- What sports are you interested in?
- Hockey, football, running, swimming since childhood, this is my sport. I reached the youth level and graduated. In winter - snowboarding, in summer - wakeboarding. I try to find time, but usually I don’t have it. Well, of course, the gym. Depending on the role, you have to either gain muscle mass or lose muscle mass, we constantly walk along such a parabola.
- Did you start playing hockey after your role in the TV series “Molodezhka” or before?
- I played yard hockey before Molodezhka. Then I started playing in the Night Hockey League - there are many divisions and teams by level. Last year, for example, we flew to Sochi with the team and won our division. Everyone was surprised, since we didn’t have a single professional hockey player in our lineup.
- What kind of team?
- The team with which I flew to Sochi is called “KomAr” - a team of artists. It was organized by producer Alexander Morozov, and there are a huge number of stars.
- What is special about hockey training?
- Hockey is a cool sport, it really changes you a little. This is a sport for absolutely fearless people. No other sport has as many injuries as in hockey. In Sochi, for example, in the semi-finals I lay down under the puck. We won this match at the cost of partially damaging me. My hip was knocked out and I limped for four days. In hockey you don’t think with your head, there are instincts - as soon as you immerse yourself in this game, reflexive thinking begins and fear goes away.
- Did you study hockey specifically for filming the series?
- We were prepared very seriously, almost in the same way as an adult team is prepared before the season, the so-called hockey training camp. Three times a week we had ice, three times a week we had land. The task was to somehow put us on skates in a few months, so that in the frame we would understand what a puck is, how to throw it with a stick, how to pass it, see a partner, raise our heads, so that there would be no misunderstandings during the filming process.
- What about your passion for snowboarding? How long have you been choosing between a board and skis?
- At the age of 11 I tried to ski and then until I was 25 I completely forgot and didn’t even remember about it. I bought my first snowboard when I was 25 years old. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t get on the board until I bought a car. I couldn’t imagine a situation where, after riding, all tired and wet, I was shaking on the train ( laughs).
- What does it mean to you to ride a board?
- Snowboarding is part of my culture, which appeared around the age of 14. At that time, I began to devote a lot of time to hip-hop - not only music and dance, but also philosophy. He wore wide pants, caps, bandanas, hoodies, and durags. Now I'm 28 and have grown out of the hip-hop culture a little, but I can still afford to dress like that sometimes.
“Snowboarding is a dream”
- How do you see yourself when you are on the board?
- There are different areas of snowboarding: simple skating, freestyle (jumping on springboards), jibbing (sliding along railings, walls, etc.), freeride and off-piste. And each direction has its own difficulties. I like stunts, I like jumping, for me this is a thrill - on ramps, in pyramids. The most difficult thing is to get coordination. In snowboarding, your body position is completely unusual, because in any winter sport your body position is natural: you ride facing forward, and then you just need to find your balance. In snowboarding you stand awkwardly, it’s unusual for your body, so it’s difficult. The most difficult thing is to overcome yourself and slide down once from start to finish without falling once.
- How long have you been skating?
- I’m skating for the third season, but I’m lying. With my trademark “months without days off” schedule, sometimes it just happens that there is no opportunity to ride. If I manage to get out to the Moscow region at least ten times during the winter, I consider it a successful season. Last year, for the first time in my life, I learned what mountains are. I flew with friends to Sheregesh. This year, for the first time in my life, I learned what Krasnaya Polyana is. This is my first serious experience in the mountains, and, of course, after a tiny track in the Moscow region, the mountains are just space.
- Are there any idols among pro-riders?
- I think Travis Rice is the coolest snowboarder. A person perceives extreme sports as a philosophy, as the meaning of life. For me, any business that you do, to which you devote yourself completely, should fill you so much that you will not perceive it as a fan, it is much more. People who engage in snowboarding because they see the meaning of life in it is very cool. I watched the movie "Phase Four" with Travis and a new world opened up for me. Before that, I snowboarded simply because I liked it, and after this film I left the hall as a different person and realized that snowboarding was something different for me.
