0 July 25, 2016, 12:35

IN lately Alexander Petrov, known to viewers for his roles in the TV series “Method” and “Policeman from Rublyovka,” is often interviewed. This is not surprising: filming in films and TV series, theatrical works, a poetic experiment... Every day the popularity, and with it the artist’s workload, is growing in geometric progression. And it would seem that such a busy schedule would have exhausted and devastated any person long ago, but not Petrov - he is open to everything new and recharges himself exclusively from work.

During a conversation with the site, Alexander talked about how not to lose your inner content, about your life vector, about work outside of cinema and much more.

In June, at the height of Kinotavr, a presentation of the project “The Poetic Experiment of Alexander Petrov” took place in Sochi. And, I must say, this experiment was a success - people left the club where the event took place with amazed and satisfied faces, my colleagues and acquaintances who attended your speech are still sharing their impressions. How do you think it went?

It seems to me that everything went even better than I expected; I was afraid of some things. There was no serious or lengthy preparation for this event: we did not rehearse, but communicated with the guys from Ocean Jet by phone and SMS, but, nevertheless, the result exceeded all expectations. We already did something similar once: in one of the numbers of the “Dancing with the Stars” program, in which I participated, they combined my poem with their music. And this time we combined several things. I have great respect for these guys, I am their fan, they are one of my favorite musical groups.

We tried several stories that we would like to later implement into our performances, for example, monologues from famous films. I think that I will still change some things, and I will definitely leave some things. Eat huge amount ideas, the team is already taking shape.

Alexander Petrov at the presentation of the project "Poetic experiment of Alexander Petrov"

Where did the idea for this project even come from? After all, today reading poetry seems to be considered a forgotten creative expression.

Poems are coming back into fashion. People are no longer embarrassed to read poetry; even at school nowadays they treat it differently. This is a type of creativity that anyone can do; it doesn’t require money. You can just write a poem, just read it, post it on the Internet.

The trend now is that people need poetry. At my speech there were not only people whom I invited, mostly residents of Sochi and ordinary vacationers came. The atmosphere was the warmest, people received us well, enjoyed us... There were no indifferent people left, many came up and said words of gratitude.

I always try to give 300 percent. Sometimes it may seem that an event is not particularly important, but for me it’s the opposite - it’s always something new, something that requires full dedication. Plans must always be Napoleonic. It's very cool that I have new look activities other than theater and cinema, in this case these are poetry performed in a musical atmosphere.

You work hard, you have a lot of creativity. But this creativity also takes a lot of energy. I know that after finishing work on another project, some artists fall into depression, others try to immediately start another new project - these are their methods of “treatment”. How are you recovering?

There is no such moment. I don't need to rest, because I get return energy from the work itself, from film crew or on the result that will be. On the contrary, it gives even more strength. What kind of vacation? I am 27 years old!

Working at this pace can be draining; it is impossible to just give all the time. How not to lose the inner filling that makes artists create?

This is a very difficult question. I probably had this happen once, when I thought something was missing, I felt like there was an emptiness inside. I wanted another movie or some other projects, maybe some kind of partial rest, solitude. But all this passes quite quickly. I think everyone here has their own kitchen, but in any case, if you have something to say, then you will have enough strength for a long time: you want to constantly invent something, do something.

It is very important, it seems to me, to have people in your life who would be on the same energy level with you. Are there people like this in your life?

Well, of course they are. These are my loved ones. This is both a theatrical and non-theatrical environment, but there are not many of these people.

Are you happy with the roles you've been offered lately?

Yes, definitely.

Due to the fact that there are more offers in cinema, do you act in the theater less often now?

Yes, the theater takes less time. Now I am playing in two plays, these roles are quite enough for me. That's four performances a month that make your body burn.

I never wanted to have 12 performances, it’s very difficult. This is everyone's choice - I chose cinema. But the scene, this whole atmosphere is an incredible thrill that lasts for several hours. You receive emotions from the viewer here and now, this is an incomparable pleasure.

Let's go back in time. When entering GITIS, did you strive to get to Leonid Kheifets? Why didn’t they go, say, to Kirill Serebrennikov?

I didn’t know anyone then - neither Heifetz nor Serebrennikov. I came to Moscow green, I didn’t understand what or why. I was at a theater festival in the Samara region, there I met teachers from GITIS, and I really liked how they work, their approach to classes. That's why I entered Heifetz's workshop. When I came to GITIS, I realized that this was the place where I would study. You see “your” walls and understand that you can’t leave here. I don’t know where I got such confidence from - I didn’t know a single actor! For me, GITIS students seemed like gods! I don’t know where the confidence to come from here came from. I remember Heifetz told me then: “I want to be friends with you.”

Perhaps in your profession it is difficult to set goals in the form of specific points on an axis. But you still get the impression that you are following a specific vector. Which one?

I never set goals for myself, but I always want to act in a movie in which it will be difficult for me, in which I will develop, where it will be interesting for me, and I will understand that it is also interesting to people. And when people come to the cinema, they will get something, not just a set of positive emotions, but maybe they will begin to change something in their lives. This is very important for me, I get a thrill from it, and not just work it off.

