Evgeny Steblov: "It used to be bad form to talk about fame"

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

He is charming, subtle, intelligent, while remaining natural and modest in any circumstances. One can guess in him belonging to an old noble family.

His great-grandfather, General Pavel Pavlovich Steblov, at one time was a deputy of the Rybinsk City Duma, served as a full state councilor.

Colleagues-filmmakers say about Evgeny Steblov: a man of high moral standard. And the audience recognized and fell in love with him after the release of the films "I walk around Moscow", "Slave of love", "For family reasons", "The Dog of the Baskervilles". On the screen, he embodied the image of an ideal family man and did not part with him in life.

About culture, spiritual development, true love and unexpected turns of his fate, Evgeny Yuryevich talked with the correspondent of "Cleo".

Evgeny Yurievich, 2014 has been declared the Year of Culture in Russia. The slogan on the posters is: "Culture changes us!" Do you agree with this wording?

Blitz "Cleo":

- Are you friends with the Internet?

- I do not depend on the network, I do not think that it is progressive.

- What is an unacceptable luxury for you?

- I can’t answer, I don’t know, I never thought about it.

- Which animal do you associate yourself with?

- In general, a person is a potential beast and a potential angel.

- Did you have a nickname as a child?

- No.

- What turns you on?

- Turns on is an ambiguous word. Work starts.

- Are you an owl or a lark?

- Lark.

- What is your psychological age?

- I feel at my age.

- Do you have a talisman?

- I always have a cross.

- How do you relieve stress?

- In the country.

- What melody is on your mobile?

- Normal.

- What is your favorite aphorism?

- I live by the principle: do what you must - and come what may.

Culture changes us if we ourselves are drawn to it, if we want to change. And then there's the question of what kind of culture. It can be different. For me, as an Orthodox person, culture should be based on moral values, Christian ones. But now our European civilization is actively moving away from them, to the extent that one of the founding countries of Christian civilization France supports gay culture under the auspices of universal human values. Therefore, I can say that “Culture changes us” is a somewhat sly slogan. Ask them what a person is, they will not answer. In my opinion, a person is a potential beast, and on the other hand, a potential angel and lives between these two poles. And the further we move from the beast to the angel, the greater the chances of salvation. And I, as an Orthodox person, believe in salvation. Therefore, so … And when by culture is meant the freedom of some own manifestations - this is not good! Then, after all, not all manifestations can be attributed to the concept of "culture". Here in the pictures the mat is legalized. What is so good about it? It's sad that artists cannot express themselves otherwise! They say to themselves in excuse: "Well, it's true!" But the truth is different: there is the truth of the degraded, and there is the truth of high spiritual standards. Here, look, the classics of Russian culture: Dostoevsky, Pushkin and others, did they become less expressive because they did not use profanity? No! Vice versa! You can say that our poets also had joking epigrams with obscenities. But you must agree, if Yesenin and Pushkin left behind only this, we would not remember them. Therefore, culture is an extensible concept, everyone determines for himself what this concept means to him.

How, in your opinion, has the function of art changed? Once upon a time art brought up, excited, and today it very often comes down to the verb "surprises", for example, with pools on the stage

When there is nothing more to say to the viewer, then they really resort to external effects! Because they can do nothing else! I will be 69 years old soon! I was lucky to work with outstanding masters: Faina Ranevskaya, Lyubov Orlova, etc. They were bright people and in many ways mischievous. The acting profession is impossible without mischief! But they knew the high science of self-restraint. True culture is the science of self-restraint.

Today the younger generation of artists dreams of fame. Was everything different in Soviet times?

Quite right. In our country, it was generally considered bad form to talk about fame out loud. Maybe someone in the depths of his soul dreamed, but it was never said out loud. And in general, then if they went to study as actors, then for the sake of the profession, and not fame. I was lucky not only to know, but also to work with Faina Ranevskaya, Lyubov Orlova! Lyubov Petrovna, although she was a superstar, but how she understood responsibility! What an intelligent person she was! That is why she left such a mark that she is still remembered to this day! Fragile Cinderella, princess! Not touchy, not in that sense! There was a certain inaccessibility in her, which caused the desire to bow, not touch her hands, namely, to bow before this woman!

Today we are ready to call everything a talent! I disagree with that! Talent is plus one more ability, the ability for self-development.

How would you formulate what real talent is?

Today we are ready to call everything a talent! Any gift, any ability is a talent. I disagree with that! Talent is plus one more ability, the ability for self-development.

Is there something that you will never do for the sake of work?

(Thoughtfully.) Perhaps there is! I will never lie in a coffin in the cinema or in the theater. It just doesn't need to be done and that's it! I talked about this with my son, he replies simply: no need, that's all, later we'll understand why.

How comfortable do you feel today in art, in modern society, which has been captured by information technology?

First of all, I am an Orthodox person. My freedom is in God. Of course, there are many things to come to terms with. Humility is a very difficult science and a difficult path, and it is practically endless. You have to humble yourself all the time! I don't like modern slang: in life, like that, in fact … These are all thieves' words! During my youth, of course, there was also slang, but we had limitations: it was only possible to speak it in the yard. And now, in this sense, complete freedom. But do you know what makes you happy? A lot of Orthodox youth have appeared. Young mothers with children come to services, it's nice to watch! There are many good, cultured, educated young people, this is very good.

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But all the same, how has the concept of "love" changed in modern society, has it transformed?

Love is a gift from God. Someone is given to comprehend this feeling, someone is not given! Someone takes something else for love. This is all individual. And it has always been that way. But true love does not pass, it elevates. I don't understand men who collect women. It seems to me that this speaks of a certain inconsistency in love. All stages must be passed with one, your woman.

Love is a gift from God. Someone is given to comprehend this feeling, someone is not given! Someone else takes something else for love.

Your son, like you, was engaged in creative work, but went to a monastery. Was it his deliberate choice?

Of course! Without a doubt! Once gone, it means that it was so pleasing to God. It's sad that my family ended there, but from the point of view of Orthodoxy, spiritual connection is more important, everything else is relative.

How did you come to God? Influenced by the grandmother who graduated from the theological school?

Everything was gradual. But I was born a believer. Grew up to the bell ringing. We lived near the Riga station, and there was a church nearby. I've always been drawn to the churchyard. I went to Orthodoxy for a long time. I was baptized when I was over 30. But the rethinking of life happened when I had a serious accident, miraculously survived, there were the most difficult operations and a long recovery process. It was then that the Lord seemed to stop me, I rewound my life back, my worldview changed a lot.