Evgeny Petrosyan
Yevgeny Vaganovich Petrosyan was born into an Armenian family on September 16, 1945, in the city of Baku, then still in the Azerbaijan SSR. His father worked as a simple mathematics teacher, and his mother devoted herself to home and raising her son, despite her engineering education. Since school, he has been interested in the stage and amateur performances, and has tried himself in dozens of genres. As a result, after graduating from school, he could not stand it and went to Moscow. There he entered and successfully graduated from VTMEI. After which he performed on stage as a pop entertainer. And in 1985 he entered GITIS to become a pop director.
Has the following titles:
- Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
- People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Awarded the Order of Honor of the Russian Federation.
This name is familiar to everyone over 20 years old. Many consider his humor flat and unfunny, and on the Internet “Petrosyanism” is a synonym for unfunny humor. But he still has more fans than ill-wishers. These are mostly people of Soviet schooling; Evgeniy Vaganovich’s humor is close in spirit to them. Petrosyan attracts full concert halls, and his television shows have always had excellent ratings.
Elena Stepanenko
Elena Grigorievna Stepanenko was born on April 8, 1953 in the Soviet city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) into a family of ordinary workers. At school I was actively interested in swimming, even becoming a master of sports. After graduating from school, she entered the Volgograd School of Arts. But a year later she left him and went to conquer Moscow. And she succeeded - she entered the prestigious GITIS in the department of acting in musical genres. Afterwards she began working at the Moscow Variety Theater as an actress and parodist. And in 1990 she made her debut as a film actress and played in seven films. She holds the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and was awarded the Order of Friendship. But, undoubtedly, the lion's share of her fame was brought to her by her marriage to Yevgeny Petrosyan.
Elena Stepanenko has only one heiress, but a secret suitor has appeared
Elena Stepanenko. Photo RUSSIA 2
On April 8, Elena Stepanenko celebrates her birthday. The artist turns 67 years old. The festive trip had to be postponed, and there will be no pilgrimage trip this year - Elena Grigorieva is celebrating in the capital for the first time in recent years. Stepanenko has already received the main gift - a new television contract with six zeros: next Sunday the premiere of the author’s show “It’s not evening yet” on the Russia 1 channel.
Stepanenko refused all tempting offers for more than a year, but then she gave up and made the right decision: touring activities will begin unknown when, so a constant source of television income today is the dream of any artist. The filming took place in March, and Elena Grigorievna prepared for it with dignity: she was in excellent shape (lost weight, underwent anti-aging cosmetic procedures), supervised the process and rocked it so much that the team was delighted.
Elena Stepanenko. Photo RUSSIA 2
“She has more energy, impromptu, jokes and ideas than some forty-year-old stars. Very friendly to people, intelligent. It’s no coincidence that Elena Grigorievna has a fan,” they told us in the film crew of the project. Stepanenko accepts flowers and compliments from an impressive man who is slightly younger than her, but is not yet ready for a relationship. Moreover, meetings are impossible now. The artist herself says that she is in no hurry to just start a new novel. A businessman who wants to win the heart of an artist may not give up his plans to win her affection when filming resumes. It is unlikely that Stepanenko will rush headlong into the pool of feelings or get married, but a romantic relationship is beneficial for any woman. And this cannot be ruled out. Now Elena Grigorievna dreams of no longer being tormented by questions about her ex-husband, his young wife and their heir.
Elena Stepanenko in her youth.
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the publication on the social network
It so happened that Elena Grigorievna does not have her own children. Her only older brother died. Therefore, those around the artist say that she will give the inheritance to Yevgeny Petrosyan’s own daughter, Viktorina, who lives in the USA. Stepanenko and Viktorina developed a warm, family relationship many years ago. Victorina called Elena mom. Evgeniy Vaganovich’s daughter was born in his first marriage and lost her mother early. During her father’s divorce, Victorina supported Elena Grigorievna: the women are constantly in touch, visiting each other, Victorina invited Stepanenko to come to her for permanent residence, but she refused. So the closest person who will congratulate the artist on her birthday on April 8 is the daughter of her ex-husband.
And TV viewers are waiting for Stepanenko’s new jokes in “It’s Not Evening Yet” about a new life after a divorce, about the fact that a woman can become happy at any age. Let us recall that Elena Stepanenko became popular on the stage in the late 90s with Lion Izmailov’s miniature “Letter to Bill Clinton.” Then from her husband’s assistant she turned into an independent artist. By the way, according to Elena Grigorievna, an ideal woman knows how to: “Restrain herself when it’s offensive. Don’t make a scene when it hurts.”
Dating history
Elena is Evgeniy’s fourth wife, and he is her second husband. But Evgeniy lived with Elena the longest - 32 years, although he did not have children together with her. They got married in 1985, but met back in 1979 on the stage of the Theater of Variety Miniatures.