Of course, there is a vector, but it is more about increasing experience. During any process, professional skills emerge that make it possible to look at everything from a different perspective. You begin to understand how the industry works, how the profession works. The most important thing is inner intuition. A feeling that cannot be lost.

Photo Anna Temerina/website

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This season, actor Alexander Petrov is in great demand: he can be seen on TV, at the Theater. Ermolova and in the cinema - in the film "The Elusive: The Last Hero", which was released on October 29. In an interview with HELLO! Petrov spoke about what modern girls lack, why a man is always right and how he is going to conquer Hollywood.

Alexandra Petrov Alexander Petrov has everything to achieve a lot in his profession - he is talented, good-looking, young and ambitious. And his achievements speak for themselves: at the age of 26, he starred in several dozen projects, including such successful TV series as “Fartsa”, “Law” concrete jungle", "Hugging the Sky" and others. Petrov managed to work at the Et Cetera Theater with Alexander Kalyagin, and now he serves at the Ermolova Theater under the direction of Oleg Menshikov, playing no less than Hamlet.

Alexander was born in Pereslavl-Zalessky, in his childhood and youth he loved to play football, so much so that he was invited to train in Moscow, but these plans were disrupted by injury. He still ended up studying in the capital, although a few years later and already as an actor: while a student at the Faculty of Economics, Sasha participated in an amateur theatrical production, then the guys went with her to the festival, and there GITIS teachers gave master classes. Then it became clear to Petrov who he really wanted to be. Having nothing but talent and desire, he went to Moscow and immediately entered GITIS for the course of Leonid Kheifetz, for which there was huge competition. The thing is that Petrov has been accustomed to achieving his goals since childhood.

And Sasha is not at all flighty, as one might imagine a 26-year-old guy who is torn apart by producers and fans. Since his first year at the institute, actor Petrov has been picky about his choice of roles and has been in love with his girlfriend Dasha for more than ten years. Alexander's next work - the film "The Elusive: The Last Hero" - was released a few days ago, on October 29. He played main role- actually mysterious" the last hero".

- Sasha, the role of the “last hero” sounds loud.

Yes, but my character is not an unambiguous hero, he is not only with a plus sign, but also with a minus sign. Director Artem Aksenenko and I wanted to make sure that bad guy I liked it. He kills people left and right and at the same time evokes sympathy, because he does it out of a sense of justice, and cannot do otherwise. My hero kills bad person to save many other people. And the heroine of the film, played by Sasha Bortich, believes that it is possible to punish fairly.

- Is he convinced by her position?

No, not in the finale after all. But the film tells his story, and it becomes clear why he is like this. The story is tragic, and for me personally it evoked a great emotional response.

- Do you have own experience communicating with bad people?

Experience street life, of course there is. I've seen some scoundrels. Even when I was a teenager in Pereslavl, and there are plenty of them in Moscow. I really don’t like it when someone deceives someone, I myself am for justice.

We have few real heroes in films. The last one may have been Sergei Bodrov in "Brother". A hero of our time - what should he be?

The secret is very simple: it requires the same qualities that Sergei Bodrov possessed - sincerity, kindness, calmness, courage. In the 2000s they somehow forgot about them, Moscow and major cities swallowed up by glamor, and it still doesn’t let go of many. People simply stopped talking to each other, taking responsibility for their words and actions, and a world of deception has become the norm. Nevertheless, now they are following sincere people, those who say what they think; began to distinguish the real from the fake. This is great, young people today are becoming a powerful force that understands the meaning of the word “truth.” All my peers are purposeful people, they know their worth, their actions, and their time. I believe that if a person does not forget these main qualities, then he will become a hero - for his family, for his friends.

- You and the heroine Alexandra Bortich Are there relationships on screen?

Yes, our characters are strongly attracted, like two poles - one with a plus, the other with a minus, and it’s interesting to see what comes of it.

- How not to fall in love with your partner in history?

It's not even worth asking. This is just a profession. It's your character who fell in love, not you.

- Isn’t your girlfriend Dasha jealous of you?

Like a normal girl, she is, of course, jealous. But she knows about my profession and tries to treat it correctly. We have mutual understanding on this issue.

- What do you think is the most important thing in a girl? What do modern girls perhaps lack?

IN modern girls There are not enough... actually girls. Many people try to be powerful and independent, and this, in my opinion, is not entirely correct. It seems to me that a girl is created to be close to a man, to be “behind her husband.” The man must still be in charge, otherwise the nature of the relationship is violated and its entire meaning is lost. A woman should leave the main decisions to a man and should allow him to “hammer the nail” on his own. He should, for example, decide for himself which car to buy, and not consult her. I still don’t understand those couples who decide together which car to buy...

Wait, but if they have children together that they will transport in this car, and, for example, a dog that should be comfortable going to the dacha...

No, the man still has to make a decision.

- Yes, you are a house builder!

I'm normal. Likewise, a man should not ask a woman where she wants to go for dinner. We must come and say where we are going. And it will be easier for her.

- So, what if she says: “Let’s go there”?

Well... Okay, let's go there... True, this immediately causes a collision.

- A woman hardly wants to be such a forced sack for a long time...

I’m not talking about slavery, it’s just that the main issues should be decided by a man. What is it all for then?

- What you say is amazing. Young people, on the contrary, seem to have outlived conservatism in relationships; guys also wash dishes and cook, for example...

