The last love of the poet Mikhalkov: 84 years against 36
When the writer and poet Sergei Mikhalkov got married at the age of 84, it came as a complete surprise to millions of Russians. But the most surprising thing was that the chosen one of the eminent writer was younger than him by as much as 48 years. "There will be a young fool for every old fart, for whom he is not quite dead yet," Sergey Vladimirovich joked when journalists pestered him with questions. But the love of an elderly man was not a joke and, to the envy of many, mutual.
Mikhalkov first married Natalia Petrovna Konchalovskaya, a famous Soviet poetess, back in 1936. The groom was 23 years old, and the bride was 10 years older. For a woman, this was her second marriage — from the first she had a daughter, Ekaterina. The beginning of their romance was unusual. Beautiful, famous, who knew 4 languages, Natalia did not know the end of men and did not pay the slightest attention to the young writer.
And Mikhalkov was hopelessly in love, although he did not even have the opportunity to communicate with the object of his sighs. The young man needed only four short meetings to decide on the offer, but in response he was refused. Sergey Vladimirovich was not going to give up and was rewarded for his perseverance.
Natalia Konchalovskaya became Mikhalkov's muse for a long 53 years. The life of two creative personalities was not cloudless, but they raised two sons who can be proud of - Andrei Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov. Adopted Sergey Vladimirovich and Ekaterina, the daughter of his wife from his first marriage.
There were various moments in Mikhalkov's life, including those that are not too pleasant to remember. After his death, a certain Tatiana Mikhalkova actively began to give interviews, claiming that she had managed to visit the poet's wife twice after the death of Natalia Konchalovskaya. This person said that their romance lasted intermittently for 26 years and that she even wanted to give birth to her beloved child, but lost it.
Natalia Konchalovskaya
Is this woman telling the truth? Even if this is the case, the Mikhalkov family will never accept her into their ranks. Officially, Sergey Vladimirovich was married twice — to Natalia Konchalovskaya and Yulia Subbotina.
Sergei Mikhalkov was widowed in 1988, and decided to re-tie the knot only in 1997. Yulia Subbotina is the daughter of the famous physicist Valery Subbotin, followed in her father's footsteps and also studied to be a nuclear scientist. The woman had grandiose plans — she was going to defend her PhD and devote her life to science.
But the dreams were not destined to come true — the restless 90s broke out and physicists were no longer needed. Yulia was married, gave birth to a son and at the time of the meeting with Mikhalkov was lonely and did not even count on happiness. But one day she happened to be in the same cafe with an already far from young and very famous poet and he gave her his place. As it turned out, on this day Sergey Vladimirovich gave a pretty woman not only a chair, but also his heart.
Sergey Mikhalkov and Yulia Subbotina
The story that had already happened to him in the mid-30s was repeated — he fell in love like a boy with a woman he had glimpsed. And just like in 1936, Mikhalkov went ahead and achieved his goal. The wedding of the 84-year-old luminary of Soviet poetry and the 36-year-old scientist made a noise even in the battered Russian beau monde.
Only a few believed in sincere feelings between the newlyweds — the Mikhalkov clan was expectantly wary, as was the Subbotin family. Yulia's relatives were worried that she, having barely got ready to return to science, got married and does not look like a person who wants to return to formulas and books.
But it took quite a bit of time to understand that Yulia became Mikhalkov's last true love. It also became clear that Subbotina sincerely loves and respects her Sergei. After the poet's death, the woman admitted that Mikhalkov became for her the ideal man - charming, easy to communicate and having an incredible sense of humor. According to her, her husband was a man "out of age" and could fool around like a schoolboy.
These are not empty words, because the first wife, Natalia Konchalovskaya, said about the poet: "Seryozha will be 13 years old all his life." Many years later, Julia said: "He was pure, gentle and naive, like a child. Until the last days." Isn't that amazing?
Fate gave them 12 happy years, which they lived brightly and richly. In winter, the couple went to the resorts of Germany so that Sergey Vladimirovich could improve his health, and for the summer they rented a house in one of the picturesque places of Italy. Mikhalkov loved to breathe the sea air, to see the expanse in front of him. The last time the couple were by the sea shortly before the poet's death.
At an advanced age, Mikhalkov looked as elegant as in his youth — his young wife took care of his wardrobe. Sergey Vladimirovich gladly obeyed Yulia, although he did not always agree with her choice. A nobleman by birth, Mikhalkov loved beautiful things, but he was never their slave. On the contrary, he, as a true aristocrat, was very unpretentious both in clothes and in food.
This man, who became a classic during his lifetime, also treated his fame very calmly. At one point Mikhalkov collected all the posters, photographs and certificates and handed them over to the archive. All his life, this man tried to help others without expecting anything in return. If someone blasphemed Mikhalkov, then the poet treated it quite calmly and even with humor.
Mikhalkov's relatives are sure that he was able to live up to 96 years thanks to an active lifestyle and a young wife. Julia was near her husband until the end, until he told her, "Well, that's enough for me. Goodbye" and did not leave this world. 11 years have passed since her husband's death, but Yulia Subbotina still lives by his worries - holds meetings with readers, organizes contests for children's drawings, walks through high offices, seeking various events.
Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhalkov has not been with us for a long time, but he has remained a top writer and a favorite of millions of readers. His books continue to be published in large editions and sometimes it seems that the demand for them today is greater than in the Soviet era.
Keywords: Author | Marriage | Longevity | Wife | Classics | Love | Poet | Wedding | Ussr