Evgeny was the owner of the theater, and Elena came as a GITIS graduate to audition. And so their romance began, which grew into a marriage that lasted more than 30 years. For a long time they personified the opinion that it is possible to work and live together for many years without getting tired of each other. For fans of artists, the news that Petrosyan was divorcing his wife Stepanenko came like a bolt from the blue.
Unfree
Almost a month ago, on July 4, at first glance, the most ordinary claim for the division of jointly acquired property was filed in the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow. However, it was initiated by an unusual person: actress Elena Stepanenko. Having learned about this, the media immediately turned to her husband Yevgeny Petrosyan for comments. He first stated that he knew nothing about what was happening, and later refused to communicate with journalists, citing the fact that this concerned his personal life and not his professional activities.
Publication from Evgeny Petrosyan / Official (@petrosyanevgeny) April 7, 2020 at 2:43 PDT
The future spouses met back in 1979, when Elena Stepanenko came to audition for the Theater of Variety Miniatures under the direction of Petrosyan. Evgeniy was then looking for a universal actress for the play “A Kind Word Is Nice to the Cat,” who could not only act, but also sing. And I found a suitable candidate in the person of a young GITIS graduate. A romantic relationship did not arise between them immediately, especially since by that time both were not free. The girl was married to pianist Alexander Vasiliev, Evgeniy lived with his wife Lyudmila.
Article on the topic
Test: Evgeny Petrosyan or Ivan Urgant?
By the way, this was the comedian’s third marriage. Before that, he was first married to the sister of the ballerina Victorina Krieger (the artist’s only daughter was born in this marriage), and then to Anna Kozlovskaya, the daughter of the opera singer Ivan Kozlovsky . It is noteworthy that before Stepanenko, all three of Petrosyan’s unions were not durable. Allegedly, the wives did not share Evgeniy’s passion for his work. Elena in this sense was the complete opposite; she was able to become not only the second half for the comedian, but a like-minded person and stage partner. And despite all her busyness, she managed to take care of the house and fed her beloved man exclusively home-cooked food. The artist absolutely had no chance of resisting her borscht with donuts.
1980 Performance Moscow. Variety Theater “A kind word is nice to the cat” Artists E. Stepanenko and E. Grushin. This is us singing the song that Pugacheva wrote for us then. #variety #spectators #laughter #joy #Moscow #People's Artist #Petrosyan #EvgeniyPetrosyan #joke #photo
Publication from Evgeny Petrosyan / Official (@petrosyanevgeny) February 5, 2020 at 11:45 PST
Fiction
All these years they seemed to everyone to be a strong and exemplary couple; it was difficult to imagine them apart. But, as Evgenia’s lawyer Sergei Zhorin states, Petrosyan and Stepanenko have actually divorced each other for 15 years. They do not live together as husband and wife for exactly that long. And all their public appearances are a fiction, which was designed to give them the status of family people, shielding them from the avalanche of gossip and speculation.
Elena was the first to file for divorce, turning to lawyer Elena Zabralova for help. Despite the fact that their marriage had not actually existed for 15 years, this turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for Eugene. Yes, they slowly discussed the details of the official divorce. But absolutely not on the terms on which Stepanenko suddenly decided to get a divorce.
She appealed to the Khamovnichesky Court in Moscow, which the couple could no longer hide. The news spread quickly.
Jokes aside: how will the divorce of Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko end?
Unexpectedly, the married couple of comedians Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko have become the most talked about people of recent times. Their divorce became number one news. And although the spouses themselves have not yet given any reason for scandals, the rest of them - their retinue and journalists - have successfully done this for them. Why the fuss and how will things calm down?
There have been rumors for a long time that 72-year-old Evgeny Petrosyan and his 65-year-old wife Elena Stepanenko are not going smoothly in their family relationships. True, the comedian used to sharply suppress all questions on this topic. But now the couple has officially announced their breakup. And what kind of one! The comedians are getting divorced and dividing the property acquired together over the entire 32 years of marriage. According to some expert estimates, it amounts to one and a half billion rubles. The amount, although not in dollars, is still impressive. Stepanenko in his lawsuit demands eighty percent of the property, Petrosyan in response proposes to divide everything equally - fifty to fifty. What can each of the spouses claim and why, right now, did they suddenly decide to get a divorce, and even through the court?
Comic business
Interest in this divorce arose primarily because of the enormous amount for which the spouses decided to fight. It never occurred to anyone that a couple of comedians, who themselves had long been the butt of jokes, managed to accumulate so much property. After all, the same Yevgeny Petrosyan always assured that he and his wife are not rich people, and invest all their available funds in their theater. I remember that in an interview with a well-known Moscow journalist, when asked whether the joke business brings good income, Evgeniy Vaganovich answered as if in spirit: “No. Unstable. If we take the situation as a whole, it’s more about making ends meet.”
