Veniamin Smekhov is a fairly well-known personality not only in cinema and theatrical circles, but also as a poet and writer. It is difficult to imagine that he was once expelled from the theater, considering it completely unsuitable for acting.
Biography
Veniamin Borisovich Smekhov is a wartime child. He was born on August 10, 1940, so a conscious acquaintance with his father occurred after he returned from the front. The boy’s parents had nothing to do with creativity: his father, Boris Moiseevich, doctor of economic sciences, and his mother, Maria Lvovna, was a general practitioner.
True, the father's line included artists - book illustrators. The family lived in Moscow and in the first years of the war, mother and son left for the Kirov region. They lived in evacuation for 2 years, after which they returned to Moscow, since Maria Lvovna had to continue her studies at the Medical Institute. Venya was in kindergarten 6 days a week.
Later he attended the most ordinary school number 235 in Palchikov Lane. In school years, the hobby was the drama club at the House of Pioneers in the Dzerzhinsky district of the capital. There were many such circles at that time in the country. This is not to say that professional actors were trained there. This circle had only one difference from other similar ones - his boss was Rolan Bykov.
After graduating from high school (1957), the young man Veniamin did not have a definite desire and, on the advice of Lev Smekhov (his father’s brother), he decided to enter the Shchukin Theater School. He passed the exams successfully and got on the course of Vladimir Etush.
Students cannot be executed, have mercy
However, only a year later, Veniamin Smekhov is expelled. And the fault is not skipping classes, not bad behavior, but, on the contrary, excessive modesty. He himself very eloquently recalls this in his memoirs, as a thunderstorm in the course of Etush personally called him to him, shook his goodbye “with his metal hand” and said that an error had occurred.
By mistake it was meant that Smekhov had chosen the wrong profession. "In mathematics!" - the course leader said menacingly. And here, for the first time in a year of study, Benjamin was able to look Etush in the eyes, albeit imploringly. In addition, classmates decided to intercede for the student Smekhov, among whom was the rector’s daughter. As a result, he was allowed to remain as a volunteer and was given a probationary period.
In order not to be expelled, Smekhov had to seriously work on himself. Future actors from "Pike" often gathered, arranged collective entertainment. However, Venya rarely participated in all of this. He never, even in his youth, was a "hero - lover" and did not play such roles. The classmates even thought that he was indifferent to all the girls on the course.
Personal life
However, soon, at one of these student holidays, Laughter brought a student at the Food Institute named Alla. As students, young people got married. Family life was a success, the couple lived together for 20 years, they have two wonderful daughters: Elena (1963) and Alla (1968. Since the youngest daughter was also called Alla, for the distinction, the youngest was called "Alika" at home.
Now this is the well-known actress and singer Alika Smekhova. The eldest daughter also chose a creative profession - a writer. Despite the fact that the marriage subsequently broke up, Smekhov managed to maintain good relations with the children. As a child, he paid a lot of attention to them. In a cramped apartment where they lived with his wife, two children and an still old aunt of his wife, Benjamin constantly organized something with his daughters: they studied, played the piano, rehearsed.
Due to the indecisive nature, the separation from the first wife was lengthy. Smekhov as if "in parts left" - the first wife recalls. The closest circle perceived the divorce in different ways, some scolded Benjamin, while others provided moral support. Yuri Vizbor - the actor’s friend even allowed the newly-minted family to stay with him for a while.
The second wife of Veniamin Borisovich Smekhov's name is Galina Aksenova, she is almost 20 years younger than her husband. The marriage was legalized in 1980. There are no joint children in this marriage, but this does not stop living soul to soul for 38 years. Galina is a film expert, they met at the Taganka Theater when she came to him for an internship.