"The snowboarder's path is a little special"
- What are your impressions of Quiksilver New Star Camp?
- Very cool organization. A huge advantage of this festival is that here you are completely disconnected from the outside world, from Moscow, to which you will have to return and worries and affairs will overwhelm you there. Everything here is beautifully done, it’s as if you find yourself in a special world where skiers and snowboarders come, hang out, ride and have fun.
-Where have you already been?
- I went around almost all the tracks, watched in the park how pro riders perform all their tricks in big air. Every time I look at a person who makes 6, 8 or even 3 turns, and I think: he may not land now. It's so tough, for me it's space, crazy guys
- What about your plans for the future? Which athlete would you like to play in a movie?
- Since I wouldn’t need an understudy for swimming, I would gladly play one of the famous Soviet or Russian swimmers.
As for the snowboarder, I don’t know how relevant this is in our country, maybe something about Vic Wild. I would really love to play a figure skater, especially after Ice Age, which I took part in in the fall. He would play Alexei Yagudin, one of the Soviet hotbeds. Figure skating is absolutely our sport.
He is organic both in the role of Yegor Shchukin in the series “Molodezhka” on the STS channel and in the role of Mowgli on the stage of the Moscow Provincial Theater. Sasha told OK! about his love for the profession and his sports hobbies.
Photo: Olga Tuponogova-Volkova
Sasha and I met at the VTB Ice Palace after the press screening of new episodes of Molodezhka. From the window of the box where the presentation took place, a huge arena is visible: hockey players from the Moscow and Vladivostok teams are in full swing preparing for the upcoming Dynamo - Admiral match. It was here that the shooting of “Molodezhka” took place.
Sasha, aren't you tired after the event?
What, do I have to do push-ups? ( Smiles.)
Are you ready?
Certainly! I am an athlete to the core. ( Laughs.) Usually I have every month planned in advance: hockey, football, athletics, acrobatics, wakeboarding, snowboarding, Thai boxing, dancing... I always try to discover something new for myself - I can play volleyball, badminton, hockey and get equal pleasure from absolutely everything. At one time I was involved in curling, and last year I tried surfing in Bali. I am an athletically developed person.
I remember your victory with Adeline Sotnikova in Ice Age. Tell me, have you ever thought about becoming a professional athlete?
It’s almost impossible to become an amateur at my age: it’s hard to compete with professionals. I used to swim as a child, but because of my eyesight I never became a swimmer. In fact, I realized all my sporting ambitions thanks to Molodezhka and Ice Age.
After four years of filming, the Molodezhka series has probably already become a part of your life?
When I first started filming, I couldn’t think that it would be such a global event for me. But the project had the effect of a bomb exploding. Our country has long lacked a patriotic series not only about sports and love, but also about the right examples. Of course, after four years, I feel like I’m part of the production team, I live this series.
Yes, there is theater and other films in my life, but Molodezhka will always occupy a special place in it.
You said that Molodezhka is a series about correct examples. Do you have people in your life that you can look up to?
Undoubtedly. My parents, for example. They brought up in me all the right human and professional qualities. In general, I took the best from them. I like that they are constantly trying themselves at something new, and, as a rule, no matter what their parents take on, they are sure to succeed. I admire them and am very proud. Every few years they radically change their lives.
For example?
They can easily change jobs - for example, do business, and then suddenly start teaching yoga and professional photography, they can move to another country and change their lifestyle. In this sense, mom and dad are absolutely not tied to any place or history - they are incredibly brave. Parents are constantly experimenting, and I am the same.
Which actor do you look up to? Do you have any authorities?
Of the domestic artists I admire Yuri Vasilyevich Yakovlev and Sergei Vitalievich Bezrukov. Yakovlev is perhaps one of the most versatile artists of the USSR. And I consider Sergei Vitalievich the most hardworking artist, for me he is a real example of efficiency, focus and love for the profession, you just need to learn this from him every minute. Among Hollywood actors, I like Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio. They are not afraid to break stereotypes, and that's great!
Sasha, why do you love your profession?