A long and stable career allowed Evgeny Petrosyan to become a very successful person
Photo: Instagram.com
And then during the divorce proceedings it turns out that we are talking about huge amounts of money, the division of luxurious apartments in the center of Moscow and Sochi, dachas in Zhavoronki and Lyubertsy, antique Faberge dishes, paintings by the artist Polenov, antique vases, old books, humorous magazines of the early 19th century and more a lot of other things. Including huge royalties from showing videos of the spouses’ performances.
The trial itself is held behind closed doors. As Petrosyan’s lawyer Sergei Zhorin said, this is being done so that the neighbors do not hate his ward for the fact that he has one more stool in his apartment than they do.
What are the prospects for Stepanenko? After all, jointly acquired property is usually divided in half between spouses.
Roman Lotorev
Photo: press materials
“The law provides for a deviation from the beginning of equality of shares, in particular this is paragraph 2 of Art. 39 of the Family Code on determining the property of spouses and shares in this property, where the shares of spouses are recognized as equal, unless otherwise provided by the agreement between the spouses, said lawyer Roman Lotorev. — If Stepanenko presents evidence that her contribution to the common property was greater than Petrosyan’s contribution, then the court may side with the plaintiff. I can note that Elena Grigorievna can also claim a large part of the property if she can provide ironclad evidence in court that Evgeniy Vaganovich committed actions that resulted in a decrease in the jointly acquired movable and immovable property. One way or another, everything must be supported by evidence: documents, certificates, etc. Witness testimony in this matter will be a rather weak argument for the judge, but everything will primarily depend on the skill and preparation of the lawyer who is engaged in the plaintiff’s line of defense.”
Search a woman?
Recently, Tatyana Brukhunova has been called the woman who destroyed the union of Yevgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko
Photo: Instagram.com
Representatives of the fan club of the married couple of comedians confirmed that Petrosyan and Stepanenko have not lived together for about fifteen years as husband and wife. This is more like an image marriage, when spouses turn a blind eye to each other’s intrigues. According to Petrosyan’s lawyer, the comedian offered Stepanenko a quiet and amicable divorce back in the spring, without a scandal. But at that time she was preparing for her 65th anniversary benefit performance and, according to her, did not want to spoil her mood. And only when her performance was over, she filed a lawsuit.
But why now, if there has been no marriage as such for a long time? The press considers Tatyana Brukhunova to be the culprit of the loud scandal: they say that the homewrecker is now in a situation and Stepanenko, in order to get ahead of events, decided in advance to divide the apartments, cars, and antiques.
Tatyana Brukhunova is indeed constantly close to Evgeniy Vaganovich. Once upon a time she was a simple fan of the Distorting Mirror. Then, after meeting Stepanenko, she began running her website. Then - the website of Petrosyan himself. Since 2013, the master began to be seen more and more often with Tatyana. The girl constantly went on tour with the comedian and kept minutes of business meetings. After the death of the general director of humorists, Yuri Ditkovich, it was Brukhunova who became the artistic director of the Theater of Miniatures under the leadership of Petrosyan. And since they can often be seen together not only at official receptions, the media attributed an affair to them.
Mehdi Ebrahimi Vafa
Photo: press materials
True, the winner of the “Battle of Psychics” Mehdi Ebrahimi Vafa, whom we asked to comment on the divorce of Petrosyan and Stepanenko, does not believe in the version with a young mistress. “The press writes that Evgeny has a beautiful young girl, and Elena is jealous,” Mehdi told WomanHit.ru. “It turns out that on this basis they are quarreling and want to break up.” But as a psychic, I see this situation a little differently. I feel that, firstly, there has been competition between them for a long time: Elena is ambitious and does not want to be in the background. And secondly, I think this is a smart PR move. In recent years, the popularity of both spouses has noticeably decreased. This is understandable; a large number of talented young people have appeared in their field. I feel that these people are partners, they are connected by a long-term marriage, profession, common aspirations and much more. And at their age, the appearance of a young girl in Eugene’s life is unlikely to become the true reason for divorce. He doesn't need her. And the couple may indeed separate, but this is only to remind the country of themselves. And I can admit that the move is strong, everyone writes and everyone talks about them. They achieved what they wanted. I feel that Evgeniy and Elena will be together.”
Alena Orlova
Photo: press materials
Mehdi’s colleague in the “Battle of Psychics” project, esotericist Alena Orlova, sees the situation a little differently. “For many years, the delicately hidden discord in the family of Petrosyan and Stepanenko finally exploded into a conflict with divorce and financial claims. Intelligent satirists, connected by a common business and the need to perform in joint concerts and go on tour, are now on the verge of hostility and washing dirty linen in public until complete disgrace. Before this, there was no need for them to break off official relations, but Petrosyan’s young passion intervened, who did not want to remain in the shadows and be just a mistress. She turned the elderly comedian against his wife, which aroused her anger and suspicions that they wanted to use Petrosyan and extract the maximum material benefits from him. Working together and, as a result, making money became a problem, since Stepanenko did not want to contribute her talent and work to the romantic union of her husband with a new friend. She can be understood, since for many years she maintained the illusion of a prosperous couple and did not compromise herself in any way. Now she is driven by a feeling of just revenge and the desire to expose her greedy rival.
