We had never received so many calls from women during our live phone chats before. Actually, there were ONLY women who called that day to talk to Menshikov. There were also women from our editorial staff, our guests and colleagues. They asked their questions as well, but their glances… They were much more expressive. Those glances seemed to run through the actor. The phone was also about to burst from all the women's twittering. Madness. It's hard to be a sex-symbol.


"It would have been much more enjoying to watch a love scene with you, not Mikhalkov, who's 50 years old, in "Burnt By The Sun"…"

- Good afternoon! It's Galya from Kiev. I saw your performance "Woe From Wit", and tomorrow I'm going to see your "Kitchen". Tell me please, do you visit the theatre as a viewer?
- Of course, I do. But not as often, as I'd like to… We-e-ell, that's my job!

- What among your colleagues' works have impressed you most lately?
- I liked Tabakov's "Down And Out" ("Na Dne")… Mmmm… Isn't that great? I forgot the character's name!.. (laughs) OK, nevermind…

- The Kiev TV is airing the series about the reefers now. And one of the reefers speaks with a voice very much like yours. Is it true?
- Yes!

- Zhigunov played him. Why did the reefer have only your voice, not the whole body?
- (smiling) Film director Svetlana Sergeevna Druzhinina wanted me to act in that film very much. She wanted it from the very beginning and she tried to persuade me for a very long time. But I didn't want to and kept refusing. I don't remember why, I just didn't want to be in that film… And finally Seryozha Zhigunov played. Later, when the film was done, she gave me a call and said: "OK, you didn't play in the film, at least score for sound!.." And I did.

- You looked great in the scenes with kids in "Burnt By The Sun" and "My Favourite Clown". Do you have kids of your own?
- I don't have kids, but I know that I look SO great with kids… No, I am serious! Well, I'll get more responsibility when I have them.

- "My Favourite Clown" is a brilliant film!
- Not that brilliant, but… Thank you.

- You are a wonderful, handsome, sexy man, but you never act in erotic scenes. One can recall only, let's say, a scene with Yakovleva in "The Stairs". Well, there was also some chaste scene of seducing your character in "The Barber Of Siberia", a scene in a bed in "East-West". In "Dyuba-Dyuba" your partner tries to take your pants off, but she fails… And that's it.
- (laughs) That's a real research work!

- No, it's not a research work. I just know your films, your roles… You know, it would have been much more enjoying to watch a love scene with you, not Mikhalkov, who's 50 years old, in "Burnt By The Sun"… Why don't you act in erotic scenes?
- (laughs out loud) It's not that I don't act… You know, you traced my screen sexual life so precisely - I didn't even trace it like that… It just happened that way. It's not because I don't want to do it or refuse.

- Don't script writers write such scenes in scripts?
- They don't write them in all the scripts, of course. No, really - it just happened that way! I can't act only for somebody to look at me in SUCH a scene… (laughs)

- Women, who love you as an actor, want to look at you. Act in such scenes. Please.
- OK, I'll tell script writers!

- Hello!
- Hi!

- Oleg!
- Yup…

- I consider you a very interesting person, I respect you for everything you do… I believe you do your work perfectly well. It's only a day left till your Kiev performance. Buying a ticket to your performance, I am sure, I'll like it and "Kitchen" will prove once again what a professional you are. I know, you are a very busy man, but… Every person has a dream. My dream is to shake your hand and thank you in person for what you are. Is it possible? Besides the performance…
- Yes, it is possible. But how can we do it? Come after the performance, I'll shake your… hand with pleasure too. No problem!

- (happily) I read, you were leaving after the performance.
- I am not leaving Kiev tomorrow.

- How can I find you after the performance? Shall I go backstage or what?
- Well, try. Come backstage.

- Will it be okay to go there? Won't they throw me away?
- No. (laughs) No, they won't!

- I want to wish you success and strength. Keep bringing joy to people with your work.


"Oleg, what animal would you like to play, if you staged such a performance?"

- Good afternoon! Live chat? I'm from Kharkov. My name is Rita. (embarrassed) I still can't believe, that I can talk to you like THAT. Could you tell a bit about yourself? Something you consider possible and important. Because they write about you that you are a very reserved person.
- That's great! Imagine: to tell a bit about myself over the phone during a live chat! I am not reserved, I am a normal person - like everybody else. But of course, when people worm themselves into my confidence, I…

- No-no…
- Oh, no, I didn't mean you! (laughs) I was talking about being reserved. I am just like anybody else. What should I tell? I really don't know. You better ask me something and I'll answer.

- How old are you?
- I was 40 not long ago.

- I wish you to look like THAT always!
- And how old did you think I was?.. I shouldn't have told you, I guess…

- Yup. Frankly speaking, I fell in love with you long ago… After "The Pokrovskie Gate". That's my favourite film. You are a mind-blowing man!
- (flattered) Thank you very much!

- Good luck! Remain so handsome and young and come to Kharkov more often!

- Good afternoon! Lena from Kiev. Dearest Oleg, congratulations on your birthday! I wish you success, happiness, mutual understanding with other people. Thank you for your work, for your charm, honesty. We really need you!
- Mm… Thank you very much.

- Which of your screen characters is the most similar to your personality?
- You know, I can't name one character, because I always choose roles very carefully. Naturally I want my role to have something in common with my nature. So I can't point out just one role. All of them are my favourite! It's tricky, but it's really so.

