Pokrovsky Gate is a famous two-part feature film, shot in 1982 by Mikhail Kozakov. The plot was based on the play of the same name by Leonid Zorin about events taking place with residents of a communal apartment near Pokrovsky Gate in the second half of the fifties.
The popular television picture in 2012 celebrated its thirty year anniversary. Thanks to the performers and bright roles, an unusual atmosphere was created inside the film itself.
Former spouses
All events unfold in the capital. Before the viewer are everyday life of the communal life of the fifties. Several notable characters had the opportunity to live on the same square. One room is occupied by Kostya, a handsome student, and his aunt. In another, pop artist Velor is living. The funny three, occupying the next room, deserves special attention.
Two of the tenants, Margarita Pavlovna and Lev Evgenievich Khobotov, have long been divorced. Esk-spouse is about to get married again. However, the energetic lady has not yet managed to get her own living space. For this reason, all participants in the "triangle" are forced to live under one roof as a single collective. True, the problem is not so simple at all.
Margarita is used to custody of her ex-husband. She can’t even imagine that Khobotov is able to solve something without her participation. Lev Evgenievich regularly tries to assert his own right to independence. However, it turns out everything in real life with a talented writer is very unconvincing.
All applicants for the heart and hand of Khobotov are transported from the territory instantly through the efforts of the ex-wife. It is impossible to imagine how such a confrontation could end. Viewers can predict throughout the picture. Performers of key roles are distinguished by a special charm and character. The cast of the film is truly stellar.
The role of Lev Khobotov was brilliantly performed by an actor from St. Petersburg Anatoly Ravikovich. The artist brilliantly fit into the image of the hero. The character turned out to be surprisingly touching, naive. Each frame with his participation arouses sympathy among the audience. The original decoration of the film was Inna Ulyanova in the image of Margarita Pavlovna, the imperious and all-knowing lady. Her replica "Trunks, it's shallow!" Turned into an aphorism. After the simply brilliant monologue addressed to the heroine of Elena Koreneva, laughter involuntarily begins.
Kostik and Velor
The main character, student Konstantin Romin or Kostik, was performed by a young actor Oleg Menshikov. Subsequently, he turned into an iconic figure for domestic cinema. It was from Pokrovsky Gate that the brilliant career of the performer started.
Frivolous Kostya is almost the only one of the inhabitants of the apartment who takes the side of Lev Evgenievich. It was Kostya Khobotov in the final of the film that owed his, albeit caricature, but escape with his beloved on a motorcycle.
The already matured Kostik was played by Mikhail Kozakov himself. According to his idea, the performers brought home black and white pictures. Children's and youthful photos appeared next to the names of the artists in the credits, as if forcing time to move in the opposite direction.
The character of the coupletist Veluurov created by Leonid Bronev is also very characteristic. By the time of filming, the performer was already a famous artist. He played in such cult films as “Seventeen Moments of Spring”, “Investigators Are Conducting Investigations”.
A special place in the room of the artist Mosestrada takes a poster. She is wearing Velor in a concert costume. The scarlet rose on the piano is a sign of success for him. Leonid Bronev created a talented parody of popular couplets. However, the actor also created the image of the path of a conceited, but still charming person. The performer extremely grotesquely showed the weaknesses of the hero. Sometimes in Velurov, restlessness with naive innocence skips.
Caught unawares by Svetlana, who had flared up to the swimmer, with love, Velurov forgets the usual pathetics of verses and sings a lyrical song from the then popular movie at the time. Against the background of bewilderment and loneliness of the artist who lost all pathos, understanding in the eyes of the hilariously accurate Dogileva is especially noticeable.
Savva and others
Sophia Pilyavskaya became the film aunt of Kostik Alisa Vitalievna. She has played many outstanding roles over her career. Among them are Countess Vronskaya from Anna Karenina, and Raisa Pavlovna in We Live Until Monday.
Former front-line soldier, groom of the energetic despot Margarita - Savva Ignatievich. This image was ideally created by the actor of the Moscow Maly Theater Viktor Bortsov. The artist himself did not take part in the hostilities. But Vladimir Pitsek, who played the role of his front-line comrade in the film, really participated in the Great Patriotic War.
Characters of the second plan, but no less significant, were played by Igor Dmitriev, Valentina Voilkova, Elena Koreneva. Swimmer Svetlana in the picture was Tatyana Dogileva. Her cheerful and simply sparkling fun heroine turned out to be very convincing. In the pool, instead of the actress, the understudy was shot. The artist herself performed stylish dances.
Valentina Voilkova reincarnated as Rita's lover. Her heroine appears in the first frames. A student racing on a motorcycle sees a graceful stranger and waves her hand. An accidental meeting with Kostya is not forgotten. He informs everyone about the upcoming changes.
The image of the fairy mystically arises in the night trolleybus and on the rink. Kostya cannot understand if he sees a dream or a real girl. A real acquaintance takes place at the registry office during the marriage of Margarita Pavlovna and Savva Ignatievich.
According to the play by Zorin, the name of Kostik's girlfriend is Alevtin. The director called the heroine the name of the playwright's wife. Voilkova even looked like her.
Creating a picture
The role of the motorcyclist Savransky, who made real teleportation flights in the film, was played by the "biker-sorcerer", stuntman and coach of the capital's motorbike team Leonid Mashkov.
An ideal ensemble of artists might never appear on the screen at all. The misadventures of the film began with the refusal of the director Kozakov in 1981 to shoot in the "State Border". A popular artist received a hint from a higher management that viewers may not see his project. After such a warning, the actor agreed to withdraw from Boris Stepanov. Goskino arranged this option, there were no obstacles to work.
However, almost immediately after the completion of the dubbing and the end of the filming work, Elena Koreneva went abroad. At that time, the work of emigrant performers was under special control. Due to the departure of the performer for permanent residence abroad, a picture with her participation could be prohibited. Fortunately, this was avoided.
They shot a film based on the play of Leonid Zorin. The playwright previously created the work "Transit", wrote the script for "Royal Hunt", "Law". All the images of the Pokrovsky Gate were surprisingly close to the audience. Kozakov was one of the first directors of the eponymous work at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. The idea of transferring a funny tragicomedy to a television screen came to him immediately. The work on the screenplay has begun.
The departure of Koreneva still affected the fate of the tape. After the show in 1983, the picture was put on the shelf for three years. Then the audience could again admire the characters they liked.