Yevgeny Petrosyan's television and concert shows continue to enjoy huge success
Photo: Instagram.com
Elena does not believe in the sincerity of her feelings and understands that, like all older men, Yevgeny Vaganovich, who is in the seduction of youth and last love, fell under the influence of an enterprising person and violated their agreement on the diplomacy of relations, not particularly hiding his intimate relationship with his assistant. Of course, according to the law, she will not be able to sue for the money acquired during the marriage; the shock PR is not beneficial to either party and will not bring either respect or sympathy to this couple in the foreseeable future. Entertainers who have entertained people for many years, appearing wise and reasonable, risk being ridiculed in the eyes of their respectful public, sinking to the level of the characters they have ridiculed for many years on stage. This is just the beginning of a scandalous story. Petrosyan’s health will deteriorate amid these indecent showdowns, and he may experience a serious malfunction in the functioning of his cardiovascular system. The creative tandem will fall apart, which will put colleagues and all joint projects at risk. As for the alleged pregnancy of the new passion, this is largely a media fiction. Unfortunately, 2020's overload of solar and lunar eclipses has had an unfortunate impact on many well-known stable couples. And this is not the end. Petrosyan and Stepanenko are not the last on the list of upcoming star divorces.”
Third wheel
Whether there is a romantic relationship between Petrosyan and Tatyana Brukhunova or not is actually not that important. In any case, in this situation she acts as a third wheel. After all, if previously director Ditkovich distributed all profits from concerts, television shows, and tours equally between spouses, regardless of the contribution of each, then the new artistic director redistributed financial flows. And the circumstances just so happened that Stepanenko was the loser. They say that she lost control over the distribution of finances and began to think that part of the money earned was being hidden from her, since she stopped making profits in the same volumes. And in the end I saw Brukhunova as a business competitor.
Fans of comedians were also divided into two camps. On the one hand, Tatyana Brukhunova received the nickname “the second Vitalina” because, like Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Evgeny Petrosyan appointed an assistant director of his theater in 2014, after which a scandal arose. On the other hand, many believe that Elena should not have washed her dirty laundry in public by making the divorce a show trial.
In any case, now the spouses are practically in a state of war. According to lawyer Sergei Zhorin, Stepanenko changed the locks and does not allow Petrosyan into the apartment where he is registered and where all the spouses’ antique property is located. Petrosyan doesn’t want a scandal, so he decided not to open his apartment and also change the lock so that Stepanenko would no longer appear there. There are rumors that he still hopes for an amicable reconciliation.
Property division
Perhaps the main reason why Petrosyan has not yet divorced Stepanenko is the necessary and probably unpleasant division of property for both, which they acquired for a serious 1.5 billion rubles. Yevgeny Petrosyan, according to his lawyer Sergei Zhorin, was ready to give her half of the jointly acquired property, despite the fact that he had acquired most of it without her. But in her lawsuit, Elena demands neither more nor less, but 80% of this property.
Petrosyan does not agree with this, and now the issue will be resolved in court. Why she is not satisfied with the classic 50%, she comments vaguely: “This is an everyday matter, well, it happened. Everything will be according to the court."
Evgeny Petrosyan is outraged by the reaction to his divorce from Elena Stepanenko
Petrosyan lived with Stepanenko for more than 30 years in a legal marriage // Photo: Instagram
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko lived legally married for more than thirty years. During this time, they acquired property worth 1.5 billion rubles: these are several good apartments, dachas, cars. And recently, unexpectedly for many, Stepanenko expressed a desire to divide the property in court. Later it turned out that the couple had been living separately for fifteen years, which, by the way, did not in any way affect their work.
But several years ago, information already appeared in the press that Evgeniy Vaganovich was allegedly interested in young assistants, but comedians reported with a smile that this was not so. This was remembered recently when the couple’s divorce became public. Petrosyan is not happy that many people pry into his personal life. But, despite the difficulties in the family, he looks great and is in a great mood. For example, the other day Evgeny Vaganovich visited the Tavrida forum in Crimea, where he gave an interview to a local TV channel.
“I am away, but I hope that we will come to a peaceful agreement and everything will work out for us. There is no need to dump a private, intra-family moment like that and discuss it like that. This can't lead to anything good. I think we should leave this for discussion,” the artist said.
