In 1988 at "Lenfilm" Studios director Alexandr Muratov screens Valentine Pikul's novel "Moonzund". Arteniyev
had a real prototype, a representative of an old Russian family of the Barteniyevs (Pikul took away the first
letter from the true name of the prototype). Barteniyev's life, rather precisely depicted in "Moonzund",
though he survived the years of the 1st world war, then was very dramatic. He participated in the Great
Patriotic War too, and was taken prisoner. Then he was imprisoned in Soviet camps, after Stalin's death was
rehabilitated and died in Moscow not long before the shooting of "Moonzund" had began.
In the very first shots of "Moonzund" Oleg Menshikov brings into the production the theme which is actually
absent in Pikul's novel: his character's confrontation to the world chaotically falling into pieces in front
of him. He can't bear to see the traditions, moral values, sense of dignity, honor and decency perish. The
triumphing cattle break through the doors, occupy masters' chairs, and get into bed in dirty boots... In this
bloody outrage Arteniyev with all his might tries to remain himself, not giving in to the attacking boors.
And he indeed remains himself, more and more falling back into his separate, special world, saving the most
precious.
During "Moonzund" shooting Menshikov has fallen seriously ill. Stomach ulcer bleeding. Attenuate (he lost 12
kilos), haggard, with sharpened face, tightened cheek-bones and some peculiar dryness of features, which comes
to a man for a long time left alone with his pain, moral and physical, the actor appeared in a new look. And in
a new age-specific view of things, having stepped into maturity, having said "good-bye" to many illusions, never
to come back to them.
Menshikov plays his coeval (the actor was 28 then), actually, still a very young man. But someone remains sweet
baby nearly till grey-hair, and someone when still young realizes all the responsibility for himself first of
all, and thus for everybody else. Arteniyev is linked to Menshikov with their doubtless common trait: in their
young years to be inclined to cooperate courageously the non-idyllic laws of being, not simply strictly
resigning them, but in their own way participating in what is going on. In their own way - means to cut off all
that's alien to him, that's interfering with his private life and doesn't let his ideas of honor, duty, decency,
faithfulness to the certain moral code received from the ancestors to be fulfilled.
Menshikov's character not simply professes all that, but tries to strengthen it in the others possibly. But his
autonomy turns out to be a notional fact, especially in the age of social cataclysms. Arteniyev's postulate:
"There's only one Russia. And you must love it whatever it is. And thank God, the regulations prohibit officers
to be engaged in politics", unfortunately is available for few. Menshikov shows some bar which noble Arteniyev,
willingly or unwillingly, puts up between himself and the masses crying about freedom and beating officers thus
bringing to life revolutionary ideals. Arteniyev can't and doesn't want to force himself to unite with those who
build "the new world" for recent "hungry and slaves". Silent disdain in this or that way is felt in Sergey's
intonation, in his look: Arteniyev is sick of even a peaceful view of dark crowd in navy overalls.
There's no single episode about Arteniyev's military on-board life, when Sergey Nikolayevich smiles. The war and
what had become the consequences of it, wiped away the smile from his face. And the more the sense of hopeless
solitude grows and presses. Just when he comes back home to St. Petersburg from Kronshtadt, Arteniyev will relax
a little. For a few hours he will become a loving brother to his sister Irina (Evgenia Dobrovolskaya). The
actress acts in the manner very close to the one chosen by Menshikov, and at the same time some Irina's excitement,
childness, openness contrast her brother's restraint and desperation which he tries to conceal from her, but
doesn't quite succeed...
Irina says the next day she volunteers to be a nurse in a military hospital. Starting her confession she is
slightly afraid of her brother, and at the same time is proud of her brave, "adult" deed, and tries to predict
Sergey's reaction... He tries to explain to her what she commits for, though he knows that Irina's decision is final.
That's what they are - the Arteniyevs... Without a single recall of their common childhood and youth, the brother
and the sister will let us feel all their tenderness and love for each other. In a cold, dark flat of their parents
they part - silent sorrow is always present in their last talk. As if they know, that soon Irina will die of
typhus and will be buried in the same grave with their father, and only this modest grave with two inscriptions
will remain with Arteniyev... And nothing, and nobody else...
Historical and patriotic theme is added with a love drama in Pikul's novel.
Menshikov and Ludmila Nilskaya who plays Anna Revelskaya do the love line honestly and... boring. Menshikov
industriously shows the passion of an excited heart, his eyes are languid, sad when his beloved is absent and when
he dreams of the woman who conquered his heart. It seems he sighs silently too. There's nothing else for him to
act. The actor obviously doesn't want to think of some overtones, to develop passions. And that's right - this
entire story is written as some makeweight. The young hero can't do without fatal love! Menshikov doesn't have
enough space to improvise and find shades, so he doesn't go beyond sighs. Stately, roundish, beautiful Ludmila
Nilskaya completely lacks fire and female power to capture the intelligent, a bit cold and reserved Arteniyev's
heart. She rather seems a caring sister than a passionate lover...
Let Oleg Menshikov forgive me, but in his love for old miniatures, in particular, the one given to him by Anna,
there was much more excitement and tenderness, then in the relations with a courageous patriot Revelskaya...
(from the book by Elga Lyndina "Oleg Menshikov", Moscow - Panorama, 1999)
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