The series "Matchmakers" is one of the best that the audience watched over the past decade. There is humor, and sadness, and sincere joy, and empathy. Each actor engaged in this multi-part film brilliantly introduced his character. And almost all the invited artists played in the series from the first to the last series. Why did Yuri Anatolyevich leave the Swat, who was embodied by Anatoly Vasiliev? This question is still being asked by viewers. Let's try to figure it out.
How was the series created?
In 2008, they shot the first, two-part television movie under the uncomplicated title of “Matchmakers”. At the very beginning, it was not even supposed that he would have a sequel. They just wanted to make a good family movie. But on television, the picture was such a resounding success that it was decided to extend it for another season (it was also shot in the television movie format), and then for another few seasons (they were already shot as mini-series).
It was thought that the sixth part would be final, but then the creators of the series made a statement that the story would continue in the seventh season. The new adventures of a large family should have started filming four years ago, but due to the political situation in Ukraine, work was postponed. A little later, in 2015, Vladimir Zelensky said that the script was already ready, but they had not yet started filming. Disagreements within the crew were one of the reasons. The entire Kvartal-95 studio on the issues of Crimea and the Donbass conflict was on the Ukrainian side, and Russian actors held different views. In addition, Lyudmila Artemyeva, Fedor Dobronravov and Nikolai Dobrynin so far do not have the right to enter Ukraine.
From military to professor of philosophy
Long before Yuri Anatolyevich appeared in the series “Matchmakers”, actor Anatoly Vasilyev began his career. His debut took place 40 years ago in the film "Steppe" by Sergei Bondarchuk. Thanks to a successful start, he attracted the attention of many directors who began to invite him to their paintings.
In 79th, the cult film of Alexander Mitta "The Crew" was released on the screens of the Soviet Union, which is still watched by spectators of different ages. Vasiliev was approved for the role of the pilot Valentin, who lives the dream of returning to large aviation. Together with Anatoly Alexandrovich, Leonid Filatov, Georgy Zhzhenov, Alexandra Yakovleva worked on the set ... Vasiliev’s character turned out to be very truthful and quite touching. The actor managed to show the personal injury of his hero.
After this film, he had several roles in a row, when he was a brave military on the screen - “Shout of the Loon”, “The Corps of General Shubnikov”, “Gateway to Heaven” and others.
Being such a serious actor, Vasiliev and comedies did not shy away. In the early eighties, he starred in a comedy melodrama about the beloved woman of the mechanic Gavrilov.
In a completely unexpected way, the actor appeared before the audience in the television movie "Mikhailo Lomonosov", in which he played the father of a future scientist. No less interesting was his role in the drama Boris Godunov (Petr Basmanov). It was a joint Soviet-German project.
When in the difficult nineties cinema was going through a difficult period, Vasiliev did not stop filming. True, his role has somewhat changed. He was both an aristocrat and the head of the UGRO ... He did not shy away from work in the TV series - “Tatyana’s Day”, “All Men Are Own ...”, “Scream of Owls” ...
The audience was so fond of the actor that they were very happy to accept his new work in the series about some confrontation between two families - Kovalev and Budko, who in their love for the granddaughter are trying to prove that they are the best grandparents. Professor Kovalev got into the minds and hearts of viewers so much that after the actor ceased to appear in this role, a logical question arose: why did Yuri Anatolievich leave Swatov? And you can get an answer to it by reading this article.
From friendly, well-coordinated work ...
Ten years ago, in 2008, Yuri Anatolyevich appeared in the new, starting to appear on the TV series “Matchmakers”. The actor who was invited to this role was well known to the Soviet audience for his role in the film "Crew". Now, his character was an intelligent grandfather, a professor. The actress Lyudmila Artemyeva, who played Olga Nikolaevna Kovaleva, the chief accountant of the institute, became the cinematic wife.
In the interviews that the actor gave at that time, he said that he liked the plot of the film, he was inspired by the lifestyle of his character, tried to convey his character most plausibly, completely immersed in the work. Actually, everyone saw the result of the efforts from the very first series, when Vasiliev appeared on the screen. He turned out to be one hundred percent getting into the image of a shy, sitting “under the heel” professor of philosophy, very smart, kind, sincere, but not particularly adapted to human life.
