Together they entered GITIS for the directing course of Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko 22 years ago. Then the whole group came to the theater created by the teacher "Workshop of Peter Fomenko." Yuri Stepanov and Tagir Rakhimov had one dressing room for two. On the Jury table - his favorite yellow cup, a notebook with card records, disks, a clock on a chain. Under the battery - home slippers. Everything as usual. In addition to six dried roses and two candles. With the burial service. Tagir ignites them. "When candles are burning, it is somehow easier to talk with Yura ... - and corrects himself, - about Yura. It seems that Stepa is about to open the door and ... ".
"I was born for the earth"
Tagir, that Yura talked about his parents?
Of course, he came from Siberia, I even went to his place in the village of Rysyevo, which is near Irkutsk. He was met as a national hero and very proud of him. We then went on a hunt with the local guys, however, nothing was shot, but maybe it's good. Stepov's parents were wonderful: his agronomist father became the director of the state farm and raised him to his feet. And after his death everything fell apart. Yura's mother taught biology at school. Russian film actors, Yuri Stepanov, were truly loved and appreciated for their dedication to work and their attitude towards others.
Stepa was a real man. As Shukshin, from the plow. He knew how to do everything: there, in his native land, he mastered the professions of a mason, carpenter, tractor operator and oil producer. Sometimes he himself said: "I was born for the land, but I am engaged in figurations here." So why did he go to the theater high school?
Yes, he went to the debate and entered the Irkutsk Theater School. He wanted to prove to his father that he was an artist. His parents said to him: "You're crooked, come. We are waiting for you". And only then realized that Yura has a talent. What was his main character?
He is a fighter in the first place. And in the literal sense of the word. He was engaged in boxing in Irkutsk, it was useful. In the hostel, the entire fourth floor was occupied by Afghans who planted their orders. But Yura gave them a light. And he seemed so respectable on the stage. In general, he is a very complex, controversial person. Was. He could humor without end, he could be tough, but he always defended his opinion. And I'm the same, maybe.
And that's why our friendship with him is so strong. We toured the whole world. And it so happened that Yura could not get on with anyone, therefore he settled only with me. Although, that he has that I have explosive characters, and we are not inferior to each other. Even playing cards, as they say, to the first blood. We arrive in the play for three hours to score a bur-goat. They came ... I'm sorry, I can not talk about Yura in the past tense ... Stepa loses, gets angry and says: "But I will play very well on stage today." I see he is suffering because of the loss. I purposely leave the dressing room, so that Yurets let out steam. Suddenly I hear from his broadcast his voice: "Well, Tagir, I'm waiting." I return and ... lose!
We often spent the night in the theater, since from here, from Kutuzovsky Prospekt, it is convenient to go to the shooting, especially if you must be at 8 o'clock in the morning. There are showers and mattresses here. Now Yurin's blanket came over to me, his mug is big. Of course, I used to take beer with Yura, something delicious ... Now I say to him: "Well, you, now would have rolled beer, we would have sat and cut ourselves into a bur-goat. Last time you overtook me, I want to recoup! .. "
Family is sacred
They say that Yuri was a jolly fellow, he liked to poke?
And in theatrical, without humor, without imagination, there is nothing to do. When we studied at Fomenko, Yuri lived in a hostel, and I worked as a janitor and watchman in a club in Taganka in Park Pryamikov. There I had my own room, we called her "Yurka" with Yura. He, of course, often came and stayed overnight. Of course, lit up. The club hosted dance classes. And who was engaged? Some girls! And then there are two young guys at the side, and also from the theater. In the breaks they came to us to have a cup of tea.
Yuri was very charming, probably he himself often fell in love?
Of course, he liked women, although he was a bit timid in his youth. But just like me, he believed that without women, one can not live in the world. Of course, we want to like, and then - this is part of the profession. We live in order to fall in love. And he believed so. But later, when Ira appeared in his life, the family became a saint for him. Even I stopped telling him about my drinking. Ira is also an actress?
No, she's a designer . I remember that we were putting on the play "Adventure" about Kazanova (this is according to Tsvetaeva). And Stepa and I went to try on the costumes for some apartment. There were several girls, and Yuri chose Iru. I remember how their first-born was born, Kostik, we celebrated the whole theater. Then Dimka. Now the third son was born (they, of course, wanted a girl), Yuri Stepanov, junior. This does not allow Ira to limp. Recently her birthday was celebrated: everything should be like under Yura. Did they have a hospitable house?
Of course, and at the wedding, I walked with them. I remember Yuri wanted to show a reception from oriental martial arts, slipped and knocked over the wedding cake. But no one was upset, it seemed such a trifle - ahead of a wonderful life. All young, full of strength, happiness. In general, I think that Yuri was lucky with Ira, even if she is not an actress, she does not put your roles on the shelves. I came and was happy for you as a spectator. Ira was very proud of her husband. How was Yura the father?
Hereby . He's not gonna make love, and this is with a crazy love for his sons. But he could also punish so that they remembered once and for all. Kostya (13) is very worried about his father's death, but he keeps all emotions in himself - such a small peasant.
Kostya is not going to go to the theater?
No. I think he would rather go into professional sports. He seriously engaged in boxing, martial arts. Yuri told me that he had boxed with him and his son had been hit as hard as he had. Even externally Kostya - well, the poured Yurets. Dima - the other, softer, looks more like Iru. Tagir, imagine that Yuri is sitting here now.
What would you say to him?
What to say, there are cards nearby. We would play in a bur-goat. (Laughs.) We would have to talk about hunting, about fishing. How many plans were in the spring! Mentally talking to him?
Wherever I was, not a couple of minutes passed before I thought about Yura. We did a lot of shooting together - in "Citizen's boss", and in "Stiletto", and in "Penalty." These are all Dostal movies. He loved Yuri so much ...
And that would have been said badly in the theater without him?
How to talk about this, when slippers are still warm? There are cookies on the table. I did not clean anything, there were some disks in my desk drawer, a toothbrush, new socks. Green tea is what we drink together.
He played in three performances - "Three Sisters", "Wolves and Sheep" and "Moth". The latter will be accurately removed from the repertoire: it does not fit in your head that Yuri can be replaced by someone. He played the main role there, the colonel, who kills his beloved. Today the last monologue of Jura sounds like a sad prophecy:
"You go up the stairs to the sky. Towards his infinite glory. You will have new faces, You will live thousands more lives ... Farewell forever! There are new roles ahead! "
... Two days before his death, we hooted: One started: "Here we have a theater built, and in the niches in time will be the graves of" Fomenko old men. " Someone began to develop the theme: "The spectator came, bowed to the master and went to the play. Well, when from here will take out someone first! "Yuri took and opened a sad account ...
"He had such plans! .."
This summer, he would have turned 43. The most "juice", the most flourishing of the forces ... He worked to the fullest and the same way, without rest left himself to the family. He will never see his third son, Yuri Stepanov Jr., who was born in the first week of April. How much he did not have time to do from what he secretly dreamed of! He did not manage to bring the sons of Kostya and Dima into the people, to rejoice in their successes. Has not had time to finish building a country house, to call friends for your favorite fishing. The bathhouse plan with all the costly calculations also lies unpretentious on the table of the actor in the dressing room of the native theater ... He will not play in Konstantin Khudyakov's film "Once Upon a Time in Rostov", the shooting of which was to begin in May. Especially under Stepanova wanted to restore the play "Chichikov" Pyotr Fomenko. But George was not ...