At the age of nine, my parents sent me to the St. Petersburg theater studio. I liked to misbehave on stage, because for me theater is a territory where you are free to do whatever you want, and it will be perceived by the viewer as a performance. This is all the magic. Then the children’s theater and I once went on tour to Riga. We played a performance on the stage of the main square of the city, there were several thousand people there, and I remember the first time I felt the energy exchange between the artist and the audience. It was then that I realized that no profession could give me such emotions and sensations.
So you never had any doubts that you were doing the wrong thing?
For some reason, when I started studying at GITIS, some kind of fatal feeling awoke in me that I was absolutely out of place. I felt weak and useless in acting.
What helped you get rid of these thoughts?
I just told myself that I shouldn’t give up on my dreams. And if I have to work harder than everyone else, I'll work harder. There are actors who do everything easily. They are naturally skilled and it's amazing. They don’t need to play anything, they are original and beautiful. And there are those who have to work very hard to make everything work out. I'm just from the second category.
Before every project, I feel like something might go wrong, and I’m a perfectionist. But I never gave up because I believed in myself, and that helped me move on.
You made your film debut in Nikolai Dostal’s historical film “Raskol” immediately after GITIS...
Yes, as a student, I starred in several projects and, to be honest, I was a little disappointed in cinematography. However, when I got to Nikolai Nikolaevich in “Raskol”, I discovered a completely different world for myself. Dostal is a representative of the old VGIK school, he is a true fan of his work, during the year of filming he made me fall in love with cinema for the rest of my life. ( Smiles.)
After The Split, did your career immediately take off?
No, after successful filming in this film, I had a year without work at all, I was in an emotional hole, I didn’t know what to do, I even got a job as a waiter. Then he came to one film company and learned the basics of working as a location manager, assistant producer, administrator... At the same time, I went to auditions. After a series of failures, I was approved for the role of Petka in the series “The Passion of Chapai” on Channel One, then “Sklifosovsky” and other interesting projects appeared.
Sasha, how did you become an artist at the Provincial Theater?
They called me from the theater and said that Sergei Vitalievich Bezrukov wanted to meet with me and talk about a role in the theater. Of course I agreed! When Bezrukov calls, it’s stupid to refuse, so I came. ( Smiles.) We talked with Sergei Vitalievich, and although both understood that this was an experiment for me, he gave me the opportunity to try myself. I am very grateful to him for the advance and his faith in me, because until that moment the theater was closed to me.
What's new happening in your creative life now?
At the Provincial Theater we are starting work on the play “Leviathan” based on the book by Boris Akunin, where I will play Fandorin. It should be very cool, I'm looking forward to it. And in the cinema, in addition to the new season of Molodezhka, the series Sleeping will soon be released, where I play one of the main roles.
Sports, cinema, theater... Do you still have time for your personal life?
Usually it is catastrophically difficult for girls to cope with my profession. Personal life for an actor is a difficult topic... ( Smiles.)
Do you think a female actress can understand you better?
In this sense, I do not set any boundaries or boundaries for myself; the main thing for me is that we have mutual love, trust and respect for each other. It doesn’t really matter what profession a person is. If you are interested in him, if you love him, you develop together and support each other - then it really doesn’t matter who does what. It is important to meet your like-minded person. ( Smiles.)
Text: Kristina Leonova. Photo: Olga Tuponogova-Volkova
Style: Polina Shabelnikova. Grooming: Svetlana Zhitkevich
In March, the continuation of the series “Molodezhka” will start on STS, in which the actor plays the main role. But few people know that after his film debut, Alexander had to become a waiter and learn to live within his means.
– This is the fourth year you have appeared on screen as the forward of the Bears hockey team, Yegor Shchukin. How did you get into the series?
Photo: TNT channel press service
– After the start of the series, life changed for the better, did you have money, connections, attention?
