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Alexei Batalov always listened to the authoritative opinion of his wife. Photo: Boris Kudryavov
Larisa Bravitskaya does not hide the fact that that incident made her burst into tears. She remembers what happened even years later.
Almost six years ago, the legendary Alexei Batalov passed away. Relatives and friends still speak of the star of Soviet cinema with great warmth. Today, the People’s Artist of the USSR was suddenly remembered by his stage colleague Larisa Bravitskaya. She told a story that took place in the Church of the Great Ascension at the Nikitsky Gates on Forgiveness Sunday. In the crowd of parishioners, Larisa Leonidovna unexpectedly saw the famous actor. He was already elderly, he was very ill and suffered, but he did not show it.
“When all those present stood up one by one to approach the priests and ask for forgiveness, I was surprised to recognize Alexei Vladimirovich in the stranger. He stood in line with everyone, and it seems that no one except me recognized him. So he was not like his on-screen heroes, ”writes Bravitskaya.
Next to Batalov (recently, our publication talked about his crazy novels), someone’s six-year-old boy was spinning. Alexei Vladimirovich gently drew the child and placed it in front of him. He placed one hand on the boy’s shoulder and stroked his head with the other. He immediately calmed down. When they approached the priests, the artist released the guy and went down on his knees.
“Quietly, barely audibly, he whispered:“ Forgive me, honest father. And tears flowed from his eyes. Then he struggled to his feet to kneel again before the next priest. And so five or six times, how many priests there were in the church. The famous Batalov, amazing, smart, wise, subtle, intellectual by birth and spirit, knelt down, asked for forgiveness and was not ashamed of his tears, ”said the actress.
Larisa Bravitskaya admits that at that moment she also burst into tears, she still understood the deep and sacred meaning of Forgiveness Sunday.