I don't like to cook and I do it very rarely, because there is something funny in it - a man at the stove, but nothing more. A woman has the opportunity to be the main one in these matters. And a man must create and decide.

- You talked about being absorbed by the “world of glamor.” When you arrived in Moscow, were you tempted to approach him?

I had wonderful masters who knocked out the slightest desire for this from me at the initial stage.

- That is, you are not a party animal, not a clothes person...

I love good clothes, but not to the point of fanaticism. There are representatives of show business whose profession is only conditional, because all they do is go to parties and take photographs for various publications. I'm not one of them, of course, I'm not a model. The profession is the most important thing for me.

- The press presents you as a young star with a great future.

For me, a star is an artist known and recognized throughout the world. I can't call myself a star.

Alexandra Petrov in the series "Fartsa"

- Striving straight for global scale is also a sign of your generation: you need to immediately want an Oscar.

Certainly. The bad soldier is the one who doesn't want to become a general.

But we exist in a different reality - both professional and mental. Aren't you alarmed by the fact that none of the Russians have yet made a career in Hollywood?

Everyone I talked to who tried their hand at Hollywood had one problem - they were scared. And you need to leave for good. People, knowing that there is a rear here and they are ready to be removed, endure the lack of demand there for a very short time and return. Having left, you have to start from scratch and wait until victory. It won't be convenient. Whoever risks losing everything here first will drink champagne.

- Do you think about taking such a risk one day?

Certainly!

- Do you really have some kind of plan?

Yes, and for a long time! We need to develop. We still have fear of “them.” They are not aliens - they simply give themselves one hundred percent to their profession. For example, they adore Chekhov: accomplished major actors love to understand the intricacies of good drama, this is important to them! We think more about our own popularity. If you take any Russian actor and put him in the body of Leonardo DiCaprio, he will immediately go crazy from the realization of fame. But they have other priorities: having reached these heights, they continue to work in the same way and grow in the profession.

- Do you have some kind of complex that you would like to get rid of?

It has always been difficult for me to refuse. But now I think I've learned. My teachers told me about this. Heifetz, with whom I studied, spoke about this, then Kalyagin, with whom I came to work in the theater. Menshikov has the same position, I am now learning a lot from him. And lately I began to notice that I was succeeding.

- In five years you have already had about 30 roles. Aren't you afraid to be everywhere at some point?

No. It seems to me that this is an unjustified fear; for some reason it arises in people in our country. Who hasn't been played by the same Leonardo DiCaprio, who hasn't been played by Johnny Depp! And the whole world is watching them. And here they say: “I’m tired of Bezrukov!” What is he tired of? A wonderful actor who plays different roles. It’s bad when the actor is the same everywhere - that’s what I wouldn’t want.

- Living many lives on camera and on stage, do you manage to live yourself?

Certainly! You have to manage everything: spend time with your family, friends, go to the cinema, go to a restaurant, laugh, go crazy, and be lazy. But one way or another, every day of mine is connected with my profession, because this is my life’s work, and I have to move on constantly.

- You are very purposeful, where does this come from?

I don’t know, but as long as I can remember, the result has always been important to me. It's like in sports. If the scoreboard shows a bad result, you can’t say: “You know, the game was great!” And if the result is good, then there is no need to say anything.

Text: Elena Kuznetsova

His squinted eyes reveal a strong character and intelligence. Directors have long realized that this actor adds dignity to their films. Alexander Petrov is especially good at portraying heroes from the Soviet past, such as Andrei in the TV series “Fartsa” (Channel One).

– Sasha, I know that you consulted with your master Leonid Kheifetz about this role.

– Leonid Efimovich’s opinion has always been very valuable to me. He said: “Only talented people could engage in farce, and not stupid m...s.” A lot of things became clear to me right away. It is important that in the film we talk about eternal values: friendship, love, decency, honor.

– Tell us about your first experience in cinema.

– When I was approved for the role in the film “Abkhazian Fairy Tale”, I thought: “Well, it’s a big deal - my career has begun.” star trek» ( laughs). The picture turned out to be unsuccessful, but I did not regret it: mentally I was not yet ready for success. My life is developing progressively, and I like it.

- At 26 years old, you have such a track record in cinema, and on stage - Lopakhin and Hamlet. What can you call it if not luck?

– It seems to me that a lot depends on motivation. If you are driven solely by vanity, then most likely you will not get a role or success. You just have to work and believe. And the rest will come. I know for sure that every person is given a chance. And it is important not to miss it.

– Sasha, why did you first decide to get an economics education?

– It’s simple: this institute was in our city and my sister studied there. I didn't have any particular attraction to mathematics. I skipped a lot, but at the institute they turned a blind eye to it, because my friend and I constantly organized parties and KVNs. And after a year and a half, I realized that this was not my life. She saw me in one of the kaveens Veronica Alekseevna Ivanenko, head of the theater studio in Pereslavl-Zalessky. We staged the play “Don’t Part With Your Loved Ones” based on Volodin’s play and went to theater festival V Samara region, where teachers from GITIS conducted master classes. There I learned that Heifetz was enrolling in a course, and decided to enroll.

