The widow of the brilliant Russian director Alexei Balabanov, Nadezhda Vasilyeva, fell in love with many admirers of his creative works because of her incredible devotion to her husband. The right hand, faithful friend and loving woman of the master was there until his last days and supported any, even his most crazy ideas. Today you will learn about the very muse and beloved wife of Alexei Balabanov, who shared twenty years of his life with him.
Childhood of Nadia Vasilyeva
Nadezhda was born on January 29, 1962 in St. Petersburg. Not much is known about the biography of Nadezhda Vasilyeva. However, it is known that the girl's family was exemplary. At school, Nadia was considered a positive student because she was making progress. Parents spoiled the girl and allowed her to do absolutely everything that she wanted. As Nadezhda Vasilyeva herself admits, she always grew up as a very free person internally, and thanks to this she never had any limits injudgments and stereotypes in your mind.
Out of school, Nadezhda decided to study as a costume designer. This choice was made by her out of love for art, painting and fashion. It was the right choice of specialization that allowed Vasilyeva to find her life's work and stay in it for many years.
Introducing Balabanov
According to Vasilyeva, the first meeting with Alexei took place at Lenfilm. In one of the corridors of the film studio, they were introduced by a mutual friend who works with Balabanov. Alexei liked Nadezhda, and he, not yet knowing what this meeting could threaten, offered her to work together. And a little later, when the conversation had already begun, he told her that he really liked the fact that she was wearing a skirt, not trousers. Apparently, in such an intricate way, Balabanov singled out Vasilyeva from the general mass of women.
By the way, at the time of the meeting between Nadezhda and Alexei, the latter was married and already had a son, Fedor. But, as Balabanov's widow admits, his marriage with his ex-wife was already at the seams and the spouses did not love each other with the love that a man loves a woman and vice versa. Therefore, when she talks about the fact that it was Nadezhda who became the fatal lovebird, she only shrugs her shoulders in bewilderment.
After some time, Balabanov left his family and began to live with Vasilyeva. In 1996, their son Peter was born.
The creative life of the wife of a genius
After the release of the cult film "Brother", Alexei instantly became a symbol of the generation of the 90s. Balabanov's wife, Nadezhda Vasilyeva, is not onlyhelped him in the work on the film, but also how she could keep his peace and family hearth. In a few interviews, she admitted that Alexei was so passionate about cinema, its creation, that he was literally obsessed with it, not noticing anything around. Vasilyeva said that all household chores were also completely on her. Balabanov was very far from worldly everyday problems and money issues in particular. Only art!
However, with regard to the upbringing of the sons of Fedor and Peter, he was directly involved in this. Both boys grew up on film sets and spent a lot of time with their dad.
Nadezhda, in turn, not only did not prevent her husband from communicating with his son from his first marriage, but, on the contrary, considered Fedya practically her own child. She treated Alexei's first wife with great sympathy and respect.
It should be noted that Balabanov's wife, Nadezhda Vasilyeva, stoically endured free views on life and family. They appeared in a rather patriarchal form. For example, according to her personal stories, in marriage, her husband's infidelity is quite acceptable for her. But at the same time, the absolute fidelity of his wife. As well as one hundred percent care of a woman about her man and his needs. Vasilyeva has repeatedly said that for her husband she was more like a mother than a wife in the modern sense of the word. But the spouses were more than satisfied with this format of relations. They felt harmonious and happy in each other's company.
Husband's departure and later life
In 2013 AlexeyBalabanov died in one of the sanatoriums in St. Petersburg. Grieving the loss of a loved one, costume designer Nadezhda Vasilyeva said in an interview that she was happy to live these 20 years with a man who had a fire inside all this time. After all, this is much better than a long half-century life with a man who no longer wants anything.
After Balabanov's death, Nadezhda wanted to leave the film industry and leave her work as an artist, but did not do this and continues to work on the pictures she liked. However, according to her, the memory of Alexey does not leave her even for a minute, even after the past 5 years.