In American TV series, these are the actors who starred in the first season of Game of Thrones, in the second they are already multimillionaires, in Russia everything is much more modest. I think it's not entirely right to pamper young actors. Everything is working out for me little by little, the cap is not blown off - and thank God. On the one hand, nothing has changed, I remained the same person and I remember how I lived on nothing but pasta. On the other hand, I doubt that before this series I would have sat next to the governors and they would have invited me to come and visit again.
- What's the story about pasta? Have you not always been lucky in your profession?
I started acting in episodes from the first year of GITIS, then I got into the film “Everyone will die, but I will stay” by Valeria Gai Germanika. I came to the set and was discouraged by what was happening, because I imagined cinema a little differently, but with Germanika it was like creative chaos. It all depends on her mood. Let's say if she wants it to rain in this scene, everyone will sit and wait for it to rain, or she wants the actor to play it one way and no other way, and there will be 450 takes until it gets it right. I played the main character's friend in the film, there are three medium shots and even one line. In the cinema it was something like this: “Mom, mom, there I am!” I understood what real cinema is in 2009, when, having received my diploma, I was cast in the role of Savva, one of the main ones, in Nikolai Dostal’s film “Raskol.” It was like a sign from fate that I was going the right way. But the shooting of “Split” ended, August 2010, for a whole year I worked in the coolest project that was then being made for television, I came home and realized that there were no castings or auditions, I was not approved anywhere. What's next? A month has passed, I’m doing nothing, the money has run out. But I am proud, independent, at the age of 19 I told my parents that now I would live alone and provide for myself. And now I’m 20 years old, I’m not invited anywhere, I understand that I need to work, but my ego doesn’t allow it! After two months, I realized that soon I would really have nothing to eat, and got a job as a waiter at the Pulkovo airport in my native St. Petersburg.
– This turn of events is a serious blow to pride. How did you survive it?
For the first month and a half, my ego was simply stifling. But here you need to be able to treat everything correctly and even look for the positive in such things. Which? I always liked communicating with people, four languages were taught at my lyceum, I speak English fluently, and if I practice, I remember Spanish, French and German. While working at the airport, I spoke to each client in their language. At some point I started learning phrases in Greek and Japanese. I liked switching things up like that, it was kind of my mini-performance. Plus I have become resistant to stress. When you have 40 tables occupied at the same time, which you need to immediately serve and pay for, because people have flights, everyone is in a hurry, shouting, you gradually just stop delving into the problems.
Photo: Instagram by Alexander Sokolovsky
– But you, despite the failure, did not lose faith in your chosen profession and decided to take the cinema by storm again?
I always knew it was temporary. My second visit to the capital happened after four months of working at the airport, in February 2011. I packed two suitcases, boarded the train, and then I got off at the Leningradsky station and thought: “Well, why did you come here?” Thank you very much to my friends who gave me shelter for the first month. Then I rented a dead room, one producer took me on several projects, where I worked as an administrator, second director, location manager and even line producer. It continued like this from February to August. These were the six months when I tried to live in Moscow on 30 thousand rubles a month. All the things I didn’t know as a student, for example, this instant pasta in boxes, appeared to me after my role in “Split.” Values have adjusted in the right direction, for which I thank this year, I realized that you can live in any circumstances. Well, then in August 2011 I was approved for the role of Petka in the project “The Passion of Chapai”, I was invited to the series “The Lavrova Method”, then there was “An Unreal Story”, and only after that “Molodezhka” was formed.
– How did you end up in Moscow? There are also theater institutes in St. Petersburg, and films are shot there. Why didn’t you start building a career in your city?
Everyone said that I would definitely do it in St. Petersburg, Moscow was some kind of enemy field, where it was scary to meddle, but I was always attracted by dangers. And then the parents were offered a job in the capital. So everything worked out and we moved in together. I entered five theater institutes at once, passed all the rounds in three and flew at the competition, and was enrolled in GITIS. The only university that did not accept me and did not let me even come close was the Shchepkinsky Theater School. There they demolished the audition to the point where they said: “You, dude, are unsuitable for the profession, get out of here.” Then I tried for another two years to re-enroll there for the sake of some of my ambitions, but it didn’t work out.
