Three-part mini-series âDaggerâ, âBronze Birdâ and âLast Summer of Childhoodâ, which were shot based on the works of the talented writer Anatoly Rybakov, were for twenty whole years hits of Soviet television during all school holidays. The adventures of three friends - Mishka, Genka and Slavik - the realities of the pioneering life of the post-revolutionary years excited the consciousness of the guys. To date, these tapes have already become a classic of the Belarusfilm film studio.
The second part of this trilogy - âBronze Birdâ - appeared on the screens of the Soviet Union a little more than 40 years ago - in June 1974, and immediately fell in love with millions of girls and boys. Many guys tried to repeat the exploits of the television heroes, which occupied their minds and seemed the best. It is safe to say that the famous young actors woke up. The Bronze Bird is a true story of an ideal pioneer organization.
Storyline
The story is quite simple. Three Moscow children - Mikhail Polyakov, Gennady Petrov and Vyacheslav Eldarov - in the company of the rest of the students of their native school come for summer holidays to a pioneer camp located outside the city. This camp is located on the territory of a country house, which belonged to Count Karagaev, who fled abroad. Various rumors circulated about the countâs family members among the local population and incredible legends were told. It was said that, according to the order of the empress, the ancestors of the count were executed and buried in a swamp. And now, after many years, the ghosts of each of them intimidated travelers who went astray. Another popular rumor led a tale about the countâs father, who, despite being an eccentric man, managed to preserve and increase the wealth he received. But at the end of his life, he hid it in the vicinity of the forest. But where exactly - no one knew.
"Countess" turned out to be a real countess
At that time, which describes history, only Sofya Pavlovna lived in the count's mansion, a housekeeper of very respectable years, whom the restless pioneers gave the nickname Countess. Here it is impossible not to deviate from the narrative and not to tell about one curious fact. Actors of the film "Bronze Bird" selected based on the ability to play the proposed role. And the directorâs choice was simply magnificent.
A special "thank you" to him for actress Maria Kapnist, who played the housekeeper of the Karagaevs. This woman in her usual life was a hereditary noblewoman and countess. And the year 1941 turned for her not only the beginning of the war, but also repression "for anti-Soviet propaganda and agitation." Kapnist became known to a wide range of spectators as witches, mysterious old women, ladies, sorceresses. Due to the fact that during the years of imprisonment she had to work underground, she developed claustrophobia, which became the cause of her death many years later. Maria Rostislavovna tried not to use the underground pedestrian crossings. When she was 79 years old (1993), she crossed Victory Avenue in Kiev. She was hit by a car. To death.
Mansion or commune
So, the mansion of Count Karagayev was occupied only by Sofia Pavlovna. But Komsomol members liked this place and they decided to arrange a labor commune there for the pupils of the orphanage, who, for the most part, were ordinary street children. The housekeeper naturally resists such a turn of events. And the Komsomol members who came to talk to her even present a letter of protection, according to which this estate was recognized as a historical monument and was of great value.
To make the characters interesting, so that everyone plays their roles as best and truthful as possible, actors are selected. The Bronze Bird seemed like a huge flower garden for talented artists.
At the same time, two strange and incomprehensible incidents took place in the village. Two pioneers disappear from the pioneer camp, and in the vicinity of this village, on a beautiful green meadow, they find dead Kuzmin, who once worked as a forester in the count.
Looking for the missing guys
Three bosom friends - Mishka, Genka and Slavik - borrow a boat from Kondraty Stepanovich (a local artist) and four (inviting the village boy Zherdya), swim along the river, trying to find the disappeared pioneers.
Augustin Milovanov (artist) and Oleg Sevostyanov (Zherdyay) are also involved actors. âThe Bronze Birdâ - the only film not only about pioneers, but also about their organization - made it possible for them to play roles that were far from the main ones, but important for creating the special atmosphere of this mini-series.
The fugitives were quickly found and returned to the pioneer camp. But the second incident - the killing of a forester - remains unsolved for now.
Note from the eagle
A few days after these events, Mikhail and Vyacheslav decided to go to the city. On the train, they noticed the Countess and began to spy on her. So they were able to see how she took out a note from a well-disguised hiding place in the figure of an eagle. From a conversation with the doctor of the county hospital, Mishka learns interesting information that the map showing the place with buried jewelry is hidden in a large bronze bird that adorns the entrance to the countâs mansion for many years. Friends without delay decided to begin the search. Now they understand that the forester was killed by those people who are interested in finding count treasures as quickly as possible.
Young actors
The three friends who were the main characters in all three films were played by Sergey Shevkunenko (Misha Polyakov), Igor Shulzhenko (Slava Eldarov) and Vladimir Dichkovsky (Gennady Petrov). That is, it was they who played in the film âBronze Birdâ. The actors and the roles performed by them appealed to the guys. They felt mature and independent. The guys even abandoned their studies.
Many years after the end of the filming, Vyacheslav Eldarov recalled that he studied very well before working in the cinema, and during the year of filming the 14-year-old was simply spilled. Friends went to the school where the children were seconded (in Vilnius) only once, but managed to arrange an explosion in the chemical room. Later, teachers came to the hotel where they lived. But the boys were not interested.
