Oleg Vidov was one of the most popular Soviet actors. And one of the few who managed to star in foreign films. What made the Honored Artist of the RSFSR secretly flee to the West in the early 80s?
Foreign film star
Oleg Borisovich Vidov was born on June 11, 1943 in Vidnoye, near Moscow. Father, Boris Nikolaevich Garnevich, was an economist, mother, Varvara Ivanovna Vidova, was a school director. Since childhood, the boy was interested in music and cinema. After school, Oleg initially worked as an electrician, but in 1960 he played his first film role - a tiny episode in A. Saltykov’s film “My Friend, Kolka!” In 1962, he successfully passed the exams for the acting department of VGIK and was enrolled in the workshop of Yuri Pobedonostsev and Yakov Segel.
While still a student, Vidov starred in “The Snowstorm” by Vladimir Basov, “ An ordinary miracle"Erast Garin, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Alexander Ptushko. And in the leading roles! And in 1966, the Danish director Gabriel Axel invited him to play the main male role in the film “The Red Robe” based on the ancient Scandinavian sagas - the actor was very suitable for the type, and the auditions were successful.
In the late 60s, Oleg married the daughter of KGB general Natalya Fedotova - close friend Galina Brezhneva. Perhaps a profitable marriage contributed to future career actor. One way or another, he continued to be invited to appear in foreign paintings Oh. These were mainly Yugoslav films - “The Battle of the Neretva”, “Do not mention the cause of death”, “Poison”... His main role in the Soviet-Cuban film “The Headless Horseman” (1971) became truly stellar for him. famous novel Mine Rida. This film became especially popular among Soviet teenagers.
In 1973, Vidov also entered the directing department of VGIK. In parallel with his studies, he continued to act in films. So, in 1974 he starred in the Soviet-Japanese film “Moscow, My Love”, and in 1976 - in the film “The Legend of Tila” by V. Alov and A. Naumov.
Opal
In 1976, Vidov divorced his wife. Natalya not only forbade him to communicate with her son Vyacheslav, but also tried to ruin his film career. “From above” even put pressure on the leadership of VGIK, demanding that Oleg not be given a director’s diploma. However, he still received it.
They stopped giving Vidov decent roles. In addition, most of the money he earned from filming foreign films went to the state treasury.
Oleg Borisovich began to think about leaving abroad, where he could live freely, where no one would “harass” him... The last straw was the cinematic authorities’ ban on concluding a seven-year contract with the Italian-American producer Dino De Laurentiis. Soviet officials said: “We don’t need Western stars in the Soviet Union.” The actor was not allowed to play Yesenin in the film “Isadora’s Lovers” by British director Karel Reisz. Reish was told that Vidov allegedly “fell ill”...
In 1983, Vidov was invited to star in the next Yugoslav film “Orchestra”. Despite his disgrace, he managed to travel to Belgrade on a tourist visa. Remaining in Yugoslavia, he starred in several films and TV series. However, in 1985, his native “authorities” found him and demanded that Oleg return to the USSR within 72 hours. A friend, Austrian actor Marian Srink, hid it in his car and drove it across the border into Austria. So Vidov ended up in the West, where he asked for political asylum. From Austria he moved to Italy, where he met his future wife– American producer and journalist Joan Borsten. Together they left for the USA, where their son Sergei was born...
Our man in Hollywood
Oleg Vidov became the only Soviet artist who really managed to build a successful career in Hollywood. His first American film was the film Red Heat. Then Vidov made a short film “The Legend of the Emerald Princess” for the Disney Channel and himself starred in leading role. The film received a prize at the New York Film Festival. Offers from American directors followed. He starred in “Wild Orchid”, then there were the films “Captive of Time”, “Love Story”, “Immortals”, “My Antonia”... In 1993, Vidov, after a long break, appeared on Russian screens - in the film “Three Days in August" about the August putsch in Russia in 1991.
Now Oleg Vidov continues to write scripts and make films. Last film with his participation was released in the USA in 2014. It seems that the former idol of Soviet moviegoers is quite happy with his choice made many years ago.
Yulia Tomasheva:
Regarding my friendship with Oleg, firstly, there are photographs, and secondly, in Los Angeles, Oleg himself personally officially announced this in front of everyone, and everyone knows about it except you. And thirdly, if you don’t even know Olegab’s friends, how can you talk about anything else? You don't know anything about him. You simply desecrated a legend for no reason. But you have presented yourself as a person who is nothing of himself, and besides, you do not look like a real man. Firstly, in this way you are trying to make a name for yourself at the expense of Oleg’s name. And secondly, why didn’t you tell the person to his face when he was alive, but waited so shamelessly for him to die so that you could then throw mud at him. Leave Oleg alone.
Alexander Rudensky:
Dear Boris Shvets. You are really wrong. And if you have at least a particle of conscience, and you position yourself with Christian rules, then you will remove this article. And I won't demand that you do it immediately. I will refute in evidentiary form almost everything that you claim in it. And I have a solid evidence base, since I am Oleg Vidov’s biographer, and I have all those documents and more that, as you write, can stop you. In order to completely refute each of your statements, I need time for my words to be substantiated. First, I suggest you look at my book about Oleg Vidov (67 chapters). There is everything and even more than you want. There's also short biography. which will also be sufficient. And as a simple clarification, Igor Kokarev, whose words you referred to, does not know you, and he was never a defector, especially the bearer of such absurd information that an American journalist was waiting for Oleg on the border of Austria and Yugoslavia. Moreover, Oleg never asked for political asylum anywhere, since he entered Austria and Italy with official guest visas. And he didn’t do it in the trunk.
Everything else will be in the final version of my article. And I am sure that you will have a reason to apologize to many. Sincerely, Alexander Ruddensky. https://www.proza.ru/avtor/aleksandrruden&book=9#9Yulia Tomasheva:
Yes, I am a friend of Oleg Vidov. And may God grant everyone to have such a friend as I had. And Oleg is really not to blame for anything. Farewell to Oleg was Orthodox tradition in the Orthodox Church. I will always miss him. Oleg deserved that people would have a kind and good memory of him. Oleg fought courageously for many years fatal disease and at the same time helping other people while being sick. You cannot be cruel to each other, you cannot destroy each other and throw mud at each other so cruelly, no matter who this person is. You always need to love each other and respect each other and appreciate the people who are next to you and appreciate the moments in your life and not waste your life on bad things. Years fly by very quickly and there are no eternal people.
Alexander Rudensky:
Boris, you demand from a woman that she give you reasons for her words. But let's leave her alone. She is a woman, and it seems to me that she is not the worst on this earth.
But here you are demanding that she confirm her words. But you yourself do not have a single confirmation of what you wrote. All this is taken from publications yellow press.
And if you are a real journalist writing about moral aspects in a person’s life, then you should know that the first thing a journalist is responsible for is the reliability of the information. Well, unless he was well paid for lying.
So all your facts are unproven. Unfortunately, your opponents don’t either real facts, but at least they feel the lies.
The most important thing is that your rejection, as I understand it, is based on an ugly escape.
1- He didn’t go to Yugoslavia to film in 1983, but got married there fictitiously.
He got married in the spring of 1983 in Moscow, having known her before.
And there was a wedding, and so on. And by the fall I went to visit her in Belgrade legally, getting a visa from the OVIR. And there, out of old memory, they started filming it.
And when the Yugoslav police told him that after the divorce he had to leave, he received an Austrian visitor visa and went to Austria to visit his friend, the Austrian-Yugoslav actor with whom he acted together. And there he was legally issued a visitor visa to Italy and with the same friend they legally went there.
And how he met Richard Harrison and the American journalist is in their memoirs, which were filmed by Russian TV for a documentary, and in my archive.
And the second thing that outrages you is the story with cartoons. But you also know her from the Russian press. My article about this is not ready yet. But briefly. He did not buy a single cartoon at all and did not take them out of the country. Unfortunately, your source has died and there is no demand from her. But whether you have an audio or video recording of her words, I’m not sure. But I really have everything. So, an agreement was signed for the distribution of Soviet cartoons outside the CIS. In other words, all rights of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio remained with the studio. And the studio workers could not suffer from this agreement in any way, but even vice versa. Since, according to this agreement, for every hour of supposed showing in the future, the Soyuzmultfilm studio immediately received large, at that time, money, which should have gone to the people at the studio, and if this did not happen, then claims against those who commanded "Soyuzmultfilm". And it is known that in those years the creative team itself chose
himself a director. I won't bore you any further. Everything that happened there and the trials with Oleg Vidov’s company was an attempt at a raider takeover of the Soyuzmultfilm studio and its practical division into legitimate and impostor. These are those who were related to the impostor and tried to prove that the legitimate one illegally signed an agreement with Vidov. This is why there are still people from Soyuzmultfilm who have different assessments of what Oleg Vidov and his wife did. They did not allow those illegal to rob themselves and the legitimate Soyuzmultfilm. This is in general outline. And Vidov did not exact any sums from Usmanov. Usmanov was no longer buying that empty piece of paper, but 500 restored films, dubbed into more than 30 languages, finished commercial products on which you can actually make money. And the amount was determined by experts involved in similar transactions in the film industry. But the transaction amount has not yet been disclosed. Perhaps they told you about it? You see how everything falls into place if you have information and don’t take it from the yellow press. Become a professional. Good luck to you.Yulia Tomasheva:
You, Alexander, also don’t know much, despite the fact that you are a biographer, all your written articles look less like a biography of a person and more like a film biography. And there are people who know more than you and know the truth of the actor’s entire life. Thank you for your attention.
