In 1985 - the first year of perestroika - Valeriy Fokin, quite a notable figure in theatre process of the past decade, was appointed the Chief Director of the Ermolova Theatre.
The first Valeriy Fokin's production in the Ermolova Theatre was "Speak", the dramatization of Valentin Ovechkin's essays "Local Working Days". The material turned out to be extremely accordant to what happened then in the Soviet Union. There came feverous, chaotically ecstatic, loud-voiced times. The authors appealed: "Speak! Speak!" The heroes commanded: "Fight!" the performance called to fight for truth, and the left-wing audience excitedly joined the characters of the play. Publicism was in fashion.
The production "Speak" was dedicated to the 27th Party Congress, those new ideas and moods, which insistedly grew in speeches of democrats, in their aggressiveness and exactingness.
Valeriy Vladimirovich Fokin recalls:
"I came to the theatre with an idea to invite in this troupe - actually already formed and, to tell the truth, not very strong, - the group of star actors who could reinforce it. At that I formed this star group from different generations: Zinoviy Gerdt, Alexandr Pashutin, Viktor Pavlov, the young - Tatiana Doguileva, Oleg Menshikov and Alexandr Baluyev, who joined us a bit later than the others, six months later may be. For me it was one of the crucial factors concerning the future of our theatre".
"Of course, then Menshikov was not the star he became later, in the 90s. But he was known, and he notably stood out against his coevals".
"Before I saw him in "Idiot" and in "The Pokrovskie Gate". No doubt, he was a talented young man with a special interesting personality far from being discovered in all his potential. But it was quite natural for a young artist. I had not a slightest doubt that Oleg should be invited to our theatre. And that's what I did".
"We started to work. I felt his tremendous potential, the size of his talent".
"The first Menshikov's role in the new theatre was small. In the performance "Speak" he played assistant secretary of the regional committee. The part was small, but to my mind, very important. This secretary, a young, sleek, nimble, in a fustian jacket, this beginning climber had a very good idea of where, when and what should be done and said".
…Indeed, in "Speak" Menshikov played only an episode. His character was a light sketch in ink in the line of other characters. He appeared and disappeared, outlining not so, probably, the specific character, as the definite future of this fellow, this young experienced official, starting a very resolute career.
Valeriy Vladimirovich Fokin continues:
"The secretary in "Speak" was the beginning of Oleg's work in the theater. Later we started to rehearse "Sport Scenes of the Year 1981" based on the play by Radzinsky, and it was very important for me that Menshikov's hero, Sergey Lukin, in a certain way expressed his generation. Confused… Lost… Not knowing how to join the new life which frightens and repels them".

"Serezha Lukin's parents were big Soviet nomenclature, wealthy people, having poisoned their offspring with this wealth, power, cynicism from his young years. With the very air the boy breathed communicating with them. At the same time Serezha was a delicate creature, searching for love he lacked in his family. Neurasthenic, depressed with all his past and present".
"This is the amplitude Menshikov was to express. I used his perfect plastic qualities, which I noticed in "The Pokrovskie Gate".
"We had a strong cast, especially, when two duets performed: Doronina-Pavlov, Doguileva-Menshikov. I think, it was then when the theatre Moscow discovered Menshikov. Exactly the theatre Moscow, in that full range of his talent that at once attracted. Serezha's part was his impetuous step forward, high mark".
"I must say, that at first Oleg didn't like the part at all", recalls Tatiana Doguileva, Menshikov's partner in "Sport Scenes of the Year 1981". "But then we could forget our ambitions for the sake of theatre, and he performed perfectly".
...From the first minutes Serezha Lukin surprised the viewers who knew and loved a slim, stylish and elegant even in his intended plastic carelessness actor Oleg Menshikov. On stage there appeared stooping, skinny boy in a worn-out sport suit. Oblong, washed-off trousers, flabby, loose sweater. If watch very attentively, you may notice a primed look, always searching what to rest on, but never finding something suitable. Sometimes such look forsaken dogs have, hoping to find the one who left them.
Frantic search for love was deeply and subconsciously hidden, depressed, partly covered with seeming carelessness, limpness and fear which comes to Serezha whoever he talks to. As if he must step over something painful to start speaking or answer, be it his wife Katya or just a casual comer. It is easier for him to communicate with himself, wandering in misty fields of his fantasies. To listen to music, feeling vigorous jazz rhythms and getting away for a while from the piles of lies and self-disdain, existing because of these lies.
…Oleg Menshikov's Serezha indeed was an author's creation of an actor. For Oleg "author's" means personal. And that's why Serezha's dramatic feeling of being pushed out of the world prevails over everything…
But right after "Sport Scenes of the Year 1981" Valeriy Fokin gives Menshikov the part quite the opposite to Serezha Lukin…
The Ermolova Theatre was staging Alexandr Buravsky's play "The Second Year of Freedom", again full of increased social activity.
…The performance was decorated in red colors - as if blood was constantly pouring into the hall. As a result everything was performed as a dialog between Robespierre and Danton - Oleg Menshikov and his old partner Alexandr Baluyev.
Valeriy Vladimirovich Fokin recalls:
"After the success of "Sport Scenes of the Year 1981", I realized that Oleg must go further. And that's why I gave him the part of Robespierre. I already knew that he was a very nervous, excitable actor, with an open nervous temper, and I wanted to limit him with some mask to find new shades".