When I entered GITIS, I immediately realized that these were my native walls. I had some incredible confidence that I would do it. I decided for myself: either I will study here, or I will completely forget about this profession.

– What maximalism!

– Heifetz was told that there is a serious contender for the position who is applying only to him. He was very surprised. And then I had a conversation with Leonid Efimovich, and he said: “I want you and I to continue our friendship.” The master knows how to choose words that hit the target very accurately. As time passed, I realized that by “friendship” he meant serious learning. He recruits people who are close to him in spirit, intuitively senses those with whom he is ready to work.

– How did Moscow greet you?

– It was March 9. I came to the preparatory courses and searched for GITIS for a long time: on a weekend morning there were almost no people on the street - there was no one to ask. That day was my first lesson, and I absolutely loved everything. Then it turned out that I had a temperature of over 40. When I left home, I already felt bad, but I hid it from my parents. Someone upstairs apparently decided to check whether the boy wanted this as much as he said he wanted it. It turned out that yes.

– Didn’t your mom and dad convince you that acting is not a profession?

“They were sure that for me it was like flying into space. The competition was 500 people per place, that year it was just a boom. But when I started doing tour after tour, they realized it was possible. My parents were terribly rooting for me on the day of the audition and eagerly awaited my call. Mom told me that dad was frying something in the kitchen and only 15 minutes later he realized that he hadn’t turned on the gas.

– What do your parents do?

– They have a small business in Pereslavl. My mother was a doctor by training, and my father worked as an electrician. In the 90s, they had to somehow feed their family, and they opened a small clothing store, which still exists. My sister graduated from the university with honors, majoring in economics, and now works in our city in a good company. Very smart girl! He doesn’t want to go to Moscow, and at 30 it’s too late. It took me a year and a half to get used to the capital.

– What surprised you in Moscow life?

- At first, that he was left alone. I’m used to having my mom, dad, sister, and friends at home. And here it was necessary to get along with completely strangers. We, several people, huddled in a small one-room apartment on Chistye Prudy, which the institute rented, there were no places in the dormitory. Later we moved to a hostel and it was much nicer there.

– Now you are an actor at the Ermolova Theater. But after graduating from GITIS you ended up in Et Cetera. How did this happen?

– This was the only theater where I went to shows, because I didn’t have time due to filming with Yuri Pavlovich Moroz in the film “Fort Ross. In search of adventure." They took me, and I... went to Malta to film. I was introduced to the play “Shylock”, I rehearsed another role, but received another invitation.

– From Menshikov to the Ermolova Theater?

– Oleg Evgenievich watched our graduation performance “ Ladybugs are returning to earth,” and then invited me to his office: “I know that you just came to Et Cetera, but I would really like you to work for me.” And he emphasized that he has serious plans for the future.

– Was Hamlet mentioned even then?

- Not at the first meeting. Menshikov added that he was ready to receive me at any moment. I thought about it for two months. Then I called him and immediately wrote a letter of resignation from the Et Cetera theater. The process was somewhat painful, but I understood that both Menshikov and his theater were closer to me.

– Having opened your page on Facebook, I was surprised to see personal information there: “Dating with so-and-so.” Do you want to shout to the whole world about your love?

– I just had to fill out the field, and I honestly wrote ( smiling).

– Is your heart still occupied with her?

- Yes, and for a long time ( smiling). This is my beloved Dasha. We are not married yet.

– Is your wife a stamp in your passport?

– I didn’t even think about it. We've been together for a long time, I feel good with her. Dasha is a makeup artist by profession, but does not work in cinema.

– Do you always try to be honest?

– Each of us lies about something, and that’s normal. If the main thing for you is not to offend a person, sometimes it’s better to lie. But if my girlfriend cooked something that wasn’t very successful, I’ll say it straight out and she won’t be offended. I always express my opinion about the work of friends and colleagues delicately: first I note the pros and only then the cons.

– And if you received an offer from Hollywood now, would you be able to drop everything and leave?

“I would take a risk and leave.” I admit it honestly ( smiling).

Interviewed by Marina Zeltser

(their soundtrack sounded in a short film in which Petrov starred, and they became friends), and a love story (inspired by the relationship with Sasha’s muse, an actress (25)), and poems by Petrov himself, and film excerpts filmed specifically for the performance. All this together is the first screenwriting and directing experience of the artist Petrov. Maybe this will be followed by his own movie - Sasha knows enough about how the film industry works and has been laughing at its myths for a long time, saying that you can only believe in people, and not stupid rumors.

Myth 1: You get into the movies through connections

Naturally, through connections. This means how the process happens. You call the director and say: “Hello! You are worried about the artist, you know the one from Pereslavl-Zalessky. How much will the role cost? Seven million? And you agree, well, you are the heir to a dynasty (a very famous one, Pereslavl-Zalesskaya), you have eight castles, a chain of hotels and five apartments in the center at your disposal.

From the editor: In fact, this is how Petrov got into his first project. Representatives of one acting agency saw him at shows at GITIS and offered him a five-year contract. They promised mountains of gold, but in reality they simply took most of the fee, but Petrov agreed due to his inexperience. And a little later, there, at GITIS, the actor was noticed by his acting agent Katya Kornilova. She advised a casting director she knew to invite Sasha to audition. He passed them, Katya offered to work together, and the agency had to call and ask to break the contract. Sasha said that he decided to leave the profession, to which the agency replied: “Well, that’s what we thought, you don’t have much potential, so don’t be upset.” By the way, Petrov never signed a contract with Kornilova.