– Almost all students after their diploma strive to go on stage. In your life, the Moscow Provincial Theater appeared later than cinema.
I’ve been running from the stage since graduating from GITIS, I think I just felt that my theater would find me. And it happened. The first season of “Molodezhka” was released, and in the middle of filming the second season, suddenly a call from Gubernsky was invited to a meeting with Bezrukov. Sergei Vitalievich and I talked, he said that he was going to stage the play “Mowgli”, he needed a young flexible actor. And I agreed, especially since I always had three dream roles - Mowgli, Peter Pan and Jim from Treasure Island.
– It is clear that hardly anyone will refuse such an invitation. But when you don’t live for the theater... Did you have any doubts that it wouldn’t work?
I'm at home at the movies, but I still have stage fright. Before we started staging “Mowgli,” Sergei Vitalievich said: “Listen, we are now producing an experimental production “Spring” based on the stories of Mikhail Zadornov on the Small Stage, do you want to try it?” I say: “Well, I don’t know...” He replies: “Come on, come on, everything will work out for you.” And I came to rehearsals. There was a month left before the release of the play. Director Evgeniy Gomonoy gives me the play. I read it and asked: “Zhen, I don’t understand, here 90 percent of the author’s text and only 10 are dialogues. How to play it? And he responded: “So you are the author! This is actually a one-man show, you tell the story from the point of view of the narrator.” And then, looking at all these pages, and there were a lot of them, my knees began to shake. Considering that we were filming Molodezhka at the same time, there was no time at all. Before the premiere, I slept on stage for four days, we finished the rehearsal at two in the morning, the next one started at 9 in the morning, there was no point in going home. The play was released, everyone liked it, Zadornov was delighted. And “Mowgli” went much easier for me.
– Last year you won Ice Age, most likely, there were even more fans. Now, being a recognizable person, does it make it easier or more difficult for you to meet girls?
I realized that there is no need to announce my personal life on social networks, because attention from strangers increases. Almost all breakups with girls happened because of my profession. Not everyone can cope with such pressure and jealousy. Probably, in my case, a creative union would be a better solution than a relationship with a person not from show business.
– You once said that actors make bad fathers. Why did this opinion suddenly arise?
Parents are those people in a child’s life who should devote as much time as possible to his upbringing. I came to my mom and dad early, they were both 19 years old. Soon dad was drafted into the army; When he returned, I was already two years old. A monument should be erected to them because they survived the terrible 90s, unemployment and managed to raise a child. My parents worked a lot, but they always came home. Now let's look at my schedule. With the exception of rare visits, I was not in Moscow from last September to February, because one project was filmed in another country plus a tour. An actor is like a sailor who returns home for two days and then goes sailing for several months.
– You have a living example before your eyes – artistic director Bezrukov. Last year his daughter was born, he acts in films, runs a theater, and plays himself. This means you can be both a sailor and a father.
Until I met Sergei Vitalievich, it seemed to me that I was working a lot, but now I sometimes get the impression that there are two Sergei Vitalievich, because he has time everywhere. In Harry Potter, Hermione had a time turner (a magical item that allows you to return to the past. - Antennas note), it seems to me that people like Bezrukov own it.
– To listen to you, it turns out that there are no options other than to abandon the family.
In no case! Family and art are the main things in our lives, everything else is secondary. I was ready for a family seven years ago, it seems to me. But I am extremely careful, I don’t want to make a mistake and stumble, therefore, as soon as I understand that the very woman with whom I want to live my whole life is nearby, I will immediately propose to her. To be led by primary feelings, and then a few years later to understand that this is not your person... I would not want such a situation. That's why I'm still not married.
– The older we get, the higher we raise the bar for ourselves in everything. Some people want to buy a cool car, others want to buy an apartment or a dacha. Are your needs increasing in this regard?
