Courage (television series)

The action of "Courage" takes place in the second half of the 1970s in the USSR . This is a love story of two extraordinary personalities - the young director Alex and the beginning talented singer Galla against the backdrop of the Soviet era ^[3] . Alex, the director of the Mosfilm film studio, devises incredible stunts to promote his wife, and Galla artistically embodies them both on stage and in life ^[1] .

• Alexandra Volkova - Galla, singer ( prototype : Alla Pugacheva )
• Vladimir Feklenko - Alex in his youth (prototype: Alexander Stefanovich)
• Alexander Stefanovich - Alex today, film director ( cameo ) - voiced by actor Alexander Zhigalkin ^[2]
• Aglaya Shilovskaya - Vika Malinina, journalist (prototype: Olesya Seryogina , editor-organizer in the program “ Let They Speak ” on Channel One ^[5] )
• Anastasia Lukyanova - Sonya, singer (prototype: Sofia Rotaru )
• Elena Melentieva - Sofya Vasilievna Kondratieva, Galla's friend, employee of the Ministry of Culture
• Andrey Rapoport - Leonid Derbenev , poet
• Igor Vernik - Alexander Sergeevich, composer (prototype: Alexander Zatsepin )
• Sofya Lebedeva - Masha, bride of Alex (in his youth)
• Andrey Podoshyan - conductor, Galla's fiancé (prototype: Konstantin Orbelian )
• Vadim Andreev - Nikolay Trofimovich, director of the Mosfilm film studio (prototype: Nikolay Sizov )
• Elizaveta Zarubina - Kristallik, daughter of Galla (prototype Kristina Orbakaite )
• Lyubov Polekhina - mother of Galla
• Vladimir Niskov - father of Galla
• Vladimir Vishnevsky - Leonid Gorin, composer (prototype Leonid Garin )
• Denis Yakovlev - Alexander, screenwriter at Mosfilm (prototype - Alexander Borodyansky )
• Ignatius Akrachkov - Vladimir, operator at Mosfilm (prototype - Vladimir Klimov )
• Dina Garipova - Secretary of the director of the Mosfilm film studio and vocals (Galla)
• Andrey Noskov - Anatole, artist (prototype Anatoly Brusilovsky )
• Valentin Smirnitsky - Mikhail Andreyevich, Masha's father (prototype Mikhail Smirtyukov ) ^[6]
• Glafira Tarhanova - Vera, Derbenev's wife
• Alexander Chevychelov - Kryuchechnikov, journalist
• Vadim Pomerantsev - Peter Nikitin, astronaut
• Nikas Safronov - cameo
• Anatoly Adoskin - Sergey Vladimirovich (prototype Sergey Mikhalkov )
• Maxim Zykov - Alik "Taiwanchik", Alex's friend (prototype Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov )
• Sergey Tezov - Alexander Gorlov, film director (prototype Alexander Orlov )
• Alexey Sheinin - Sergey Fedorovich (prototype - Sergey Bondarchuk )
• Sergey Bokov - concert administrator
• Sergey Abroskin - Andrey, rock band musician (prototype Andrey Makarevich )
• Timothy Tribuntsev - Roland, actor (prototype Rolan Bulls )
• Prokhor Chaliapin - Leva, a popular singer (prototype Lev Leshchenko )
• Victor Balabanov - Savva, director (prototype Savva Kulish )
• Alexander Khmelnitsky - Philip Denisovich, Head of Department 5 of the KGB (prototype Philipp Bobkov)
• Sergey Petrov - Sergey Georgievich Lapin , Chairman of the State Radio and Television
• Boris Makarov - Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
• Dimitris Georgiadis - Mikhail Boyarsky
• Pratyumna Chatterjee - Boris Buryatse
• Irina Chepizhenko - Claudia Ivanovna Shulzhenko
• Alexey Weitzler - Gianfranco, correspondent for the Italian magazine Espresso
• Alan Diambekov - “Elephant”, the new companion of Gorin’s wife
• Olesya Seryogina - assistant to Alex, ("Clapperboard")
• Maxim Evseev - employee of the newspaper "Soviet Culture"
• Lyubov Rudneva - Valentina Maksimovna, assistant of Alex

