Ivan Ivanovich Okhlobystin is a Russian actor, screenwriter and director. In the past he was a biker and a hooligan, now he is a father of many children and a staunch conservative. He is a priest and is the author of a science fiction novel and several books on religious topics.
Childhood of Ivan Okhlobystin
Ivan Ivanovich Okhlobystin was born in the Polenovo rest home in the Tula region, where his father held the position of chief physician. Many called the union of his parents impossible due to the colossal age difference. They were separated by 43 years: Ivan Okhlobystin Sr., a military surgeon who had gone through the Second World War and by the time he met future wife who was in his seventh decade, and young Albina Bilyaeva, a MIPT student who had barely reached adulthood.
Ivan Okhlobystin with his grandmother Vanya’s father transferred his own aspirations to his son and saw his son as a brilliant surgeon. The younger Okhlobystin had his own thoughts on this matter. In the eighth grade, the young man saw the film “An Ordinary Miracle” and firmly decided to become a wizard, or at least to help people - to bring them “good, reasonable, eternal.” In 1982, this desire brought Ivan, who graduated from school, to the admissions committee of VGIK.
When Igor Talankin, who took the exam, asked the applicant to surprise him with something like that, he got angry: “I came here to say a new word in Russian cinema, and not to surprise you!” The director was indignant: “Get out of here, you lout!”, but in the corridor they caught up with Okhlobystin and brought him back - surprised by the young man’s antics, the maestro burst into laughter and approved his candidacy with both hands.
The charm of the student Okhlobystin captivated all the VGIK teachers. After studying for a year, Okhlobystin was called up to military service: ended up in Rostov-on-Don, in the missile forces. In the army, his extraordinary mind was also appreciated, but, alas, with a “minus” sign; As a result, during the two years of his military duties, Ivan spent three months in the guardhouse. The actor himself treated this fact with a fair amount of irony, noting that loneliness allowed him to think about life to his heart's content and he liked it much more than staying in the barracks.
The beginning of the career of Ivan Okhlobystin
After demobilization, Okhlobystin returned to Igor Talankin’s directing course and quickly achieved success both in his studies and in social activities. His first student works (short films “Nonsense. A Tale of Nothing”, “Breaker of the Waves”) won at the International Film Festival in the USA, and were also awarded the Audience Award at the Potsdam Youth Film Festival.
Okhlobystin (left) played a policeman in his short film
The first script written by Okhlobystin became the first experience of cooperation with director Roman Kachanov. In 1991, the result of their tandem was released - the absurd comedy “Freak”; The main character of the film is born as a mature thirty-year-old man and gains the ability to transform into any person he has seen before. The film was nominated for prestigious award « Golden Apple, golden leaf."
This was followed by Okhlobystin’s acting debut in the drama “Leg”. Together with Pyotr Mamonov, they played recruits who ended up in Afghanistan. A cheerful boy, Valera, loses his leg in the war and returns home to realize that the worst is just beginning. The psychologically difficult film brought Okhlobystin victory in the “Best Role” nomination at the “Molodist-1991” festival. Due to personal motives, the superstitious Ivan filmed under the name Alien.
Ivan Okhlobystin in the film “The Leg”, 1991
In 1992, Okhlobystin presented the first full-length film “Arbiter”, during the creation of which Ivan acted in three guises: director, screenwriter and performer of one of the main roles. The heartfelt existential drama with Rolan Bykov literally broke the post-Soviet stagnation of cinema. The film won one of the nominations of the Kinotavr festival (competition “Films for the Elite”, nomination “Best Director’s Work”). In the same year, Okhlobystin received a diploma from VGIK.
Ivan Okhlobystin in the film "Arbiter", 1991
Over the next ten years, the actor had the opportunity to play a pathologist in the film “Who If Not Us” (the acting debut of Arthur Smolyaninov) and a doctor in the film “Three Stories”, which brought together many legendary celebrities, such as Oleg Tabakov and Sergei Makovetsky. By the way, the screenwriter of the novel was a friend of Okhlobystin’s from VGIK. In the project “Giselle Mania” by Alexei Uchitel, Okhlobystin played the famous choreographer Serge Lifar.
Galina Tyunina and the impressive choreographer Okhlobystin
In 1997, two landmark films with Okhlobystin’s participation were released: the daring comedy “Mama Don’t Cry” with Evgeny Sidikhin and the lyrical drama “Midlife Crisis”, the directorial debut of Garik Sukachev, where Dmitry Kharatyan and Okhlobystin became partners. The film showed that Okhlobystin is great at deep, thought-provoking characters.
Okhlobystin's character in the film "Midlife Crisis"
In 2000, Roman Kachanov’s first film from the “DMB” series was released. The project’s script was entirely based on Okhlobystin’s army stories, and he also played the cameo role of a special counterintelligence officer.
"DMB", Ivan Okhlobystin as a special counterintelligence officer
The film with the participation of Stanislav Duzhnikov and Alexei Panin was criticized for the not very successful acting and cinematography, but the dialogue of the characters was instantly divided into quotes.
The truly popular “DMB” became a trendsetter for army comedies: the film received numerous sequels and, one might say, gave birth to the TV series “Soldiers,” which introduced viewers to the charming warrant officer Shmatko in the person of Alexei Maklakov.
– Do you see the gopher? - No. - Me neither. And he is
The year 2001 was marked by the release of the experimental film Down House, a kind of playful interpretation of the novel The Idiot. Roman Kachanov moved the main storyline of the work to the 90s of the 20th century, replacing aristocrats and merchants with more current characters: drug addicts, “new Russians” and metropolitan bohemians. Okhlobystin played the role of Parfen Rogozhin, the antagonist of Prince Myshkin (hero). The character turned out to be passionate, “flammable”, equipped with Okhlobystin’s trademark humor and charisma. However, the entire cast of the film was impressive: Anna Buklovskaya in the role of Nastasya Filippovna, General Epanchin played by Barbara Brylski and Alexander, skillfully played by Elena Kondulainen.
Modern Parfen Rogozhin performed by Okhlobystin
Okhlobystin devoted the following years to serving in the church, declining invitations to audition, but did not abandon writing. In 2005, Okhlobystin’s fantasy novel in the “biotronic” style appeared on bookstore shelves. A work that tells about the adventures of a young man in virtual reality, was called “XIV principle”.
Okhlobystin combined his work as a priest with writing
In 2007, the first role after a long break followed in the TV series “Rasputin”, where he was approved for main role Okhlobystin appeared in the mysterious image of a favorite royal family. While viewers were watching the development of the conflict between Rasputin and General Khvostov, played by Andrei Fedortsov, Okhlobystin was busy filming the series “Crazy Angel”, where he played Kesha, the heroine’s assistant.
The role of Grigory Rasputin seemed to have been created for Okhlobystin
“House of the Sun,” released in 2009, was more of a screenwriting experience for Okhlobystin than an acting one, but Ivan was still involved in the cast and skillfully played the role of a lecturer. The main role went to the young actress Svetlana Ivanova.
Ivan Okhlobystin about the film “House of the Sun”
For a long time, Ivan was busy acting and creating scripts for films, leaving his directorial role in the background. Only in 2009 did he become one of the directors of the film “Moscow, I love you!”, consisting of a series of romantic short stories about life in the capital. Also, 16 other directors worked on the film, including the son of the legendary Andrei Konchalovsky.
In November 2009, the film “The Tsar,” a philosophical drama by Pavel Lungin, was released. The general atmosphere of the picture, dictated by the spirit of the times, was associated by most of the public with one word - “cruelty.” The two-hour conflict between the characters Oleg Yankovsky and Pyotr Mamonov was accompanied by many chilling scenes: the execution of the nephew of Abbot Philip and the cold-blooded murder of the priest himself by the character of Yuri Kuznetsov, the “torture town” of the hero Ville Haapasalo, the public burning of the royal jester Vassian, played by Okhlobystin. Many critics noted that it was Ivan's acting skills that distracted viewers from the excessive violence throughout the film.
In the film "Tsar" Okhlobystin played the court jester
Ivan Okhlobystin and “Interns”. Career blossoming
At that time, director Maxim Pezhemsky decided to film a sitcom about the everyday life of novice doctors. He had already collaborated with Okhlobystin (the comedy “Mama Don’t Cry” in 1997) and, without hesitation, sent the actor the script proposed by Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov. At first, Ivan doubted - after all, participating in comedy series was new to him, however, after reading the script for the first four episodes, he was convinced that “Interns” promised to become something radically new and could take the concept of “Russian series” to a new level.
Doctor Bykov and his interns
Okhlobystin fit perfectly into the image and even complemented it by recalling cases from his father’s medical practice. This is how the caustic, sarcastic doctor Andrei Bykov was born, who received pleasure from three things in his life: medical practice, bullying interns and making fun of best friend venereologist Kupitman (Vadim Demchog).
In real life, Okhlobystin and Demchog are also friends
On April 1, 2010, Okhlobystin woke up famous. After the premiere of “Interns” that took place the day before, the whole country became acquainted with Ivan’s comedic talent.
