Olesya Zheleznyak and her fiancé Spartak Sumchenko decided not to invite any of their relatives and friends to their wedding. And the newlyweds did not organize a celebration as such. After the official registration, to which both came in jeans, the newly-made spouses went to a rehearsal at the theater. After getting stuck in a terrible traffic jam in Moscow, Olesya was half an hour late for her performance, she tries to take the metro. Olesya and her husband, 38-year-old actor Spartak Sumchenko, had a third child in January - son Prokhor (they already have a 7-year-old son Savely and a 4-year-old daughter Agafya). At the same time, the actress admitted that she never plans to have children: “We’ll give birth to as many as we can,” she said.
Olesya, not so long ago you became a mother for the third time, you had a boy. And, as far as I know, almost immediately after giving birth you went to work. Are you so dedicated to your profession or do you need to earn money?
I do not attribute this to my heroism, to my fanatical devotion to the profession. Life just happens in such a way that I need to work all the time. An actor, like a wolf, is fed by his legs. If you work, you're fine. I went on stage again when my son was a month old. I really needed money, so I went to work - that’s all.
In my opinion, you are the only young “acting” actress in our Fatherland who has three children!
But no. Ekaterina Klimova and Maria Poroshina also have three children. Fine!
Spartak Sumchenko, your husband, is also an actor. But many actresses of your generation married rich businessmen - and they don’t know grief...
This is their own business. But I managed to marry an actor and give birth to all the children from him alone. My husband is a hero. But, like a real hero, a real man, he doesn’t like it when I talk about his exploits. I love him very much, but I don’t tell anything else about my family. Sorry, my husband and I have this agreement.
You filmed together and played on stage, right?
It was, but now we don’t play anymore. We, like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, now take turns playing. So that there is someone to leave the children with, so that everything happens harmoniously. But not like this: abandon the kids and go on tour ourselves, and in this mode - until retirement.
Do you want your children to become actors?
Oh I do not know. I wouldn’t like it, but it’s up to the Lord to decide. I won’t be able to stand with my chest across the road if the children themselves want to become actors. But our profession is very difficult!
Pop star is also a difficult profession. But you brilliantly played the singer Zoya Misochkina in the film “Silver Lily of the Valley.” You probably sing and dance well yourself?
I dance a little. I sing to a lesser extent. I sing more with my soul than with my voice. Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov scolds me all the time, saying that my voice is somehow not right, that I need to do something to correct it. Although I voiced the role of Monkey in one new cartoon, the entire film crew was simply delighted with my voice! I was pleased, no one had ever said that to me. In general, when I hear my voice on a recording, it becomes very difficult for me. It seems to me that I swallow the letters, I don’t pronounce them all.
Let's talk about the Lenkom Theater, where you have had the honor of working for quite some time. Don’t you feel very comfortable there now, since you play so much in enterprises?
No, everything is fine in Lenkom, although there are no global projects on the horizon - they are not offering me Medea. I am currently playing in the plays “The Jester Balakirev”, “All-In”, “The Lady’s Visit”, “The Cherry Orchard”. In enterprises I play Beatrice in “Truffaldino from Bergamo”, and I am involved in the plays “The Crazy Ones”, “Moulin Rouge Hospital”, “Idiot”, “Station for Three”. Nine roles, I may not remember something right away... My life goes on, I play almost every evening and am happy with what is happening. I don’t divide performances into enterprises and the “big” theater. I don’t have such a thing that this evening I’m going to Lenkom, I’ll play well there, for real, and tomorrow I’ll go to Vorkuta or Norilsk with an enterprise and play with my left foot. I try to do everything honestly, to give my best. It seems to me that if you bring joy to people, if the miracle of the theater occurs - the exchange of energy between the audience and the actor, then everything is in order. It seems like an ephemeral thing - contact with the audience, but you always feel whether it has appeared or not. You know, you can play Chekhov in a cheesy, boring way. When they say about an artist that he can play a telephone book, then I believe that talent with its infectiousness, charm, and scale of personality can elevate even the most interesting play. And mediocrity can ruin even Shakespeare.
Olesya, what new film roles will we see in the near future?