• The television film “Courage” was shot in such cities as Moscow , St. Petersburg , Yalta , Vyborg , Helsinki , Stockholm , Copenhagen , Delft , Amsterdam and Paris .
• The film involves more than two hundred and thirty characters. Some of them are recognizable and easily guessed by the hints of the author: Sofia Rotaru , Joe Dassin , Sergey Bondarchuk , Vyacheslav Zaitsev , Sergey Mikhalkov , Andrei Makarevich and others.
• Casting for the main role of the diva Galla lasted more than six months, more than five hundred young actresses participated in it. The star of the Lenkom Theater Alexandra Volkova won this competition.
• The role of young Alex was played by the popular actor Vladimir Feklenko , known for the television series “Capercaillie” and “Karpov”.
• The creators wanted to invite Sergey Bezrukov , Alexander Zbruev , Yuri Stoyanov to the role of Alex in adulthood. As a result, the film was directed by Alexander Stefanovich .
• The film contains more than fifteen songs by Alexander Zatsepin , Mark Minkov , Anton Schwartz .
• To convey the flavor of that time, costumers carefully selected outfits in the style of the 70s to the actors. From clothes - body shirts, shirts, flared trousers , corduroy suits. For the filming, they found a lot of vintage women's jewelry - earrings, rings, rings, brooches, pendants, beads, bracelets, and men selected signet rings and cufflinks. For the main character, more than fifty dresses and stage costumes were sewn.
• Many things of the 70s that appear in the picture were brought by the director himself. These are paintings, vases, candlesticks, watches and the personal typewriter of Alexander Stefanovich, which the main character Galla smashes.

Project crew comments

• Alexander Stefanovich about the lead singer of the singer Galla Alexander Volkova : “As a director, I thanked God every day for sending this actress to me. This girl gave a standing ovation to the entire film crew about 20 times! “The actress has a sea of ​​charm, she will win the sympathy of the audience!”
• Vladimir Feklenko (Alex in his youth) about his role in the film: “After I read the script, Alexander Borisovich talked to me about my hero for a long time and presented his book. Of course, it helped that he was always there and I noticed some kind of intonation and manner of speech. Already for 2-3 days in the film crew they began to say that I looked crazy like him. In secret, I can even say that when the director was delayed, I occupied his chair and “went into the image”, entertaining the whole group ”... I had a personal thing of the director that helped me - the“ Seiko ”watch by Alexander Stefanovich, which he wore in 70s At the end of the shoot, he presented them to me with the engraving “Alex from Alex ”.
• Dina Garipova (secretary of the director of Mosfilm) about her role in the film: “I acted in films for the first time. I must admit, I was worried like never before. This is a cameo. My heroine is the secretary of the director of Mosfilm, a characteristic, slightly funny, lover of taking care of herself. She understands how important her person is at Mosfilm, and that much depends on her decision. When we arrived on the set, the director helped me tune in to the image. These small episodes with my participation were so important for me, because I dreamed of trying my hand at acting. I tried to make them pretty funny, not like me in everyday life, so I was not afraid to experiment with the appearance and agreed to a short haircut and unusual makeup for me. When my friends saw just a photograph from the shootings, smiles could not leave their faces for a long time! ”

• The TV critic of Literary Gazette Natalya Bobrova appreciated the series:

Was that anyway? Are the actors alike or not? Ardent fans of the singer were convinced that her biography was sacred. That people close to her once should be simply happy for the rest of their lives with this fact of their biography alone. True, it is allowed to regularly “put a candle in the icon”. Otherwise, they will suffer heavenly punishment. At the same time, the ratings of the series went through the roof. But today, when the jubilee hype has subsided, you can take a fresh look at this picture. And to find out that this is an ironic, funny, sometimes sad autobiographical film of its creator - the famous film director Alexander Stefanovich. And this case is unique not only in domestic, but also in foreign cinema. Man has made a piece of art a part of his personal life. At first - in the form of a documentary novel, then - according to it a script, which he himself set and played a major role. <...> The diva in the film is delightfully played by Alexander Volkov. More petite than A. B., it is convincing in plastic, gestures, facial expressions ... And most importantly - in the frantic Pugachev energy. Volkova developed a harmonious duet with Vladimir Feklenko (he plays the young Stefanovich). In “chemistry” their feelings are believed immediately, unconditionally. Love overtook creative heroes unexpectedly. And instead of gold diamonds, unattainable at the time of developed socialism, the hero gives his beloved stage image. He sculpts from it, like Pygmalion, that Galatea, which then conquered the country. And it becomes the first producer and PR manager in our country. <...> This alluring authenticity was born of joint efforts - a screenwriter, director, cameraman Grigory Bulkot, the entire film crew. Although I won’t say that “Courage” is an ideal movie. But it is long awaited. Native. Recognizable. Emotional. ^[7]

• Pugacheva and Galkin will play in the series about their lives // kurskcity.ru (December 10, 2013)
• Stefanovich planted a "bomb" under Pugachev? // 1tv.ru (April 2, 2014)
• Alla became Galla. For the anniversary of Alla Pugacheva, her ex-husband shot a series about her // rg.ru (April 10, 2014)
• Dina Garipova starred in the film about Alla Pugacheva // km.ru (April 11, 2014)
• The first channel will show three programs about Alla Pugacheva // rg.ru (April 11, 2014)
• Dina Garipova first appeared in the film “Courage” about Pugacheva // kurskcity.ru (April 11, 2014)
• Dina Garipova first appeared in the film “Courage” about Pugacheva // mngz.ru (April 12, 2014)
• Vladimir Feklenko: “Nobody wanted to offend Pugachev with Courage”. // trud.ru (April 16, 2014)