of Kuravlev, his wife comes and, like a little boy, takes him home literally by the hand. All this is shown, suffered, reflected by Kuravlev so unusually subtly.

And there is also Kuravlev self-ironic, where he just in his voice almost mocks himself. Here he is, so unexpected, in "Seventeen Moments of Spring" with a black eye patch, right Kutuzov. In fact, Obersturmbanführer Eisman. A Nazi, yes, a Gestapo, yes, but a decent man who never turned his friend Stirlitz in. And sad, and funny, and scary, but here Lioznova needed just Kuravlev.

And Mimino, where without him? A tiny role, when suddenly in the hotel "Russia" appears such a recognizable hero and speaks terrible Armenian. “Professor Khachikyan is me” is a simultaneous translation from Armenian. Yes, he is Khachikyan, and he is Khachikyan. And if Frunzik Mkrtchyan with his famous nose, these eyes, of course, is a typical representative of his beautiful people, then as Danelia came up with an unusual idea, like lightning, just such a role for a few seconds to offer Kuravlev. And he gladly agreed.

My favorite role is Inspector Granden in Find the Woman. Mikhail Ulyanov was supposed to play it, but at the last moment he refused, preferring Nikita Mikhalkov and Without Witnesses. As a result, everyone won: Ulyanov is beautiful there, and Kuravlev ... What they were doing with Sofiko Chiaureli - sparks sparked from such a virtuoso, dashing, free play. And it’s good that Leonid Kuravlev was invited here, because such a role had to be played easier than Ulyanov could with all the grandeur of this artist, which turned out in the end.

And also about what an artist is. In the light, but such a wise film "The Most Charming and Attractive" he played a colleague of Irina Muravyova in the drawing bureau, a family man, a father of two children, but who so wants to break away, to go free in all serious things. "Oh, what boys!" "Go, girls ... away from sin." Remember their business trip? That is, here Kuravlev so magnificently played a womanizer, ladies' man, being essentially pure monolove, always admired only his beautiful Nina, wife. Here we go.

I have my own personal memories of him. It was known that he practically does not give interviews, does not like. Then, on his 75th birthday, I called various wonderful people, his colleagues, to say their word about him and congratulate him.

He called Leonid Yarmolnik, and he told the case when he and Kuravlev were on tour, and he decided to play it out: he pulled out of the jacket already received money, and instead he put sliced paper there. Artists like that, why not? I wrote it down neatly. And the next day after the publication, he called me himself, Leonid Vyacheslavovich: “It’s a lie, not true, well, how could I let this happen to me?” I referred to Yarmolnik, but Kuravlev was relentless, adamant: "You had no right to write this!" And then I said, probably stupidly, "Well, you have to be self-ironic." - "What, self-ironic?" How dare you! he hung up the phone.

I shouldn't have said that, given his condition. Then his love, his Nina, passed away, he was so worried about it. Then people said that at the time, this is how he reacted to a lot of things. But somehow our very cool journalist, Lena Milchanovska, who knows how to walk through the wall, did interview him - yes, she did. And there he noted my interview with Alla Demidova, said some kind words to me. I called Leonid Vyacheslavovich and we had a great conversation. You know, everything is like a close person: I am about myself, and he is about himself. Oh, how warm my soul has become.

Here is such an artist, self-ironic and serious, subtle and simple. Genius. Best of the best.