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Myth 2: They say actors make millions

Not just millions - billions. How much did you earn? More than a billion. Fifty percent to me. It’s good that I didn’t have to share with Kukushkin (Nikita Kukushkin (27, played Petrov’s friend Rus) in “Attraction”) - he works without money.

From the editor: In fact, Petrov does not hide his earnings, but does not advertise them either. In a recent interview, for example, he answered the question of how much it cost to produce the play #REBORN - less than three million.

Myth 3: We will never film like Hollywood

I actually have a lot of faith in our industry. We can do the impossible. If they had known the budget, which was released in three parts in cinemas, they would not have even started filming. And we made a worthy film. There are prospects. And most likely, this should be a symbiosis of European and American film production. Or an idea for a unique format will appear; it may well be born in Russia.

Myth 4: Russian actors will never make it to Hollywood

I will answer for myself: there is a possibility. It is a myth that we are not needed there. On the contrary, Americans love Russian school and talented people. Another question: you need to spend a lot of time on this. To leave here, to refuse a certain number of offers, everyone is afraid of losing something, because it is not a fact that they will gain something there.

Editor's note: In December, a new film by the director appeared on Luc Besson's account, in which one of the actors bears a striking resemblance to Petrov. True, Sasha himself has not yet commented on this information.

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Myth 5: famous actors require special treatment

Paradox: the more an artist achieves, the calmer and more professional he is on set. He simply has nothing to prove. All conflicts arise when an artist thinks that he is very famous. I have a rider, and a good one, but it didn’t happen right away. It's not a star thing that you want coffee from a coffee machine and not brewed. So I drink instant and get stuck in the toilet, sorry, and the group gets up for an hour, and this is a big loss of money. So maybe it would be easier to organize coffee?

Editor's note: At our shoot, Petrov asked to bring burgers from McDonald's to the whole group.

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Alexander Petrov is the star of the film “Attraction”, and now the film “Gogol. The beginning" - in an interview with Vadim Vernik.

Photo: Georgy Kardava

"I have mobile phone recorded “Hamlet Petrov Sasha,” writes about Alexander Petrov editor-in-chief OK! Vadim Vernik.- Three years ago, few people famous Alexander Petrov made his stage debut in a role that any young actor dreams of. And it was a brilliant debut. Sasha is generally a lucky guy. Iconic roles in films and television rain down on him like from a cornucopia. The audience, and especially the female spectators, adore him. Every time he is unexpected, unpredictable. Because he's talented. New round popularity will undoubtedly bring him a film project called “Gogol. Start".

WITH Asha, tell me, are you able to breathe out? You've been filming so much different projects as if you are trying to embrace the immensity.

Now is just such a period, Vadim. So much has piled up - I understand that I take on a lot. And I also understand that I really need some kind of exhalation right now. In fact, I plan in the near future - maybe next year - to take this breath, take a big global break and try to recharge a little. I really have been without a break for so many years.

When did you start living at this pace?

Almost in my second year at the institute, in 2009. I didn’t have a situation where, for example, there was a break for a month. It's 2017 now. That turns out to be eight years.

And what, during this time, not a single vacation?

Five days, six days, well, a week. But you come to another country or to the seaside and you want to have time to see everything, travel, and again you can’t sleep. You came to Italy, Spain, Greece, everything around is interesting, you really want to have time to visit everywhere. And the rest, of course, turns out to be spiritual, but there is not enough physical pause.

On the other hand, you are an athlete, a football player, your training is tough.

Hardening - yes, thanks to childhood. It somehow helps to maintain such a rhythm. But now I really want a break, although this does not mean that I am tired. In no case can you call it fatigue, it’s just such a cycle of events, so many people in front of your eyes constantly, a lot of things to do. On the other hand, I don’t know how I would live without it either.

Plus, I’m such a person - I can’t sit still, some kind of motor always goes off for me, I have to run, I have to do, I have to, I have to, I have to...

You say that you started acting in your second year. Usually this is not welcome at a theater university.

I filmed in the summer and studied the rest of the time. There was some filming, well, actually, like all students film.

Did you get an agent early, or was it all by feel at first?

Yes, Katya Kornilova appeared immediately, in 2009. She came to one of the shows at GITIS - we were in our second year - after that she called me and said that there was a small role for me in the series “Voices” for Channel One, where the director was Nana Dzhoradze. I remember, of course, everything: my first day of shooting, how I walked to the first frame.

Was it scary?

Incredibly scary! Of course, I didn’t show this, but I remember very well where it happened, what the weather was like, I remember what was under my feet - what kind of earth, what kind of stones. I remembered some details that were completely unnecessary to my brain. In general, from then on I started acting - little by little, step by step.

Sash, why do you think you are in such crazy demand today?

Believe me, I always knew it would be like this.

Class!