Yuliya Tomasheva:
Why does what you wrote look like small fragments? For example, in the beginning there was this. And then what happened? And then the thought is interrupted and the description of another event begins. Of course, I think that it is better to write biographies during a person’s lifetime so that the person can slowly tell and remember everything himself and write a biographical book with different photos. But I also think that Oleg Vidov was such a talented and interesting actor that it would really be necessary to put all the events together and write a biography book about the actor. I don’t know how possible it is to do all this, since everything looks like all those people who knew him personally know about him only what is from their personal memories, but they don’t know everything completely. And so it is for everyone. Therefore, of course, it is difficult to compile only from people’s memories.
Yulia Tomasheva:
Hello, this is Yulia Tomasheva. I am a close friend of Oleg Vidov. Both sides are deeply mistaken. You don't know the truth. I kindly ask you to remove this article immediately. You wrote your conclusions from some rumors. But everything you wrote is wrong. Not a single letter corresponds to the truth.
Boris Shvets:
Dear Yulia! Sorry, but I personally do not know that you are a personal friend of the deceased actor. How can you prove that you are who you say you are? Many fans of Oleg Vidov categorically demand the removal of the article, but a refutation of the stated
it does not provide facts (even unverified ones). And then: is it really true that not a single letter in this material corresponds to the truth?...
Boris Shvets:
Dear Yulia! Do not make yourself an idol! — If your Hollywoodized consciousness rejects this 2nd commandment of the Lord, then this rather indicates your feeble-minded materialistic priorities. You probably didn’t understand what resource you went to with your idolatrous “fe”. Let me remind you that our site is focused on Orthodox analytics and is called “Legendary Cinema: MORAL Evaluation of Films” (and therefore creative biographies and the fates of actors, directors and the rest of the brethren from the world of cinema). Your humble servant, alas, did not have the chance to be personally acquainted with the late Oleg Borisovich Vidov, so I had no choice but to evaluate his professional and entrepreneurial activity in a private way.
But there is something else: I have video evidence of one of the specific victims of Vidov’s scam with the Soyuzmultfilm gold fund. I would venture to guess that there are thousands of other people who have their own good reasons to critically evaluate the career and actions of your idol (and friend). As an ordinary viewer and some kind of cinema analyst, I see HOW your favorite started out great, continued cunningly and ended rather dirtyly (from the point of view of filmmaking). He abandoned his homeland, cunningly emigrated, settled down at the notorious California illusory film factory and produced such slag there that many, even in the era of “perestroika” video salons, clutched their heads. Both “Red Heat” and the semi-bestial “Wild Orchid” for the Vidov level of the times of “The Headless Horseman”, at best, looked simply ridiculous.
YOUR LEGEND HAS DEFANALIZED ITSELF (and I have nothing to do with it). Having gone abroad, filmed in squalor and created a trick with 1260 Soviet cartoons, he raped his Russian consciousness, seriously questioned his own artistic personality and seriously spoiled his previously brilliant track record (which he earned during the era of the USSR, which he hated so much).
And if you, Julia, consider yourself his friend, then please tell me whether he was baptized? — And was there a priestly funeral service for the servant of God, the newly deceased Oleg, according to the Orthodox rite on May 20, 2017 at the Hollywood Forever cemetery? If it was, then it will change my attitude towards the deceased actor for the better. If not, then... you understand.
Yulia Tomasheva:
Firstly, you are journalist Boris Shvets and not God. You are not God and you do not have the right to condemn and judge the actions of other people. Secondly, after your articles and everything that you write to me, it shows that you are a journalist from the devil and not from God. Calm down and start focusing on your own life and not watching other lives. Your dirt and your bile only show even more that you are far from Oleg Vidov, you are not only not worthy of him, but you are not even worthy of writing about him. Oleg Vidov is an actor, a legend, and who are you, a simple journalist? You feel the difference. As for my IQ, calm down, I'm fine with that. I have a higher education. And no one betrayed Russia. There are simply people who are loved and needed in other countries of the world, but there are people who are needed nowhere except Russia. So you are angry because of this, only by doing this you are biting neither Oleg nor me, but you are biting yourself. At the same time, don’t forget next time when you write whether it’s worth insulting me, since I’m an American and I know my rights. Insults are a legal matter.
Boris Shvets:
Dear Yulia! I have no doubt at all that everything is in order with your IQ, as well as with your higher education, but with the issue of TACT, you inevitably see noticeable problems.
Here you are - an American; and what would that mean? Like many Americans, you probably consider yourself a being of a higher order, accustomed (as a matter of course) in a mentoring tone to demand something from a writer from another country. — And you don’t even have the basic culture of addressing your interlocutor from the former USSR (even an opponent). You are aware that for being a “journalist of the devil” you yourself have given me a serious carte blanche regarding the lawsuit with which you are threatening me. Think about it.
I see my goal not in denigrating your film legend Oleg Vidov, but in stating those well-known facts of his biography (alas, unsightly for me personally). And the statement also requires corresponding conclusions about the ordeals of the ultimately confused artist, who in America began to be torn apart by his own nostalgic contradictions. But how good and glorious he was in native Fatherland! In my golden childhood, I myself was captivated by his pious prince Guidon from “The Tale of Tsar Saltan.” With bright feelings I remember the work of the deceased in the films “Artyom” (1978, a 2-episode television production, where he had the role of Viktor Kholmyansky, who did not accept the revolution), the detective story “The Cry of Silence” (the murdered Baikal huntsman Kolchin: a small role, but I remember it) or “Demidovs” (Count Nefedov, who arrested Biron). So your “journalist from the devil” has been favorably following the work of Oleg Borisovich since those very times when going to the cinema was considered a holiday. And his impeccable texture in a police uniform in “Gentlemen of Fortune”? In general, no comments. You yourself understand everything perfectly well. And therefore, the sharp twist of O. Vidov (as well as S. Kramarov or the same A. Godunov) with an ugly flight to the West and his (their) “achievements” there still evoke a feeling of pain and melancholy. I consistently find them dubious. But your humble servant still remains open to constructive dialogue (without mutual insults).
You better, dear Yulia, do not avoid answering the two questions I asked in the last post (if you are a friend of Oleg Vidov and are fighting to restore his good name):
1) Was the late actor baptized? -
2) And was there a priestly funeral service for the servant of God, the newly deceased Oleg, according to the Orthodox rite on May 20, 2017 at the Hollywood Forever cemetery?
Igor:
Hello, both Yulia and Boris at the same time! I will try to appeal to both of you in order to somehow stop this senseless debate about the fate of the deceased actor. Pointless...firstly, because he is no longer here with us...on Earth. And I believe that this article, Boris, would sound much more significant if the actor were still alive. “It’s good about the deceased - or not at all...” - I wouldn’t like to write here with this banal phrase, but it turns out, understand Boris, this is my opinion, as if you threw a stone in the back of Oleg who had just passed away... I believe that fighting “for the truth “followed with a living person: if you had found the strength to write such an article then, then perhaps Oleg would have even had a chance to repent, excuse the pretentiousness, of his betrayal of the Fatherland or of the same plundering of the cartoon fund... Perhaps he would even answered you in his own defense... I’ll tell you, Yulia: do you really think that an ordinary person, an ordinary mortal, does not have the right to express his opinion publicly or behind the scenes about this or that famous person...? Here you are fundamentally wrong. After all, Boris is not essentially insulting him. On the other hand, I think that recently there have been a lot of popular, similar publications and uninteresting articles “on the death of an actor.” if you are not ready to accept the truth about your idol, then this is simply not the place for you... Look for other sites that satisfy your aspirations and interests... This is still a more serious, analytical site, especially with an Orthodox assessment of such a significant layer of our modernity as cinema. Sorry both for the thoughts expressed!
Boris Shvets:
Dear Yulia! I am impressed by the fact that you wrote about the funeral service for your friend Oleg Vidov according to the Orthodox rite. But, excuse me, I have the audacity to ask you to send some photo or video confirmation of this fact (otherwise I will not be able to change the information in my article based on bare words). In which Orthodox parish did this happen? Or did the priest (maybe you can find out his name and place of service) held Oleg Borisovich’s funeral service right at the cemetery? (By the way, I ask you to write, please, the word “God” with a capital letter).
Dear Igor! It is difficult for me to counter your criticism regarding “condemning a dead person.” Maybe you're right. Firstly, I myself had considerable doubts when I wrote this material. Secondly, there was a burning desire to write about Oleg Vidov back in 2008, when the oldest employee of Soyuzmultfilm, Maya Miroshkina, bluntly accused him (in an exclusive interview with us) of stealing the cartoon fund of her favorite studio. But as often happens later, this idea was not continued (at that time I was working on the film “Legends of Soviet Film Dubbing” and this supplanted the impulse to write about Vidov).
And then the actor died, unexpectedly for his fans. Media gossip began, I watched it. They began to wash his dirty laundry on B. Korchevnikov’s disgusting talk show. Vainglorious visitors to the television studio recalled his wives and mistresses, children and other impurities, but no one ever spoke about Vladimir’s operation in Soyuzmultfilm (although at first the presenter made it clear that “we’ll talk about this later”). No one tried to spiritually soberly evaluate the results of his life and actions. And involuntarily, I decided to react to this unfortunate event in my own way (as I saw it and still see it). That is, based on my personal view of his controversial career and American results.
And than. — The modern so-called “tolerant” society (as it seems to me) has deliberately distorted the ancient aphorism, which was expressed, it seems, by the ancient Greek philosopher of the 6th century (BC) Chilo from Sparta: “About the dead, either good or nothing but the truth.” It was cited by the historian Diogenes Laertius (III century AD) in his work “The Life, Teaching and Opinions of Illustrious Philosophers.” Sorry for the deep excursion into ancient history, but I also remembered this saying when I was writing my controversial opus.
But all the same, Igor, I am very grateful to you for your peacekeeping feedback. Sorry if I offended anyone.