The comedian asks not to meddle in his personal life // Photo: Still from the program
Elena Grigorievna also commented on the divorce process. However, the artist did not go into details. “This is an everyday thing, well, it happened. Everything will be according to the court. As the court says, so it will be. And you will learn all about it,” the comedian shared. It was previously reported that Elena Stepanenko intended to take possession of 80 percent of the acquired property, but now she is asking to recover only 57 percent in her favor.
Seven percent is half of Petrosyan’s property, the funds for the purchase of which he took from the family budget. This includes two apartments that Evgeniy Vaganovich transferred to another person. It is assumed that this same person is his assistant Tatyana Brukhunova. But earlier Petrosyan and his representatives were extremely surprised by Stepanenko’s desire to receive most of the acquired property. Why Stepanenko demands 57% of Petrosyan’s property
Despite the difficult situation in his personal life, Petrosyan looks good // Photo: Instagram
“My ward Evgeniy Vaganovich suggested that Stepanenko divide everything equally, despite the fact that Petrosyan has been and is the main source of income throughout their entire life together. But for some reason Elena Grigorievna believes that she should get the majority of it. Our main goal is to ensure that the court divides the acquired property equally,” the artist’s lawyer Sergei Zhorin told StarHit.
What needs to be shared?
Naturally, the comedians themselves did not consider it necessary to report to everyone exactly what they would share. But all this data is quite easy for journalists to find out, which is what they did. So, the press found out that during the marriage the couple acquired the following real estate:
- apartment on First Zachatievsky Lane;
- apartment on Sechenovsky Lane;
- apartment on Bolshoi Kondratievsky Lane;
- apartment on Plyushchikha;
- apartment on Smolenskaya;
- suburban plot of 3 thousand square meters. m.;
- mansion with an area of 380 sq. m.
In addition, several more cars, a collection of paintings, porcelain and valuable books. All this is estimated, according to various sources, at an amount from 1.0 to 1.5 billion rubles.
I no longer believe in love or Petrosyan and Stepanenko are getting divorced
Comedian Elena Stepanenko filed a claim with Yevgeny Petrosyan in the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow for the division of jointly acquired property.
“The claim for the division of jointly acquired property between spouses was registered on July 4,” the case file says.
In a conversation with the Moscow agency, Petrosyan said that he knew nothing about the lawsuit and called it a misunderstanding, but he did not comment on reports of a possible divorce.
“Several apartments, several dozen paintings, real estate, cars,” the agency’s interlocutor clarified, answering a question about the essence of the claims.
The hearing on the case will take place on August 6. At the same time, the full list of divisible property was not disclosed in court.
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko met in 1979, and got married six years after that.
In recent years, various media outlets have repeatedly written about the divorce of Petrosyan and Stepanenko, but this information has not been officially confirmed.
Dni.ru about what exactly the spouses will share: “Humor, as it turns out, is a very profitable business - Petrosyan and Stepanenko “joked” for as many as six luxury apartments in the most expensive and prestigious areas of Moscow. There is an apartment in Sechenovsky Lane, equipped as a Petrosyan studio, an apartment on Plyushchikha, an apartment on Smolnaya Street, an apartment in Bolshoi Kondratievsky Lane. Well, the real diamond in the collection of square meters can be considered two apartments on different floors, but in the same building in 1st Zachatievsky Lane.
Three minutes from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Moscow River embankment and the Kremlin - isn’t this a dream? Zachatievsky Lane is part of the so-called “Golden Mile” of Moscow. And Ostozhenka, where the alley ends, was officially recognized five years ago as the seventh most expensive residential street in the world - on average, about one and a half million rubles per square meter. Even close relatives are ready to cut each other’s throats out for housing here!
“A four-room apartment with an area of 180 square meters in Petrosyan’s house costs about 240 million rubles,” a realtor Dni.Ru. – In general, few people live permanently in this area - there are no shops or hospitals nearby. Therefore, mostly second or third apartments are bought here to invest free money or for subsequent rental. After all, the monthly rental price for three-room apartments here starts from 300 and reaches 900 thousand rubles per month. And demand exceeds supply. As far as I know, the wife of Vyacheslav Fetisov, oligarch Alexei Mordashov, has apartments in the same Zachatievsky Lane.”
But Petrosyan and Stepanenko did not limit themselves to apartments in Moscow - they have two dachas in the Moscow region. The old one, in the village of Zhavoronki in the prestigious western direction, is registered to Evgeniy Vaganovich. The new one - in Lyubertsy - is owned by his wife.
The total estimated cost of housing for a couple of comedians, as experts have calculated, exceeds 500 million rubles. At today's exchange rate, that's about $8 million. In Miami, for that kind of money you can only buy an apartment with an area of 440 square meters, with three bedrooms, five bathrooms and a luxurious view of the ocean. But Petrosyan’s daughter, Viktorina, who has been living in America for a long time, can probably give you a more precise price estimate.” .
