Change of age of Elena Kondulainen

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Elena Kondulainen is one of those actresses whose on-screen image is formed not so much by film works as by offscreen shocking of the viewer. Becoming one of the first sex symbols of our cinema after filming in the film "One Hundred Days Before the Order", she founded "Party of Love", to join which were not considered shameful such public figures as Alexander Panktarov-Cherny, Mikhail Zvezdinsky, Boris Khmelnitsky, Maria Arbatova and others.

Only the enumeration of the names of the divisions of this organization (faction "Love for blondes", "Love for brunettes", "Former womanizers", "Free love", etc.) in the early 90s. was enough to shock or at least confuse a respectable man in the street.

Then her ideological leader went on maternity leave, and they began to forget about the unusual association. But even the short existence of the party, mixed with rumors and speculation, strengthened the trail with a tinge of scandalousness that accompanied Kondulainen.

Soon, the actress returned not only to the screen, but also to the stage. She began to perform in concert programs, performing romances and songs of her own composition. And more recently she appeared in the popular TV project "The Last Hero-3".

It was with him that I wanted to start a conversation with Elena, but she refused to develop this topic. Moreover, the whole conversation went in a different direction and tone than could have been assumed based on the actress's on-screen image. However, judge for yourself …

- I am currently rehearsing the play "All About Eve" at the Kinoactor Theater, - Kondulainen began her story. - Once I started working with her at the Comedy Theater. N. P. Akimov in Leningrad. I came there in 1986 for this play. And it was Eve who rehearsed. And now, 17 years later, I'm already rehearsing Margot, a famous actress, a star - in the film of the same name, she was played by Bette Davis. This is a very interesting piece, showing not only the scene, but also its behind the scenes. The director of the play is Gennady Seifulin, who once drew me to theatrical life in Moscow. For a long time after moving from Leningrad to Moscow, I did not want to return to the theater, because I did not see a director who would be interesting to me in my work. I worked and studied with Dodin. And my leader was Tovstonogov, and we, the students, all the time went to the performances of the BDT. This is a very high class school. And therefore it was difficult for me to decide in the future. And the theater was in some wrong shape for a long time, everything was being rebuilt. And now the theater is booming, there are a lot of entreprise and there are very interesting productions.

- Yes, I also play two performances at the Luna Theater - Lips and The Journey of Amateurs. And I also have a premiere at the branch of the Mayakovsky Theater, on Sukharevskaya. There I have the role of Cleopatra in the play by Julius Edlis "Shadow Play". This is a performance by a novice director. So I started working with young people. There we also have hooliganism.

- Well, yes, for example, interesting love scenes, - Elena replies a little coquettishly. “But at the same time, this is a performance for viewers who like to think. Because the material is very strong. And there is so much text. And such a pleasure to speak it. Artists usually don't remember the lyrics well. And I remember well and a lot.

- You know, I tried to work in serials, but I don't like it. This is still a low level. And there was always depth in me. Another thing is that I have not shown it before, and in the cinema I was used superficially, although I starred in almost 40 films. Now I am saving myself for new projects. I am a very addicted person and I think that an actress has no right to sit for a long time in the same roles. But few decent jobs are offered. I don’t watch TV shows. I was lucky though. For example, I starred in "Maroseyka 12", but this series was filmed like a movie. And there are independent series. And now I also starred in a four-part comedy.

- And it is very easy for me with everyone. Just because I always have no complaints about artists. And I hate conflict. I am of the opinion that one should look for mistakes in oneself, and not others. Therefore, I never get annoyed.

- I don't have this pair at all. The scale of my internal problems - by virtue of my character - is not everyday. I keep thinking "to be or not to be". Therefore, many things do not affect me: I look at them and think that paying attention to them is beneath my dignity. I can get upset, cry about something. Because there are problems in the world. They bullied me all the way about this. "Lena, why are you so sad? Is there a coup in Peru or elsewhere?" I am very worried that people are unhappy, that someone is starving, someone is hard to live. This injustice upsets me. I cry internally all the time.

- How will I take part in my power? The fact of the matter is that I understand that I can do nothing. Although, when I created my Party of Love, everyone was angry and did not think about love. And in this way I tried to instill kindness. And I noticed that gradually some programs about love appeared. The thought has gone. Probably, my idea served as a very good impetus for people to relax and remember about love. They say that evil is more productive than good. Because if you impose your good, it can turn into evil. Therefore, you simply have to prove your position with your example, with your life. And you need to be close to ordinary people, and not stand out in your star status. The period of feeling that I am a star and therefore should be different and break out has passed.

- That's right, and it was an absolutely native period. I never lied. I lived and reflected reality. What was happening, I reflected - I did not fake and did not play. Then there was such a time. Now I feel in a different way what is happening around me. This, probably, is the popularity of the artist and his relevance. He should be himself, feel life and portray it in his roles.

- Why? I see myself from the outside and know what I was. I was sincere. Note that no one repeated me. There is no more such a shocking figure. If she appeared, it would be false. She simply would not have been accepted like me. The atmosphere of time has changed, and I have changed with it. And now another heroine is required - shy, modest, not screaming about herself, but suffering.

- Yes. Because now is the time of great suffering. There is a war in Chechnya. Karmadon happened. Nord-Ost. In general, our nation is suffering. And Dostoevsky is from here and all deeply suffering people. Now is the time. Feeling of great trouble. There is no comfort. There is more money, but there is no joy and happiness, fun. We've lost something. And this eternal pursuit of the good is precisely what destroys our happiness. Because there is no limit to this desire to "live well". Therefore, we are unhappy all the time. We used to value other categories - friendship, love.

- Why should it be fun? To be honest, I'm tired of being a pea jester. I believe that I was him. I amused everyone, inspired everyone. She said: "Come on, let's". And so people slapped me in response …

- Yes. You're having fun - well, get it. Morally, psychologically. I was not accepted, loved and understood. They were different. They thought: "Why is she like that, if everything is so bad?" And I became like everyone else.

- Well, now they understand and accept me. Everybody is good. Only I feel bad. And then I felt good.

- And I do not direct anything. As it happens, it happens. Now it is like this. This period has come. I got it in the face properly, and now I'm in this state. Maybe after a while this will pass for me, and I will become what I was before - funny.

- Since last summer. This is a long period for me. A lot of everything happened, and I had a rethinking. On the other hand, a person also grows up. I was all 16 years old, and now I am already 25 (laughs). And for others, I am even more interesting in this new capacity and age.