Phantom:
Yulia, this is Boris. June 24 is just around the corner, that is, 40 days from the death of Oleg Vidov. Need to be in Orthodox church his friends and relatives, order a memorial service in his memory and defend. This is very important for his soul. Is this practiced in America?
Alexander Rudensky:
Dear Galina Ivanovna Yatskiny, I completely share with you your negative attitude towards this article. But to my regret, you, too, in your reasoning are based on dubious - unreliable information received from the press and TV programs. The very first thing is that Natalia Fedotova was Oleg’s second wife. Of course, Oleg Vidov never talked about his personal life, so his friends might not know this either. he married Natalia Fedotova at the end of 1970, when all his star movies were already on the screen, or were filming at that moment, like “Gentlemen of Fortune”, and some others that were already in the works (The Headless Horseman). That her lover was Fidel Castro and the Shah of Iran was first heard on the program on May 17, and it was taken from the fiction novel “A Spy Doesn’t Choose His Fate,” chapter three. A lot of what was discussed on that show was taken from this chapter. But your faith in the integrity of Oleg Vidov and other things commands respect. Considering that you knew Oleg Vidov, I would be grateful if you contact me so that I can record your memories. You can read more about Oleg Vidov and much more around him on my page on the Proza.ru website. Sincerely, Alexander Rudensky.
By the way, why couldn’t she be the mistress of the above-mentioned persons? At the time when they came to the USSR, she was the nursing mother of Oleg Vidov’s baby son.
Budulairomanov:
Boris, thank you very much for the article!
Opponents. You demand facts. Beyond doubt. If you please.
1. He was a popular and beloved actor in the USSR.
2. Betrayed his homeland by fleeing to the West.
3. Filmed “behind the cordon” in a rare “slag”.
4. I bought it for next to nothing (you can’t argue that during the purchase there were certain “experts involved in similar transactions in the film industry.” No, they were present during the SALE. Well, no need for monkey antics, they say he restored it, transferred it to different languages... He made money for all the broadcasts and resold them.
You write that your friend... As they say, tell me who your friend is - and I will tell you who you are.
Proudly call yourself Americans...
“Tell me, American, what is the strength? Is it in money? So my brother says it’s about money. You have a lot of money - so what? I think that strength lies in truth! Whoever has the truth is stronger! So you deceived someone, made money... And why, did you become stronger? No, I didn't. Because there is no truth behind you! And the one who was deceived - the truth is behind him. That means he is stronger. Yes?!"
Personally, Alisher Usmanov’s action is much closer and clearer to me.
Alexander Rudensky:
* * *
“A year later, in 1989, Vidov’s even more vulgar appearance in the provocative sex mystery “Wild Orchid” by Zalman King, where, on the orders of the screen Mickey Rourke, the hero of our story back seat limousine arranged an equally wild, lustful orgy with the Spanish actress Assumpta Serna, who played his wife (we mention this not for the sake of advertising, but for the sake of characterization moral qualities artist). The film was very popular on video at that time, it was completely overwritten by the owners of video salons, but it did not add respectful popularity to Vidov in his native land. Quite the contrary. His role had the opposite effect on many of his established fans."
18 – I have a whole chapter about the film “Wild Orchid”. It is on the Internet and anyone can read it and figure out what and how in this film and in the role of Oleg Vidov. IN this moment I want to draw the attention of my reader and the author of the article that with his commentary about this film he is clearly turning into a hypocrite. What and whose morality is our Christian journalist worried about? An actor is an actor. And the characteristics of his hero, the images that he embodies on stage or on screen, most often have nothing to do with the actor himself. In Soviet cinema there was a huge mass of images of villains, immoral characters, to put it mildly, criminals, but no one ever thought of identifying them with the actors who created these images. why does the author allow
should you do this in relation to Oleg Vidov? Moreover, his hero does not commit any actions that violate general human norms. Well, if the author of the article does not like erotica on cinema and TV screens, then there is no need to watch it. Boris, if you let me read what you wrote, a psychologist will say that this is the work of not just a person - a hypocrite, but a person who has certain complexes and inclinations. Think about it. You reduce a wonderful erotic film, recognized as such by specialists and professionals in the film industry, to primitive denigration, guided by false postulates of sanctimonious virtue.
* * *
« Analyzing the stages we know life path and the career of Oleg Vidov, both an actor and an arrogant ambitious man, you are convinced that, unfortunately, it was the latter hypostasis that always won in him. Being a very expressive external personification of a Slavic man, inside he (for some time) turned out to be a cosmopolitan, treacherous towards his Motherland, that is, towards Russia. We are also prompted to such conclusions by the facts of his careless paternity in relation to his sons - Vyacheslav (from his marriage to Fedotova) and Sergei (from one of the workers of the Odessa film studio).
The very fact of a clever escape to the West with ambitious plans is worth something. »
19 – Boris, these last words exactly confirm my words above. What kind of arrogant ambitious man are you talking about? Everyone who communicated with Oleg Vidov always said and continues to say that he was open, that he never had star fever, that he always communicated with everyone on equal terms, with respect for any person. I have dozens of different memories, different people. of different ages. And you are the only one who wrote about the “arrogant ambitious man.” I don’t know your age, but it doesn’t matter; I think that you yourself have never communicated with Oleg Vidov. And as Igor said, you so boldly and categorically, undeservedly, and most importantly, with impunity, vilify a person who can no longer answer you.
* * *
And I want everyone to read your sentence carefully. I quote-
“Being a very expressive external personification of a Slavic man, inside he (for some time) turned out to be a cosmopolitan, treacherous towards his Motherland, that is, towards Russia.”
It contains all the obscurantism, all the absurdity that took place in some of the Soviet party press, and today in your statements, which are the bearer of the most absurd understanding of patriotism, devotion to the Motherland, political loyalty, and civil and religious fanaticism. Never, anywhere, and in no way can fanaticism be a creative principle. And then you come to the conclusion about negligent paternity.
Once again I draw your journalistic attention.
Noun "paternity"
does not fit with the word “careless”. Paternity can be different, but it is not negligent. You must be a native Russian speaker. What is he guilty of to you?
20 – You also made a mistake regarding the sons of Oleg Vidov.
Oleg Vidov’s wife, Natalia Fedotova, did not want her son to communicate with his father and know about him in general to such an extent that at school she changed his last name to Fedotov, not Vidov, although on the birth certificate he was recorded as Vyacheslav Vidov. You don’t need to show the document, will you take my word for it? So the son and father did not communicate for many years, until Vyacheslav’s mother passed away, and when he was able to communicate with his father again, he did so.
And Sergei’s mother never worked at the Odessa film studio. She was a doctor. And their acquaintance took place while visiting one of Odessa’s acquaintances, Oleg. This was a one-time meeting. But human nature is such that sometimes one meeting is enough... And Oleg for many years did not know anything that he had a son, just like Sergei himself, who his father was. Or rather I knew ex-husband to his mother.
But what completely refutes your words is that as soon as Oleg found out that his son was in Odessa, he immediately wanted to see him and invited his mother and his wife Joan to take Sergei to America. And that's why Sergey doesn't
accidentally says that he has two mothers: from Odessa and from Los Angeles.
But now he doesn’t have a father, the father who put him on his feet and gave him everything he needed, shelter and education, the father you are. you so easily insult and accuse him of things he didn’t do.
Where is your Christian morality and conscience?
* * *
“However, in essence, the once famous artist ended up in California as the nth pompous loser, devoid of patriotic principles. - And in the USA he took on all sorts of adventures and worthless roles in the spirit of “food is served” - “Three August Days” (1992), “The Ice Runner” (1993), “Prisoners of Time” (1993). Only “Love Story” (1994) with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening turned out to be a worthy melodrama film, but Vidov himself was so
pushed deep into the gallery of the “steamboat” extras, that it is difficult to make out him there (even against the background of Beatty Kramarov fawning over the hero).
* * *
21 – As in the previous fragments of your article, you go beyond the norms of journalistic ethics and become like an evil hissing snake. This is a “pompous loser, devoid of patriotic principles”, this is “adventures and worthless roles”, and the like. So, I will once again have to show your inconsistency both as a journalist and as a specialist in the film industry. After all, your article is on a website about cinema. I have already said above that this level of expression corresponds
certain techniques in Soviet journalism. However, not the best. And this despite the fact that in general Soviet journalism was at a very high professional level. Although it is possible that at present Christian
(Orthodox) journalism in Russia decided to allow itself to exploit the most unpleasant aspects of Soviet journalism. Although I doubt it. I think that this is mainly your experience, or rather the lack thereof, your level, and not all Christian journalism..
But now on topic.
Most likely, you have not seen all the films you wrote about. In “Three Days of August” it’s far from “food is served.” In the film "Captive of Time" he has the main role, and a pretty decent one, and the fact that the film turned out not very good is not his fault. By the way, actress E. Koreneva, who was his partner, also starred in this film. This suggests that the main thing for you is to say without being responsible for your words
And regarding the films “Ice Runner”, “Love Story”, and I can add a few more, in which he starred in episodic roles, you need to understand what the specifics are in American cinema and the Screen Actors Guild
was at that time Every actor had an agent who dealt with the actors and connected them with studios, producers, directors and so on. The Screen Actors Guild made sure that its members were invited to the swarms, and this applied to all roles: both minor and episodic, except for the general extras. The Guild thus received its interest from the companies and
guaranteed its members to continue to receive royalties from the screening of these films and their duplication on video. Accordingly, members of the Screen Actors Guild who were not currently involved in filming could not simply refuse offers, since their agents also received their percentage. And all this was stipulated in the contracts between the actors and agents.
And when an offer came in, the actors showed up for auditions. And after they were approved, they signed a contract. To refuse meant to be blacklisted and lose an agent and pay a fine. Today it is the practice of studios to film non-Guild members in episodes, and to offer them, as a rule, roles with text - more significant ones, and of which there are not many. After all, Guild members are required to pay more.
