Against the background of many famous domestic artists, an Odessa actor by the name of Vyacheslav Bogatyrev looks rather modest. His filmography is very modest - it consists of only one picture. But this was enough to stay forever in the hearts of the audience. How did the fate of this actor come about, and why did he star in just one movie?
The early years of the future artist
Bogatyrev Vyacheslav Mikhailovich was born in the beautiful port city of Odessa in May 1972.
Glory was the middle child in the Bogatyrev family. His parents were ordinary hard workers, so all three sons did not even think about the acting profession.
Young Vyacheslav had a childhood quite usual for an Odessa boy. Like many of his peers, he dreamed of becoming a sailor when he grew up. Who would have thought that his dream would come true soon, but in a slightly different way than he had imagined.
In the magical world of cinema
When Vyacheslav Bogatyrev became a teenager, his biography unexpectedly changed - the boy was invited to act in films. His pleasant appearance, sincere blue eyes, proud posture and simplicity interested Vadim Vasilievich Kostromenko, who was just looking for artists for his new movie “The Secret Fairway”.
Although the fourteen-year-old Glory had no acting experience at all, his simple-minded manner of playing, demonstrated on trials, impressed Kostromenko, and he did not hesitate to approve the boy for the role of youngster Shurka Lastikov in his four-part adventure movie The Secret Fairway.
What is the film "Secret Fairway" with Vyacheslav Bogatyrev in the title role
An orphan from the besieged Leningrad Alexander Lastikov (played by actor Vyacheslav Bogatyrev in the film) is a pupil of the torpedo boat commander Boris Shubin (Anatoly Kotenev). It is these two heroes who have been hunting the German Flying Dutchman submarine for several years.
In addition to the adventure storyline, the film pays much attention to the romantic relationship between Shubin and Victoria Mezentseva (Larisa Guzeeva). Also, a lot of attention is focused on the friendship of youngsters Lastikov and Boris Shubin, who for a single boy becomes not just a mentor and commander, but actually replaces his father.
By the way, the adult Shurku Lastikov was played not by Vyacheslav Bogatyrev, but by the now famous artist and director Sergei Bystritsky.
Test of glory
After the premiere of the movie "Secret Fairway" in 1986, it was very warmly received by the audience. The leading performers after this became famous throughout the country, and the picture itself was included in the golden collection of Soviet film classics.
Like other project participants, Slava Bogatyrev became famous. The actor, whose biography was now of interest to many viewers and fans, suddenly turned from an ordinary Odessa schoolboy into a movie star.
He was admired, imitated, put in an example and envied. The game of Bogatyrev did not leave anyone indifferent, especially in his homeland - in Odessa.
The hero of our article himself did not boast of his fame and did not attach any particular importance to it. After the premiere, he continued to study calmly at school, play football with his peers and did not show any signs of star fever.
At that time, it seemed to many people around him that after such a successful debut, the young man had a brilliant film career, and he would soon appear in new films. But Bogatyrev surprised everyone, chose a completely different path for himself.
Forever with the sea, or How did the fate of the artist
Unlike many other children-artists, Vyacheslav Bogatyrev did not allow fame to spoil himself. And, having received a school certificate, he, as planned, went to study at the local maritime school.
The leadership of the university was pleased that among the students there is such a celebrity, especially an artist who played in the famous heroic movie about sailors. However, Slava himself took this calmly and never asked himself concessions from the school teachers. Perhaps that is why he earned a reputation among his fellow students as a reliable friend and helpful person.
In 1989, Bogatyrev graduated from college, and a year later he was drafted into the army. During the distribution, the young man was sent to serve on the navy near Sevastopol. No one knows whether this appointment was the result of ironic coincidence or whether such an appointment was intentional. Most likely, even Vyacheslav Bogatyrev himself did not know this for sure, but he was very pleased - he loved the sea, and considered his profession to be a vocation.