His mother was against the shooting, but Igor persuaded her, citing the fact that a lot of boys were tried for the role of Slavka, and he was chosen.
Only young actors were engaged in filming while working on the film. âBronze Birdâ - one of the best films made in the Soviet Union, did not allow knowledge to settle in their heads.
Igor Shulzhenko, so correct and intelligent on the screen, in his real life never graduated from any institute (and he once entered the Polytechnic and Radio Engineering Institutes). He learned to lay tiles and thereby earned a living. February 2009 was the last of his fate.
Vladimir Dichkovsky got into the picture in the same way as Shulzhenko. An assistant director came to the school where he studied and invited the boy to take a test. Thus began his work on the trilogy. Vladimir still remembers what he spent the fee on - he bought himself a cool moped. Dichkovsky has been driving for over thirty years now - he has been working as a driver and does not regret anything in his life, because he is sure that his life is very interesting.
Such were the screen friends, Slavka and Genka, the actors of the film âBronze Birdâ. Their fate has developed in different ways, the only similarity is that they both did not choose a film career. But neither one nor the other regretted anything. By the way, Shulzhenko, like Dichkovsky, was not too fond of revising his work in the cinema: for some reason he was shy.
Not always a pioneer - an example to all the guys
The actors of the film "Dagger" and the film "Bronze Bird" were one and the same team, because the second tape was a logical continuation of the first.
The main character of the trilogy Mikhail Polyakov is a well-read, smart, serious, responsible boy with a heightened sense of justice. He always tries to help others, seeks the triumph of truth.
But in the life of young Sergei Shevkunenko, everything happened completely wrong. The fate of the actors "Dagger" and "Bronze Bird" did not always bring them pleasant surprises. And the life of Shevkunenko was this vivid visual confirmation. Although in many ways he was to blame himself.
His parents worked at Mosfilm: dad was the director of the 2nd creative association of the film studio, and his mother was an assistant director. Serezha was the second child, the eldest daughter Olga grew up in the family.
Mom had to go back to work after the death from cancer in 1963 of her husband, Yuri Alexandrovich (she did not work for several years, she kept the household). Serezha was raised by her sister. But in 1972 she got married and left first to Israel, and then to the USA. Serezha remained left to his own devices, and his sister was not his authority. He contacted a bad company. To save his son from corrupting influence, his mother brought him to Mosfilm.
The perfect pioneer
Director Nikolai Kalinin was just beginning to work on the film adaptation of the story by Anatoly Rybakov "Dirk". Serezha ideally suited him for the role of Misha Polyakov. In addition, according to some reports, it was the author of the books Rybakov who personally approved Shevkunenko for the role of Polyakov. Getting into the image was more than accurate. And on the screen, the young actor behaved easily and naturally, much better than his comrades in the tape. A year after the triumphant release on the screens of the picture "Dagger" filmed its continuation - the film "Bronze Bird". Shevkunenko left his acting mark in the tape "The bronze bird." Actors, whose fates changed dramatically after these shootings, at that time simply rejoiced at such an interesting project and played from the heart. And after the end of filming they started talking about Sergey as a talented young actor.
Artist
After graduating from 8 classes, the guy did not want to study further. And his career that began so brilliantly ended abruptly after a fight (Sergey was then 16 years old). He was planted for a year. From that moment on, his life was a vivid illustration of the cinematic: "stole - drank - to prison." For 17 years he had five walkers. "Lawyers" gave him the nickname Artist. Even Sergeiâs marriage to the charming girl Elena didnât make him change his life.
In 1994, he was once again released, put together a âbrigadeâ that controls the territories adjacent to the Mosfilm. Soon, the interests of his team clash with the interests of the Kazan group. And itâs so serious that Sergey decides to leave with his mother to his sister in the USA. They planned to move in the last days of February. But nothing came of it.
On February 11, 1995, at about half-past ten in the evening, Shevkunenko arrived home. He entered the porch, where the killer was waiting for him (the bodyguards were released). Sergei managed to get a slight wound in the stomach while he ran into the elevator. He managed to run into the apartment and close the door behind him. But in a hurry, he did not remove the keys from the keyhole. Killer came after him. Five bullets remained in his pistol. He killed Sergeiâs 76-year-old mother with two, and finished off Shevkunenko with three.
The star of a talented actor who did not manage to become either a world-famous movie star, leaving a handprint on the Walk of Fame, nor a "thief in law" went out.
True promise to future generations
Yes, the film âThe Bronze Birdâ (the actors and roles they performed in which millions of viewers loved it so much) made the little stars from the children famous in all the cities of the Soviet Union. Yes, and the actors older and already appearing on the screen, added a certain popularity. And yet, it was a picture of friendship, mutual assistance, good aspirations. She instilled in the audience the correct concepts and thoughts, a manner of behavior. Perhaps this is precisely what gave the tape such a long life, because even today, so many years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the film is watched with no less interest not only by middle-aged people who grew up on it, but also by their children and even grandchildren. And it is worth a lot.