So Guild member Oleg Vidov starred in the roles that were offered to him. But even in some episodic roles, Oleg Vidov managed to create small masterpieces. This happened in the film “!3 Days” and others. I would like to remind you that many wonderful actors allowed themselves to act in episodes: Basov, Rolan Bykov, and not only them.
* * *
"But most loud scandal there was an unpleasant story with the personality of the deceased Oleg Borisovich after the collapse Soviet Union. We do not want to once again interpret the events associated with the very “brisk” purchase by Vidov and his company “Films by Jove” in 1992 of a whole host of animated masterpieces from the golden collection of the Soyuzmultfilm studio.
In this regard, we will only quote the statements of the dubbing director, who has worked at Soyuzmultfilm since 1955, Maya Miroshkina (who worked on the Russian adaptation of such foreign film hits Soviet era, like “They shoot horses, don't they?”, “Toy”, “Don't lose sight”, “Cartouche”, “Three Days of the Condor”, “Save Concord”, “Maria, Mirabella”, “The Fifth Seal”, "Tall blond man in black shoe"
She passed away in 2011, having managed to give the author of these lines exclusive interview. This is what Maya Petrovna told us shortly before her death:
“When I see Oleg Vidov sitting importantly in a chair on TV in Malakhov’s program “Let Them Talk” and addressing us: “Dear compatriots!”, I am amazed at his hypocrisy. He came to us at Soyuzmultfilm after the collapse of the country, had a drinking party with the boss, slipped him a pre-printed document in English about the sale of 560 cartoon works to him (according to the final figure, 1260 films - author's note) and laid his paw on them for almost nothing.
And our boss, drunk - not even understanding what he was being given to sign - endorsed this paper. As far as I understand, Vidov was put into this by the American
wife. And she, excuse me, is a Hollywood “nationalist” who perfectly felt the benefits of such a scam. In addition, as I heard, Vidov himself did not want to pay his ex-wife alimony for his son and quickly left abroad.
And now businessman Alisher Usmanov offered him to buy out this cartoon fund in order to transfer it back to Russia, and Vidov set him a price that it is better not to talk about out loud. And how can he be my compatriot if he became a millionaire by robbing our studio? I’m not talking about him now as an actor, but as a person he committed a bad act that influenced the fate of many of my colleagues.”
* * *
22 – And here I want to draw the attention of my reader to the fact that in addition to everything else that I talked about above, the author of the article can be defined as a journalist who deliberately misleads, or more precisely deceives, his
readers. Maya Miroshkina actually died in 2011. And it is possible that shortly before her death she gave an interview to the author of the article. But she couldn’t talk about Malakhov’s program on which Oleg Vidov sat in a chair and so on, which took place in 2013.
But even outside of this, May Miroshkina made three films at Soyuzmultfilm and all in Soviet time. After 1991, when Oleg Vidov signed an agreement with the studio in 1992, she did not take part in the creation of films. And I could only know that situation from someone’s words.
Almost all information about the history of Soyuzmultfilm is known to the Russian population from the Russian press and television, and publications such as yours. Yes, and you know it from the same newspaper sources. My article about this is not ready yet. But briefly. He did not buy a single cartoon at all and did not take them out of the country. Unfortunately, your source has died and there is no demand from her. So, an agreement was signed for the distribution of Soviet cartoons outside the CIS. In other words, all rights of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio remained with the studio. And the studio workers could not suffer from this agreement in any way, but even vice versa. Since, according to this agreement, for every hour of supposed showing in the future, the Soyuzmultfilm studio immediately received large, at that time, money, which should have gone to the people at the studio, and if this did not happen, then claims against those who commanded "Soyuzmultfilm". And it is known that in those years the creative team chose its own director. I won't bore you any further. Everything that happened there and the trials with Oleg Vidov’s company was an attempt at a raider takeover of the Soyuzmultfilm studio and its practical division into legitimate and impostor. It was not Soyuzmultfilm that signed the agreement that was being sued, but various other legal entities.
These are those who were related to the impostor and tried to prove that the legitimate one illegally signed an agreement with Vidov’s company. That is why there are still people in Soyuzmultfilm who have different assessments of what
made by Oleg Vidov and his wife. They did not allow the illegal ones to rob themselves and the legitimate Soyuzmultfilm. But the press never specified who made those claims against Oleg Vidov. But this was not the legal Soyuzmultfilm with which the agreement was signed. This is in general terms.
And Vidov did not exact any sums from Usmanov. Usmanov was no longer buying that empty piece of paper, but 500 restored films dubbed into more than 30 languages, finished marketable products that could actually be shown and earned. And the amount was determined by experts involved in similar transactions in the film industry. But the transaction amount has not yet been disclosed. Perhaps they told you about it? Or did you also take it from the same yellow press (about 10,000,000)
But this agreement itself, the right to distribute these cartoons outside the CIS, which Usmanov bought, made sense only for the studio if it sells it further, or for those who want and will do it. Usmanov had no intention of doing this and donated it to the Bibigon TV channel.
The wounded and proud artist himself did not like to discuss this topic in interviews, considering himself a philanthropist and restorer of Russian animated classics. It is possible that he had his own reasons for this (he digitized them, voiced them into English using American stars). But the way in which this renegade actor decided to appropriate Russia’s national film heritage for himself cannot be called anything other than fraud. In addition, he earned no less than $10,000,000 from the sale of 1260 cartoons to the aforementioned Usmanov. The deal took place in September 2007. The Russian entrepreneur of Uzbek origin himself, immediately after purchasing the animation achievements of Soyuzmultfilm, gave the rights to all cartoons to the children's television channel Bibigon (later it was renamed Carousel)
23 – Again, you, comrade Christian journalist, spoke like a Soviet-party journalist (a renegade actor). Oleg Vidov did not consider himself a philanthropist and restorer of Russian animated classics. First of all, there never was one. He was related to Soviet animation. Calling it a “classic”, “golden fund”, and even more so Russian, these are journalistic techniques. Soviet animation in general, including those filmed at Soyuzmultfilm, was multinational, and it would be more correct to call it Soviet.
And secondly, he did not consider himself a restorer, as you wrote, but was one. It was he who first began to restore Soviet cartoons. And if he had not taken up this task at that time, then now, perhaps, there would be nothing left to restore.
And he was the first to show how it should be done.
Well, I wrote above about what the businessman conveyed to the TV channel. With this you are again misleading your reader.
* * *
“The third millennium has arrived.
In the early 2000s, Oleg Vidov, commissioned by the Kultura channel, hosted a series of original television programs, “The Neverending History of Hollywood,” where, interviewing Hollywood celestials (in particular, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, producer Robert Evans and others), he continued to sing “ American dream" Joan Borsten was the producer of this TV project. Of his religious preferences - judging by these TV programs - he believed in the so-called reincarnation (occult false teaching about the "transmigration of souls"
24 – Let’s leave the Hollywood celestials alone, although for a Christian journalist to call someone a celestial seems like apostasy. For Orthodox journalist The celestial beings are other characters, not Mickey Rourke and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But about the fact that Oleg Vidov believed in reincarnation, which is an occult false teaching about the “transmigration of souls,” you, Boris, were clearly in a hurry. You are again demonstrating incompetence and obscurantism.
Occult teachings have nothing to do with reincarnation. The latter is related to a very ancient religious teaching. And this teaching itself exists in parallel with Christianity, but at the same time I have never heard its representatives call Christianity - Orthodoxy a false teaching. Probably, among different religious teachings there should be a certain ethics in relation to each other. Or are you a supporter of religious warriors, and, accordingly, religious obscurantism.
* * *
“Of course, Oleg Borisovich could not be denied a number of positive actions. In particular, he organized a drug treatment clinic, where assistance was provided to actors who were drug addicts and alcoholics. The artist was very proud that the patient of his clinic was the current superstar and “iron man” - Robert Downey Jr. (although it was not clear what it was more - sincere sympathy for fallen colleagues or another business special project
The artist has always been touched by such a quality of his domestic admirers as devotion. In a conversation with Mickey Rourke, he said: “If you are loved in Russia, then it will be forever.”
25 – Yes, indeed, Oleg Vidov did positive things. And it is very important that their row was very large, or long. And the clinic you mentioned is less significant than everything else.
The first is his many roles, which carry a huge charge of moral and ethical standards. The younger generation of viewers was and is being brought up today on these positive images.
The second is that he, not in words, but in deeds, came to the aid of people, and did this even when they did not ask him to do so. I learned about similar actions of his from various people who wrote to me about it. One of these cases was when Oleg Vidov saw a girl in a hospital in Moscow wheelchair with sore legs. While in Tallinn, he specially bought two beautiful long dresses for her, and upon returning to Moscow, he came to the hospital and gave a gift to a complete stranger. He always helped as much as possible different people. Unfortunately, some began to abuse this. I also know such cases.
By the way, he met his third wife Veritsa by chance in the hospital, where he came to help another woman from Yugoslavia, an actress, as S. Bondarchuk asked him to do. He knew the Serbo-Croatian language.
Third, by taking up the restoration of cartoons, he thereby saved and preserved those wonderful works of Soviet animation on which generations of Soviet viewers were brought up. And the significance of what he did in this can only be appreciated by understanding that many films shot on domestic film over the years completely lose their original color and image, and along with film defects (rips, dirt, scratches, etc.) and sound. The films leave behind unusable film. And it should be recognized that the longer this film is stored, the less suitable it becomes. He showed how it should be done. He was the first.
Fourth - He, together with his wife, saved a number of aircraft crews and the aircraft themselves during the most difficult period of the 90s. arrested in different parts of the world. It so happened that friends from Russia turned to him with this request in the early 90s.