The resounding success only increased with each subsequent season; Interest in the series was fueled by the fact that the characters of the new interns grew and developed as the series progressed. The arrogant, arrogant “nerd” Levin played by Dmitry Sharakois, the compassionate beauty who played the only girl intern in the hospital, the typical “major” - the headstrong son of the head physician Gleb Romanenko -, the narrow-minded Lobanov (Alexander Ilyin Jr.) - they all learn to be a single team professional doctors, and, thanks to Dr. Bykov, they do it very successfully.
Okhlobystin and company: Demchog, Kamynina, Guryanova, Byron, Glinnikov, Ilyin
The determined heroine of Svetlana Kamynina, the head doctor of the hospital Anastasia Kisegach, and the experienced head nurse Lyuba Skryabina, played by Svetlana Permyakova, received endless love from the audience. One of the “features” of the series was the guest American actor Odin Byron - his hero Phil Richards, with a funny accent and constant participation in ridiculous situations, brought a unique flavor to the “hospital”.
Deranged Bykov
Filming in the series took center stage in the actor’s schedule for the next five years. In February 2016, the final, fifth season of “Interns” was shown, ending with Bykov’s departure from the hospital.
Soon after the premiere of the series about interns, beloved by millions, Okhlobystin, who earned fabulous popularity, was appointed creative director of Euroset. Before the public had time to forget the infamous advertisement invented by Evgeny Chirchvarkin (“Euroset – the prices are just crazy”), the face of the company became none other than the eccentric Doctor Bykov, describing the merits of the next mobile gadget. To be fair, Okhlobystin tried to abstract himself from Chichvarkin’s image and wrote scripts for “interesting, but devoid of obscenity” advertising.
Despite the serious position, which was new to Ivan, he still had time to participate in other projects and hone his writing skills. In 2010, based on his script, the series “Partisans” and the film “Terrible Revenge” were released.
In 2011, the actor took part in the film adaptation of Victor Pelevin’s cult novel “Generation P”. The feed was busy with a whole galaxy Russian celebrities, from Sergei Shnurov to Roman Trakhtenberg. Okhlobystin got the role of the eccentric “creator” Malyuta; the actor recalled his biker past, exposed his arms covered with tattoos and began to read advertising discourse to newcomer Vavilen Tatarsky, the character of Vladimir Epifantsev.
In Pelevin’s film adaptation, Okhlobystin played the “creator” Malyuta
At the beginning of 2012, Okhlobystin announced his intention to run for president. The election campaign consisted of a single show, Doctrine 77. For almost two hours, Okhlobystin voiced the plan for the election program from the stage of the Luzhniki stadium in front of an audience of several thousand people. Celebrities reacted to Okhlobystin’s statement in different ways, for example, Tina Kandelaki supported the actor: “Well, finally!”
Excerpt from the speech “Doctrine 77”
Even experienced political strategists were amazed by the result of the action: Okhlobystin rose to the top of the pre-election public polls, the blogosphere dissected each new statement of the actor piece by piece, but all this turned out to be just skillful advertising. One of the Beeline subscribers noticed that simultaneously with the announcement of Okhlobystin’s election show, the Doctrine-77 tariff of the same name appeared on the mobile operator’s website.
Euroset is ironic
When the political passions surrounding the presidential election subsided, the film “The Nightingale the Robber” was released; Ivan Okhlobystin was listed in the credits as the main character, screenwriter and one of the producers. He played the role of the leader of a criminal gang, Sevastyan Solovyov, a kind of modern Robin Hood, tired of the tyranny of local authorities and the lawlessness of organized crime groups.
Okhlobystin's action film received many positive reviews
Okhlobystin’s alliance with Evgeny Stychkin and Oksana Fandera resulted in a large-scale action movie by domestic standards with the intriguing slogan “Only I rob here.” During the pre-release period, as a marketing ploy, Okhlobystin became the host of the Internet show “+100500”, replacing Maxim Golopolosov for one episode.
Ivan Okhlobystin – show host +100500
Ivan Okhlobystin also voiced a number of full-length cartoons (the king in the trilogy “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, the troll Orm in the cartoon “The Snow Queen 2”).
In November 2015, viewers saw the action movie “Priest-san. Confessions of a Samurai." The script for the adventures of an Orthodox priest originally from Japan was written by Okhlobystin himself, who, as usual, played the role of the “villain” - businessman Nelyubin, who had his eye on the lands around the church in the village of Glubokoe.
Okhlobystin at the premiere of the film “Priest-san. Confession of a Samurai"
Political and religious views of Ivan Okhlobystin
Ivan came to faith while still a schoolboy. The actor more than once recalled how in the eighth grade he became the owner of a psalter, exchanging it with a classmate for a camera. I had to return the book without finishing it - my father insisted. A week later, the future actor was baptized into the Orthodox Church and in subsequent years strictly followed the philosophy of Christianity in his characteristically contradictory way: there was also time for alcohol, carousing and motorcycle racing.
Okhlobystin became a priest at the age of 34
In 1998, he hosted the church program “Canon” on television, and in 1999 he ran for the Duma from the environmental party “Kedr”, having previously asked the patriarch’s blessing. Almost immediately after the release of Down House, 34-year-old Okhlobystin was ordained a priest of the Tashkent diocese. Many considered this act to be PR and eccentricity, but for the actor this step was of great importance.
The first priest-artist in history
For the next 7 months, Ivan diligently conducted services in Tashkent, but still returned to Moscow. Inspired by his new experience, he began filming a series of short films, “The Lives of the Saints”: their heroes were Prince Daniil, St. Basil the Blessed, Daniil of Moscow, and Dmitry Ushakov. Okhlobystin’s plans included releasing 477 episodes, but the project did not find sponsors and was frozen.
“Lives of the Saints” - Okhlobystin’s project that did not find support
After Okhlobystin’s arrival, under the name Father John, he conducted services in the Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitsky and the Church of Sophia the Wisdom of God, but in 2005 he was forced to return to acting. A large family (wife and six children) required significant expenses, and the rank of priest could not provide loved ones with everything they needed. Eight people crammed into an apartment with a total area of 48 square meters, and even Okhlobystin’s personal appeal to Yuri Lukov did not improve the housing situation. In 2007, after asking Patriarch Alexei for his blessing, the actor returned to the set.
Okhlobystin without hesitation characterized his political views as “monarchical.” In 2012, the actor headed the council of the Right Cause party, whose leader at that time was Mikhail Prokhorov, but left the organization due to disagreements with the Holy Synod, which banned the priest from being a member of a political party.
...but he was still banned from being a member of a political party
During the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the actor repeatedly expressed approval of the policies of the DPR and LPR, for which the SBU added him to the “black list” of persons not allowed to enter the country. This resulted in a ban on showing 71 films with Okhlobystin’s participation in Ukraine. In the same year, the actor was banned from crossing the border with Latvia and Estonia, but this time the reason for personal sanctions was his statements against people of gay orientation (earlier Okhlobystin stated that “gays should be burned in ovens”).
The future spouses met on the steps of the House of Cinema during the Moscow Film Festival. The girl walked up the stairs, and Ivan walked towards the exit. Their gazes met, Okhlobystin looked at the girl and crashed into the door, but only laughed: “You will be mine!” “In the evening Ivan and I met again. He took my hand and never let go,” Oksana recalled.
Still happy couple ten years later
In those years, the image of Ivan Okhlobystin was, to put it mildly, far from the image of the venerable head of the family. He showed up to meet his beloved’s parents after midnight, dressed in dirty sneakers and with a daisy clutched between his teeth. The appearance of the groom shocked Oksana's parents, but in the end, the charming and erudite Ivan made a good impression.
Metamorphoses of Okhlobystin: from a hooligan to an exemplary family man
Preparations for the wedding celebrations were also not at all cloudless. At first, the couple could not formalize the relationship due to the fact that shortly before meeting with Oksana, the police took away the documents of the hooligan Okhlobystin - they had to wait until the wedding. In addition, the young people did not even have the money to apply. But an old acquaintance of the groom, Dmitry Kharatyan, came to the rescue and reached an agreement with the registry office employees. The wedding ceremony took place on October 4, 1995. The young people were not embarrassed by the cheapest rings and outfits, as well as the significant amount of debt spent on rescuing Ivan’s documents from police captivity.
Okhlobystin’s most important role is the role of a father
Ivan Okhlobystin now
After the completion of “Interns,” the actor continued to work on new projects. In 2016, he wrote the script for the film “Moth” and took part in the filming of the drama “Bird” directed by Ksenia Baskakova, where Okhlobystin played rock musician Oleg Ptitsyn. Article found by uznayvse.ru.
Actor, screenwriter, Orthodox priest, biker - a rare breed. And yet this is one person - Ivan Okhlobystin. He received nationwide love for his role as doctor Andrei Bykov from the series “Interns.” It was Okhlobystin who made the series popular. Ivan Okhlobystin’s children, wife, and in general, the personal life and biography of the actor are of great interest to fans of his work.
And, nevertheless, people are tormented by the question: is Okhlobystin really the same as on the screen? Yes! Contrary to how Bykov was described by the scriptwriters, Okhlobystin himself made his hero. Energetic, cunning, stubborn - this is how Doctor Bykov is remembered. There is one more question: if Okhlobystin is the same as Bykov, does he have a family, children?