I bought my first car, a Toyota Corolla, in 2012, it was a super event, I considered myself a cool dude. Now I’m driving my fourth car, and it’s already a part of life, like a mobile phone, not wow. Although my dream came true, I always wanted a BMW X5 and gave myself such a birthday present. I’m not a fan of spending your entire salary on expensive brands or cars, and then eating buckwheat all year. I think that you should buy within your means. An apartment for me is still a more complicated issue. I’ve been renting for many years, but the one I’d like to live in costs a lot of money, it’s very far from me, and I’m not ready for a mortgage yet.
– You were recently on vacation in Thailand, sharing photos on social networks surrounded by a large company. To a secluded vacation on the islands, away from everyone, until they are ripe?
Calmness, silence and loneliness are not my thing. This kind of vacation is depressing, I love it when it’s noisy, loud, fun and a lot. Plus I am fond of extreme sports.
- For example?
I am attracted by speed, auto racing, skydiving, I like kayaking, wakeboarding and, of course, winter snowboarding. I’ve also been doing acrobatics since childhood and I can’t live without dancing. I run, go to the gym, swim, sometimes play basketball, football, and hockey.
– Half of these activities are very dangerous. Where does this appetite for risk come from?
I always think, why do all normal people just walk along the cliff of a waterfall, but I want to jump into it? Here in Thailand we saw a beautiful waterfall in the distance. There was a difficult road to it along rocks and a mountain river, but I really wanted to go up there just to stand under it. And I climbed in. My friends looked at me like I was an idiot. I think that this is some kind of desire to constantly prove to yourself that you can, it keeps you on your toes, allows you to feel that you are living. My instinct of self-preservation has not yet awakened, it will probably work when the child appears.
STS viewers will celebrate New Year's Eve in the company of popular artists. According to the plot of the colorful show “New Year, children and all, all, all!”, the famous showman Dmitry Nagiyev undertakes to organize the holiday in a new way. In the Igora ski resort, which will air on STS on December 31 at 20:00. It was attended by: actors of the series “Molodezhka” (Nikiforov, Sokolovsky, Kanopka), as well as Zara, Estradarad, Victoria Daineko. Piterzavtra correspondents visited the filming of the New Year's holiday and talked with Yulianna Karaulova.
Piterzavtra: Tell us about your creative plans for 2018.
The plans are grandiose. For now, I won’t talk about the main ones that really, really excite me, so as not to scare me away. And so, there are many interesting projects ahead and, in general, there is a desire to change your whole life upside down.
Piterzavtra: Maybe you can give a hint: cinema, theater?
No, no, no, you can’t talk about such things until they are fulfilled.
Piterzavtra: In general, if you sum it up, what are your impressions of 2017?
The most beautiful. It was an amazing, bright, pleasant year. I experienced a lot of positive emotions, met amazing people, and I flew a lot like never before. It seems to me that at the end of December I will be able to draw up a map of my flight routes for 2017, because I have crossed almost the entire globe.
Piterzavtra: Where did you like the most?
Probably... Vienna. Considering that all my travels ended in Vienna in December. I just arrived from there. This is the most Christmas city on the planet! Everything there is imbued with celebration: every street, every person, every corner. That is why my most powerful impressions are from Vienna. Although in Sochi at the Rosa Khutor ski resort in April at the Quiksilver New Star Camp it was incredibly cool. These are probably the two most emotionally powerful trips.
Piterzavtra: So Russia is not inferior?
Russia will always be ahead!
Piterzavtra: Are you making wishes for the New Year? Are they coming true?
Yes, I'm making a wish. Yes, they do come true. Not always, but they come true.
Piterzavtra: In what ways? Is there a special ritual?
No, there is no ritual. You just need to really, really want it, and the wish will come true. That is, if it should happen in your life, then it will definitely happen.
Piterzavtra: How do you generally feel about the New Year? Do you love this holiday?
My favorite holiday! New Year and Christmas are the best times for me: for the atmosphere, for the warmth, for the joy, for the positivity that comes from people. It’s always a pity in January when it ends, because a difficult February comes. But my birthday is in February, so this month is also very positive for me.
Piterzavtra: How do you usually cope?
Always different. It very much depends on the circumstances. I celebrated my last New Year with my family in 2011, and this year I will be here in St. Petersburg. Before this, it didn’t work out for 6 years.