New relationships
But why is Petrosyan divorcing his wife right now, what prompted Elena to take this step? Many believe that this is Eugene’s new chosen one, who is more than twice his age. She turned out to be a rather simple girl from Tula, Tatyana Brukhunova. She is an art director by training, among her classmates and colleagues she was always considered a “gray mouse,” and many were surprised at what kind of star man she got. Today he holds the post of artistic director at its Theater of Variety Miniatures.
Evgeniy and Tatyana met in the same way as they once did with Elena. The girl came to the Theater of Variety Miniatures under his leadership as a trainee. He drew attention to her and invited her to a permanent job, to which she agreed. Many note that the similarity is not only in the way they met, but also in the appearance of Elena and Tatyana. As a result, they began an affair, which at the time of the scandal due to the fact that Elena Stepanenko and Petrosyan divorced was already more than one year old. Both the lawyer and Evgeny himself do not consider this treason and the reason that Elena filed for divorce. They explain this by saying that everything was over between Elena and Eugene a long time ago. But the stamp in the passport was just a formality, and Elena could not help but understand that he, as a man, could well have fallen in love again over these 15 years.
“My husband is Evgeny Petrosyan”
Lena, have you ever wondered why such “canards” arise? You and Zhenya have been together for more than 30 years.
Elena Stepanenko:
Why should I think about this? If someone has something in their head, then let them think about it.
But Zhenya, I know, is very worried about this.
Elena Stepanenko:
He worries not so much because of this untruth, but because of the fact that all sorts of yellowness and lies are triumphant, that for some reason this is the most interesting to someone. And Zhenya is a person who wants the world to exist according to the correct laws, without lies and falsehood. By the way, when this false information appears, even some of our friends ask: “Is this how you promote yourself?”
Do you need PR?
Elena Stepanenko:
An active artist does not particularly need PR. Especially like this. Zhenya and I often perform on stage together. And the audience writes notes to us, and sometimes they just shout out from the audience: is it true that you are getting a divorce? And, having received our negative answer, they sigh with relief and applaud gratefully. For some reason, in the modern world it is believed that if famous people or their families have some scandals, squabbles, division of property, then this adds to popularity. People are starting to talk about them. They write about them. They are shown. They go on talk shows. We're a different couple. We are happily married, and our audience feels it and wants it to always be like this. He believes us. I don’t understand why the truth needs to be destroyed by lies! Who needs it and why!
Is it so important for you and Zhenya that the audience believes you?
Elena Stepanenko:
Certainly. Both Zhenya and I often talk to the audience on our own behalf. Not on behalf of the author of the monologue, but on his own. And neither I nor Zhenya can deceive our interlocutors.
These are, of course, amazing numbers: 53 out of the 70 years he has lived, Petrosyan has appeared on stage. He never says that he is tired, that he is fed up, that he wants to rest, stop performing?
Elena Stepanenko:
NEVER. I ask you to type this answer of mine this way. Because this is not about Petrosyan. You know, in our anniversary concert Zhenya has an introductory song: “Seventy already... Come on, brothers. Without a passport, I won’t believe it myself... I’m already seventy, but I must admit, I’m still the same boy Zhenya Petrosyan. Still the same optimist who once came out to make you laugh.”
Lena! Not many people know that a boy from an intelligent Baku professorial family, without any connections, without any patronage, came to Moscow at the age of 17. Sometimes I spent the night at the station. And when I entered the pop workshop, with five kopecks in my pocket, I thought for a long time: buy a pie with jam for this coin or take the metro to the hostel. More often than not, the decision was in favor of the pie - I really wanted to eat. And walk to the hostel. Zhenya wrote about this years later in his book “I Want to Be an Artist.”
Elena Stepanenko:
He started wanting to become an artist at the age of 8, when he saw his uncle on stage, who alone made a huge hall laugh. Zhenya wanted to become such an uncle. And he became one. And this is great happiness. Do you know why? Yes, because the people we meet, even strangers, smile at us. This means that we live in a different world, a world of kindness and smiles.
I myself have witnessed more than once how even the most gloomy traffic cops smile at you. And going to the store with you is quite a performance.
Elena Stepanenko:
But he's funny...
Aren't you and Zhenya tired of this audience reaction? Give the same autographs, take pictures...
Elena Stepanenko:
If this does not happen, it means that the artist is not interesting to the people and is not needed. Therefore, when an artist says that it tires him, he is being disingenuous. Zhenya is very kind to her audience. After the concert, he can stand at the exit for a long time, sign autographs and take photographs. Yes, after a performance sometimes I feel extremely tired. Yes, sometimes you want to go home and relax. But Zhenya once - and forever - told me: never refuse anyone’s request for an autograph or a photograph. After all, maybe a person has dreamed about this all his life.