And in addition to this, their company began organizing cargo transportation on former Soviet (CIS) aircraft of various cargoes through the UN. They then helped the aircraft fleet and crews, entire squadrons, and those people where UN cargo with necessary food products were delivered on these planes to survive.
I can name the fifth and sixth, but is it necessary to present all this to my reader and you at the moment. After all, you are so convinced that you are right that you cannot stop.
* * *
“However, it is puzzling that, anticipating his imminent death from cancer, he did not want to be buried in Russia, i.e. on native soil. Instead, his body was buried in a purely American style, that is, in the spirit of those extinct American “luminaries” and businessmen who, during their lifetime, literally idolized the Californian pagan film citadel, which ground millions of human destinies.
It happened at the Hollywood Forever cemetery in Hollywood (Los Angeles).
We are not even talking about the fact that he was not interred according to the Orthodox funeral rite, as a Russian and, probably, a baptized representative of his people (my opponent in the debate in the “Comments” chapter, Yulia Tomasheva from the USA, claims that the actor’s funeral did take place, but we need photos to prove this fact - author’s note dated June 12, 2017). Probably Joan Borsten, his American wife, stubbornly did not want this
So who did the deceased Oleg Borisovich consider himself to be? - Russian? American? Or a Masonic “citizen of the world”? The question may be grandiloquent, but relevant"
26 - as I said above - it’s difficult for you, Boris, to stop, it’s difficult to understand the moral and ethical side of it. what are you doing. Fanaticism is a terrible thing. You don't even bother to remember the simplest Christian commandments
Every person, regardless of his religious priorities, or lack thereof, has a universal human right to personal life, but your own worldview, the ability to manage your life and everything connected with it. And the question of where to be buried, like everything else, is also in the sphere of his personal law. And at the same time, any decision of a person is worthy of respect and acceptance by others.
You don’t even understand that the burial ritual has been less and less related to a religious cult for many years, not to say centuries. And this applies not only to him, but also to other rituals. So here's the choice, or better solution where to be buried and how is accepted due to real life circumstances by the majority of people living on earth, and this is done based on the principles of expediency and convenience, and not vice versa, based only on some ancient dogmas. For a person living in California in Los Angeles and an actor in particular, the most normal thing - natural was, is and will be buried in a well-groomed, equipped cemetery, where everything is always neat, beautiful, and peacocks and other birds walk around, and do not run hungry dogs.
And if you consider that most of his loved ones live in Los Angeles today, then the option of burial here becomes natural. But any sane person understands that the burial place does not in any way determine a person’s feelings - his love or not love for his homeland, the place where he was born. And all other procedures associated with human burial have undergone changes over the centuries. And they themselves, too, over time have less and less to do with the cult as such. And keep in mind that everything related to a person’s faith has a completely voluntary beginning. There can be no violence against conscience. Today is the 21st century. Or you feel nostalgia for the Middle Ages, and the Inquisition is closer to you than modern civilization. Or perhaps you are a medieval canon lost in time. Then I feel sorry for you. Think about it Boris.
Probably according to existing tradition we shouldn't have spoken ill of the dead man. However, when a socially significant figure known to millions (and who influenced the worldview of just as many millions of viewers) passes away, it seems that researchers have some moral right to analyze his career and deeds.
Unfortunately, in the case of Oleg Vidov, not everything is so simple and positive: high self-esteem, three marriages and a bunch of affairs on the side, an irresponsible attitude towards abandoned children, renegadeism, and a tendency towards business dishonesty force us to take a critical view of the achievements of the deceased a textured and talented artist who personified a number of epoch-making masterpieces of Russian cinema. At one time, he relied on treason against the Fatherland and did not even try to express any significant public regret about this, until the end of his days remaining a product of consumerist everyday philosophy, where earthly success and the thirst for prosperity are presented as
the main measure of human life
Added by the author on May 23, 2017
27 – As an epilogue, the author, as it were, summed up the conclusion. But all his generalizations are at the same information level as the previous reasoning, which I refuted in parts. And in his summing up, the author remains true to himself. Not a shadow of doubt, but “what if I’m wrong.” After all, all his information is taken from random publications similar to his own. He does not know or use any real documents, and therefore no facts. And I have a suspicion that his such a negative position comes from his personal, or someone close to him, resentment towards Oleg Vidov. It’s just not clear why. Oleg Vidov was not a saint. He was an ordinary living person, and nothing earthly was alien to him.
But he never committed any deliberate meanness. Moreover, he didn’t have a bunch of novels. As his biographer, I am very interested to know about at least a few of them. After all, this has always been known among actors. But they are silent about Oleg Vidov. But the most important thing is different. The author of the article takes the liberty of determining what is the main measure of human life.
I would like to explain to the author so that he is not mistaken - it is not your function to determine what is the main measure of human life.
This is a category of being that is not your flight.
It’s not for you to judge whether he betrayed his fatherland or not.
It is not for you to decide and determine in this case.
There are other forces and authorities.
Do not strive to be holier than the Lord God.
You can break loose and end up in hell, because you believe in it.
I remain grateful to all my readers who read this material to the end.
With respect to everyone Alexander Rudensky
Los Angeles 2017.09.27
Alexander Rudensky:
Having read it and the comments to it, I decided to write this material in the form of an open refutation of what it says, especially since those who knew Oleg Vidov asked me about it...
I decided to do this sequentially, refuting every statement of the author that, in my opinion, does not correspond to the truth.
So that my reader is not distracted by turning to the article itself, I first give a fragment of the article, and then my commentary, numbering each of them.
On May 20, 2017, Oleg Vidov was buried in Los Angeles at the prestigious Hollywood Forever cemetery. When an actor passes away from life, whose name and appearance symbolizes the symbol of an entire era, it always brings a feeling of bitterness to the soul. The same can be said about Oleg Vidov, who died on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the age of 73. For millions of fans of Russian cinema, he was associated, first of all, with the images of romantic handsome men and attractive heroes-lovers from such classic film distribution champions of the Soviet era as “Gentlemen of Fortune” (1971) by Alexander Gray and, especially, “The Headless Horseman” (1973) Vladimir Vainshtok and “Moscow, my love” (1974) by Alexander Mitta
1 - There are many precise terms and concepts in the Russian language. Although the people have a very free interpretation and use of many of them. But a professional journalist, as you define yourself, must be different from an ordinary reader.
Oleg Vidov practically does not have the role of a hero-lover in his filmography. The image or role of the “Hero-lover” carries with it
certain meaning. It is different from the "romantic hero", or the fairy-tale romantic hero."
Oleg Vidov did not have a single role as a hero-lover. Even in
“Moscow is my love” he was not in this capacity, just as these two characters were not actually lovers.
* * *
“Despite his somewhat rustic origins - his father was an economist, and his mother was a teacher in high school- Oleg Borisovich, however, thanks to the striking appearance of a handsome man (more Western than Russian type) - quickly increased his ambitions when in 1962 he immediately entered the acting department of the prestigious VGIK on the course of Boris Babochkin. »
2 – The adjective “rustic” does not combine with the noun “origin”. This is not the level of decent journalism. Look at his pedigree. He was, by the definition of some experts, a person belonging to the ideal intelligentsia. There were three in his family
generation with higher education. He is the fourth. (Grandfather, father, mother, and him.)
Ask your friends if there are many among them whose ancestors had three generations of higher education, especially St. Petersburg University before 1917. Father was a financier in the USSR Ministry of Finance, and in union ministries, and committees as head
economic department. Mother was not just a school teacher, but for a number of years a director. In addition, after the war she was on business trips in 4 countries.
Last time she was an adviser to the Minister of Public Education of Romania.
And after returning to Moscow, she was appointed inspector of the Moscow and Vladimir regions Min. education of the RSFSR. And from such a position I asked to be a director in the Moscow region. Why? - the reader who does not know that life will ask. But the fact is that school directors immediately received housing. In this case, they lived at the school. And in Moscow then they said that there was no housing and we had to wait, and renting an apartment in those years was very expensive. She waited for some time, and then asked to be transferred to the director.
* * *
“He began acting while still a student - “My Friend Kolka” (1961) by Alexander Mitta, “Blizzard” (1964) by Vladimir Basov, “An Ordinary Miracle” (1964) by Erast Garin (the first film performer of the role of the Bear before A. Abdulov), role written handsome Prince Guidon in the film adaptation of Pushkin's "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" (1966) "
3 - In 1962, Oleg Vidov did not have any ambitions, and could not have had them.
In 1960, he filmed and worked on the film “My Friend, Kolka” and then, during an expedition to the Crimea, he became acquainted with the entire filming process from the inside. He helped cameramen, lighting crews, and workers. And by the way, “My Friend, Kolka” was filmed simultaneously by two VGIK graduates: Alexey Saltykov and Alexander Mita. who at that time was still on his
"maiden" name.
And when Oleg Vidov entered the additional winter recruitment, he already had work experience, including work at a documentary film studio as a lighting specialist.
This experience helped him in the entrance exams. And dear author of the article, here is another one of your inconsistencies. He entered the course of Ya. Segel, not Babochkin. Babochkin received this course 2 years later. Well, a professional cannot take information from the first publication he comes across.
* * *
“Then - despite the severity of the Iron Curtain - the lucky young artist Filming abroad followed. The Danish film by Gabriel Axel “Red Robe” (1968, about the Scandinavian Romeo and Juliet, the role of Hagbard), the Yugoslav war super-epic “The Battle of Neretva” (1969) by Veljko Bulajic, the Italian-Mosfilm super-production of Sergei Bondarchuk “Waterloo” (1970). Following this, work in Cuba on the same “Headless Horseman” and in Japan on the same melodrama by Mitta about the love of Russian Romeo and Japanese Juliet “Moscow, My Love”.