I haven't been acting in films at all lately. Last summer I starred in the TV series “Matchmakers”, with my friend and Lenko theater colleague Tatyana Kravchenko, and for almost a year I haven’t been on the set. I don't know what to say about this. I have no movie offers! But I watched several TV shows about Lyudmila Markovna Gurchenko, but she hasn’t been filmed for twenty years. And what an artist she was!
Let's talk not about Gurchenko, but about Kravchenko. After all, it was thanks to her that you got into the entreprise performance “Crazy”, which is always sold out?
Yes, precisely thanks to my great friend Tatyana Eduardovna Kravchenko. Once after the play “The Jester Balakirev”, where we play together, she told me that she was rehearsing in an enterprise and suggested that I try it too. I read the play, which, to be honest, did not impress me. Perhaps I am not very good at reading plays with my eyes. I like to read fiction, not drama. I can’t always mentally transfer what is written on paper onto the stage. Therefore, I admit my own lack of insight. But I love my friend very much and decided that, okay, I’ll “introduce” myself there. I thought it would be a complete failure, I said: “Tanya, I’m doing this only for your sake, for the sake of our friendship!” But I think in the end we turned out to be a good, very actorly performance.
Olesya, you have worked with many famous, seasoned actors. What did they teach you?
Yes, I played in the same performances with Inna Mikhailovna Churikova, I am proud of my acquaintance and creative collaboration with Tatyana Vasilyeva, Alexander Zbruev, Leonid Bronev, Nikolai Karachentsov, Valery Garkalin, Valentin Smirnitsky, Sergei Nikonenko. It’s simply impossible to list them all. She played with the now deceased Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky and Alexander Gavrilovich Abdulov. I crossed paths with someone at Lenkom, with someone in enterprises - everyone has and had something to learn. I am grateful to fate that she gave me such a chance: just to be on the same stage with such wonderful artists. They are not only outstanding artists, but also wonderful people. I say absolutely sincerely that everyone I listed are wonderful people! Probably everyone has their own weaknesses and shortcomings, but for me they are worthy people. Even if some actor has a complex character, he is inconvenient in everyday life...
You mentioned Nikolai Karachentsov. Do you think he can return to the stage?
I don’t presume to judge, but with all my heart I wish him a speedy recovery and a return to the stage. Well, what can you say, as the Lord rules, so it will be.
“I’m twenty-one years old, and I’m already in a hospital for the elderly. Due to nervousness, all internal organs failed, and I ended up in the Institute of Gerontology. It seems life is over. And my career was not a success...”
Olesya Zheleznyak: It all started just great - Mark Anatolyevich Zakharov, the head of our course at RATI, invited me, his second-year student, to play a role in the play “The Barbarian and the Heretic.” My partners were Bronevoy, Churikova, Yankovsky, Dzhigarkhanyan, Abdulov, whom I idolized since childhood.
On the one hand, I felt jubilation and delight, on the other, excitement and wild, paralyzing fear. I remember the first rehearsal clearly. They gave me a piece of paper with four lines and said: “Sing…” I had to sing in an incredibly high voice. In complete silence, to the sound of my own steps, I slowly walked across the entire hall, turned around, stretched out, took in more air into my lungs and began to sing... in some unnaturally low guttural voice. When I finished, there was silence in the hall, which seemed ominous to me. Abdulov was the first to speak: “If they asked me to do this, I would die.” Meanwhile, I survived and even started rehearsals. Despite the terrifying singing, Mark Anatolyevich entrusted me with the role of Marfa, the servant of the heroine Inna Mikhailovna Churikova.
Thus began a month and a half of hell. I couldn’t understand what I was doing here, on stage, among these gods? Who are they and who am I? Every day the inner conviction grew stronger: I am mediocrity. It was obvious to me: a mistake had occurred, I accidentally ended up in this profession and in this wonderful theater. Taking this for granted, I waited for everyone else to notice my insignificance. This didn't happen. I suffered while waiting for the shameful revelation. Very often I had panic attacks, suddenly suffocation set in, circles swam before my eyes, and my heart was pounding. I stopped sleeping, ate practically nothing and did not feel hungry. I lost strength with every rehearsal. I dressed warmer and warmer. She put on many layers of clothes: warm sweaters, sweaters, tights, pants, socks. I'm ready to pull my hat down.