Ivan Ivanovich Okhlobystin has been married to actress Oksana Okhlobystina (formerly Arbuzova) since nineteen ninety-five. They met together at VGIK. Moreover, Ivan Okhlobystin and his future wife often bumped into each other in the corridor, but met after graduation.
Children of Ivan Okhlobystin - photo
Oksana Okhlobystina on this moment doesn't act in films. She has a completely different occupation - raising children. After all, Ivan Okhlobystin and his wife have six children, who have been given rare names these days.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with his wife They all grow up in love, none of them is deprived of attention. Ivan Okhlobystin spends enough time with his children and, despite his busy work schedule, finds time to educate them.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with his wife Ivan Okhlobystin’s first child was born in nineteen ninety-six. It was a daughter who was named Anfisa. She is currently studying at Moscow State University to become a marketing specialist and devotes almost all her time to studying. Mom’s kind and good assistant – that’s what her star dad, Ivan Okhlobystin, calls her. In her free time from studying, Anfisa prefers to help the younger ones and watch films that can be classified as modern classics.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with his eldest daughter Ivan Okhlobystin’s daughter, Evdokia, was born in nineteen ninety-seven. In her free time, the girl likes to listen to music and play the electric guitar. In addition to her passion for music, Dusya, as her parents affectionately call her, has a serious profession. She works as an ornithologist.
Varvara Okhlobystina was born in nineteen ninety-nine. For herself, she chose medicine as a future profession. As for Varya’s hobbies, she chose vocals for herself. You can watch and listen to Varvara on your personal Instagram account.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin’s daughter Varvara Ivan Okhlobystin also has a son, Vasily. He was born in two thousand and one. His hobbies include literature and sports. According to Ivan Okhlobystin, his son practices shooting from military weapons. He also serves in church.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with his son Vasily Ivan has another daughter. Born in two thousand and two, Ioanna Okhlobystina studies at a school with an Orthodox bias. The girl is very calm. Free time loves to spend time reading books and already has a strong interest in the exact sciences. Photos of all the children of Ivan Okhlobystin are presented below.
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with children And finally younger son Ivan and Oksana Okhlobystin - Savva (born in two thousand and six). The boy always helps his famous father for household chores. In general, Savva is very similar to his father, the same rebel and prankster. At his age, the boy can play the balalaika. However, he has not yet decided on his vocation in the future. Although the age difference between some of Ivan Okhlobystin’s children is quite large, they are all friendly with each other, which is certainly a merit of their mother. 
In the photo: Ivan Okhlobystin with his wife and children
Ivan Okhlobystin and his children, as well as his wife, are a large creative family. Or as Okhlobystin calls his family unit a “gypsy camp.”
Ivan Okhlobystin is one of the most famous actors in Russia. He is better known as the star of the television series “Interns,” but other scandalous details of the artist’s biography are also interesting to the public. How did Okhlobystin’s career begin and what does the actor do today?
early years
Ivan Okhlobystin was born in the Kaluga region. His family moved often, so his father could not devote much time to raising the child. When he finally decided to take part in his son’s fate, he did it in a very extravagant manner. For example, when Ivan had bad grades in Russian, his father forced him to eat his textbook along with the sauce. After such an “upbringing,” Okhlobystin had extremely positive grades in the Russian language until his graduation.
After school, Okhlobystin entered the VGIK department of directing the first time. Ivan’s classmates were famous figures of Russian cinema: Tigran Keosayan, Fyodor Bondarchuk and many others. Renata Litvinova also studied at the screenwriting department during this period.
Unfortunately, Ivan did not have time to finish his studies - he was drafted into the army. Having served his due term, Okhlobystin returned to his native institute, was restored and successfully graduated in 1992.
Films with Okhlobystin in the 90s
Back in 1983, Ivan first began acting in short films. But his first serious role was entrusted to him in the 1991 drama “The Leg.” The film was directed by Nikita Tyagunov about military events in Afghanistan. The value of the picture lies primarily in the fact that the veterans of the Afghan war themselves received it warmly.
Then there was filming in the film “The Arbiter”, in which Ivan not only played the main role himself, but also wrote the script himself and also acted as a producer. In addition to Okhlobystin, Alexander Solovyov also starred in the film.
In 1992, Dmitry Meskhiev’s drama “Over Dark Water” with Alexander Abdulov in the title role was released. For some reason, Okhlobystin starred in this film under the pseudonym “Ivan Alien.”
In 1994, the actor starred in the film “Round Dance”, in 1995 - in “Giselle Mania”. The last film is considered biographical, since it tells about the life of a Russian ballerina - a certain Olga Spesivtseva. Galina Tyunina starred in the title role, and Okhlobystin appeared in the frame - again under a pseudonym - in the image of Serge Lifar.
In a word, in the 90s the actor was in great demand. At least two films with his participation were released a year. Until it turned out that Okhlobystin wants to become a priest.
Church service
Interest in Orthodox faith the actor got it back in the mid-90s, when he became the host of a program on the religious topic “Canon”. In 2001, Ivan suddenly left cinema, and everyone found out that he had become a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. The surprise of the audience and Okhlobystin’s colleagues is difficult to describe in words.
Meanwhile, Ivan Ivanovich actually served in the church: first in Tashkent, then in Moscow. The parishioners of Father John could not recognize the former movie star in the bearded priest. Okhlobystin himself was sensitive to his new profession. But, apparently, the world of cinema attracted the actor more than serving God.
Return to cinema
In 2007, Okhlobystin could not stand it anymore and returned to the cinema again: this time he plays Grigory Rasputin in the historical drama “Conspiracy.” In addition to Ivan, the film stars Kristina Orbakaite, Vladimir Koshevoy (“Crime and Punishment”) and Yaroslav Ivanov (“Black Raven”).
In 2009, Ivan starred in three TV series and three films. In the drama “Tsar” with Oleg Yankovsky, Okhlobystin got the role of the royal jester.
2010 was a turning point for the actor’s career: he was invited to play the main role in the sitcom “Interns.” performed by Okhlobystin is undoubtedly the central character of this whole action. The cast of the sitcom has already changed several times, but this does not affect its popularity at all, but after Okhlobystin’s departure, the project could be safely closed. Because in fact, Bykov is the “face” of the series.
Also in 2012, Okhlobystin wrote the script for the series “Freud’s Method” and played the main role in it as the brilliant consulting psychologist Roman Freidin. In addition, Okhlobystin starred in such films as “The Irony of Love”, “House of the Sun”, “Generation P” and many others.
Biography of Okhlobystin's wife. Actor's children
In 1995, Ivan Ivanovich married his colleague Oksana Arbuzova. The biography of Okhlobystin’s wife was ornate. She graduated from VGIK. She became famous for her leading role in the drama “Accident - the Cop’s Daughter.” The film is replete with scenes of violence and drug use. There are even rumors about Okhlobystin’s wife that she once starred in the scandalous film “Sex and Perestroika.”
And suddenly Arbuzova gets married, gives up her career and becomes Mother Oksana. It was an unexpected turn. Now nothing is heard about Okhlobystin’s wife either in the press or on television. She lives modestly and alone. Doesn't wear makeup and wears floor-length dresses. Okhlobystin's children - two sons and four daughters - live under the reverent supervision of their mother. Ivan and Oksana Okhlobystin assure journalists that they will never get divorced in their lives, no matter how hard it is for them in their life together.
Actress Oksana Arbuzova died. And Ivan Okhlobystin is to blame for this. I am an accomplice. This big-nosed, burry, unpleasant man became my totemic deity. And I, Oksana Okhlobystina, let me introduce myself, am his “deco-a-tion”. So, sweetly grazing, my beloved deigns to call me.
The appearance of Ivan Okhlobystin in my life occurred at the time of the disaster. That nightmare began in my second year of college. I was a young, beautiful, successful actress. And suddenly she stopped filming. She simply refused offers - without reason. Or she agreed, but didn’t show up for the audition. At some point, I realized with horror that I didn’t want anything. Nothing had value or meaning. An eerie, protracted period ensued: I lay on the bed for days with a fixed gaze. Everything irritated me, I was rude to everyone indiscriminately - I was unbearable. My friends turned their backs on me at that moment.
The nightmare grew like a snowball, I had no explanation for this. How was it possible to know then that indifference to God leads to indifference to everything else, leads to decay, that in order to be born, you need to die. In a spiritual sense. Then I was quite ready for real suicide. I didn’t know any other way to get rid of the state of internal hell, death - the feeling of a black pipe from which there is no way out. I don’t know how it would all have ended if the Lord had not extended his hand to me. It was the hand of Father John, then still Ivan Okhlobystin. “I will save you, my love!” - he said. And he didn’t deceive.
It was like that. I needed to be accredited to the Moscow Film Festival. In the House of Cinema, as always, crowds of people swarmed, emitting a measured roar. I, nodding in all directions to my acquaintances, walk up the stairs. He's down. He sees me, I am him. And the sound was suddenly turned off. As if in slow motion, we continue to meet each other halfway, step by step, looking at each other - eye to eye. They caught up, didn’t stop, didn’t speak. But their gazes locked tightly. My neck turns one hundred and eighty degrees following my gaze, his neck turns one hundred and eighty degrees, each moves along its own trajectory: I go up, he goes towards the exit. And - bam! - the door slammed him on the head. I laughed. And he shouted: “You will be mine!” This silent movie had dozens of spectators, but I didn’t see or hear anyone. Nothing but these three words. We were alone - in my chimney, but it was no longer black, light began to shine through the door he opened. He left, and I clearly understood that I loved him. She wasn’t stunned, she wasn’t on fire, she just stated: here he is!
