Dirt in the apartment and hungry dogs: Smolyaninov’s mother survives on a modest pension

Once one of the country’s most popular actors has broken away from his ties to Russia and sided with Ukraine. Currently, Artur Smolyaninov, recognized as an extremist, terrorist and foreign agent, is in Latvia, while his mother, Maria Vladimirovna, is forced to live in a small apartment in terrible conditions in Moscow.

A woman distinguished by her compassion for our smaller brothers often looks after stray dogs and helps them find a home. She avoids discussing her famous son and refuses to criticize him.

“My son is a foreign agent, a terrorist, an extremist. He left during mobilization. He is subject to mobilization. He served… They write that he is a traitor to the Motherland, a scoundrel, he abandoned his old mother, wife, and children. Arthur now doesn’t receive as much money as before,” the woman said in the TV show “Emergency” on NTV.

The pensioner’s apartment is filled with dog dirt, garbage and rubbish – it looks very gloomy. The rooms are furnished with old furniture. In general, the housing does not at all resemble the apartment of a person whose closest relative was a screen star in the recent past.

Maria tries to save on everything, since she needs to provide for her youngest son Volodya, who suffers from autism, and several four-legged pets. And care requires considerable expenses.

“The more I get to know people, the more I love dogs,” says Smolyaninov’s mother with a famous phrase.

Rumors persist that the stepfather abandoned Arthur after learning about his anti-Russian statements. After fleeing to the West, Smolyaninov poured tons of dirt onto his homeland. But despite this, the actor’s godfather Ivan Okhlobystin is not going to abandon his godson. And he even blames himself for the fact that Arthur renounced Russia.

“He was and remains my godson. In the traditions of Christianity there is no renunciation of godchildren. Perhaps I was a bad godfather if this happened. After all, we tend to jump to harsh conclusions, and Arthur is too proud. He said something without thinking. Probably due to its popularity, it has not stood the test of time. Fame can make a person crazy. At some point, Arthur lost touch with reality,” Okhlobystin tries to justify his godson.