"In "The Second Year of Freedom" he had long silent pauses, when he watched the action through the curtain. Then I regretted that theatre doesn't have cinema close-ups - so unusually significant, interesting, rich was Menshikov's silence. His eyes… Not only in lines, but in communicating with the partners! Not only during these minutes, but in pauses Oleg expressed the tragic tossing of a person, who himself composed revolution, created it, organized and after all saw what it had lead to, what it had brought to people, and to his own self as well".
"Here speak. Speak! This is the flow of words!" And indeed he expressed the outrageous rhythm of the flow".
"I think the parts in "Sport Scenes of the Year 1981" and in "The Second Year of Freedom" were very significant for Menshikov. Probably, for many he is remembered as Serezha, but, I believe, Robespierre is no less important and meaningful in his life. Oleg disclosed himself working on these performances. The scale of his talent, artistic personality, his multiple abilities became obvious, and the spectators realized it and accepted it".
Valeriy Fokin recalls:
"And then we rehearsed "Invitation to Execution" based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. But we haven't finished it - with Menshikov. Though Oleg actively participated in the work, he himself wrote the dramatization of Nabokov's prose. But he wanted to play Cincinnati C. But I didn't want to give him this part, and it was principal for me. I saw Cincinnati a withered victim, I wanted to create an unearthly type. And Menshikov's artistic nature, in my opinion, was different - of Khlestakov kind. By the way, it's a pity Oleg never performed Khlestakov. The nature of a trickster, buffoon, may be even a gangster… And it was the part of monseiur Pierre in "Invitation to Execution". And Menshikov, to my mind, could perform it brilliantly. And such work would've been absolutely new in his career. Cynical, unbelievably vulgar, enjoying this vulgarity - that's monseiur Pierre. He is not even Khlestakov. Khlestakov is still light. I thought that Menshikov's Khlestakov could appear quite untraditional… And monseiur Pierre - charming, which is rather frightening. Some new sides of Oleg's talent could be discovered, but - alas... Menshikov flatly refused the part of monseiur Pierre. I think he was scared: it would've demanded great efforts, hard work, change of a mask, may be even change of the image. This is my diagnosis. Once again I say - it's a pity! Such tasks could turn everything inside out, disclose Oleg's new unknown potential. He had to do a new and hard tumble. It is always difficult for an artist, but…"
"Menshikov is a complicated person, reserved, with his own inner world, his own complexes. And never allowing people to come too close. I say that, because my idea of Oleg's fright in connection with the part of monseiur Pierre is just my presumption…"
"In a word, Menshikov asked to relieve him of the part of monseiur Pierre, saying it was not to his liking. Frankly, I was surprised. I talked to him - once, twice… No result".
"We staged the performance. Viktor Proskurin played monseiur Pierre, and played, in my opinion, very well. And Menshikov soon left our theatre, having made, as I see it, a mistake. He must perform on stage. He perfectly fits in today, expressing his generation. Most of all - with cold despair and charm of cruelty. He attracts with his mystery: his personality contains a secret, and a secret is always wanted to be disclosed. There's some "phantom-Menshikov", which is also very attractive. Oleg knows how to keep the audience strained with his energy. Probably, with his reservedness he also is adequate to our time, when there's no place for bright, open-hearted heroes. There came the age of business-like or, at least seeming like this, characters, which have a very clear idea of what they want from life. Breathing deep with the air of arising capitalism. Menshikov's heroes possess these features, and that's why he's so popular today. I mean the viewers' expectations, saying that".
"But, obviously, he needs theatre - that's my private opinion. I see how he repeats himself in cinema, never mind all his multiple awards, publications. It's not the success that matters, but the tendency of the artist, his search. Movement… I don't see it…"
In 1989 he leaves the Ermolova Theatre and will never again perform in a repertory theatre, or rather - on staff.
"Not long ago I read an article about myself and the author writes: ah, what a wonderful career Menshikov has! The Maly Theatre, the Soviet Army Theatre, the Ermolova Theatre, the Mossovet Theatre, the part of Caligula in Fomenko's production, work in Shakespeare's "Globe" Theatre in London, the Laurence Olivier Prize, the State Prize of Russia, the "Triumph" Award… Ah, ah! And all that through commas. Indeed, everything is so wonderful: a young artist during a short period of time managed to perform on the stages of five Moscow theatres. Not bad! But who knows, how, for example, I left the Ermolova Theatre? It was not that I changed one theatre for another, but in fact I left to nowhere. I had no actual offers at that moment, I was all in debts, but at the same time I thought it impossible to remain in the former situation. That theatre - not particularly the Ermolova, but THAT, see? - couldn't satisfy me any longer. I understood - in a couple of years I can geek just like that. And… I left, and soon got into reanimation with ulcer bleeding, I spent six weeks in hospital, and only after that Petr Fomenko invited me to play Caligula… If I stayed in the Ermolova theatre, this offer would've never come and everything in my life could've turned quite different way".
"This is the story of a successful actor. This is the story of one comma. I gave only one example, but there may be a dozen - and that's what my life is. What's the use to run out in the square and shout: "I'm just like you!" Maybe not exactly like you, there're no like people, fortunately. But I live not in the vacuum; I walk the same streets as all the rest…"
Well, another turn was fulfilled by Menshikov then.
What's next?