That same evening, my friends and I washed our accreditation at the cult club “Mayak”. And then he came up:
Would you like to take a walk?
Yes. If you take me home.
He took my hand and never let go. For fifteen years now we have been moving along the same trajectory.
Everything that happened before Ivan - that is, the life of Oksana Arbuzova - I remember poorly. My life was divided into “before” and “after”. Ivan Okhlobystin is the starting point, the beginning of a new era. Everything that was BC - the same shell, dilapidated and peeled off over the years. As in the famous Russian fairy tale about Ivan Tsarevich and the Frog Princess.
The memory has retained only those sections that are associated with people dear to the heart, who organically migrated to a new life.
The Okhlobystin family is noisy and always screaming. Friends say: looking at us, you might think that the Italians came to Orthodoxy. But in rare moments of peace in the old Tushino apartment, which my grandfather inherited, I indulge in memories, close my eyes and hear the shuffling of my grandmother’s slippers on the parquet floor. Grandma was a beauty. Her first husband, some ardent commissar, shot at her, thinking that he had killed her - he shot himself. But I learned about this tragedy as an adult, and in my serene childhood there were two aggravating circumstances: five days and gastroduodenitis. Dad and mom - a geologist and a lawyer - worked hard, the children were sent out of town for a week, to kindergarten. My elder sister Lena shed burning tears all the way to the kindergarten bus. I experienced a difficult separation from my parents in silence. But I could not keep inside any of the secrets entrusted to me. One day, on the eve of her mother’s birthday, Lenka said:
I came up with such a surprise for mom! I won't tell you - you'll blab.
Well, Lenochka, well, my darling, I’m nothing to anyone, I swear whatever you want...
I’ll buy my mother... - she took a spectacular pause - a goose!
I was delighted. Goose! Alive! Oh, how I was sorry that it wasn’t me who came up with this! How was I supposed to keep such a secret to myself?! I walked, wound circles around my mother, I was bursting, I endured it, I swelled up like a balloon... and burst. “Mommy, just promise me that you won’t tell Lenka, she wants to give you a goose,” I blurted out in one breath.
For some reason, my mother did not share the delight. Goose was not at the birthday party. Lenka declared a boycott on me, but I continued to follow my sister everywhere, like those legs in white sandals in Elem Klimov’s wonderful painting “Welcome, or No Trespassing!” I spied, spied, and gossiped, for which Lenka continually beat me.
I had a sweet tooth, the brakes didn’t work, so they hid sweets from me. Looking for them was a favorite pastime. I had no equal in this game of chance. I always found everything everywhere and ate my fill of sweets. Everyone knew it was me. But my mother began a demonstrative investigation - each time in the hope of my repentance. Everyone denied the crime they had committed, but the worse I was, why should I confess? I fought to the death, swore all oaths and did not give up.
But my mother had a powerful thing: she stopped talking to me. It was the most terrible torture - and I confessed to everything. But she stubbornly continued to crack the hidden candies and make excuses. Until the Lord intervened - after another forbidden delicacy, I was taken away in an ambulance. Gastroduodenitis destroyed my passion for sweets. I spent a good part of my childhood in hospitals and sanatoriums. And it’s not just about abdominal pain and swallowing scary probes of different diameters - I felt bad wherever mom and dad weren’t there. I was endlessly attached to my parents.
Mom and dad created a wonderful family. They never quarreled. I suspect that this is hardly possible, but we children did not see this. How did they do this? This is probably why I always secretly wanted to have a family. I was lucky with school too - really, school years wonderful.
There was also school love: I liked the boy Andryusha all ten years. The teachers were amazing. For a long time I wanted to become a teacher, I also wanted to be a doctor, but never an actress. I didn’t show any inclination towards acting. But I became an actress - just to... And Ivan Okhlobystin and I met to go together to the One to whom every person will come sooner or later.
Chance is the language of God. And every human life is written in this language. Chance brought me to a theater group. It was a close-knit family and that's why I stuck with it for years, not because I wanted to be an actress.
Then a phone call happened. I just entered home after the performance, and fate said in the voice of our wonderful leader Nadezhda Semyonovna:
Oksanochka, the director has arrived. He saw our performance and wants to invite you to act in a movie as a high school student.
“I’m running,” I managed to shout, throwing off the slippers I had just put on as I walked.
I was thirteen, I wanted to be liked so much that I immediately took on the role of a modest schoolgirl. It turned out ridiculous - in response to all the director’s questions, I just silently lowered my eyes, he could not get a word out of me. During the tests, it turned out that I couldn’t do anything at all. But fishing and my braid below my butt did their job. They took me to the main role in Leonid Belozorovich’s film “Katenka”. They filmed a scene where the main character goes to war, and Katenka, the sister of his fiancée, runs after him in a nightgown, kneels down and cries: “Grisha, Grishenka, I love you, she’s not worth you.” And then the following text: “My teeth are smaller - it’s more beautiful, I read, and my eyes are bigger, and my eyelashes are thicker.” At this point I couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly Belozorovich says:
Take off panties!
The nightie is transparent, the panties spoil everything, there were no pink panties then.
I won't take it off! - I was terrified.
Take it off! Otherwise you'll ruin the scene. And good-bye!
I am in tears. That was all he wanted. I played everything. My first film was modest - it was “not a format”. A very light film, my children love to watch it, and I am not ashamed of it. The second painting “Obsession” by Nikolai Istanbula was also not noticed. But again - a case. In Saratov, while filming, I slammed the door of a hotel room, the key was inside. Everyone began to fuss and gathered to look for the administrator. And I dashingly jumped from the balcony of the next room to my balcony and opened the door. It was the tenth floor! Istanbul's eyes popped out of their sockets. And when Tumanishvili needed a kind of excitement for the main role in the film “Accident - the Cop’s Daughter,” he advised me.
I always thought that I was married to a very famous person. But only now, when the fans don’t give us a pass, I realized that real fame came to Ivan after “Interns.” At forty-four years old. And this happened to me at sixteen! "Accident! Look - Accident! - came from everywhere. On Kalinin Avenue there was a photograph of me, huge, the size of a high-rise book. Finest hour! Gloss! But my memory associates this moment of glory not with a high, but with the salty taste of the tears I gave my mother to drink. All the most disgusting things manifested themselves in me precisely with the onset of this finest hour.
His head was blown off full program. Pride came out of all the cracks. The main burden of this dramatic internal transformation fell on the shoulders of the parents. I am a mother myself and I understand with horror what my mother had to endure, because there was no limit to rudeness. Just don’t use your imagination and paint unrealistic pictures. I was not a copy of the accident. Although the harm of acting, which the holy fathers of the Church write about, is obvious. I tried on the Accident mask - here you go! Mystically, the role provokes and is projected onto real life. More-less. At the premiere in Cuba, a journalist there asked me a question: “What do you have in common with your heroine?” I couldn't answer. Now I would say: internal aggression, it’s unclear where it came from. The crazy popularity that fell upon my unprepared soul became an unbearable burden. Fame is a difficult test for an adult, but at a tender age it is unbearable. And parents need to think a thousand times before sending their children to the cinema environment. A moment of glory can turn into years of painful overcoming the consequences of this moment.
My deep attachment to my parents was replaced by indifference, parental authority - the primacy of my own self. An internal attitude appeared - no one can tell me. She constantly said: “This is my business”, “I know better myself” - “I”, “I” and again “I”. And all this in a completely unacceptable tone, especially with my reverent mother. But if now every mother’s tear falls straight into my heart, then in those years I was bulletproof. My mother cried incessantly because of me. And I, having forgotten myself at student parties, did not come home to spend the night, not even considering it necessary to call. Mom spent long nights begging me with tearful maternal prayer. And what kind of prayer it was, only God knows, who changed my life.
I studied well at school until I started going on film expeditions. Our mathematician, eccentrically clutching his bald head, lamented in an senile manner: “Lord, why am I doing this!” He wrote large zeros instead of twos or wrote in his diary instead of grades: “Fell from the stove,” “All in dreams.” So I passed my acting skills at the Moscow Art Theater School with excellent marks, but I failed the general education exams miserably, to the roar of laughter of the entire admissions committee. But the teachers tried their best to draw me out, asking childish questions:
Well, can you remember what year Lenin died?
I answered:
Lenin lived, Lenin is alive, Lenin will live!
Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov, with the inimitable smile of Matroskin the cat, stated: “Since your answers were somewhat paradoxical, we will take you as a free listener.” In the same year, Sergei Solovyov recruited actors for the ARS (actor-director group), I went. I wrote the essay in two-two. At Solovyov’s command, my essay was rewritten, and I was accepted. But I only went to acting classes with pleasure. By the fourth year, I had accumulated so many “tails” that when they posted a piece of paper on the board where they were made public, they were “rails in two rows.” I never finished college. But in my fourth year I met Him.
