“His sense of humor melted hearts, and hard work helped to overcome obstacles”

59-year-old fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery in Moscow. The farewell ceremony was arranged in such a way that ordinary admirers of the couturier’s talent could express their last respect almost side by side with friends and relatives.

On the way to the ceremonial hall of the Troekurovsky cemetery, it seemed that not a funeral was planned today, but a film awards ceremony or a secular premiere. TV journalists recording stand-ups against the backdrop of a cemetery parking lot, the TV station of the Zvezda TV channel with a satellite dish for live broadcasting, dozens of photographers riding ladders, as in a real Cannes …

Visitors who paused at this stage immediately fell into a dense ring of cameras – like stylist Sergei Zverev, who arrived at the funeral, as usual, in platform heels, in a huge hat and pants with wide cuffs. Most of the guests, however, went to say goodbye to Valentin Yudashkin in silence, without detailed interviews. Here, the singer Stas Mikhailov in a fluttering coat proceeded to the entrance to the ceremonial hall. With a large bouquet of red roses, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, walked with his son Nikolai, followed by the former head of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Kozhin, with his family. Artist Vladimir Vinokur came. Singer Oleg Gazmanov arrived in a black down jacket, a hat pulled down over his forehead and with security guards, which the Kommersant correspondent did not even notice from Mr. Peskov. Restaurateur Arkady Novikov arrived with a white bouquet of roses, wearing a gray cap and a dark hoodie. Singer Alexander Rosenbaum appeared in a black bowler hat and tightly buttoned coat.

The farewell ceremony, I must say, was arranged as democratically as possible.

In the hall of the Troekurovsky cemetery, friends and VIPs were asked to stand and sit to the left of the coffin, while mere mortals were directed to sit on the right. So Dmitry Peskov just modestly leaned against the wall in the corner of the hall, where he stood for the entire ceremony. Hockey player Vladislav Tretyak and the father of singer Philip Kirkorov Bedros Kirkorov (in the captain’s cap) sat down to say goodbye to the fashion designer. Closer to relatives is the singer Alexander Buinov. Actor Vladimir Mashkov and TV presenter Leonid Yakubovich mourned in this part of the hall, having stood for a long time at the flower stele. At the wall, the ceremony was held by telemanager Konstantin Ernst, from whom Valentin Yudashkin was given a huge wreath as a “creator of beauty, artist and friend” with the logo of Channel One. A pair of Mr. Ernst’s personal wreath was a mourning flower arrangement from his TV channel.

The entire “democratic” part of the farewell hall was filled with wreaths: there were flowers from the composer Igor Krutoy, from his co-author and businessman Mikhail Gutseriev, from the choreographer Alla Dukhova, the singer Nadezhda Babkina, “Philip Kirkorov and family”, from the Fashion House of Slava Zaitsev (whose the head died two days before his younger colleague). There was, by the way, a wreath from the President of the Russian Federation. In the first row from the coffin, neither alive nor dead, sat the singer Alla Pugacheva in a gothic panama hat. Sergey Zverev towered over the parting people in his platform heels, left without a hat, but in huge black glasses.

The leader of the ceremony, who did not introduce himself, reminded the audience about human life as a “fragile gift” and its invariable end, no matter how good it may be, and then offered to say goodbye “to an outstanding person, creator and friend.” “With a man whose name is forever inscribed in Russian history. With a man who lived a talented life hand in hand with his wife Marina, ”said the presenter. Having outlined in some detail the biography and regalia of the deceased (not forgetting to mention the Order of the Legion of Honor of France awarded to him), he recalled that already five years after graduating with honors from the Moscow Industrial College, Valentin Yudashkin presented the Faberge collection of 150 items in Paris. But many knew him not only as a world-famous couturier, but also as “father and grandfather,” the master of ceremonies added. “His sense of humor melted hearts, and hard work helped to overcome obstacles,” he said and added that “admirers from all over the world came to say goodbye to the fashion designer.”

The funeral service for Valentin Yudashkin was held by Father Sergius. Konstantin Ernst was baptized. The first to be invited to the coffin were just simple “admirers of talent” of the fashion designer, after which it was the turn of friends and relatives.

There were no more speeches in the hall, at least in the public part of the funeral. As the masters of ceremonies explained, this was the wish of the family of the deceased.

So, for example, Stas Mikhailov preferred to say goodbye to the fashion designer in a series of ordinary “admirers”. Hundreds of people walked past the coffin of Valentin Yudashkin, crossed themselves and bowed. At the exit from the hall, the audience saw off his coffin with traditional applause.

Alexander Voronov