I know that Zhenya is a workaholic to the point of disgrace. Even on vacation, even at the dacha, it is impossible to take him out for a walk. If Zhenya is not performing, he is writing a book, working with authors on monologues, writing scripts for “Laughter Panorama,” which is over 20 years old, and “Petrosyan Show.” Just take a walk, walk around the dacha village - Zhenya doesn’t understand why this is necessary. In his opinion, this is a waste of time. Aren't you bored with such a person?
Elena Stepanenko:
I don't. It's been 30 years now. Zhenya is very homely, warm, cozy, attentive, caring and gentle. Loves to give surprises.
Both Zhenya and I often talk to the audience on our own behalf. Not on behalf of the author of the monologue, but on his own. And we cannot deceive the viewer who believes us
I once witnessed such a surprise. In Italy we went to a jewelry store. You really liked one ring. But there was not enough money to buy it. And we left. And in the evening of the same day, during dinner, Zhenya ordered a bottle of champagne and to your question: “Are we having a holiday today?” - Zhenya replied: “Today is our day of declaration of love.” He took out the box, opened it, and there was that same ring. It turns out that he called his friends and asked them to urgently send money.
Elena Stepanenko:
Yes, this is Zhenya. But you don't know why I liked this particular ring so much. The fact is that when our romance began, Zhenya came with me to a jewelry store on Gorky Street in Moscow and said: “Choose any ring for yourself.” I chose a modest forget-me-not ring. Zhenya was surprised and asked: “Choose something more valuable.” I said, “It’s either this or nothing.” And that ring in Italy had two sapphire forget-me-nots, which is why I liked it so much.
Once, when asked what his favorite dish was, Zhenya answered: “Food.” This surprised me - after all, you cook very well, deliciously.
Elena Stepanenko:
Yes, I can cook. Zhenya loves my borscht and dolma. But we are on tour so often that there is no time for frills. And Zhenya is not picky about this.
Zhenya is a book lover. You have a unique library at home. And even in our non-book times, Zhenya continues to replenish it. A lot of literature on art, reference. And the books relating to the genre in which you work, in my opinion, date back to the 18th century. I can imagine how much he has studied recently - he is also writing the book “Album of My Memory.” Here in my kitchen he told me that, it turns out, there was no failure of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” in St. Petersburg. There was a slightly different story.
Elena Stepanenko:
Yes, and this is also Zhenya - a pedant who loves to get to the very essence of everything.
Is it difficult in everyday life?
Elena Stepanenko:
Not really. Fine. When you love a person, you try first of all to understand him. And then nothing is difficult. And, my dears, we are not getting divorced. And the anniversary “Seventy years is no longer lunch!” we meet together.
By the way
On September 25, on the Russia 1 channel, watch the premiere of “The Petrosyan Show” at 21.00.
And on October 10 and 11, the Meridian Central Cultural Center will host an anniversary solo concert by Evgeny Petrosyan with the participation of Elena Stepanenko and other artists.
Opinion about the romance of Tatiana and Evgeniy from the outside
Their mutual colleague and acquaintance Sergei Drobotenko shared with the press information that he had known for a long time that they were not together. He explained this by saying that Elena is very jealous, and Evgeny loves the attention of fans. He always had a lot of them, because in addition to wide fame, he is not deprived of masculine charm and a smile that disarms women. Not everyone can endure this, and for a jealous person it is a constant pain.
According to Tatyana and Evgeniy’s colleagues, she achieved it herself. She was constantly there, admired him, and he melted. When Elena noticed this and started a serious conversation with her husband, he did not make excuses, but simply created a scandal.
After starting a relationship with Evgeniy, Tatyana changed a lot. She changed her hairstyle, started wearing expensive clothes and wearing bright makeup. Whether she was transformed this way by the love or money of Evgeniy Vaganovich is an interesting question. But he himself had changed, he began to look younger, and the light of life lit up in his eyes. So you shouldn’t immediately suspect a girl of commercialism. After all, a woman can be attracted to such a man not only by money, but also by life experience and wisdom. Not all girls prefer peers. And it is unlikely that their romance is the reason why Petrosyan and Stepanenko are getting divorced; rather, it is a consequence.
The division of the star couple's property is still in place
Representatives of the two sides say completely different things about Elena Stepanenko’s property claims, so it is impossible to figure out what is the truth and what is a game for the public. Sergei Zhorin claims that the artist claims the majority - about 80%, while Elena Zabralova denies this figure and declares Stepanenko’s intention to sue exactly half of the jointly acquired property - no more, no less.
When asked by journalists whether it is true that Elena demands that 10 out of 12 apartments be given to her, the artist’s defender responded as follows:
Firstly, Petrosyan’s side should stop making this kind of stuffing. The same applies to statements about non-existent admirers of Stepanenko. And secondly, the cost of only one of the apartments is 50% of the total cost of the property. It was designed as Petrosyan’s house-museum, where all his valuables are stored - material, artistic, and so on. And now he decided to give it to his wife, but why does she need it? Maintain someone else's museum? We are applying for other apartments. Yes, there are more of them in quantity, but they are much cheaper.