Photo: Photo from family archive
The desire to close myself off from everyone and everything was so great. When she stood on stage and saw THEM, like Bulgakov’s Margarita thought: “Invisible and free, invisible and free,” she was engaged in meditation. One day Mark Anatolyevich said: “Now, young talent, straighten Inna Mikhailovna’s blouse,” and I realized with horror that I couldn’t do this, my hands wouldn’t obey. Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky came up to me several times and, shaking his head sympathetically, said: “Zheleznyak, Zheleznyak...” He immediately treated me very warmly and kindly, but I, in turn, more than once caught myself thinking that outwardly he was very looks like my father. When at one of the last rehearsals I was sitting all wrapped up in some unimaginable long coat, Yankovsky knelt down in front of me and looked into my eyes: “What’s wrong with you?” I felt terrible, but didn't say anything.
Olesya Zheleznyak is pregnant for the fifth time, this is exactly the news that appeared in the press not so long ago. Olesya Zheleznyak is a fairly well-known personality in Russian cinema, an actress who has played in comedy series, dramas, melodramas, and so on.
This is a tall and pretty woman who looks great on camera, has an interesting voice and is simply the personification of a comedic role. The biography of actress Olesya Zheleznyak is of interest to many, since in addition to acting, she is a mother of many children.
Biography
The girl's life began in a family of ordinary workers. In addition to Olesya, there were two more sisters in the family. During their school years, girls were actively interested in reading and creative endeavors. Parents, of course, were simple in their field of employment and did not dream of any dreams. They prepared an agricultural institute for Olesya, but she went to a choreography college. It was here that the career of the future actress began.
In fact, Olesya Vladimirovna Zheleznyak devoted a large amount of time to dancing. Afterwards she ended up in a theater studio on Arbat, which became a part of her life, but soon this institution was closed and the entire team was disbanded.
Without thinking twice, Olesya entered GITIS, but the first time was not successful, so she had to look for a job. With the ability to dance, she headed to the circus, where she began performing in the corps de ballet. I traveled with this circus and even visited Japan. The next year he goes to enroll again and passes the exams with ease. Thus, she knew that an acting career lay ahead of her.
Olesya Zheleznyak: biography, personal life
Our heroine is a talented girl with irrepressible energy. At the same time, she has a non-standard appearance. Since childhood, Olesya considered herself an “ugly duckling.” The girl was sure that she would never get married. However, there was someone who loved her with all his soul. We are talking about the actor Spartak Sumchenko. They met at preparatory courses at VGIK. Olesya stood out noticeably against the background of other girls. Spartak immediately appreciated her perky character, sense of humor and chiseled figure.
The guy beautifully and persistently courted Olesya. And soon the couple began to live under the same roof. In 2004, their first child was born - son Savely. Before this, the actress and her chosen one legalized their relationship at the registry office.
In November 2006, the biography of Olesya Zheleznyak was supplemented with another joyful event. She gave birth to a second child - daughter Agafya. The couple always dreamed of a big family. It seems that the heavenly office heard their prayers.
In January 2011, another addition occurred to the Zheleznyak and Sumchenko family. The actress gave her husband a son, who was named Prokhor. Colleagues admired Olesya’s perseverance and maternal responsibility. In November 2013, Russian print media reported the birth of her fourth child. The newborn son received a beautiful and rare name - Thomas. The couple are not going to stop there. If God gives them more children, they will be very happy.
Work, household chores, raising children and self-development - Olesya Zheleznyak successfully combines all this (biography). The family (see photo above) often visits the temple. Our heroine and her husband introduce their children to faith, respect for other people and honesty from an early age.
Theater
During her student years, she was attracted to small roles in such performances as “The Marriage of Figaro” and other artistic productions. After completing the full course, I went to work at Lenkom. At that time, she didn’t even know that she had been hired, as she was simply asked to take some documents to this institution. In 2000, she became a full-fledged part of the team of this theater studio.
The path to fame was probably the most thorny. She even ended up in the hospital due to a nervous breakdown. At the rehearsal of one of the performances, nothing worked out for her and Bronevoy categorically refused to work with Zheleznyak.
As a result, the help of the team became decisive for her, after which she easily continued to work. There were many performances such as “The Cherry Orchard”, “The Lady’s Visit” and so on. Work in the theater became the most important thing in her life.
