On August 23, I learned that Oleg was coming to Japan. CINEMA PARISIEN invited him for the "East- West" promotional campaign. They said they'd been asking Oleg to come to Japan since last year, but they got no answer from him. When I read the news on their site, I was so surprised!
At that time, there was no information about the date of his arrival to Japan. I was so excited! I didn't know when but Oleg would come to Japan, to my country!
I called the company to find out the details. They told me that Oleg would come to Japan on September 6. I decided to go to the Tokyo Narita Airport to meet him. But they said they'd try to arrange the meeting of Oleg and his fans. If they managed to have the meeting, I wanted to go there. But after all, such a chance didn't come true. As for me, I didn't hope to meet Oleg somewhere else but the airport. Therefore, I decided to go to see him to Tokyo from Osaka. I was sure there would be no chance to meet Oleg in Japan unless I went to the airport on September 6. I couldn't help waiting for him.
I have a friend. Her name is Kirin. She's also a fan of Oleg's. I asked her to go to see Oleg together. On September 6, we left the Osaka Itami Airport at 8:00, and arrived at the Tokyo Narita Airport at 9:10. The estimated time of Oleg's arrival (SU583 Aeroflot) was 10:10. So, I had to hurry to go to the arrival gate of the international air route. But the plane was delayed. The estimated time was changed to 11:10, so we had to wait an hour more. I was strained. I was dying waiting for his arrival. I was afraid to see real Oleg with my eyes. I was waiting to meet him, but I was afraid of the moment when my dream would come true.
At the arrival gate, we looked around to find people who came to meet Oleg. He's not popular in Japan, I knew some people who wanted to see him on my site and CINEMA PARISIEN. But we found no one who seemed to come to meet Oleg. I couldn't believe it! Real Oleg would arrive at this airport soon, but why didn't any one come to meet him??? Was this a bad dream??? Why no press?? No fans?? No TV cameras???? However, I was glad, because there was a chance for me to speak to him and ask for his autograph, shake hands and have a picture taken with him.
At last, Aeroflot SU583 arrived at the airport at 11:10!! I was shaking and almost dying!! Oleg was about to come out from the gate. He was coming, he was coming....!!
But no passenger came to the gate. I was worried if he was on the plane at all. Maybe I was dreaming? It was September 6, wasn't it?? I was standing in front of the gate with Kirin. She seemed to be a little calmer than I was, but we were very strained.
Then I saw a man and a woman waiting for somebody like us. I thought that maybe they were members of CINEMA PARISIEN. I wanted to talk to them and ask them whether they were waiting for Oleg, but I was too afraid to ask them.
At about 11:40, a foreigner appeared at the arrival gate. I knew at once, who he was. Yes, it was Oleg. But I couldn't believe my eyes!! He was totally different from what I'd imagined him to be for a long time!! He was alone. He was just alone. He carried two big bags on his shoulders. The Russian star Oleg Menshikov was carrying such big bags by himself!!! He was wearing a pale blue cotton, long-sleeved shirt and a light blue and white sweater. Light blue jeans. Kirin and I don't remember what he was wearing on his feet. But I think those were not sneakers. He was wearing sunglasses, which were not black. One of his two bags was black nylon. I don't remember the other one. Neither does Kirin. And he was wearing a fine gold necklace. He was in casual clothes.
What surprised me the most when I saw Oleg was his hair colour. His hair was blond! I don't know his real hair colour, but I'd thought it was dark blown. But his hair was blond! I couldn't believe my eyes! However, he was so beautiful!!! He was incredibly beautiful!!!!
I was going to address him as soon as he appeared, but I hesitated to do so. Because I didn't know if he'd allow me to speak to him or not. I was too surprised seeing him, but I didn't lose my mind. I knew I had to speak to him. It was the moment I'd dreamed of so much!! Oleg Menshikov was standing in front of me!! How wonderful!!
Oleg stopped at the gate and looked around. The two people, a man and a woman, came up to him. Then Oleg smiled at them. Oh, how charming his smile was!! They talked a little and started to walk to the exit. I think it was about 10m to the exit. I walked up to Oleg and addressed him in Russian, "Zdravstvuyte, Oleg Evgenyevich" [it means "hello"]. He stopped and looked at me and then he smiled at me!! It is needless to say that his smile took my breath away, isn't it? And I said "Welcome to Japan" in Russian to him. I'd asked Katherine to teach me how to say it in Russian. I practiced and practiced this phrase so many times. Oleg seemed to understand it. He smiled at me more gently and said something to me. But I don't remember what he said! I was too strained and too impressed by him!! I don't know whether he said something in Russian or in English...