Well, then, if we talk about how much work there is... I’m not from Moscow, I don’t have anyone here. I always had the feeling that you are alone and in any case you need to do something, you need to gnaw the earth. And this feeling helped and continues to help me. But, I repeat, I never doubted that this would be the case. When I entered GITIS, even when I was just standing in front of the entrance to this “monkey barn,” as applicants call it, there were no doubts even then.

That is, no reflection, just one attitude: I will be number one.

That's not the point. There is an intuition to which I am very grateful - it led me in this direction. And you have no chance of losing because there are no other options. For example, I had no option not to enter GITIS.

How self-confident you are.

I only went to GITIS, only to Heifetz, I liked it there. And I was absolutely sure that I would do it. I don't know why. None of my family theater business was not connected, no one knew the nuances and features of admission, the theater education system, and so on. I didn’t know what program was needed, I didn’t know what to prepare, how to behave in front of these people, what to come in, what to wear.

One of the teachers, Alexey Anatolyevich Litvin, already at the interview drew attention to my sweatshirt: it had Dolce & Gabbana written on it. Alexey Anatolyevich asked me: “Do you like such brands?” “Yes,” I answer, “from Cherkizon!” The first one I came across was the one I put on.

Listen, have you ever been defeated?

Yes they were. But I went through a certain school: first I studied at an amateur theater studio in the city of Pereslavl with a teacher in acting Veronica Alekseevna Ivanenko, then the Heifetz school at GITIS. I just realized at some point that any defeat can be completely easily turned into a victory. This will not always work out, of course. But after the Heifetz school, you are ready for defeat, this will not be new for you. You are ready to lose and rise quickly.

What did you lose at?

The ins and outs are a lot different! For example, I was never the best in the course. There were guys big stars course, I was never one of them. Everyone was tall, strong, and so on. I was in good standing with Leonid Efimovich and in the workshop in general, but I was never one of the top three guys on the course. It was hard, I understood that I needed to study, I needed to take the maximum from Heifetz, from GITIS, from masters, from teachers, from students. Therefore, I absorbed everything like a sponge, I understood that what was happening now would help me win in the future.

In general, your only complex is that you were not the best student. Not too much.

This is not a complex by any means. I tried to be the best, I tried to stretch. But at some point I just started saying goodbye to this student life, preparing for a future where I find myself alone. There will be no students or teachers there, you will simply be left alone with this life, and you will have to fight there for real. You ask about defeats: of course, there were films in which I was not approved, but I really wanted it. And before, when I played football, for me every defeat was something so significant, although it would seem ordinary football match in the yard.

We lost today, we'll win tomorrow - what's the difference. But I took this very seriously and just to the last drop of sweat and blood I was ready to fight with anyone, just to win, to score a goal, to bring victory - for me this was important. And this story was preserved in the future.

You dreamed of becoming a professional football player. The injury got in the way.

You see, fate decreed otherwise. And I get my love for football from my dad. I remember how he sat me, very little, in front of the TV and said: “This is football, son, this is the Spartak-Moscow team, and we will root for it.” From that moment it all began.

Then it’s logical to ask: what about mom?

Probably this confidence that everything will be fine, and also the fact that you need to use all your reserves to win. This is from mom.

What industry do your parents work in?

Dad worked as an electrician, mom worked in a hospital as a paramedic. Then, in the 90s, they had a small own business, they needed to survive somehow. Now they continue to run their business.

As a child, were you spoiled or...

I can’t say that I really needed anything, I had everything: toys, and money to go somewhere with friends once a week. But there was no spoiling, of course. The first time I flew on an airplane, for example, was already on the set of the film “August. Eighth" to Vladikavkaz, this was in 2009.

Is the family still in Pereslavl-Zalessky?

Are you at home often?

I do, but less often now. I love this city very much, I value the fact that I was born there, it helped me a lot. This is how most people prepare to enter theater school? Many are trying to join the Moscow theater community, knowing in which places the creative intelligentsia gathers. Someone is trying to make friends with one of the students in order to understand what is happening and how, in order to gain experience. Some people don’t leave Moscow, sleep at train stations, prepare a program - 25 passages of prose and 25 poems - and so on. And before enrolling, I ran around the lake in the winter. Darkness, night, snowdrifts - and 10 kilometers every day.

A curious ritual.

I just had some inner feeling that this is exactly what I needed right now.

This is Petrov's method.

Yes, yes. ( Smiles.) First I entered preparatory courses. I went to Moscow, I remember, on March 9th. I remembered this day because after March 8 the center of Moscow was completely empty; it was either Saturday or Sunday. And I arrived early, at 8 am I was already in the city center, the courses started at 11. And later, for some reason, I always wanted to arrive early. At 5:50 I left Pereslavl - and two hours later I was in Moscow. At 8 am I was usually at Shchelkovskaya, and at 8:30 I was already at Arbatskaya. When I first arrived, I didn’t know where GITIS was located, I wandered around, no one could tell me. And I, of course, remember to the smallest detail how it all happened.

Every time I left for preparatory courses by train at 5:50 in the morning - it was important for me to walk around Moscow, in the center, walk along Kamergerka, go to McDonald's opposite Kamergerka, eat there... Such a tradition.

But I don’t understand: if you had such a reverent attitude towards the acting profession, why did you first go to study as an economist? Of course, this has been going on for a long time days gone by, but still.