Olesya Zheleznyak. Wife. Love story
Olesya Zheleznyak: “When a child is born, opportunities appear”
Olesya Zheleznyak knows how to play even small roles—Gali in “My Fair Nanny”—in such a way that her heroine is remembered no less than the main characters. Photo: Still from the film
Actress Olesya Zheleznyak almost never leaves the screens and managed to star in a dozen popular TV hits, such as “Silver Lily of the Valley”, “My Fair Nanny”, “Beware, Zadov!”, “Matchmakers”, “Nannies” et cetera. But something else is surprising. If she is not acting in films, then at this time she is working full time in the theater. Plays in Lenkom and in the enterprise in fifteen titles. I wish I had such a memory that holds so many texts and roles in my head! “Well, in my free time from work,” the actress jokes. “I give birth to children and raise them.” Olesya has four children. The eldest Savely is 10 years old, Agafya is 8, Prokhor is 3 years old, and Foma will only be one year old. And as I understand, having four children does not interfere with the profession.
“It doesn’t interfere if the work schedule and everyday life are properly organized,” explains the actress. — During the day I’m with the children. Lunches, walks, games in the sandbox, lessons - everything is like other mothers. I don’t rehearse at home, I don’t study roles. My life is no different from the average life of mothers with many children. But in the evening... I go to the theater. And this is a fundamentally different, completely special world. And then you catch yourself thinking: after all, it’s good that I’m an actress! I’ll switch from everyday worries to higher affairs. For which I am grateful to my profession.
- Your GITIS teacher Mark Zakharov invited you to the legendary Lenkom... - Your GITIS teacher Mark Zakharov invited you to the legendary Lenkom...
— The fact that I became an actress is the merit of Mark Anatolyevich. But I still clearly remember my paralyzing fear when I came to Lenkom. Next to Inna Churikova, Leonid Bronev, Alexander Zbruev, Nikolai Karachentsov, Oleg Yankovsky, Alexander Abdulov, it seemed to me that a monstrous mistake had occurred, that I got into this profession by accident. And very quickly a misunderstanding, this deception will be exposed. Because of the complexes there was a terrible pressure. Once, at a rehearsal of the play “The Barbarian and the Heretic,” Leonid Sergeevich Bronevoy threw me the phrase: “Martha, do you want to play roulette?” My heroine Martha should have responded with an enthusiastic cry. But instead of delight, I let out a strangled, “Uh-oh.” And when she heard her voice, she almost fainted. “If she plays like that,” Bronevoy told Mark Zakharov. “I will leave the stage.” And I crawled backstage. The next day I was admitted to the hospital with a nervous breakdown. This was the “debut”. Nevertheless, they didn’t kick me out of the theater; on the contrary, they warmed me up and treated me with understanding. Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky especially pitied me. Over time, of course, everything got better.
Now I play in the theater much more than in cinema... Suffice it to list the names of Lenkom's performances: "Va-Bank", "The Cherry Orchard, "The Jester Balakirev", "Five Evenings", "The Lady's Visit"... And the roles are all diverse. True, the directors of television series and enterprises see me as a comedic, character artist. But it's stupid to worry about it. And it’s a sin to complain. I work a lot and I don’t know the feeling of not being in demand.
— An enterprise involves a busy touring schedule, when you travel with performances all over the country, to cities and villages, rural clubs and tiny houses of culture. How do you combine this with having small children? — An enterprise involves a busy touring schedule, when you travel with performances all over the country, to cities and villages, rural clubs and tiny houses of culture. How do you combine this with having small children?
— I almost always go on tour with children. My eldest son, Savely, was one year old when I was first invited to join the enterprise. Then Agafya was born, followed by Prokhor and Foma. I took everyone in the same sequence on tours, filming, performances, because I breastfeed my children until they are two years old. This is how I have lived for the last ten years. In October, for example, there were only four days off. I forgot when I got enough sleep. But I'm used to working hard. And I know for sure what I do, I like it.
—Are you a strict mother? —Are you a strict mother?
