More than 10 years ago, the Ermolova Theatre was about to go on tour to Tallinn (Estonia). My dear friend Galina Bogolyubova, who worked in the theatre, and me were sitting in her office, Oleg Menshikov also stopped by for several minutes. As soon as the door was closed behind him, Galina said, "That is an actor with a fantastic future. He will become a huge star. Seize your opportunity before it's too late, interview him." I nodded, and we put that off until their arrival to Tallinn. Then there was a tour, a wonderful scenic duet Menshikov-Dogileva, a nice party in Galina's hotel suite. Once again, she kept whispering in my ear, "Don't miss the chance". I kept nodding agreeably. By the way, Bogolyubova turned out to be right, and she didn't miss anything. With the wind of change, she became an entreprise producer and the whole Moscow cried in excitement over Menshikov in the role of ballet genius Nizhinsky. Although his most famous cinema works were yet to come, best directors already kept an eye on him - they might have not calculated his future success, but they surely connected their creative plans with him.
They say he became a star after Nikita Mikhalkov's films "Burnt By The Sun" and "The Barber Of Siberia". But it is only partly true: Oleg Menshikov's fame was predetermined by destiny. It was not necessary to create or mould him - he just needed an opportunity to show everything he was capable of. And the true evidence of it was the performance "Woe From Wit", that revealed his talent of an actor and a director. As for our conversation, it finally took place.


Festivity should be given to people.

- They say you are not too eager to give interviews.
- That's not exactly so. What am I doing now?

- However, they say you are not eager to talk to journalists and you don't like us at all.
- This is not true either. It depends on a person, not his profession. If a person is - I'm sorry - a boor, he will be that way even if he's not a journalist. Although, certainly, journalist more often try to learn things people don't like to reveal, so there is some discomfort, but it has nothing to do with the profession.

- OK, consider me a conservative journalist, because it doesn't interest me if you have a car, the model of the car, if you drive at all. It doesn't interest me who your wife is - although I know that in August you were not married. What interests me is whether you felt being Chatsky ever in your life. You make an impression of a rather happy and festive man - but were there moment when you felt being Chatsky?
- Like everyone of us, I am sure. However, the truth is I consider Chatsky a festive man. What happened to him in the end is a different thing. He is festive, because he loves and is loved and came to this house because he grew up here - this is his childhood! Is it possible not to love childhood? And bad Famusov - as we were taught at school - brought him up, Chatsky lived in this house, he knows every crack here! As for me, I love festivity, and I am sure it should be given to people. But Chatsky? No, I have never had a serious feeling of the kind. He said everything he had in mind, I can't be that way.

- Are you wise enough to stay silent?
- You know, wisdom is a double-edged weapon: sometimes it is good, and sometimes you think - 'oh well, I should have said that!' But the moment is unfortunately gone.


Mums are walking about the stage with us.

- What did your mother say about the performance?
- What do mothers say - I beg you! Mothers like everything even if it is very bad. We think that we are the ones who act, but those are our mothers - unnoticeable, they are walking around the stage next to us.

- How many times did she watch the performance?
- Two or three times. But I think if she could, she would watch every performance. She knows everything - even the exact time: of each monologue, the interval, the end of the performance. Mums are Mums.

- I have a son myself and I think your mother is very lucky: first, you didn't go astray, second, you are always before her eyes - I mean, she can be sure nothing wrong has happened to you: the performance is on, he is there, everything is okay.
- (Laughs) In this sense - of course!

- Still, she must be nervous.
- Of course, she is. Like every other Mum.

- Then comfort her with one more news - you don't even know about it, but thanks to Nikita Mikhalkov's film "The Barber Of Siberia" Russian films returned to Estonian movie theatres; and a giant portrait of you was adorning a movie theatre in the centre of Tallinn for two weeks.


I like everything Mikhalkov does.

- Actually, it was not my accomplishment; it's Mikhalkov's accomplishment. First, it is very noble and it happens quite rarely when a man keeps his offer for 10 years. He offered me a role, ten years passed, he could have reviewed his opinion of the role, but he didn't do that.

- By the way, do you like this film?
- I like it. Actually, I like everything Mikhalkov does.