- Can I ask you one more thing?
- Why, of course!

- It's really hard to reach you over the phone. What qualities do you value in people and what qualities, on the contrary, repel you?
- Mmmm… Well, I don't know. Like all the people. The only thing, you become wiser, and start to forgive things you couldn't forgive before… Honesty with myself - I guess, that's the most important thing for me. Because as soon as you start lying to yourself, your life turns upside down and you do things you never thought you'd do. So this honesty with yourself is one of the most important things. And also a person should be able to forgive!

- Well, tomorrow the house will be full. For sure!

- Hello. Is it a live chat? Is it Oleg Menshikov?
- Yes!

- Wow, nice to meet you! It's Olya from Kiev. If there were a performance where all the characters were animals, what animal would you like to play?
- (burst out laughing) You know, Olya, that's an unusual question… Actually, it's a great idea! There is such a play, and as far as I know it's being staged now… I've never thought of the animal I'd like to play. But thanks for the idea.

- What radio station do you listen to?
- I listen to the same radio as my driver. He has various tastes, so I don't know.

- Do you eat varenikies and borsch (national Ukrainian food)?
- If I have time, then of course I do. If it's tasty, I do, of course.

- Come to us, we'll cook for you!
- OK. I like that! Without "where" or to "whom"… Just "come!" (laughs) OK, I'll come!

- Good afternoon! Can I talk to Oleg Menshikov? I've read in a newspaper that Alexey Gorbunov, a Ukrainian actor, plays in your performance. As far as I know Alexey hasn't acted in a theatre for a long time. Why did you choose HIM and what do you think of him as an actor?
- I think he's a very good actor, otherwise I wouldn't have offered him a part in the project! Why him? The point is that we negotiated in August, when the rehearsals just began… Gorbunov was busy acting in a film and so he couldn't join us… He was upset, I was upset… But I guess it was fate that finally life brought us back to work together, because he is a good actor and I think he is very good for this role. And about our relationship… I can't say we are close friends, but our relationship is solid, and I am very glad because of it. And I am proud.


"I'd love to talk to you, maybe, even in a written form. Can I come backstage?"

- Hello, is it Oleg? My name is Inessa. Maybe I am not a diehard fan of your art, but still I'd like to thank you for your work in "The Barber Of Siberia". Thank you so much! I wish you further success, remain this young and charming.
- Thanks, I'll try!

- Hello!
- Hi!

- Good afternoon! (silence)
- Say something.

- I'm saying "hello!"
- And I'm saying "hi"!

- Oleg? Nice to talk to you, I have a question. My name is Arina. I'd love to see your performance… But the ticket price is too high for me. And it seems that great, nice things are inaccessible sometimes. And to those who really need them.
- Arina, come! I invite you to the performance tomorrow.

- Nooo… (embarrassed) I just can't afford a ticket.
- I invite you without a ticket. What is your last name?

- The last name is wonderful… Golubchik.
- Come. Please find Valery Nikolaevich and tell him it is you.

- How will I find him?
- He will be there, near the entrance. They'll help you out. But I think, so many people are listening to us now… (laughs out loud). Can you imagine how many Golubchiks will come tomorrow?!

- Don't you think it's not fair?..
- What?

- The condition, the situation in the country…
- I agree. Yes, it's true. Unfortunately you and I can't solve this problem. Unfortunately. Honestly I'd love to act for free, but I am not alone. There are 50 other people. It's wrong that those who really want to see the performance can't afford a ticket. It's wrong! But unfortunately, the current situation is like this… Let's wait this time to come to an end. But I really invite YOU!

- I'd love to talk to you, maybe, even in a written form.
- (smiling) Well, well, well. First, a ticket, then, to talk… (laughs) We'll see… But you come tomorrow.

- Just "tomorrow"?
- But we're playing only tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

- (vigorously) Hi! Is it "Fakty"? And where is Menshikov?
- He's right here!

- Really?! Is it you?! Unbelievable! Hello! Second, congratulation on your birthday.
- And what was the first?

- I said hi… I wish you to be healthy and live up to 100, 200, 300 - as long as you want!
- Thanks a lot for "to be healthy".

- Then… I wanted to ask you this… A director said once that any actor deserves the roles he plays. It depends on what kind of person he is. If the person is good, he gets the roles through which he can express himself.
- Oh! What are you making hints about?

- I am not making hints, I want to know your opinion. A kind, good person can't play a role of an envious man. And vice versa, if an actor has some bad features of character, then that's what he can play. He won't be able to express himself in good, kind roles. Is it true?
- I don't think it's true, because I support other theory: every person is bad and good, kind and evil. What is important is the environment, the conditions when and where these features are revealed. And it's more than that with actors! There are lots of negative features, that's why this profession is kinda against God - a person has to reveal qualities that can't be in a human nature at all. And what is it - "a good person"?

- Take for example, Mikhalkov. I love and adore him, he's great, but all his roles are bad…
- So you see, he's a good person and plays bad people…

- Then there must be something evil in his nature.
- I assure you: I am the same, and you are the same. Everyone has good and bad, black and white.

- OK! I won't hold you up any longer. I can't believe it's your voice! I am calling from Evpatoria, so it was hard to reach you. Actually I didn't think I'd succeed but I said to my guardian angel: help me please! I guess, he helped. I want to wish you all the best. You are the best in the whole world! Good bye.
- So long!