4 - I will not comment on the words about the severity of the “Iron Curtain”. The Iron Curtain was what it needed to be for. But even at the same time, people also went on tourist and business trips abroad.
Oleg Vidov went to work. But again, “Producing a film together does not mean that the actors went abroad to film. The filming of “Waterloo” with Oleg Vidov took place in the Carpathian region, and not in Italy. And in the same way, all the scenes with Oleg Vidov in the film “Moscow, My Love” were filmed in the USSR. And again you are not accurate. Collaborative film“Moscow, My Love” was filmed by two directors and the main one, oddly enough, was a Japanese director, because the Japanese shot this film as their own business project. The money was mostly theirs. And in this film there is no Soviet or Japanese Romeo and Juliet. You are writing about cinema, not a party feuilleton.
* * *
« 1974 - at the age of only 31! - he receives the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. It seemed that (pagan) Fortune herself was trying to make the blond Russian artist her favorite. Rumor has it that the all-powerful Italian-American film magnate Dino de Laurentiis noticed him on the set of Waterloo and seriously offered him a 7-year contract in the West. However, then the ambitious Oleg Borisovich felt tied hand and foot. »
5 – From your text it becomes clear that you do not understand why suddenly in 1974 he was awarded the title “Honored Artist of the RSFSR”. I'll explain. By 1974, at least 5 films with his participation were sold to the West and he had already starred in 6 films in the West. And this is a lot of money for the USSR State Cinema Committee. This is money both for the sale of films and for contracts that foreign producers sign for his participation in filming. Accordingly, his title of “Honored Artist of the RSFSR” gives them the opportunity to raise the cost of sales and contracts. As they say nowadays – business and nothing more. Well, with so many films and their popularity, his title is not something out of the ordinary.
6 - And Dino Laurentiis offered him a contract not for Waterloo in 1970, but in 1968-69 in Yugoslavia on the set of “The Battle of Neretva”. It was the film “Isidora” by Karel Reis. Oleg Vidov was supposed to star in the role of Yesenin. But then Oleg Vidov had already separated from his first wife, and he was not allowed to do this as a single man. And what does the meaningless phrase mean – “ambitious O.B. I felt tied hand and foot.” But for a decent journalist the phrase “they are talking” is not permissible. I wonder why he was tied “hands and feet”?
* * *
“Since 1966, he was married (and favorably according to Soviet criteria) to the daughter of a KGB general, Natalya Fedotova, who was a friend of the daughter of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Galina Brezhneva, and therefore, in these circumstances, the actor was afraid to run beyond the cordon. »
7 – And he married, as the author writes, “profitably”, not in 1966 (they said so erroneously on a TV program, but you repeat), but at the end of 1970, and not to the daughter of a KGB general (taken from the novel “Spy of Fate” does not choose), but as a history teacher at the institute. And at the same time he was blind. What the benefit was for him in this case is unclear, especially considering that after this marriage and the birth of his son, his wife’s family (4 people) received a five-room apartment in the same building in exchange for a three-room apartment. There was clearly a benefit for them.
The statement that the actor was afraid of fleeing abroad is completely incomprehensible to me.
He went to many times different countries, and it was much easier for him to escape than even for Nuriev, Baryshnikov and others. He just never intended to flee anywhere from his homeland. He was well known at Goskino, and most importantly, his superiors always preferred to travel with him, considering him reliable, decent, and not expecting any trouble from him. On one trip he went with the editor-in-chief of Goskino (Tanzania, Madagascar), on another with the Deputy Chairman of Goskino (Laos), to Mexico with the Head of the Department of Goskino. and so on. And during a trip to Mexico, they flew in transit through the United States and spent the night in a hotel in New York. It’s much easier to stay not just in the West, but immediately in the USA.
* * *
“Besides, he was in great demand among prestigious directors of the USSR”
8 – But regarding the fact that he was in great demand among prestigious directors, the author of the article was in a hurry. These prestigious directors don’t exist and are even more in demand. From 1971 to 1976, when Oleg Vidov lived with his wife, friend Galya Brezhneva,
he only starred in 4-5 films. The fact is that “Gentlemen of Fortune” and “The Headless Horseman” were in work and filmed even when Oleg Vidov was not married. And these films cannot be attributed to this period. Moreover, the director who shot “Gentlemen of Fortune” was far from prestigious, not to say - on the contrary.
Remains:
– “The Lion’s Grave” (Belorusfilm) was directed by Valery Rubinchik, who knew Oleg from VGIK, and was not yet a prestigious director at that time.
– “Responsible for everything” small cameo role. (director Mr. Nathanson)
– “The Ivanov Family” supporting role - director Alexey Saltykov (a very talented director, but not prestigious at the time, and even a little out of favor)
– “Moscow, my love” - director and A. Mitta.
(whether this A. Mitta was already prestigious then is for my reader to judge)
– “The Legend of Tila” (small cameo role). directors A. Alov and V. Naumov (really prestigious, famous, but the role is very small).
There was another wonderful television film, “The Train Stops for Two Minutes,” in which Oleg Vidov played the main role. It was shot by the wonderful director Alexander Orlov, but again, whether it was prestigious at that time, judge for yourself.
And this is in great demand among prestigious directors?
* * *
“By the late 70s and early 80s, the rush of prestigious work in his career had subsided. Then, in all likelihood (according to director A. Mitta, who spoke about this version to the magazine “Caravan of Stories”) he had the idea to get permanent residence abroad in the hope of arranging a superstar career there, following the example of dancers Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. »
9 – And here again you have a puncture, dear author.
From 1977 to 1983, when Oleg Vidov got married and went to his wife in Yugoslavia, this is what he is accused of betraying the Motherland, he starred in 12 films.
Of these, two are short films that cannot be found today. (If everyone had betrayed their Motherland like this until today, then Russians would probably live much longer
better than in the 90s)
Among these films are such wonderful ones as:
- “Rudin” according to Turgenev.
– “Artem” 2-episode TV film
– “The Bat” 2-episode TV film
– “No special signs” Polish-Soviet
- "Scream of Silence"
– “Pious Martha” 2-episode TV film
- “Urgent... Secret... GubChK..”
– “Demidovs” 2-part.
It turns out to be a good damping shaft, not to say the opposite.
10 – Well, it’s not worth talking about the words of director A. Mitta, especially in the magazine “Caravan of Stories”. I know well first-hand what A. Mitta’s statements are based on. When in Japan, after the premiere of the film “Moscow - My Love,” a representative of GOSKINO told Oleg Vidov that he was preparing to star in the film “Arap of Peter the Great” with Mitta. Oleg Vidov said that he would never act in films with him again. Margarita Terekhova said the same thing, after all her scenes with Oleg Vidov were completely cut out in this film. It was professional solidarity of one actor with another. And this is also a manifestation of the actor’s true nobility. I think that few Soviet actors would refuse to star in such a film for the sake of such solidarity. And since I touched on this topic, I’ll also say about moral principles Oleg Vidov. When the director invited him to star in the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears” in the role of a television cameraman who seduces main character and leaves her with the child who was born; after reading the script, Oleg refused. And he told me: “I didn’t want to play a man who did this to a woman.” This was his human, civic position..
And my attitude towards “Caravan of Stories” is purely professional. They often have interesting information, but how it is presented, God alone is their judge. And I also know this first hand. They also offered publication to Oleg Vidov. Would you like me to send you the questions they asked? Then, with your moral and ethical requirements, if of course you have them, you will not quote them anymore.
* * *
“Our hero was also pushed to this decision by his partner in “Gentlemen of Fortune” Savely Kramarov (in common parlance “Oblique” or “Gas Mask”, so called Soviet people for treacherous sycophancy towards the American way of life), who left the Union in 1979.”
11 – I will leave the words regarding Saveliy Kramarov’s participation in Oleg Vidov’s decision on the conscience of the author. What has been written about Saveliy Kramarov borders on a violation of ethical standards, not only Christian morality. And if the author does not understand this, I feel very sorry for him. In the USSR, by the way, as in modern Russia, according to the constitution Freedom of conscience. The actor S. Kramarov, who had become an adult, whose father was imprisoned only because he defended innocently convicted people in court (by the way, among his clients there were Orthodox believers), which resulted in the death of the future actor’s mother, suddenly realized that he was a Jew and decided to get acquainted with the religion of his ancestors. What is reprehensible about this in the norms of universal morality and ethics? But for such actions he is left practically without work and at the same time is not allowed to go to his uncle. You wrote in your response to your opponents () that there is freedom of journalistic opinion and so on. Do you think that an ordinary simple person does not have the right to his opinion and his personal spiritual life, or do you think that only Orthodox believers have the right to this?
But you don’t focus on the reason for his departure, but rather attack his role. But it was not he who came up with the role and its words. He is an actor. He plays the characters that he is given to play. And if he played so beautifully that you had such aversion, then this is another plus of his skill.
And by the way. Saveliy Kramarov left in 1980, when Oleg Vidov was not yet familiar with Veritsa and was not going to any Yugoslavia, and no one could push him to do so. And from 1980 to 1985 they did not communicate..
* * *
“Having filed a long-awaited divorce from Natalya Fedotova and leaving her with her son Vyacheslav (he himself kept repeating how unhappy he was in this marriage), Vidov in 1983 left for another filming in Yugoslavia. »
12 – Oleg Vidov did not file any divorce and did not leave anyone. Natalia Fedotova herself, without informing Oleg Vidov, filed for a divorce without him and took away all his savings and the Volga car. And this happened in 1977, and was finally formalized in 1978. Oleg Vidov tried to get a fair decision on this divorce through the court. But the fairest and most humane trial that time turned out to be
on the side of Natalia Fedotova. Realizing that she received more than in full from her husband (the total amount was very decent), she calmed down and set about the next victim. She did not allow Oleg Vidov to meet with her son. The moral Christian principles that you rely on didn’t really bother her
And Oleg Vidov left for Yugoslavia five years after this final divorce. Do you want documents? They are. In other words, he did not abandon anyone with his son.