Like all actors, I was in love. But with a strange love. I had a long and passionate affair with Michael Douglas. Then I changed Hollywood star with the musketeer Boyarsky, who was replaced by midshipman Zhigunov.
In reality, I was also in love - with a classmate, and also unrequitedly. I was so worried that I was even covered in some kind of nervous sores. Now imagine that Ivan Okhlobystin did not reciprocate my feelings... I wouldn’t be covered in sores. I would die - I say without any exaggeration. This is how you understand the difference between love and everything else. This is when you cannot imagine life without another person, you breathe with him, your life ceases to matter, dissolves, dies in another. And I died. In him. My Ivan is not a prince. Okhlobystin is cooler because, unlike his fairy-tale namesake, he saw his betrothed under her former “emergency” shell. And he got a tough nut to crack.
They called me a “careerist” and they were right. I really wanted to make a career through him. And I did it! His wife's career. And I am absolutely happy that I am his “deco-a-tion”, that he is in the center, and I am on the side. He tells everyone that he calls me “my Kysa” simply because he cannot pronounce the letter “r”. And I like his jokes. I generally like everything he does. But this still had to be achieved.
That evening, after Mayak, we walked around Moscow for a long time, sat on some embankment, chatted while drinking champagne. He offered me his hand and heart. My terrible depression immediately disappeared. I realized: what is is good. And what is good is what it is. This is a brilliant formula, voiced by Mikhail Roshchin in the wonderful film “Old New Year"in times of deep, godless stagnation.
But the place of depression was taken by a paranoid fear of losing. And we both had the same thought: the only place that will give us the opportunity to preserve what we have acquired is the Church. It was from above. Where else could this idea come from? He suggested going to church and taking communion. We both didn’t know what it was or how it was, but the next day we went and found out everything at the nearest temple. We were told to fast for a day and come to . I was terribly afraid. I didn’t consider a lot of my sins to be sins; it was only as I became a church member that my eyes opened. The confession was short, but the service seemed endless. Having received communion, I flew out of the church like a bullet. On the same day, we agreed with the priest who confessed us about the wedding.
We will get married secretly from everyone, just the two of us. “You’ll be in a simple cotton dress,” Vanya dreamed.
And you are wearing a blouse. A sacrament is such a sacrament. Without any pathos,” I echoed.
But mom said that this is not only our holiday, that we have no right to deprive her of joy and everything will be like other people’s.
“Mom is always p-rr-ava,” Vanya responded.
And in a second he destroyed the “emergency” consequences - the child’s attachment to his parents returned and tripled, the authority of the parents took its proper place, seeing them, being around them again became a necessary need. Vanya and I wanted to immediately submit an application to the registry office, but we did not have documents. The day before he became the culprit of the accident; the injured police major took away our passports until the damage was paid. There was no money. We took Dima Kharatyan with us, and the bureaucratic barricades of the Griboyedov Palace collapsed before the onslaught of the charm of the chief midshipman - a date was set.
On those same days, the worst quarrel of our entire lives occurred between us. Because of Bruce Willis and Steven Seagal. Vanya thought Bruce was cooler, but I did the opposite. We screamed at each other until we were blue in the face. I said: “If that’s the case, I won’t be your wife.” Now I understand that this was a temptation after communion - a common thing. And I admit that I was wrong - Bruce is cooler. Vanya also recognized and now bows to Seagal. But we don't fight about it anymore, we laugh.
Official matchmaking also took place. The groom was expected at four o'clock, but he did not come - neither at four, nor at five, nor at six. We sat at the set table until evening. Like the Stone Guest, he appeared at midnight. By this time everyone was extremely irritated. The bell rang and mom opened the door. The groom with unwashed, greasy hair, wearing some kind of moccasins on his bare feet, was kneeling and holding daisies in his teeth, which he had picked at a nearby gas station. So, silently, he asked for forgiveness. Everyone at the table was still very tense, he decided to defuse the situation, stood up and said: “Valentina Stepanovna, I want you to know everything about me,” and tore off his shirt. Everyone saw his tattooed torso.
The maneuver was a success - mom thawed and fell under the onslaught of Vanya’s sincerity and incredible charm. Dad whispered his blessing in my ear: “He will run away from you, because you are dumb as a plug. Here’s what you do: buy a newspaper in the morning, learn it by heart, and retell it to him in the evening - you’ll pass for smart.” Vanya laughed heartily.
Since I do not have his intelligence or charm, I was terribly afraid that his mother would not like me. “Don’t be afraid, my love, my mother is a laugher,” he reassured. Albina Ivanovna, cozy, homely and cheerful, greeted me in such a way that it immediately became easy and simple. Mom asked her youngest son:
Well, Stasik, shall we give Vanka back?
“Yeah,” nine-year-old Stasik blessed, chewing something.
No sooner said than done. Early in the morning of October 4, 1995, we went. There was still no understanding that we were standing before God, but our palms were wet from an unfamiliar joyful feeling, excitement and responsibility. I didn’t understand the words “let the husband cleave to his wife,” but I felt that it was important. But the words “let the wife fear her husband” reflected a state of complete happiness on my husband’s face. We have one and only photo. Two rays of sun shine from the windows of the temple and fall at our feet. And such a bright, pure feeling, as if our guardian angels were nearby. We were very tired, but when the sacrament was completed, I was happy - not because it was over, but because I realized: “He is mine!”
On the same day there was a registration and a wedding, very pompous - in the Moscow Art Theater restaurant. With a sea of flowers, champagne and famous guests - Vanya tried his best. But at the wedding there was no feeling experienced at the wedding - how to define it in words: maybe this is called the word “grace”? All I could think about was: how not to fall off my high heels, how not to step on the dress, how not to do this, how not to do that.
The whole wedding moved from the restaurant to our home and was buzzing for a week. Sasha Sklyar, as he was in a tuxedo and shoes, collapsed in the bedroom. We sat in another room, drank and sang, and I took a nap on the sofa there, right in my bride’s dress. My caring husband He carried me into the bedroom, laid me down next to Sasha Sklyar and began clicking with the camera. Then he showed everyone documentary evidence of adultery on their wedding night.
There was no honeymoon, because Ivan Okhlobystin works non-stop. But for some reason this did not affect the availability of money. The wedding was in debt, the rings were bought the cheapest. We gave everything that was given to us to the police major. With the remaining money, Vanya bought three most necessary things for our rented two-room apartment on Pervomaiskaya: Hans the bloodhound, a billiard table and a fountain. We were never able to play billiards, because the cue rested against the walls; it only pleased Hans, who used its green cloth as a scratching post. The fountain, decorated with couples of lovers and doves, with its monotonous splashing caused continuous enuresis among the guests, and we hastily presented it. The dog had to be given away when the first child was born. We knew how to live.
I never specifically made the decision to stop being an actress. After the wedding, I received a tempting offer to film in Germany. We were swimming in love, and didn’t want to leave, but my husband reacted unexpectedly: “Invite the director, we’ll sit and have fun, we’ll see.” The director came to visit. Suddenly, my husband little by little begins to be rude to him, and then - more. He was offended - there is no role.
Then Valera Todorovsky invited me to play one of the main roles in “The Country of the Deaf.” It was flattering, but I was, filming during this period was unacceptable for me. Maybe I would have liked to work, but then I was permanently pregnant. Here it was no longer Ivan who influenced the situation, but the Lord, who continually gave us children. And today I want to improve in only one profession - wife and mother.
“Oh, how cute!” - the doctor said, looking at the ultrasound monitor. This was the next - after Vanya's proposal - the most amazing moment in life. The mouth is glued to the ears, like Pinocchio. I was blissful under the magic words: fetal size, heartbeat... My husband too. We sat, hugging each other, and imagined how the fat, pink-cheeked butt would run around the apartment, how there would be many, many children. But the first one will definitely be a butuz boy. Throughout the pregnancy we called him Yegorushka. On the ultrasound, Anfiska stubbornly showed her butt, but the popular sign - a sharp belly - promised a boy. Toxicosis was severe, as in all my pregnancies. Anfiska threatened to jump out ahead of time - she didn’t like the smell of cigarettes. I promised to quit smoking, and the threat passed. I never smoked again.
I gave birth in the First Infectious Diseases Hospital, where my mother gave birth to me. But my mother had testimony, and I just had a doctor I knew. I was diagnosed with hepatitis after my third child. And contrary to popular opinion, it does not affect children. Now the disease is disappearing. From time to time I take medicine, but I consider the Lord my main doctor - frequent communion heals me.
Contrary to expectations, I gave birth to a girl and almost fell off the table. The birth was normal, but I was in such shock from the pain that I categorically told my happy father and mother that I would never give birth again.
Anfisa is the first-born. A special joy and a special burden. I was a completely crazy mother - everything drove me into a state of panic. Anfisa started screaming as soon as she came out into the world, and never stopped; at night she was simply going wild with hysterics. When, after the maternity hospital, we unwrapped the screaming bag, and there was everything tiny, I was afraid to swaddle her, so as not to break something. The visiting nurse came and began spewing out terrible diagnoses: “Dysbacteriosis! Mastitis! Thrush!" And although this is not worth a damn, then they could call the resuscitation team to me.