Others went, and so did I. I didn't know then who I wanted to be. So I finished school in the city of Pereslavl. Where should I go to study - Moscow? I don’t think that I would immediately enter some Moscow university for free.

But at the same time you talk about your ambition.

Of course, but I didn’t want to leave the city then, I wanted to become a businessman, the mayor of the city, I had such a dream - to become the mayor of the city. And I actually went to the University of Pereslavl, studied there for two years, then the story arose with theater studio, which changed me a little, changed my consciousness.

Didn’t you have such a craving as a child?

Well, I went to some competitions and read poetry. In principle, I liked it, but I didn’t take this matter seriously. Mom always loved, let’s say, recitation, she generally loved poetry very much, and at one time it was she who taught me how to learn poetry. Mom said: “Look, Sasha, there is a word there, just imagine it, it flows into another word.” And this is how I learned poetry, so now it’s not difficult for me, I know the technique of poetry.

Listen, my brother is an actor, but it’s still a mystery to me how you can remember a huge amount of text.

It's just imaginative thinking. When you are in constant training, in constant practice, constantly in filming and rehearsals, it is enough to look at the text once, skim through it, and that’s it - you know it. You may make a mistake in some word, but you will simply replace this word with another, because you remember not the text, but the situation. This already works automatically.

I know your classmates, many of the guys are tall, tall, well-built, but you, so to speak, are not the most heroic in stature.

Well, yes. ( Laughs.)

Did you have any complexes or worries about this?

You know, no. For a film shot, on the contrary, this is cool and good. And for the stage... the audience comes to the theater for energy. If an actor gives it, it doesn’t matter at all how tall he is. Although some film directors told me, they say, Sasha, you don’t need a theater: the stage is big, on it tall people there should be. This offended me, and I said: no, I’ll be “more visible” than those who are visible!

And he started in the theater with Hamlet.

Certainly. Before the first course, we were given the task of learning a monologue, I learned “To be or not to be.” And then he came up with a lot of things, even wrapped himself in some kind of rag, but the teachers noted only one thing - that everyone tried to take something simpler, and Petrov started right away with “Hamlet”. And this was also important for me, because I always want to take a weight that seems to be beyond my strength. Muscles can only grow when they lift weights that they cannot lift. The body is designed this way, it’s nature. So I was on my way to see you just now and suddenly I thought about how damn cool it is: I’m going to talk to wonderful person, the most intelligent, and talk about what I really like. And you can’t even call it work!

It’s always like this for me: I woke up, had breakfast, sat on the balcony, looked at the trees, at Moscow, and went to filming. And I really love this process itself, the process of filming. Therefore, I am calm about such madness in terms of my own schedules. Basically, for me it’s the same thing - acting in a movie or walking down the street and breathing fresh air.

Nice comparison. And Ira Starshenbaum, your friend, probably wants you to be together on some inhabited or uninhabited island instead of filming non-stop.

This is exactly our big dream now!

Everything is going well for Ira too. After Fyodor Bondarchuk’s film “Attraction,” her career took off.

Well, yes, she films a lot. But Ira... Firstly, she is a girl, she needs more breaks and time to rest. I can work 24 hours a day, and Ira is much smarter in this regard, and I learn this from her. She knows how to make such targeted breaks in her schedule to watch movies and somehow relax.

Probably, the rhythm of life in which you live can only be understood by a person in your own profession.

Maybe. A profession is like a drug that you can never get rid of.

Do you discuss work at home - over a cup of tea, for example?

When I look at you and Ira, I have the feeling that you are one. Some crazy organic stuff. When is the wedding?

I don’t want to talk about personal topics, Vadim. It seems to me that personal things should remain in there somewhere, in a safe. It is clear that we have a public profession, but we have a house, we have our cup of tea, as you say, we have our kitchen. And we will not give away what is happening there to anyone, and for me it is very valuable and important.

That's right, Sasha. You are a daring guy:

When I graduated from college, I went to the Et Cetera theater, to Alexander Kalyagin, but a year later I left there.

In two months. Every time I returned home after a rehearsal, I thought that this is not mine, these are not my walls. There's a wonderful troupe there great Alexander Alexandrovich, but I almost immediately realized that this was not my atmosphere.

This is such youthful maximalism, it seems to me.

Well, yes, but it works, oddly enough. And later Oleg Evgenievich Menshikov and the Ermolova Theater appeared, and I realized that this is mine, that these are my theater walls, my person is mine artistic director.

How did you explain to Kalyagin about leaving the theater?

Alexander Alexandrovich, of course, was angry with me. I hope that now he has forgiven everything and understands why I did this. I then explained to him that it is important for me in my profession not to lie.

Did you go nowhere?

No, not to anywhere. Before this, there was a screening of Valery Sarkisov’s play “Ladybugs Return to Earth,” after which Menshikov invited me to his office and said: “I know that you work at the Et Cetera theater, but I would like you to work for me. Think about my proposal as much as you like.” And so I thought for a month, probably while working at Kalyagin’s and realizing that sooner or later I would have to leave there. And then the Ermolova Theater just appeared and the puzzle came together. Moreover, it was not clear what would happen next: Oleg Evgenievich had just arrived at the theater, but for some reason I believed him.

Did you consult anyone about this?