* * *
“There, an ambitious Russian hero-lover registered a fictitious marriage with a Yugoslav citizen Verica Jovanovic.”
13 – Another puncture of yours. I repeat. Oleg Vidov married Veritsa in 1983 in Moscow. And it was a normal marriage. There was nothing fictitious about it. Some time after the wedding, he submitted a travel application to the OVIR
to visit my wife in Yugoslavia. She also had relatives who wanted to see her husband. And here is the most interesting fact. If he were going to leave his homeland and so on, then he would arrange to leave for permanent place residence with his wife. And he only arranged a trip to visit. He didn't even do what he legally could.
Think about this when you talk about his betrayal.
And let you really be ashamed of your words.
* * *
“And having starred in several films in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the actor unexpectedly, in what is called a cunning maneuver - in the trunk of a friend’s car - illegally crossed the border of Austria, where he asked for political asylum (!)."
14 – Now about the tricky maneuver in the trunk.
When Oleg Vidov divorced Veritsa in 1985, the Yugoslav police called him and reminded him that he was visiting his wife, and now... and that he must leave Yugoslavia. And although, in my opinion, he could have found a way to stay in Yugoslavia (getting married again was not a problem, or something else), he decided with his actor friend to go to Austria to visit him. They went to the Austrian embassy, where Oleg Vidov was recognized by the embassy consul. While working at the embassy in Mongolia, he watched many Soviet films. Oleg Vidov received a visitor visa and he and Marian went to Ljubljana to pick up his wife and small child. They went to Austria in a red Mercedes because it had its own house in the mountains not far from the Yugoslav border. The road went through the mountains. They arrived at the border late in the evening. Oleg was sitting in the seat next to the driver, his friend, and his wife Mariana and her child were in the back. The border guards, who were watching TV at that time and looked out at Marian’s signal, knew his car and him well. He often traveled there to his home in Austria and back. They raised the barrier and the Mercedes drove to the Austrian checkpoint. There, the border guard, seeing a Soviet passport, said that in many years of work at the border it was the first time he had seen a Soviet passport. There was an Austrian visa, and they calmly went home to Marian.
Accordingly, there was no need for Oleg Vidov to ask for political asylum. And if the respected author asks everyone to show him evidence, then I want to ask him to show me the evidence where he read that Oleg Vidov asked for political asylum. There was no such publication in any Soviet or Western newspaper or radio at that time...
* * *
“On the other side of the Austrian border (according to another defector, film critic Igor Kokarev), journalist Joan Borsten, who later became his third and final wife, was already waiting for him. And after some time, Vidov moved to Italy, from where he already reached the “coveted” America and the Hollywood Hills in 1985, where he began, together with Kramarov (who had just spat on his homeland in the film lampoon directed by Paul Mazursky, “Moscow on the Hudson”, 1984) began to offer his acting services to the overseas film crowd"
15 – Regarding the defector Igor Kokarev, there is not just a puncture, but a big hole. When I asked if Igor Kokarev Shvets knew Boris, he said no. He gave one interview by phone, but he doesn’t remember who. Moreover, Igor Kokarev
I have never been a defector at all. And the meaning of his words in the interview was that Joan was psychologically ready to meet a man from strange country. This is what the Italian director predicted to her during an interview.
Well, the fact that the American journalist Joan Borsten was waiting for him on the Austrian border is a complete fantasy. The very first thing is that she had never been involved in Soviet cinema, and did not know Oleg Vidov at all. Even when they met in Richard Harrison's house in Rome, even then she had no idea who he was.
That was until they met an American journalist in Rome who knew Oleg Vidov from International Film Festivals. He asked him: “Oleg Vidov, what are you doing here?” Joan was very surprised that her American colleague knew this Russian. And then he said, “Don’t you know, this is Russian Redford.” »
And I already said something about the coveted America. If America (USA) had been desirable for him, then he could have stayed in it even when he spent the night in New York on the way to Mexico.
And it is quite possible that if he had not met Joan in Italy, he would not have aspired to America...
* * *
“For three long years, the former first handsome man of Russian-language cinema has been knocking on the thresholds of production offices in the West. And for all three years he was stubbornly not allowed further into various kinds of extras, citing at the same time his appearance was too peculiar, “which is not suitable for the role for a number of cute reasons.” Finally, the famous director of the box office action films “48 Hours”, “The Warriors” and “Streets on Fire” Walter Hill agreed to try Vidov in his hot police movie “Red Heat” (1988), where he entrusted him with the small role of Arnie Schwarzenegger’s hero’s friend - a Russian policeman Yuri Ogarkov, who dies from the main villain’s bullet. But watch former star Soviet screen, dressed up in a police overcoat (besides, already burring in Russian, but in an American dialect) and manneredly behaving in the frame - not a serious spectacle. Especially for his admirers from the former USSR"
16 – And here I want to draw the attention of both the author and my reader to how the author describes Oleg Vidov. In the comments he writes that he did not insult anyone. It is possible that at his level only swearing is considered an insult.
But for a Christian journalist who cares about the moral character of moviegoers, I consider even this level unacceptable.
The first thing I already wrote above about Kramarov who spat on him. And I want to remind you that a person’s impressions of films and actors’ performances are a subjective factor. And the specifics and words used by the author of the article correspond in level to some ordered articles in the Soviet party press, when it was necessary to deal with someone objectionable, but when this is done by a journalist of a free Russia today. then I have the feeling that this is also not just like that. Freedom in journalism is not permissiveness. At the same time, the text in the article smacks of religious fanaticism. But this has nothing to do with the real education of moral principles in the viewer. And they are not a privilege of Orthodoxy, but are a common human property and have very specific, and not invented, values.
And the second thing is that Oleg Vidov did not try to offer himself to anyone, and even when his former colleagues told him to go and act, he did not try to do this. Larisa Eremina, who was the first in Los Angeles to interview him, and actor Ilya Baskin told me about this. Oleg generally worked at a construction site for some time, and this is well known.
17 – And during the first time of his life in America, Oleg Vidov was engaged in improving his English language., Joan helped him a lot in this, who flew to Los Angeles three months later. She forced him to speak only English and, for this purpose, to communicate as little as possible with the Russian-speaking environment and created communication with English-speaking acquaintances. And this gave its results over time.
From the fall of 1985 to 1988, Oleg Vidov did a lot of things. There was an offer to star in a TV series, but they decided that Oleg Vidov was not yet ready for this. He could not yet learn daily roles in English.
And the author of the article distorts the facts when talking about the filming of “Red Heat.” The director was advised to watch Oleg Vidov, suggesting him for the role of the main criminal. But when he saw Oleg, he said that he had kind eyes and offered him the role of Schwarzenegger’s partner. And it is not Oleg Vidov’s fault that the film industry in Hollywood sought to cast Russian actors in certain roles, in certain plots. Genre themes in Hollywood business projects have always been at the most important place.
Hollywood has its own ideology. But apart from two big films
“Red Heat” and “Wild Orchid” Oleg Vidov, together with Joan, wrote and directed a short film - “The Emerald Princess” about how two American children find themselves in a Russian fairy tale, and in this film he played the simple role of a king. And the whole film was for children. The film was made with a very small budget. And at the New York Film Festival, their film received one of the prizes.
They also created their own company for this filming in order to work fully. But I always want to ask the author a question: Why does he find such words and phrases, thereby clearly humiliating the person he writes about. For example:
- pagan fortune,
- dressed in a police uniform
- burr in Russian in an American dialect and others.
And here's another. There is no need to take on the function of arbiter of Oleg Vidov’s numerous admirers and admirers. They themselves are able to say which of his roles they like.
Igor Kokarev:
Boris, really, would you take down your article, huh? Or maybe, having carefully read the comments, they would have rewritten it. Today, what is written with a pen can be cut down with an axe. In this case, this must be done. First of all, because one of the young people will read it, God forbid, and then go prove whose daughter is Fedotova and what Joan and Oleg did for Soviet animation. I will not give you evidence, as you demand. No strength. You'll have to take my word for it. By the way, about Soviet animation: Oleg immediately returned 90% of the films he took and worked only with the best. See my large article in the SK-Novosti newspaper, I was at the trial in New York and I know first-hand... By the way, if you are talking about me, then, to be precise, I am not a defector, but a “foreign agent.” Again, see also my book “Confession of a “Foreign Agent” about this - there are a lot of details there...
By God, do something, don’t argue with me, or Tomasheva, or anyone. Just respect Oleg, don’t spoil the memory of this amazingly handsome man, beloved actor and worthy person…:
I watched a rerun of the 2011 “Live Broadcast” program about Savely Kramarov, in which Vidov reminded of himself. I only found out who Vidov was from photos of his old films. I was young then and had no interest in remembering the names of all the actors. Especially those who fled our country like that. Yes, beautiful and talented. Were. After reading this article and comment I felt so disgusted. It’s disgusting from all these people who danced on the bones of our collapse, and even got richer. How many of our talented actresses and actors died in poverty over recent years. There is, of course, nothing good in this and it is shameful for the country, but the people remained real - people of honor and conscience. Compared to them, Vidov loses both as an actor and as a person. I would sit there quietly and not remind anyone of myself.
Films with the participation of Oleg Vidov are still remembered and loved: “The Headless Horseman”, “Blizzard”, “An Ordinary Miracle”, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, “Gentlemen of Fortune”, “Moscow, My Love”. However, in the early 1980s, the blue-eyed idol of millions suddenly disappeared from Soviet screens - he was one of the first film actors to leave for the West.
AiF.ru recalls the life of a popular artist who was banned in his homeland.