"Do not be afraid of anything! “I will save you, my love,” Vanya said and did everything himself. Anfisa is a fidget, he swaddled her mercilessly, washed her, bathed her, treated her. Since then, his magic phrase “I will save you, my love” has worked flawlessly. Once he says it, peace comes to his soul in the most difficult situation. He can, in principle, do nothing afterwards - I’m already fine. He adored his firstborn. When the midwife showed him Anfisa from the window for the first time, he danced a funny dance for her! The nurses chuckled, the maternity hospital had never seen anything like this. He kissed his daughter and called her Agulka-Agulenka. And I called her Zayushenka, Kozyulenka and Princess.
Anfisa was sick, there was not a moment of peace. I wouldn’t be able to cope if it weren’t for my mom and dad: my reliable, reliable support, our family “ ambulance"and rescue service. Despite this, lack of sleep and fatigue were chronic, I was irritated, and dreamed that Anfisa would finally learn to do without me. And then I became pregnant with Dusya, not even six months had passed. It was a shock.
But Dusya was easy. Kind people advised, and I raised her according to a system according to which it is absolutely forbidden to raise children. If a child screams, there is no need to run to him immediately - this is pampering: he will scream and stop. And Dusya didn’t bother us much. Every morning began with her babbling in her rough voice: “Ada, ada.” We laughed. She had a nickname, Goose, Gusinda - she looked like a goose, but after all, a live gosling appeared in the house. One day we were watching a movie, Dusya began to cry in the next room. Stopped. She cried again. Stopped. Strange, I think. I walk into the room and see the following picture: Anfisa is standing in her crib - she is a little over a year old - with her eyes closed, with a pacifier in her mouth, and rocking Duska’s stroller. I realized that two are better than one. Anfiska turned Dusya's attention to herself. I could spend hours just admiring their play in the arena.
In general, Dusya was the complete opposite of Anfisa. Calm and calm to the point of stupor. One day, family friend Dimka Seleznev, our true heart, was sitting with the children. Anfisa complains to him:
Dusya bit me.
Dusya,” Dima inspires, “don’t you dare bite Anfisa.”
Dusya is silent. A few minutes later Anfisa comes in again and demonstrates the bite.
Dusya, continues educational process Dima, - if you bite Anfisa again, I will have to flog you!
Dusya is silent. Five minutes later Anfisa is already in tears:
Dima, Dusya bit me.
Dusya, did you bite Anfisa?
Yes, - Dusya answers.
Dima gave her a hearty slap on the ass. But I decided to follow what was happening. He opened the door to the nursery and saw: Anfisa slips her hand into Dusya - “Well, bite me, bite me!” And Dusya obediently bites.
Dusya and Anfisa have always had a relationship. Now that Anfisa is fourteen, she is even glad that I leave the younger children with Dusya. Anfisa is more carefree, Dusya will do everything more carefully and correctly. And before they always had a struggle for primacy, for seniority.
Little Anfisa associated me with Mother of God. She pointed a tiny finger at her icon and said: “Mom.” One day a classmate came to me, I poured him some soup, and then I went off to breastfeed Varya. Anfisa sat with her chin resting on her palm and carefully watched as Misha slurped the soup with a spoon. And she said: “You know, Misha, when I grow up, I will have big boobs. And I will feed them to you, mom, dad, grandma, but I won’t feed Duska!”
Dusya was not a child, but a gift, and I decided that this was the result of a new method. Using the same method, the children slept in a separate room. It was a monstrous mistake, I almost paid for it with the life of my third child, Varya.
One day I left her swaddled with her arms, covered her with a blanket, lay down in my room and passed out. Varya slid under the blanket and suffocated. When I woke up, she was in a dying state: a completely blue face and bulging huge eyes. She spent several days in intensive care. The doctor spread his hands: “It’s a state of extreme severity.” And this was the work of my own hands. Apparently, I could have been deprived of my parental rights. In horror, I called my spiritual father. His gentle voice, so fatherly, consoled even when it seemed impossible: “Let’s trust in the Lord and pray together,” and Varya survived. Father told us: “We must understand that this is a begged child.”
Vanya held Varya in his dying arms; the fear he experienced weighed so heavily on him that if it weren’t for me, she would have been allowed everything. And she uses it skillfully. Of course, a very wide belt is crying over her. By the way, this notorious thesis of Father John about the need for tough upbringing by a father’s strap is pure fiction. He taught the children too: they vying with each other joyfully tell gullible journalists that children should be beaten and this makes them fat and rosy-cheeked.
Varya is very gifted, plays the guitar and sings. Everything comes easy to her, she learned to read before anyone else and, if not for laziness, would have been an excellent student. Dusya is also good at studying, she is a purposeful girl, she digs the ground with her horn. Once the class declared a boycott of her, so Dusya, without hesitation, went ahead and declared a boycott of the class. Anfisa has a hard time studying. Now she is showing her father's rebellious tendencies. She no longer accepts everything as an axiom; she wants to figure it out with her own mind. This does not concern the Church, she is a believer. So I started dressing funny, loudly, brightly. Father John, observing the golden mean, gives the children concessions, buying all sorts of teenage gadgets in the form of skulls and collars with spikes.
Vasya, our long-awaited boy, was born in Tashkent, in the most run-down maternity hospital. The light of the naked lamp hit my eyes day and night, as if in a torture chamber. There, Vasya was awarded staphylococcus and klebsiella. But Father John was allowed there immediately after the birth. He was very surprised that we had a boy, he was inexpressibly happy and begged me to be extremely careful and not tear anything off for him through carelessness.
The boys in the family are their mother's. They love me in the most tender way. Vasya is giving, complete giving. He's great and he's a man. When he sees that I’m tired and not in the mood, he’ll come up, hug me tenderly, and ask why I’m sad. He kisses my hands and says words that you would not expect from a nine-year-old boy: “I am grateful to God that I have such a mother,” or “If I have a wife, it will only be one like you,” or “Don’t be sad, Mommy, I will never leave you, I will always be with you.” And my heart rejoices, and sadness recedes. Since childhood, he has suffered from girls who played with him like a doll, dressing him up in their different clothes. I suspect that they continue to do this, but Vasya never complains. He allows them everything and condescendingly forgives their pranks. Vasya is not spoiled, because after him literally the next year Nyusha appeared. And this lack of spoilage is a plus for him. Our Vasya serves at the altar, and I rejoice, watching him bring out a large altar candle during the reading of the Gospel.
Nyusha is a sweet girl, Petelechka, because she is very small for her age. She's eight. She and Vasya did not part with each other at first, now they compete, like Anfisa and Dusya once did. Nyusha is calm and, like Anfisa, loves to read. She is a reverent nature, like my mother. She needs special affection; like a kitten, you need to stroke her fur all the time. She is the only one who never forgets to kiss me good night, to wish me " good morning" or "good night."
But Savva is unnecessarily spoiled by me; he received my love and tenderness most of all, because he is the youngest. Savushka gets bored even during the game, comes like a cat, curls up around my legs and kisses them. He is the darling of the whole family and an absolute impudent one. Now Savva has broken his hip, lies in a cast, gives instructions to everyone and is completely insolent. Sometimes I want to spank him, but he has a cast on his butt.
So from all the children together and from each one individually, I receive in powerful doses an injection of love, which gives me powerful strength to live. This is the real thrill. The idle opinion that being a mother of many children is a burden and torment is not even stupidity, but simply ignorance. It is difficult to be the mother of one child, I now know for sure. With the birth of each next one it only gets easier. Firstly, maternal experience. Secondly, children cry from lack of love and attention. Here the elders are irreplaceable, they vying with each other to squeeze and carry the little ones.
I remember once I entered the children’s room, and they were all praying together: “Lord! Send the baby’s mother, we really want another brother or sister!” I waved my arms like a windmill: no, no, no way. Then I felt tired and dreamed of getting some sleep. The idea of contraception has always been disgusting to me, even physiologically. The only method of contraception acceptable to me is to drink kefir. As in the old joke: not “before”, not “after”, but “instead”. I'm not talking about abortion.
After Nyusha, I lost one conceived child. An ultrasound showed that the fetus had frozen. I didn’t want to believe it, so I repeated the study in three places - alas. When I arrived at the hospital, I had already started. It wasn't. But I experienced the state of being pulled out of your child. This is scary. I was under severe stress. So it’s better to let children be born and let there be as many of them as God gives. It's been four years now and it hasn't worked. I'm tired of getting enough sleep. I miss big belly, I want to breastfeed my baby. I want that drive. I am, as they say about drug addicts, on the needle. But such dependence, I think, is one of the few pleasing to God. And now I’m not against prayers for replenishing the family, I’m for it!
Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God for what I have, and three times for what I don’t have. Then I run and kiss my sleeping husband. I may not kiss the children, but I definitely kiss my husband. This is not a ritual, this is a need - Vanya knocks on the keyboard half the night, like radio operator Kat, so I sleep with the children and manage to get bored during the night. Then I proclaim the rise to the children. Then, heart-rendingly, like a rooster, I scream again and again. Because no one gets up the first time, or the second, or the third. Someone needs to be gently shaken, someone needs to be hit on the butt. I understand them, because they only sleep off during the holidays, on days off from school - all at church. In addition, I take them to school half an hour earlier so that on the way back I can be on time for the service and give Holy Communion to Savushka. Then Savenka and I return, feed dad and send him to work.