I make my most important decisions myself. So you consulted with one, you have doubts, you need to go and consult with someone else, and so on ad infinitum. No, I’d rather just be alone for a while and think about what I really need.

Your thinking is flexible.

This is the very independence you gain when you find yourself in theater institute when you live in a hostel. And if, while studying at the institute, you exist in greenhouse conditions - with mom and dad, they cook your food, wash, clean... Indeed, you can see from the guys who lives at home and who in the dorm. The word “bath” becomes somehow divine for you, and you just want to sit in the bath for at least ten or twenty minutes! ( Smiles.)

I remember when I came to Pereslavl while studying at the institute, the first thing I did was go to the bathroom, because I didn’t have one in the dorm. And there was always a line for the shower. This is a normal community life, which helped me a lot.

Well, you weren’t childish before.

That is, there was no sharp jump.

I didn't have a sudden jump. In Pereslavl, roughly speaking, I lived on the street and only spent the night at home. I was constantly walking, there was always football, entrances - a normal boy's childhood. But nevertheless, there was a house there, parents, there you knew that your mother would cook food for you and iron your clothes. If you need money, ask your dad, and so on. But here, in Moscow, you have to do everything yourself and you don’t have time to do anything, because you’re at the institute from morning to night.

Tell me, has the teenage crisis affected you?

I've never had anything like this. On the contrary, there was always a feeling that everything would be fine. I had problems with my parents, like everyone else. normal guy, that is, there was a lot of things. But the feeling that I was betrayed, that I didn’t want to live, that I was in crisis - there was nothing like that.

On the contrary, I always wanted to organize something, get the guys together, play football, but this is a whole process: you have to call everyone, someone doesn’t want to, someone has to be persuaded...

I have always been sure that you are a leader by nature.

This is probably close to me: I want to create something, lead someone. There are a lot of plans. Perhaps I’ll create my own film company. There are a lot of talented people around the country who sit and don’t understand where to go, what to do, who want to make films. And we, in fact, have many talented friends, young filmmakers who in the future will become the main layer of Russian film reality. Therefore, of course, I want to do my own thing and become more and more independent.

Well, Napoleonic plans are a good thing. But let's return to your profession. You have already conquered such a peak as Hamlet, Chekhov's Lopakhin He also played in The Cherry Orchard. Now here is Gogol.

Yes, Nikolai Vasilievich. ( Smiles.) Thanks to TV-3 channel. You know, sometimes we talk with Menshikov about cinema, so he says that for him nice picture- this is when it cannot be described in words. I like this feeling. I can’t tell you about “Gogol” in two or three words, this is the case when you definitely need to watch it. The story is mysterious, enigmatic. This is mysticism, these are some crazy techniques of director Yegor Baranov. And the script is so boldly written! I think it would have been impossible to imagine this a few years ago. This is the first series in cinema. That is, on August 31, “Gogol. The beginning”, and a month later - the next part.

From the policeman from Rublyovka to Gogol.

Great range.

And I really like it. I have always had the task of ensuring that each of my next characters is not similar to the previous one. Now TNT and TV-3 have prepared a cross-promotion with other TNT series, including “Policeman from Rublyovka,” so that in one of these videos, the actor Petrov in the role of Gogol will clash with the character Grisha Izmailov.

Aren’t you afraid that at some point the viewer will get tired of your endless presence on the screen?

You know, I'm not afraid, honestly. I enjoy all this, I get great pleasure from what I do. At GITIS you were praised for having a lot of work, a lot of sketches, or in the theater, for example, it’s great when an actor has a lot of roles. Everyone looks and understands that this is the leading artist of the theater. What's wrong with a person having a lot of prominent roles in films? And they are all different! But, getting back to where we started...

There will probably come a time when you just want to disappear for a while. And then there will be an opportunity to see what you have long wanted, to travel, to read books that you did not have time to read. There are people who are always with a book, I am not one of them. My dad loves to read, I always saw him with a book, wherever he was, he had breakfast with a book, dinner with a book. It somehow stuck in my memory.

What about the theater now? Pause?

We moved my story “#REBIRTH,” a dramatic show, as we call it, to the Ermolova Theater, we played it once, and we’ll repeat it in September. True, for “#REBIRTH” this is a small platform, because we started with Yotaspace, where there were more than two thousand people, then we performed in Yekaterinburg, Voronezh, St. Petersburg, and there were almost three thousand. Then we played at “Invasion” - in the cold, in the rain, but that was also very cool.

Sasha, I’m talking to you, and it’s so good in my soul: sitting next to me is a successful, promising guy, who is doing okay on all fronts. Doesn't such prosperity scare you?

Why be afraid! You do what you like, you want to develop, you want to learn, you want to surprise. As Pasternak bequeathed: there is no need to create archives or fiddle with manuscripts. You need to let go of the situation and move forward, imagining that you really have nothing and everything needs to start over. This is roughly the motto that I enter into every new filming period, into some new adventure. And you know, it works. It’s not for nothing that I once liked Pasternak’s poem “It’s Ugly to Be Famous”: I then realized that these words were an excellent slogan for life.

Photo: Georgy Kardava. Style: Irina Svistushkina

Grooming: Svetlana Zhitkevich. Photographer's assistant: David Shonia