- So do I.
- No, I mean serious. I understand, every artist has, so to speak, different periods, views on life: today he is happy, tomorrow he becomes sad. But this man is interesting. Let us think why his views are like that, why he decided to have this point of view in a certain period of time. No, I like the film very much. Well, you are saying, films return to Estonia. I guess, this is not happening just in Estonia, the downturn was everywhere. Now, I guess, we begin to realize something, something is awaking in our souls. I don't like all those terms - political, national; but it is a fact that a person should be proud of what he is. And it seems to me, some correct shoots begin to appear now. And, by the way, our film is about it too.


Fortunate destiny.

- Why, do you think, you have such luck in life - both in theatre and in cinema?
- Of course, it would be silly of me to say, "In fact, everything doesn't come easy to me!"

- Say it, if it's true!
- No, it's not true.

- Does everything come easy for you?
- This is not quite true either. It's not like - I set in a sledge and rode down the hill so quickly that it took my breath away. I guess, the point is only good works are stamped on memory. Actually, I act very rarely: I counted not long ago - I have 21 or 22 films. Ask how many films my colleagues have! I acted little. I guess it happened because I acted only in those films I liked very much. Still it didn't always turn out to be good. But only good films are retained in memory - the audience's and mine. Just like the performances, although I had sad theatre periods. I haven't acted in the theatre for many years! But if there is a feeling of such unrestrained happiness - well, thank God!


The edge between wit and insanity.

- Your Nizhinsky was a theatre revelation, now it's Chatsky's turn. You are always on the edge - between wit and insanity. Doesn't this "boundary state" worry you?
- I think every actor is interested in this state. It's just that my profession helps me to solve these questions. At least, it helps to look for some answers. We need to think.

- Do you think a lot?
- Sometimes too much, I guess. One should not think that much. It is necessary to pause.

- What does this process look like? Do you sit down at your desk and - think?
- No, no, it happens chaotic, in motion. But there are questions, I think about all the time. Don't ask what they are, because I don't think I'll be able to answer. Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy used to say, "If you don't think about death one day, then this day was wasted on nothing". It doesn't necessarily mean that I think about death, but subconsciously you always look for answers to some serious, big questions.


I have never thought people treat me rather well.

- Looking at you - a mobile, expressive person - no one will ever say that you can control yourself. But it would be impossible to play Chatsky in your own performance without this quality.
- Meanwhile, another actor was rehearsing Chatsky, and I truly wanted him to play this role. But that's the time we live in: the financial base is very huge. We were going on tour, and they wanted to see me there. And I assumed the role within three days. But what was a nice surprise for me? Really nice and a real surprise. The warmth I feel from the audience, when I come up onstage. You know, I have never thought people treat me rather well.

- Oh, come on, Oleg!
- But I left the theatre long ago. So when I returned, I realized it was pleasant, it was just pleasant. And also some responsibility, and at once - an enormous wish to work and do something else.

- Didn't you know you were the most beloved by the audience actor?
- First, I don't think I am the most beloved one.

- And I think you are.
- It happens that (laughs), well, they love me. No, it's really nice and it really helps.

- Aren't you bathing in this feeling?
- No. I try to understand it in a good way, but it's not necessary to dive there, one can just sit near, like at the sea. (Takes a deep breath) Good!


Why to feel shy of our feelings?

- Are there people you are incredibly grateful to?
- Certainly, there are. As for famous ones, they are Nikita Mikhalkov, Roman Balayan, Mikhail Kozakov. But those are directors I began with, so my gratitude to them is natural. They formed me - unnoticeably, tactfully. I think, that if I can do some things, that is mostly their accomplishment. Peter Naumovich Fomenko. But there are many other people - unknown to others, but known to me - they did for me and do today very much, and I have such feeling towards them. You know, they receive Oscars in America and say: thank you, Mum, thank you, Dad, thank you, Jack, thank you, someone else, - and I used to think it was so boring, everyone was saying the same - thank you, thank you. And then I understood all those "thankyou's" were very honest. Take, for instance, the filming of "The Barber Of Siberia" - not the director, not the crew, but people who you lived and breathed with - they did so much for this to happen. Not even knowing about it! They didn't have such goal: 'now we'll do this and Oleg will act well'. But they helped with their existence, their warmth, their breath, and it was very important.

- And you know about it and remember it, don't you?
- Certainly. I just don't show it for some reason. You know, for some reason we feel shy of our feelings, are shy to show our good attitude. We are shy to say words of gratitude and love. This is wrong. But you see - I am saying, "wrong", but still I won't say them.

He burst into laughter and looked in the camera very gratefully. His sincerity was undoubted.