Piterzavtra: What are your plans for the upcoming winter holidays?
I’ll come to St. Petersburg for a week, probably, and then film in Istanbul.
Piterzavtra: Many people make promises to themselves on the eve of the New Year. For example, in 2018 I promise myself that I will learn English. What promise do you want to make to yourself?
A promise that I will change my life.
Interviewers: Elizaveta Shiryaeva, Ekaterina Tregub
On Sasha: shirt, Tommy Hilfiger Denim, RUB 9,990; T-shirt, sneakers, everything - Puma, 1990 rub. and 6490 rub.; jeans, Topshop, RUB 4,999; watch, SUNLIGHT, 6990 rub. On Masha: sweatshirt, Puma, RUB 3,990; skirt, Topshop, RUR 4,499; slip-ons, Zara, RUB 3,599; ring, SUNLIGHT, 1710 RUR. On Petya: sweatshirt, sneakers, everything – Puma, 3190 RUR. and 6490 rub.; jeans, Versus Versace, RUB 18,000. On Katya: jacket, Topshop, RUB 6,599; dress, Tommy Hilfiger Denim, RUB 14,490; sneakers, Puma, RUB 6,490; watch, SUNLIGHT, RUB 1,990. Bicycle, Electra
Photo by Pavel Kryukov
Sasha is one of the most popular and beloved actors of Molodezhka. In the series, Sasha plays the role of Yegor Shchukin, captain of HC “Bears”.
EG: You can probably already be called a Molodezhka veteran...
Alexander: Yes, I'm 76, I'm a veteran, you could say (laughs). I even remember how the “pilot” was filmed, when there was no talk about “Molodezhka” yet. We were just trying. I remember very well how we filmed the pilot episode in 2012. Everything was different: there were different teams and a different cast.
EG: Is there anything that hasn’t changed over these few years?
Alexander: In general, a lot has changed. The main thing remains - probably some kind of spirit of the series about sports, about love, about the love of sports. Everything else has changed, of course.
EG: How has your character changed?
Alexander: Has changed a lot. After the third season he stopped being a hockey player. This is probably the main change in my character, who has been a hockey player all his life. Overall, it was hard. Playing a person whose dream was stolen is also, in general, not easy. Therefore, my hero probably remained a little the same, but he is already a completely different person.
“It could have been a series about chess, about curling, about football, but there wouldn’t have been such a response...”
EG: Do you think if this was a series not about hockey, but about football or rhythmic gymnastics, would it be popular?
Alexander: It could have been a series about chess or about curling, about football, about volleyball, but there would not have been such a response. Being a northern country where hockey has been the No. 1 sport all its life, it is only natural that a series about hockey has become very popular. Maybe people were missing something patriotic and real. The series “Molodezhka” is not just about one hero, it is the story of a whole team. Why do movies about sports teams always resonate so well? Because people feel like they are part of something important. If we make sport a national idea and take it as a basis, this is the best thing for our country. Therefore, it seems to me that this is what happened.
On Sasha: T-shirt, Puma, 1990 RUR; trousers, Dockers, RUB 7,900; watch, SUNLIGHT, 6990 rub.
Photo by Pavel Kryukov
EG: Do you think video bloggers can compete with television series?
Alexander: Well, these are completely different markets. Still, the content that is distributed on the Internet and the content that goes to television and cinema are still slightly different stories. We may be dealing with similar stories, we have points of intersection. But in fact, we are not competitors to each other.
EG: Doesn’t it bother you that you had to study to be an actor for many years, and bloggers just film themselves on their phones and become popular overnight?
Alexander: Well, first of all, there are a great many of those who film themselves on their phones and post videos. There are only a few of those who have millions of views. Becoming a famous blogger is, in general, not so easy. I think the market is ultra-competitive. That is, everyone became bloggers. And there are maybe 10–15 popular bloggers. Some bloggers are more popular than many actors. They have their own niche, their own history. In general, if people do this and subscribe to it, it means it is necessary, interesting and very popular.