... until misunderstanding
Coordinated work continued until the fourth season of “Matchmakers”. And then the conflict began between the two cinema grandfathers - Vasiliev and Dobronravov. It was the script that became the “culprit” of everything that happens on the set, because, according to the text, Ivan Budko constantly teases Yuri Kovalev. Moreover, the farther, the more these jokes were even a bit spiteful.
Vasiliev put up with it for a long time, but then said that in such a format the “Matchmakers” had ceased to be interesting to him: any film, even if it was super-comedy, should in no way degrade human dignity. On the contrary, it should be elevated.
That is why Yuri Anatolyevich left Swat. Yes, it was a big loss for the content of the series, because it was this hero who was distinguished by rare non-conflict, intelligence, gentleness.
Heart could not stand it ...
So what happened to Yuri Anatolyevich in “Matchmakers”? When the actor, acting as one of the grandfathers, Professor Kovalev, Anatoly Vasilyev announced his departure from the series, the plot was rewritten as soon as possible. It was decided that in the film this character will die due to an acute heart disease. That is why Yuri Anatolyevich was removed from the series “Matchmakers”.
It became known that at a certain point in the filming process, Vasiliev began to express dissatisfaction with the work of his colleague, who played the role of the second grandfather - Ivan Stepanovich Budko - Fedor Dobronravov. It was said that Anatoly Alexandrovich expressed dissatisfaction with the way his film colleague works. Allegedly, Dobronravov lacks depth and skill on the set. Vasiliev periodically criticized his colleague for the fact that the acting work of the latter lacks the proper level.
What did Zaya disagree with?
The first series was filmed by director Yuri Morozov. According to Vasiliev, this person is very talented, literally, in love with his job. But he was removed. Vasilyev Anatoly Alexandrovich in one of the interviews said that he did not understand why this was done. The first part, thanks to Morozov, was not only funny, but also touching. But later, everyone began to turn in the direction of the usual sitcom, in which all the texts speak almost non-stop, and laughter is heard behind the scenes.
Vasiliev offered to play this way: after his hero is released from prison, he enters the house with eyes full of tears; he has champagne in his hands; Valentina Budko, seeing the matchmaker, drops something; Olga Kovaleva rushes to her returning husband. Yuri Anatolyevich wants to tell them something, but he is overwhelmed with feelings, and he cannot even formulate a few words. This passage turned out great. Everything was played very accurately. As Anatoly Alexandrovich Vasiliev later said, everything was ruined by his cinematic matchmaker - actor Fedor Dobronravov. He came out "under the spotlights" and began his clowning, began to sing thieves' songs.
The new director - Andrei Yakovlev - was dissatisfied with the fact that Vasiliev climbed into his work, in directing. But the actor was sure that the moment of the meeting should be played in a completely different way: everyone should meet, hug. Spectators would only be grateful for this. It is in this part of the plot that one can completely abandon cheap jokes for the sake of real, sincere feelings. They disagreed with Vasiliev. He realized that he could no longer work like that, and did not agree to continue working. That is why Yuri Anatolyevich left Swat.
Another producer - other values
While this series was shot, the producer also changed. In the fifth part, they became Vladimir Zelensky. Vasiliev was sure that this negatively affected the level and quality of the picture. New scenes in it became vulgar and empty. The intellectual content of the series has much decreased.
The actor admitted that he several times requested that there be less stupid jokes in this story, so that it is filled with meaning and drama. Anatoly Alexandrovich never hid his thoughts about the fact that cinema is an excellent educational factor. Cinema should teach good, carry a certain meaning and become useful for the development of viewers of any age.
Invented reason
Not in due course, according to the actor, the series “Matchmakers-4” and “Matchmakers-5” became. What happened to Yuri Anatolyevich - his character - after the appearance of the fifth episode of the story on the screen, worried all fans of this story. But everything turned out to be very simple. As is usually done in such cases, when one of the actors is no longer engaged in the filming process, his character is "killed". So it happened with the series “Matchmakers”. The funeral of Yuri Anatolyevich was not shown - a comedy after all. Only in the first series of the fifth part did they mention his death: the heart could not stand it.
Unfortunately, this story without Professor Kovalev somewhat lost its charm. Many viewers were unhappy that another actor had come in his place - Alexander Feklistov, the same one who played Kovalev's colleague - San Sanych Berkovich. Many people got used to the fact that Olga Nikolaevna married him. But ... Life goes on, just like the series.