Irina Skobtseva: "I only regret the unplayed roles"

In recent years, Irina Konstantinovna was more remembered in connection with the memorable dates of her husband, director and actor Sergei Bondarchuk (this year marks the 100th anniversary of the director's birth), with the successes and changes in the personal life of her son, Fyodor Bondarchuk. At the same time, until 2016, Skobtseva acted in films (the last film is "Dangerous Vacations"). In one of our interviews with her (Irina Skobtseva gave the last interview to me last year and it was dedicated to the actor Oleg Vidov) Irina Konstantinovna admitted that “she had lived a happy life, but the only thing she regretted was about unplayed roles":

"I have lived a happy life with interesting people. She did what she loved. I only regret that I did not play everything that I could play", - said Irina Skobtseva.

The actress spoke with great enthusiasm, even with a certain passion, about her role as a country woman in the film "Gold" based on the novel "Wild Happiness" by the classic writer Mamin-Sibiryak. Anyone who saw the picture (unfortunately, it did not come out in wide release) was shocked by such an unrecognizable Irina Skobtseva. One of the first beauties of the world screen (the film "War and Peace" received an Oscar statuette) was not afraid to appear in the form of an unkempt old woman who was beaten by her relatives. She recalled this role:

"In this picture, they beat me, I carry cobblestones, chop wood... I walk with a scar on my face from a lash received from my "own son" Seryozha Bezrukov. In a black wig, with thick eyebrows, it is very difficult to recognize me. When starred in this film, then for all the time I never looked in the mirror", - said the widow of Sergei Bondarchuk.

To the question: "What are the sacrifices for?", Irina Konstantinovna answered sternly:

"For the sake of being an actress! The role of Tatyana Vlasyevna Bragina is dramatic, and she is interesting to me".

It's worth saying that Irina Skobtseva was created to play heroines, and she played them. Heroines of both Russian and foreign classics, and our contemporaries. Remaining in the shadow of her famous husband, Skobtseva herself was a heroic person - incredibly strong, intelligent, strong-willed, whole. All her partners speak about it. She had to fight for the love of her husband, for the safety of her family, for children, for her place in the cinema, and to suffer a lot. To lose in the prime of life the beautiful daughter Alyona Bondarchuk is a monstrous grief. We talked with Irina Konstantinovna about her daughter, who, according to the unanimous opinion, was a very good person, and today I involuntarily recall her story about Alyona Sergeyevna's departure:

"Alyona wanted to make a film about Yelizaveta Fyodorovna. Alena had a piece of the relics of Yelizaveta Fyodorovna's nephew (part of a finger), Prince John Konstantinovich, which was given to her in Jerusalem. On July 18, 1918, Yelizaveta Fyodorovna, along with other members of the royal family, was thrown alive by the Bolsheviks into a mine. With her scarf, Yelizaveta Fyodorovna tied up her nephew's wound on his arm. Alyona had an amulet with a piece of this finger tied by Elizaveta Fyodorovna. We buried Alena with her amulet. The daughter was our moral beacon, the spiritual core of the family", - Irina Skobtseva recalled.

Today a number of newspapers said goodbye to Irina Skobtseva with the headlines "The mother of Fyodor Bondarchuk has died." In fact, this is so, only Irina Skobtseva is more than the mother of the popular director and actor Fyodor Bondarchuk, and more than the widow of Sergei Bondarchuk. She is grand an actress who starred not only with her great husband, but also with a galaxy of the best directors in the country: Eldar Ryazanov, Sergei Yutkevich, Ivan Pyryev, Yevgeny Matveyev, Georgy Danelia, Igor Talankin. Irina Skobtseva possessed a rare comedic talent (it is not without reason that comedy directors invited her in their comedies). She had an amazing sense of humor. Irina Konstantinovna joked with irony, even witticism, but at the same time retained a sense of proportion. I didn't consider myself a beauty and, as it seemed to me, was even a little angry when they talked about her brilliant beauty:

- Natalie Goncharova was beautiful, in whose family estate near Volokolamsk we are with you (in Volokolamsk Irina Skobtseva held a festival of military and patriotic films named after Sergey Bondarchuk), and I am an actress with a cinematic appearance and the stamp of "beauty" imposed on me, - Irina reacted Skobtsev.

Irina Konstantinovna read a lot. In their house there was a huge family library, which Sergei Fedorovich began to collect. In recent years, she has been creating an archive for her husband and spoke of this activity as a mission. A student of Irina Skobtseva and Sergei Bondachuk, theater and film actress Olga Kabo told Novye Izvestia about them: "Sergei Fedorovich and Irina Konstantinovna were a very harmonious couple: he is strength, she is tenderness; he is a man with a capital letter, she is eternal femininity. .. Being students of such masters is real happiness.Sergey Fedorovich and Irina Konstantinovna taught us not only acting, they prepared us for difficulties and hardships in our chosen profession, taught us how to treat ups and downs correctly, brought up the ability to wait and not lose faith in ourselves under no circumstances. Their lessons are a real school of life!"

Angelica Zaozerskaya