Gentleman of fortune
Vidov said about himself: “Difficulties do not frighten me. As long as they don’t touch me, don’t order me around...” He started working early - at the age of 14. In the work book of the Honored Artist of the USSR there are records of work as an electrician and even as an orderly. However, after graduating from school, the young man decided to radically change his life and went to the acting department at VGIK.
The directors quickly noticed the spectacular blond and, while still a student, began inviting him to episodic but striking roles: a cyclist with an umbrella in “I'm Walking Around Moscow,” the brother of the main character in “If You're Right,” a polar explorer in “On Duty.” When the aspiring artist received an invitation to play the main role in the film adaptation of Pushkin’s story “The Snowstorm,” VGIK forbade the student to participate in the filming. The principled young man made his choice, for which he was immediately expelled from the university.
Director Alexander Ptushko and the leading actors in the film “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” are actors Oksana Ryabinkina and Oleg Vidov. 1966 Photo: RIA Novosti/Mikhail Ozersky
Public recognition and new roles were not long in coming: Pushkin’s Vladimir was followed by the Bear in “An Ordinary Miracle” and Prince Guidon in “The Tale of Tsar Saltan.” Even the leadership of VGIK admitted their mistake and reconsidered the decision to expel the talented student. Vidov was allowed to immediately return to the fifth year, and the sought-after actor passed the academic difference in just eight months.
We can safely say that every new film with Vidov’s participation ended up in the golden fund of Soviet cinema, and the actor became one of the most promising artists of the Soviet screen. The actor’s greatest popularity came from filming the Soviet-Cuban film “The Headless Horseman” based on the novel by Myne Reid.
Oleg Vidov as Maurice Gerald in the film “The Headless Horseman”, 1973. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
About shiny acting career like Vidov, many did not even dream of: he was not only known as a star of the domestic screen, but also regularly received invitations to participate in foreign projects. However gossips It was rumored that the secret of the artist’s success was a profitable marriage. Vidov married the daughter of KGB general Natalya Fedotova, who was a close friend of Galina Brezhneva, the daughter of the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee.
What do you remember about Soviet and American film actor Oleg Vidov? Vidov himself categorically denied any rumors about “blat”; nevertheless, the happy film career of the Honored Artist of the RSFSR ended as soon as he got divorced. Domestic directors gradually stopped giving Vidov good roles, and Soviet officials, with the words: “We don’t need Western stars in the Soviet Union,” prohibited him from filming in the most interesting foreign projects.
The actor himself recalled the disgrace like this: “In 1976, I divorced Natalya Fedotova. I was not allowed to communicate with my son Vyacheslav. Regular attempts ex-wife ruining my life and career then served as one of the reasons for my departure... When I graduated from the directing department of VGIK in 1978, the institute’s management was faced with a choice: to award me a diploma or not, because “from above” they demanded “not to issue it!” . Thank God I received my diploma. And then - for the same reason - how many roles I lost!”
Oleg Vidov with his son. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Once popular artist to fix own life, saw only one way out - to leave the USSR. He got this chance in 1983 in Yugoslavia, where he was finishing work on the film “Orchestra”. At this time, Vidov received a telegram demanding that he return to Moscow within 72 hours, but instead he left for Austria, and from there to Italy.
So Vidov ended up in the West, where, along with political asylum, he found a real home: very soon he met his American wife and moved to live in the USA.
Ours in Hollywood
In America, the popular Soviet actor had to start everything from scratch: first he worked in a factory, and only then made his way to Hollywood.
Oleg Vidov and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film “Red Heat”, 1988. Photo: Still from the film
His first American film was “Red Heat,” where the Soviet actor’s partner was the “Terminator” himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then Vidov shot the short film “The Legend of the Emerald Princess” for the Disney Channel, where he himself played the main role. And then there was “Wild Orchid,” in which the Soviet “Prince Guidon” starred with Mickey Rourke, Jacqueline Bisset and Kerry Otis. Only in 1993, the disgraced Vidov returned to domestic screens - he played in the Russian-American film “Three Days in August,” dedicated to the August putsch in Russia.
Vidov is rightly considered one of the few Soviet actors who managed to continue his professional career in Hollywood. It is not surprising that the former idol of Soviet moviegoers did not regret his choice. And when the aged Vidov Russian journalists asked if he was happy in America, the actor replied: “In the Union, people’s hands were cut off; it was impossible to do anything. And here - please, go along any path. If you want, you can even become a millionaire, just work hard. People are respected here, even if your language is bad.”
Oleg Vidov. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
In 1976, Vidov divorced his wife. Natalya not only forbade him to communicate with her son Vyacheslav, but also tried to ruin his film career. “From above” even put pressure on the leadership of VGIK, demanding that Oleg not be given a director’s diploma. However, he still received it.
They stopped giving Vidov decent roles. In addition, most of the money he earned from filming foreign films went to the state treasury.
Oleg Borisovich began to think about leaving abroad, where he could live freely, where no one would “harass” him... The last straw was the cinematic authorities’ ban on concluding a seven-year contract with the Italian-American producer Dino De Laurentiis. Soviet officials said: “We don’t need Western stars in the Soviet Union.” The actor was not allowed to play Yesenin in the film “Isadora’s Lovers” by British director Karel Reisz. Reish was told that Vidov allegedly “fell ill”...
In 1983, Vidov was invited to star in the next Yugoslav film “Orchestra”. Despite his disgrace, he managed to travel to Belgrade on a tourist visa. Remaining in Yugoslavia, he starred in several films and TV series. However, in 1985, his native “authorities” found him and demanded that Oleg return to the USSR within 72 hours. A friend, Austrian actor Marian Srink, hid it in his car and drove it across the border into Austria. So Vidov ended up in the West, where he asked for political asylum. From Austria he moved to Italy, where he met his future wife, American producer and journalist Joan Borsten. Together they left for the USA, where their son Sergei was born...
Oleg Vidov was one of the most popular Soviet actors. And one of the few who managed to star in foreign films. What made the Honored Artist of the RSFSR secretly flee to the West in the early 80s?
Foreign film star
Oleg Borisovich Vidov was born on June 11, 1943 in Vidnoye, near Moscow. Father, Boris Nikolaevich Garnevich, was an economist, mother, Varvara Ivanovna Vidova, was a school director. Since childhood, the boy was interested in music and cinema. After school, Oleg initially worked as an electrician, but in 1960 he played his first film role - a tiny episode in A. Saltykov’s film “My Friend, Kolka!” In 1962, he successfully passed the exams for the acting department of VGIK and was enrolled in the workshop of Yuri Pobedonostsev and Yakov Segel.
While still a student, Vidov starred in “The Snowstorm” by Vladimir Basov, “An Ordinary Miracle” by Erast Garin, and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by Alexander Ptushko. And in the leading roles! And in 1966, the Danish director Gabriel Axel invited him to play the main male role in the film “The Red Robe” based on the ancient Scandinavian sagas - the actor was very suitable for the type, and the auditions were successful.
In the late 60s, Oleg married the daughter of a KGB general, Natalya Fedotova, a close friend of Galina Brezhneva. Perhaps the profitable marriage contributed to the actor’s further career. One way or another, he continued to be invited to appear in foreign films. These were mainly Yugoslav films - “The Battle of the Neretva”, “Do not mention the cause of death”, “Poison”... His main role in the Soviet-Cuban film “The Headless Horseman” (1971) based on the famous novel by Mine Reid became truly stellar for him. . This film became especially popular among Soviet teenagers.
In 1973, Vidov also entered the directing department of VGIK. In parallel with his studies, he continued to act in films. So, in 1974 he starred in the Soviet-Japanese film “Moscow, My Love”, and in 1976 - in the film “The Legend of Tila” by V. Alov and A. Naumov.
Opal
In 1976, Vidov divorced his wife. Natalya not only forbade him to communicate with her son Vyacheslav, but also tried to ruin his film career. “From above” even put pressure on the leadership of VGIK, demanding that Oleg not be given a director’s diploma. However, he still received it.
They stopped giving Vidov decent roles. In addition, most of the money he earned from filming foreign films went to the state treasury.
Oleg Borisovich began to think about leaving abroad, where he could live freely, where no one would “harass” him... The last straw was the cinematic authorities’ ban on concluding a seven-year contract with the Italian-American producer Dino De Laurentiis. Soviet officials said: “We don’t need Western stars in the Soviet Union.” The actor was not allowed to play Yesenin in the film “Isadora’s Lovers” by British director Karel Reisz. Reish was told that Vidov allegedly “fell ill”...
In 1983, Vidov was invited to star in the next Yugoslav film “Orchestra”. Despite his disgrace, he managed to travel to Belgrade on a tourist visa. Remaining in Yugoslavia, he starred in several films and TV series. However, in 1985, his native “authorities” found him and demanded that Oleg return to the USSR within 72 hours. A friend, Austrian actor Marian Srink, hid it in his car and drove it across the border into Austria. So Vidov ended up in the West, where he asked for political asylum. From Austria he moved to Italy, where he met his future wife, American producer and journalist Joan Borsten. Together they left for the USA, where their son Sergei was born...
Our man in Hollywood
Oleg Vidov became the only Soviet artist who really managed to build a successful career in Hollywood. His first American film was the film Red Heat. Then Vidov shot the short film “The Legend of the Emerald Princess” for the Disney Channel and starred in the title role. The film received a prize at the New York Film Festival. Offers from American directors followed. He starred in “Wild Orchid”, then there were the films “Captive of Time”, “Love Story”, “Immortals”, “My Antonia”... In 1993, Vidov, after a long break, appeared on Russian screens - in the film “Three Days in August" about the August putsch in Russia in 1991.
The last film with his participation was released in the USA in 2014. On May 16, 2017, Oleg Vidov died in the USA at the age of 74.