It is interesting that after serving six months, Bogatyrev received an invitation to act in films again. The leadership of the Sevastopol Film Studio agreed with the bosses of the young man and they were ready to let him go on the set of a new movie. However, Vyacheslav refused this tempting offer, arguing that he chose the profession of a sailor, not an artist, and therefore did not intend to change anything. Some relatives subsequently claimed that if at that time the actor was offered to play not a peasant, but again a sailor, he agreed with pleasure. Is it so, today no one can answer.
After serving two years, Vyacheslav Bogatyrev safely arrived home and soon got a job as a sailor in civilian vessels. He devoted all this future years of his life to this profession.
Personal life
Many friends and relatives noted that Slava Bogatyrev was a truly unique person: having received fame early, he almost never used it to achieve any concessions from life. And not only professionally, but also personally. After all, playing in the Secret Fairway, he earned not only the respect of peers throughout the USSR, but also the close attention of the girls. And although his beautiful blue eyes forced the heartbeat of more than one schoolgirl, the young artist did not use it and was not inclined to start fleeting novels, although he married quite early.
He met his betrothed Svetlana, while still a teenager, and after graduating from college, when he was only seventeen years old, officially legalized their relationship. This union turned out to be surprisingly strong: together the couple lived long and happy twelve years.
As for the artist’s other relatives, it is known that his mother died shortly after the release of the film - in 1987. Also, according to unconfirmed reports, it is known about the death of Vyacheslav’s father - Mikhail Bogatyrev and his two brothers. The last of the male half of the family died Vyacheslav's brother, Ruslan. It happened in the winter of 2013-2014.
The daughter of Vyacheslav Bogatyrev
Soon after marriage, in 1990, an addition took place in the Bogatyrev family - a daughter was born. She was called Alexandra. She became the first and only child of Vyacheslav Bogatyrev. However, the artist did not have a chance to enjoy family happiness for a long time - he was drafted into the army. By the way, at that time a very young Sasha helped her father reduce his service life.
The fact is that in those years it was supposed to serve in the navy for three years. However, those who had children were shortened by one year. Thus, Vyacheslav served in the Navy for only two years and was soon able to return to his beloved women.
Ten years after the artist’s death, Alexander’s daughter gave birth to his granddaughter.
How did Vyacheslav Bogatyrev die?
The actor lived a rather short life. In March 2001, he did not live two months and eleven days before his 29th birthday. Nothing is known about the reason for such an unexpected and early death of the beloved of Odessa, since he lived very modestly and did not try to attract special attention to himself or his family. His widow, Svetlana Bogatyreva, leaves unanswered questions from viewers and journalists about the death of her husband - probably this topic is still too painful for her, and she is not ready to talk about it.
Where is the artist buried?
Despite the unwillingness of the wife of Vyacheslav Bogatyrev to talk about the last days and the death of her beloved spouse, she shared information about the burial place of the artist. From her it became known that Vyacheslav Bogatyrev was buried (photo of the monument below) at the Tairovsky cemetery in Odessa.
As his wife admitted, picking up a photo for the monument, they, with no doubts for a moment, decided on a card from the school, where Bogatyrev is in marine uniform. Thanks to this, it will be easy for fans of Vyacheslav’s work to find his grave, because from the monument they are looked at by a slightly matured, but still the same Shurka Erasers from “Secret Fairway”.
Vyacheslav Bogatyrev was measured out quite a few years - he did not live even thirty. But this man managed to achieve what some people are few years old for. Although there is only one work in his filmography, many viewers still remember him and respectfully speak about the acting work of Bogatyrev. Those who are fortunate enough to be personally acquainted with him speak of the artist as a very modest, sincere and incredibly responsive person.
Some fans regret that Vyacheslav did not take the chance to make a film career in vain. But if you look at his choice on the other hand, he does not seem such a mistake. After all, Bogatyrev managed to live just such a life as he wanted, doing his favorite thing, surrounded by relatives and loved ones - is this true happiness?