If he leaves early and never wakes me up, demanding breakfast, Vanya is completely devoid of despotism. If I'm tired and haven't cooked, he doesn't make a scene and feeds himself. While there is no crowd, I fuss around the house. Not even the most sophisticated washing machine survives for long in our country because it works non-stop. By the way, the first of them appeared in the house only with the fourth child.
The children are returning from school, everyone who is visiting us at this time is simply dying of laughter - a noisy queue is forming towards me: Mom, help! Mom, alas, often loses her temper and loses her temper. Lessons are interspersed with running around in circles: Varya - to the guitar, Dusya - to the guitar, Vasya - to drawing, Nyusha - to sculpting, Anfisa - to the pool and English. We have a tiny kitchen, so they feed in turns: whoever comes first gets the table. Now I easily leave the house to the older girls, they handle everything wonderfully: they cook for the whole family, clean, and help the younger ones with their homework. I'm just a dispatcher on the phone. The process of going to bed for us is painful and long - the apartment is small, uncomfortable, all the children sleep on top of each other and disturb each other. Some like to sleep with the light on and under my prayer, some in complete darkness and silence. I always read for at least an hour before going to bed - the Gospel, the Lives of the Saints, fairy tales - both big and small.
And as soon as they calmed down, a characteristic cough is heard behind the door and - whoosh - all six of them are blown out of bed by a whirlwind. Pushing each other with their elbows, shouting “Daddy-daddy,” they rush towards Father John. The dad is an idol and an unshakable authority for them. They surround him with twenty-four limbs from all sides, saddle him and kiss him from top to bottom. All my efforts are in vain, a get-together begins, the laying process drags on for an indefinite period of time.
But can I punish them for this? Moreover, she herself is there. I rejoice at my husband’s arrival like a child, because I start to get bored in the morning. When he calls, every time I bloom like a May rose, as if we Honeymoon. I always want to be next to him, side by side, I can hardly wait for the evening. Therefore, I am glad that now I am also my husband’s driver. Father John sold his car and bought a family car so that I could transport the children. Sometimes he calls, I come, take him on business, and behind my back he can continue to type “incorruptibles.” Oddly enough, despite my feeble-mindedness voiced by the pope, Father John always lets me read his texts. And he listens to my advice. When he was writing the book “The 14th Principle,” a cry was regularly heard from the second floor of the dacha: “Kysa! Here! Immediately! If you don’t listen to me now, I’ll cause a scandal.” And read me every completed chapter. And I like being needed by him. When our work-loving dad allows himself to rest, we all go on visits together, go hiking and pick mushrooms in the forest.
We are currently in the process of moving to new house, which the state allocated to us - however, only until Savva came of age. There will be four children's rooms and a spacious living room. The dream will come true, and we will finally be able to gather together as a family at one big table. We received another wonderful gift - a wonderful holiday in Israel - from the state and the Blagovest organization. The women who created it send families with many children on vacation completely free of charge. That is, for nothing.
The Lord has measured out to me immeasurably more than what I could ask for in my most daring prayers. We are one - in eight persons. And we are happy. Like all happy families, they are similar to others. But we are Orthodox family. And there would not be Okhlobystin’s eight “I”s today if God had not sent a spiritual father to our family. And our love would not have saved us. Definitely. It's obvious to me: happy families there would be much more if everyone had a wise spiritual mentor. There would be no divorces or demographic crisis in the country.
And we met. Two and a half years later, when I was already pregnant with Anfisa. We came to visit him together with Vanya. There were Mother Nina, her almost hundred-year-old grandmother Alexandra Leonardovna, Ekaterina Vasilyeva and her son, now priest Dmitry Roshchin. Everyone, as usual in this house, socialized over refreshments. But this time I wanted to confess. And if my first confession lasted no more than five minutes, then the priest talked to me for two hours. I understood what confession is, real confession. When I left, this time I firmly knew that I had found another family, another father, that I could no longer live without these people.
Anfiska was hospitalized as a baby with purulent lymphadenitis - then for the first time I saw tears in my husband’s eyes. I'm going to see my father. He said that the child should be given communion as often as possible. At first I did this out of trust in the priest. I don’t know why, but I was firmly convinced that only the sacrament could help. Gradually, communion became a necessary need for myself. Hard to explain. How to explain that you are breathing?
The first years were very difficult for Vanya and I, as probably for everyone who got married so hastily. This is called - no one wanted to give in. We fought terribly. The reasons are not important. I, infected with the “emergency” virus, believed that he should treat me like a princess. And he came home from work tired, and I had to jump around him. I didn’t know that this is how a normal wife should behave, and I behaved like an abnormal wife.
We had an agreement - he washes his own socks. But Vanya never did this, scattering them all over the house. I followed the principle. Mountains of socks were collected. Anfisa was still tiny. Somehow I hear her voice: “Dad, dad, dad.” I told her: “Dad is at work.” She:
"Dad, dad." I see her sitting under the table and playing with his sock: “Daddy, daddy.” Vanya began to simply throw away his socks and put on new ones. Maybe this Cold War would have ended in ruin if it weren’t for Anfiska’s nanny. When I saw how this strange woman, whose duty was only to look after the child, silently poured water into a basin and washed all my husband’s dirty socks, I felt ashamed. We didn't throw away any more socks.
And for all the stupidest reasons - it’s embarrassing to remember - I tormented Father Vladimir non-stop. He patiently listened to my stupid complaints, found words of wisdom, and my obstinate heart cooled down. For many, many years he different ways tried to instill in me one single thought - a wife should obey her husband. This is the only way to save the family. And now, fifteen years later, I realize with horror how long it took for this simple thought to reach me. And how wise it is, and what happiness it is to obey your husband. I am ready to kiss the footprints of his feet for his patience and love.
Vanya’s churching was thorny. At first, after meeting with the priest, he, as usual, was in an ironic mood. He playfully whispered to me after confession: “What did you do there for so long? I could have time to tell not only my life, but also mine and all my relatives up to the seventh generation.” He likes to repeat: “What a woman is given by nature, a man achieves throughout his life.” But it seems to me that the matter is different. My husband is a talented man, loved by the world. Probably, demons feel when someone’s faith can bring huge fruits, and, as befits their status, they plot intrigues. Patristic experience testifies: the higher a person’s potency, the more powerful the demon fights with him.
After his first communion, Vanya came to church almost a year later. It was on Trinity. We took communion. And the service goes on and on - this is one of the longest services of the year. The entire temple kneels three times. Silence. And suddenly Vanya crossed himself so expressively, that is, he literally hit himself with his fist in the forehead, chest, one shoulder and the other. The entire temple turned to look at him. And before the third genuflection, he grabbed me and dragged me out of the temple, shouting that a pregnant woman should not be in the stuffiness for so long. We had a terrible fight. He immediately repented to Father Vladimir. And the priest applied it as firmly as he did himself - with a throne cross.
After Trinity, we began to arrive only at the end of the service, and the priest did not refuse us communion, feeling the measure of each one. If it had been otherwise, Vanya most likely would not have come to the temple at all. Father Vladimir led him gently and wisely. We arrived earlier and earlier. It became easier and easier to stand. In general, Vanya took longer to harness, but also went deep. Soon the priest led him into the altar. At some point, Vanya literally fell in love with Holy Mother of God. Childlike, like a child taking after his mother. He had such a powerful visit to the store; from his salary at Kommersant, he used all his money to buy icons with the image of the Virgin Mary. And if until that moment he hung only my photographs everywhere, now there were icons everywhere. And this is not admiring the pictorial art of an icon painter. This is such a blessed living feeling that the icon is a window through which a real, but incomprehensible, earthly woman, the Mother of God, looks at you from heaven.
Vanya continued to write and act in films. But all of this suddenly ceased to bring satisfaction; he worked hard to somehow feed us. He began to feel terrible depression, just like I once did. He wanted to be a priest, but did not consider himself worthy. I was behind every fiber of my soul and every cell of my body. But he couldn’t make up his mind and put off the conversation with his spiritual father. And he continued to suffer - he toiled, walked with a gray face. Only I could see it. In public, he always puts on the usual smiley face and makes jokes, but he himself has an unbearable weight in his soul. I threatened: “I don’t have the strength to look at this anymore! If you don’t talk to the priest, I will.”
And the conversation took place. Vanya came out beaming: “I must have gone crazy, but the priest told me that I would soon be a priest.” Three days pass. Chance brings him together with the Tashkent Metropolitan Vladimir, he asked for a ride, and on the way they got a flat tire. In general, during this road adventure, Bishop Vladimir offered to ordain him to the priesthood at home, in Tashkent. When I found out, everything froze inside me, tears flowed. It was a miracle!
I have a standard before my eyes - the family of Father Vladimir and Mother Nina, I secretly strived and continue to strive for it. Mother Nina is an unattainable example for me in everything, I wanted to be like her at least externally. She wears a long skirt and a headscarf, and so do I. Mother doesn't wear trousers, and I won't either. Nobody forbade me, there is no violence against myself in this. That's when I had to wear an evening dress at Kinotavr - that was a serious test.