I reached out my hand to him. I looked into his eyes behind the sunglasses and said "Please" in Russian and English. He held out his hand cheerfully and friendly. I shook hands with him. I put my left hand into his right hand. The handshake felt soft and warm but a little sturdy. And Kirin shook hands with him, too.
I looked at his face at close range. He was standing in front of me, so closely! His face was well tanned and it was narrower and smaller than I'd expected. And he was much slimmer than I'd expected. When he looked at me and spoke to me, he looked straight into my eyes, I mean, he looked at me over his sunglasses. That was because I was short even though I wore high heels. Kirin was tall, so she couldn't see his eyes directly, I think. I thank my height!
His eyes were so beautiful. I'd thought they were dark as well as his dark hair, but they were light blown. Maybe it was because of the lighting. I'd seen many of his films, and I was deeply fascinated by his smile. BUT!! I lost my words when he laughed! Oh, his laughter was beyond my description! It made him more attractive, more charming!! I've never seen such a man at 40 years old!! There's no one but Oleg who can be lovely and fantastic in this world!!

Kirin took the East-West press book from her bag. When I saw it, I remembered I wanted to ask for his autograph. I also took my press book from my bag in a fluster, and asked him for his autograph. But it seemed he didn't understand and he looked at me. So, I gestured for him to write an autograph. Then he said "Sure" in English, and wrote his signature on the press book. I managed to say him "Spasibo!" ["Thank you!"]. Kirin said to the woman from the CINEMA PARISIEN that we came from Osaka to see Oleg. She said it to him in English and he seemed to be really surprised and said something to us. I'm sorry but I don't remember what he said... Oleg wrote a signature on Kirin's press book friendly, too.
There was one thing I really wanted to tell him. I said in English, "I'm going to Moscow to see your performance "Kukhnya" ["Kitchen"] (I said this in Russian) on 17th." It surprised him so much!! He stared at me, round-eyed with astonishment. Then he broke into a smile and said "Oh, great!". He said something more, but I couldn't catch it. Anyway, I was glad to say it to him.
I'm leaving for Moscow on 15th to see "Kitchen" with Kirin. Oleg will stay in Japan until September 12. So we can see him again, real soon!
There was a girl behind us who also wanted his autograph. After all, he signed three cards, and started walking towards the exit with the woman and the man of the company. I followed them and told her that I wanted Oleg to pose with me for a photo. But she refused saying that he was tired. Of course, I knew he was. But I asked her again. When Oleg went out of the building, she passed my request to him in English. He turned around and said, "OK". I didn't expect that I could take a picture with him. She told me and Kirin to pose with Oleg together. I stood on his left, and Kirin stood on his right. What a wonderful moment it was!! I said "Spasibo" to him. I couldn't say anything else to him.
Kirin handed him a beautiful bunch of flowers. She bought it in Osaka the day before our trip Tokyo. He thanked her with a smile. I'd heard that he loved Japanese food, so I gave him something beautiful, which was concerned with Japanese kitchen with a message card as a present. I said "This is for you" to Oleg. He accepted it, and said "Thank you" to me. And he walked a little and put his bags into the trunk of a chauffeur-driven hired car. He got in the car with them and went away...
I'd never imagined that there would be only three people waiting for Oleg. Actually, he's not popular in Japan. I think it's because Russian films are hardly released in Japan. I watched many of his films, but I ordered the videos from Russia. You can only see "Burnt by the Sun", "Prisoner of the Mountains", and "The Barber of Siberia" in Japan. "East-West" will be premiered in November. I wish many people would go to see it, and have interest in this wonderful actor.
Now it is September 10, I can't believe I met real Oleg. He was totally different from his roles in films. I can't describe how attractive and charming and sexy and gorgeous he was!!! I met him, real Oleg Menshikov!! This meeting is my treasure. I will never forget his eyes, hand and words for me...
Thank you Oleg for coming to Japan, to my country!
I'm so happy to be on the same land with him now.