- In my opinion, not strict. But there are four children! When such a crazy company is formed, anything can happen. Today, for example, I already have to go to the theater, and we are starting to butt heads about homework. Savely is in the 5th grade, Agasha is in the second. It is necessary to control the process of completing lessons, which, of course, they do not want to do. And they take advantage of the fact that I am not strict. I really allow my children a lot, but I also expect understanding from them in return. And when I don’t receive this answer, my husband and I (actor Spartak Sumchenko - ed.) begin to “blaze.” We have a temperamental family. But all our severity is limited to words and loud intonations; it never comes to action. And very often you have to change a strict “no” to an endless “yes”, just to avoid seeing children’s tears. Although I understand that this is wrong, children are great manipulators and it costs them nothing to touch me.
— Do you still live in a two-room apartment on Kutuzovsky Prospekt? — Do you still live in a two-room apartment on Kutuzovsky Prospekt?
— Not so long ago we moved to a three-room apartment on Mozhaiskoye Highway. It’s true that it’s a bit cramped for our family. We wanted to take out a mortgage and buy a larger apartment, but these plans had to be postponed until better times. In the end, the main thing is not the number of square meters, but the fact that we live together.
— You did not grow up in an acting family. Your mother was a seamstress, your father a loader. But you became an actress, your sisters became top managers. The eldest Lyudmila works at Gazprom. Did your parents raise you in any special way? — You did not grow up in an acting family. Your mother was a seamstress, your father a loader. But you became an actress, your sisters became top managers. The eldest Lyudmila works at Gazprom. Did your parents raise you in any special way?
“We had an ordinary and absolutely happy childhood, when the house, despite its modest capabilities, was always warm and cozy. The main thing in upbringing is that we were surrounded by love. We were more independent than modern children. A modern child has a completely different life. Until the age of 12, he does not go out without adults. They take him to school. In circle sections - with a driver, for a walk - with mom or nanny. Today's children hardly communicate with their peers. And when they meet with friends, they bury their noses in their gadgets and no longer see anything around them. I understand that forcibly isolating children from their surroundings is wrong. And our eldest son also had an iPad until his younger brother accidentally broke it. And my husband and I crossed ourselves. Now there is no iPad, but a cable TV “dish” appeared in the house and the children got hooked on cartoons. Previously, we only watched Soviet cartoons. And now they're demanding Cartoon Network. And this, in my opinion, is terrible: there is so much senseless cruelty. You have to unplug the cord and stop watching.
- You are such an exemplary mother that I am almost ready to believe that children do not interfere with your profession... - You are such an exemplary mother that I am almost ready to believe that children do not interfere with your profession...
— I never faced a choice: children or work. I managed to combine. I once talked with an older generation actress who had been waiting for roles for many years and was afraid to give birth, saying that a child would be a hindrance in her career. But she never got roles, and didn’t give birth to children... I know for sure: when a child appears, then opportunities appear. This is exactly the sequence, not the other way around. Children change lives for the better. They balance life. There was a period when my salary in the theater was $100. My husband didn’t work much then. And I didn’t even have money for the metro. I skipped like a hare, jumping over the turnstiles, although by that time I had already starred in “Silver Lily of the Valley.” It seems that she became famous... And during this period our first child was born. Surprisingly, they began to invite me to various TV series and enterprises. The Lord has managed everything.
I go to temple. And this helps a lot. Previously, I took many things to heart, and grievances stewed in me for a long time. And now I accept problems and disappointments humbly. This is especially important in the acting profession. Very often they offer small roles, but you, of course, dream of a big one... And therefore you worry that they gave you a small one. But it's not right. You have to humble your pride and love the small role. And then, already proven by experience, they will definitely offer you something more significant. The main thing is that humility be sincere. But this attitude did not come to me right away.
Movies
The first roles in films began to appear in 2000. Then she was invited to take part in the film “Silver Lily of the Valley.” The brilliant performance of the young actress helped her open the way to the world of cinema.
Olesya Zheleznyak and Alexander Tsekalo in the film “Silver Lily of the Valley”
The greatest fame came after the series “My Fair Nanny”. In 2010, he took part in the equally famous series “Matchmakers”. There were roles in the series “Nannies”, “Wonderland” and so on.
Olesya Zheleznyak in the series “Matchmakers”
Of course, work in the theater remains in first place. In addition, the actress regularly appears on television screens. She is invited to take part in such shows as “Ice Age”, “You are a superstar!” and so on.
Olesya Zheleznyak on the set of the series “Miracle”
In general, her career is developing successfully, which opens up enormous prospects for the actress. But the most important thing awaits her at home - a loving husband and four children.
