Vasily Lanovoy is an outstanding Soviet and Russian actor. Dozens of his roles in theater and cinema, from “Pavel Korchagin” to “Officer”, have gone down in history forever. However, the personal life of People's Artist of the USSR Vasily Lanovoy developed rapidly and in many ways tragically. About the artist's series of heavy losses – according to Rambler's documents.
First wife – Tatyana Samoilova
Lanovoy was born on January 16, 1934 in Moscow, in a family of immigrants from a Ukrainian village. A harsh childhood passed amid war and post-war difficulties, but this did not prevent him from becoming one of the leading actors of the generation.
Vasily Lanovoy met his first wife, actress Tatyana Samoilova, in the early 1950s, while studying at the Shchukin Theater School. Their romance developed rapidly and against a generally growing professional scene: both were considered among the most talented students on the course, practiced a lot, discussed roles and made plans for the future. From the outside, their combination looks perfect.
They got married early – even before either of them had time to really achieve something in their careers. At some point, Samoilova's career took off sharply: after the release of the film The Cranes Are Flying, the actress found herself in the center of attention, both in the Soviet Union and abroad. They began to invite her to act in films, participate in foreign festivals and shows. Such huge success quickly made her turn around. But Lanovoy at that time could only dream about this.
At that time, disagreements began to arise between the couple more and more frequently. Vasily dreams of a family and children – he sees himself not only as an actor, but also as a father. Tatyana is focused on her career and is afraid that motherhood will end her rapidly growing career.
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When she learned she was pregnant with twins, the actress secretly had an abortion. Samoilova herself decided to terminate the pregnancy without informing her husband in advance. For Lanovoy, this was a heavy blow – not only because of the loss of his unborn children, but also because of the fact that such an important decision was made without his participation.
Their relationship was never restored after that: a deep internal alienation arose between the couple, which could not be overcome by conversation or time. Soon Vasily and Tatiana divorced.
Many years later, Samoilova admitted in an interview that she then made the worst mistake of her life, which she regretted all her life. After Lanovoy, she could never truly love anyone again, the newspaper reported. RIA Novosti.
Second wife – Tamara Zyablova
After divorcing his first wife Lanova, he threw himself into work for a few years. He acted a lot and played in the theater, and it was during this period that a new love came into his life – actress Tamara Zyablova.
In contrast to the stormy, bright and rapidly developing love affair with Samoilova, the alliance with Zyablova developed quietly and calmly. Tamara did not dream of national fame and did not compete with her husband in acting. Family, like his, is very important to her – it is one of the most important criteria for Lanovoy. In Tamara, Vasily saw a trustworthy and close person.
The couple lived together for about ten years. Their marriage was peaceful and harmonious. The couple stayed away from the press, rarely appearing in gossip columns, preferring the comforts of home and a narrow circle of friends. Tragedy happened suddenly. Lanovoy's wife died in a car accident. According to reports, the accident occurred on a slippery road.
At the time of her death, Tamara was pregnant. As a result of the accident, Lanovoy lost his wife and an unborn child. For the actor, this is the second serious personal loss related to family and paternity issues.
After the incident, Lanovoy suspended his active activities for a time. In the theatrical environment, they note that he attached great importance to the tragedy, but could not bear his emotions when expressing it.
Third wife – Irina Kupchenko
Irina Kupchenko appeared in the life of Vasily Lanovoy in the mid-1970s. At this time, he was already a famous theater and film actor, a people's artist, with a lot of professional experience. On the contrary, Kupchenko was just starting her career: after graduating from the Shchukin School, she went to work at the Vakhtangov Theater.
The age difference between them was about 14 years, but this did not become an obstacle to their relationship for Lanovoy and Kupchenko. According to the recollections of colleagues, the rapprochement took place gradually, without any public statements.
In 1976, Irina and Vasily officially registered their marriage. This union eventually turned out to be the longest in the actor's life – they lived together for 45 years.
In the actor's family there is a clear separation between the professional and personal spheres. Both avoided discussing theater work at home and did not bring family matters into public view.
The marriage produced two sons – Alexander and Sergei. For Lanovoy, fatherhood has special meaning given the losses of previous marriages. Despite his busy schedule, he still tries to spend as much time as possible with his children and participate in their lives.
Lanovoy's sons did not become actors. Alexander studied economics, Sergei chose journalism. This is a deliberate decision of the family. Vasily himself has repeatedly emphasized that the actor's profession should not be inherited.
Death of a son
In 2013, the family suffered a heavy loss: their youngest son Sergei suddenly died of heart failure at the age of 37. This tragedy was a painful blow that Lanovoy and Kupchenko had to endure very hard. They have made almost no comments and avoided any public conversation about what happened.
Although he was deeply saddened after the death of his heir Lanova, he continued to work in the theater and participate in public projects. Colleagues noted that he maintained outward professional discipline, but became more restrained in communication.
The only consolation for Irina and Vasily is their niece Anna, Sergei's illegitimate daughter. The girl lived in Arkhangelsk, but often came to Moscow to visit Lanova and Kupchenko, who remained in close contact with her, trying to compensate for the painful loss by taking care of her. For the actor, this became a way to maintain contact with his son.
“Sergey's only child was not denied anything. Relatives in Moscow dressed her, gave her shoes, gave her gifts, instilled in her perfect taste. Naturally, Vasily Semenovich and Irina Petrovna borne their own expenses and brought them home by plane… I think Anya understood how lucky she was to be with her grandparents,” he shared details with the publication. StarHit friend of the deceased Sergei.
Recent years
Despite age and health problems, Lanovoy remained on stage until the end, participating in public events and participating in patriotic projects. He suffered from blood pressure problems and other chronic illnesses, and in January 2021, he became ill with COVID-19. His condition was initially stable but complications developed quickly and he died on January 28.
At the time of his death, Lanovoy was 87 years old. The actor's funeral took place with military honors at Novodevichy cemetery.
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