Actor Andrey Sokolov told how Abdulov dragged colleagues in the theater to the casino

“Romantic hero, which is not now”

Andrei Sokolov, actor, director and TV presenter, shared his memories of Alexander Abdulov, whom he considers an example for a whole generation of artists.

– When I came to the theater, it was the theater of our great senior comrades – Alexander Gavriilovich Abdulov, Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky, Nikolai Petrovich Karachentsov. Of course, and Alexander Viktorovich Zbruev, who, thank God, is now alive and well. For me, they were absolutely celestials. But before that, we had already filmed with Abdulov – we were tied together by a wonderful director Viktor Sergeyev, for me the word “Peter” is associated with just this person.

With Abdulov, we starred in the film “The Strange Man of Ekaterina Semenova”, in the play “The Barbarian and the Heretic”. But today we need to talk not about joint work, but about his human qualities. There are people who are not in vain called the soul of the company. Wherever Sasha appeared, he was the center of attention, a perpetual motion machine and mover. He always went ahead – if we talk about “Lenkom”, our famous gatherings and undertakings, or about the restoration of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, located next to the theater. Sasha was always ready to help. At the same time, he was a person who was carried away, reckless, subject to passions, to all human weaknesses. Once we came with “Lenkom” to St. Petersburg – a casino was opened there. And Abdulov dragged us all there, and we should have seen how he worried and supported everyone.

For me, in principle, the difference in ten or twenty years is huge. We had such a period: I was 35 years old, he was already fifty dollars. And here I remember a catchphrase, I often say to myself: “I grew up on your films.” So, our generation grew up on Sasha’s films.

He was a romantic hero, which is not now. A person who personifies the image of a man. And he understood some things about himself and at the same time treated himself with great irony.

– Did you feel his “star” status in communication with Abdulov? When you met, he was already mega-popular.

– I entered the theater school in 1986, graduated in 1990, “Little Faith” was in 1988. Around 1991, I came to Lenkom. At the threshold of these years, we began to communicate. And, by the way, according to the film “Genius”, where Abdulov played the main role, at first an agreement was even signed with me. I even have a receipt somewhere for Sergeeva: if the film is ever shot, Andrey Sokolov will be there. But when Alexander Gavrilovich read the script, he categorically took this role for himself. And this is the case when I can be proud that it happened. Of course, the annoyance was that the picture was gone, but she went to Abdulov!

I cannot call him my close friend, but he was really ready to take off his last shirt for friends. The question of “stardom” did not even arise. I can say this with absolute certainty.