Lawyer Stepanenko claims that Yevgeny Petrosyan, contrary to statements in the press, does not want to agree to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He demands fulfillment of his conditions, which is why the artist was forced to seek justice in court.
"Let them talk"
This high-profile trial was immediately brought before the public court. All media, and not only Russian ones, placed this news on the main pages. Everyone was interested in the question: “Why did Petrosyan get divorced at that age so suddenly?” The well-known Channel One program “Let Them Talk” also paid attention to the news.
The comedians themselves did not come to the show and refused to comment on their personal affairs. Their relatives and friends did it for them.
Evgeniy Vaganovich’s lawyer, Sergei Zhorin, came to the program. He said that the amount of 1.5 billion rubles was greatly inflated, and the gossip about Tatyana Brukhunova’s pregnancy was exaggerated. He stated that he considers this a fake on Stepanenko’s part, in order to appear as an abandoned and unhappy woman, thereby gaining the sympathy of the court. Zhorin also drew attention to the fact that Elena herself lost weight and became prettier, which she associates with the appearance of a man in her life.
Family friend Lada Bystritskaya also came to the “Let Them Talk” studio, who said that Elena always took care of her husband and treated him with trepidation, and it was not about money, but about a woman’s resentment. In fact, it was Petrosyan who divorced, after so many years of caring for him, exchanging Elena for a girl who was not even born when they got married.
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko have not lived together for 15 years
Petrosyan’s interests in court will be defended by lawyer Sergei Zhorin // Photo: Instagram
Evgeny Petrosyan and Elena Stepanenko lived in a legal marriage for more than thirty years. Previously, information about Yevgeny Vaganovich’s infidelity to his wife had already appeared in the press. The name of the alleged homewrecker was even named: she was the comedian’s assistant Tatyana Brukhunova, who is 43 years younger than Petrosyan.
The artists denied such arguments and said: everything is fine in their family. And the other day, the press service of the Khamovnichesky Court of Moscow confirmed the information that Elena Stepanenko filed a claim for the division of property, and she claims most of what was acquired in her marriage to Petrosyan. At stake is about 1.5 billion rubles, which the comedians will divide among themselves. Elena Grigorievna’s interests will be represented in court by lawyer Elena Zabralova. Sergey Zhorin works with Evgeny Petrosyan. The lawyer shared some details of the sensational story.
“My ward Evgeniy Vaganovich suggested that Stepanenko divide everything equally, despite the fact that Petrosyan has been and is the main source of income throughout their life together. But for some reason Elena Grigorievna believes that she should get the majority of it. Our main goal is to ensure that the court divides the acquired property equally,” Sergei Zhorin told StarHit.
Zhorin does not understand Stepanenko’s actions // Photo: social networks
Zhorin is very surprised by Stepanenko’s behavior. At first, the spouses had to sign a settlement agreement. Elena Grigorievna did not show up for the meeting, citing a headache. A little later it turned out that a couple of days before this, the artist filed a lawsuit for the division of property. “She filed a lawsuit, and then for some time continued to negotiate a settlement agreement. It’s complete absurdity,” Zhorin continued.
Moreover, the lawyer said that for a long time they tried to hide the famous spouses from the general public. Petrosyan and Stepanenko have not lived together for fifteen years, so the issue of divorce has been long overdue. Evgeniy Vaganovich tried to resolve it peacefully, through the registry office.
“Perhaps Stepanenko wants to attract attention to himself with his actions,” Zhorin is trying to find an excuse for the artist’s controversial actions.
The couple has not lived together for fifteen years // Photo: social networks
The lawyer assures that the spouses are on good terms, moreover, Petrosyan helps Stepanenko creatively - against the background of this, the story with the court seems even more incomprehensible.
What will Petrosyan and Stepanenko share during a divorce?
Other reasons for divorce
After the wedding, Elena gained 30 kg and began performing less frequently. She was attracted to everyday life, caring for plants and creating a family home. But Eugene himself could not share her interests. His career went uphill, he took on more and more projects. More and more often he disappeared into the theater, more and more young fans revolved around him. The wife was jealous and started scandals.
Being the wife of a creative person of this caliber is always torment. In all their joint tours along the sea coasts, they could never just go for a swim together as a couple. Petrosyan wrote constantly, this business absorbed him completely, and his wife was always only in second place. Blaming him for this is also wrong, he is a talented person who opened his own theater, television show and created a lot of things, this requires colossal moral and physical strength.
Fans of their work can only hope that while resolving all financial issues, Evgeniy and Elena will not descend to throwing mud at each other and will not become enemies. But judging by how well they hid the discord in their family for 15 years, without washing dirty linen in public, this should not happen.