I passionately wanted Vanya to become Father John. And I would be Mother Ksenia. The dream could become a reality, and we went to Tashkent - then with three children. There was also God's blessing on the priesthood, which became obvious already on the way back. We were detained at the border - I did not have my children’s birth certificates with me. The border guards were perplexed: how did we pass two borders on the road to Tashkent without a hitch using filigree pieces of paper - simple photocopies?
Father John was ordained as a deacon on Christmas Day. It was assumed that we would stay in Uzbekistan for no more than two weeks. A month passes, then another.
And the ruler pulls and pulls. It's time for me to give birth. Here the bishop appoints a day for ordination, but with a condition - if, they say, Mother Ksenia does not give birth before that time. I don't know why he said that. Maybe the Lord tests our faith in this way and arranges small but obvious miracles for everyone. All this extra week, feeling the slightest tension in my stomach, I hugged him and said: “Well, dear, sit a little longer, please don’t get out.” Vasenka obeyed. Father John was ordained for the Triumph of Orthodoxy, and the next morning I gave birth to my first boy.
Such a double miracle could not have happened without temptations. There is a moment during the Sacrament of Ordination when the person being ordained must remove wedding ring as a sign that betrothal to Christ, to the Church is primary for him. I, filled with pride, did not take my eyes off him. And then there’s a hitch. The ring is not removable. And how he looked at me... There was almost hatred in his eyes. I cannot express how difficult this look was for me at the moment my dream came true. Tears of joy began to sting. “I don’t remember anything like that, don’t make it up!” - Father John told me later. What was it? Maybe the Lord sent me this feeling so that I wouldn’t be too proud?..
Father John, as usual, decorated our life with all sorts of cool ideas. “Operation Aramis (as he called the ordination) is completed, let’s move on to Operation Richelieu - let’s molt,” he joked. But we were able to “fade out” only after six months. I believe this is how Bishop Vladimir tested the obedience of the newly minted priest. The winter was unusually frosty for Tashkent, the radiators couldn't cope - the stucco on the walls in our apartment was falling off due to condensation. We covered ourselves with sheepskin coats. But we were warmed by the warmth of hospitable people who loved Father John very much. And in the spring, true paradise arrived. We simply couldn’t look at fruits and nuts anymore - we had overeaten. Everything would be fine, the only thing missing is Sophia Embankment, our temple, where you feel like you’re in some kind of greenhouse under the supervision of a competent gardener. Only a fierce longing for the inhuman love of his spiritual father made him rush to Moscow.
Having returned, Father John began serving in the parish of Father Dimitry Smirnov. He decided for himself that he did not want to receive money for serving. I hoped to make money by writing. He worked for a long time on the script for the series based on the Lives of the Saints, but did not find sponsors. There were a lot of other projects, so to speak, with a spiritual component - no one wanted to give money. We lived for several years in a state of extreme need. They were almost entirely supported by one sympathetic wealthy Muslim. Father John once said: “I catch myself that when I meet him, a request for money is already written in my eyes. It destroys me." At the same time, for services - if he baptized someone, performed unction, or performed a funeral service - he was also embarrassed to take money. The debts were already cosmic. He was constantly offered to act in films, but he believed that he had no right. He even refused a role in “The Island,” which he greatly regrets.
I remember how I proudly said that Father John would no longer act in films. And the Lord humbled me. We gave up, Vanya started working in films again. When I accompanied him to the shooting of “Rasputin” in St. Petersburg, I was terribly nervous. Father John said: “Just don’t tell me anything now. I already feel like a criminal. Just support me, just support me."
Of course, I rushed with this to Father Vladimir.
Father, everything is gone!
Well, what are you saying...
He always starts talking to me first name when I talk nonsense. And as soon as I hear his voice, hope returns, as if by magic. Father said that it was better for Father John to withdraw than to fall into despair.
Then Father John addressed a letter to Patriarch Alexy, I will always pray for him. He sent an answer - I don’t remember everything that was written there, but there were definitely words that were “very sad”, but “for the sake of the family” it was possible. There was no such thing as, they say, take off, father, for the glory of God. This letter helped us a lot.
For several years, Father John combined ministry with acting. He is glad that he can provide for his family. He likes not the fact that he is an actor, but the feeling that he is fulfilling his duty, as he currently understands it. But I, like few others, understand that this work is a sacrifice on his part, a serious sacrifice. He wrote in one article that now he sees only money and the sad eyes of his wife. Many people condemned him. Father John decided to ask the patriarch to temporarily suspend him from ministry in order to stem this wave of condemnation, so that his way of life would not ricochet into the essence of the Church.
I can imagine how happy those who considered the ordination of Father John to be a PR move were. But only the Lord sees a person’s heart and can judge. The positive response from His Holiness was a terrible blow for me, despite the fact that this happened at the request of Father John. We went together to get the answer: you can’t perform the sacraments, you can’t wear either a priest’s cross or a cassock while you’re filming a movie. We left the temple onto the street. There were tears in my eyes. I was shivering either from the cold or from frustration. And Father John said:
Little kitty, let's go buy you a fur coat.
Are you hoping this will cheer me up?
No. Let's just go and buy a fur coat. You've never had a fur coat.
While I was trying on a fur coat, an unfamiliar woman approached Father John and, holding out her hands to him, asked for a blessing.
“Sorry, but I have no right to bless you. From today I am forbidden,” Father John went into the fitting room and took off his cassock. I burst into tears. The woman came up to me: “Don’t be upset, mother, the priesthood cannot be taken off like a fur coat. It is impossible to stop being a priest; the Sacrament of Christ cannot be abolished.”
This is true. It is difficult for me to evaluate my husband as an actor, as a writer. I cannot be objective and focus on the opinion of the viewer, the reader. I love his amazing articles on spiritual topics. But most of all I like my husband as a priest. It pains me that my dreams have collapsed, that he has no belly, no huge beard up to his navel, that he cannot go to the pulpit and deliver a fiery sermon. I convince myself that not all wishes should come true. You still need to do something for this, endure something, rethink something, or just time has to pass. But there are times when this understanding is beyond my strength. Every now and then I fall into a panic and blow Father John’s mind with my duality: I want him to return to ministry, so that he can only be a priest, but I regularly ask him for money. Each time, in response to outbursts of my dissatisfaction, Father John patiently repeats: “Kysa, don’t you believe in God?”
And I'm unhappy again. But already - with his dissatisfaction. Because as a Christian wife, I should be happy with everything and thank God for everything. So, this is the path Father John and I have. We, weak people, can make mistakes, but the main director of life does not make mistakes, he rules the world wisely. And he can turn everything - even complete misunderstandings - into good. In a second, in an instant. And we will wait for this moment.
The Lord has already performed such a miracle in my life once. Actress Oksana Arbuzova died. But there is Anfisa and Dusya, Vasya and Savva, Varvara and Ioanna. I don't know who they will become. The main thing is that they do not leave the Church fence.
There is Father John. He will certainly be a real priest. And I am with him. But it’s not enough for me to just be with him. His deco-a-tion. I want and must become a real mother, his support, his rib.
The editors of PRAVMIR thanks the editors of the magazine “7 Days” and “Caravan of Stories” for providing the publication text
Ivan Ivanovich Okhlobystin. Born on July 22, 1966, in the Polenovo holiday home (Tula region). Russian actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, journalist and writer. A priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, temporarily banned from the priesthood. Creative Director of Baon.
As a child, he lived near Maloyaroslavets. Then the family moved to Moscow. After graduating from school, he entered VGIK. He studied on the same course with many future figures of Russian cinema: Tigran Keosayan, Bakhtiyar Khudoynazarov, Fyodor Bondarchuk, Alexander Bashirov, Rashid Nugmanov and others. At the same time, Renata Litvinova, Roman Kachanov and others were studying in a parallel course at the screenwriting department. Subsequently, Ivan continued the friendship and cooperation begun at the institute with many of them.
Without finishing his studies, he was drafted into the army. After serving in the missile forces in Rostov-on-Don, he reinstated himself at the institute, completely immersed himself in public work and was elected secretary of the USSR Union of Cinematographers. In 1992 he graduated from the directing department of VGIK (workshop of Igor Talankin).
The beginning of Okhlobystin’s career was the film “Leg” directed by Nikita Tyagunov - he received a prize for best role at the Molodist-91 festival (he was filmed under a pseudonym due to superstitious motives). The very first script, for the film “Freak”, directed by Roman Kachanov, was nominated for the prestigious “Green Apple, Golden Leaf” award. Okhlobystin’s first full-length directorial work, “The Arbiter,” with the soundtrack of the groups “Picnic” and “Obermaneken,” received the “Kinotavr” award in the “Films for the Elite” category.
In 1997, he played a cameo role as a bandit in the film “Mom, Don’t Cry.”
At the same time, Okhlobystin took part in theatrical productions. On February 16, 1996, the Moscow Art Theater premiered the play based on his play “The Villainess, or the Cry of a Dolphin,” directed by Mikhail Efremov. In the same Moscow Art Theater, Okhlobystin’s second play, “Maximilian the Stylite,” was staged; in 1999, Kachanov filmed this play about the newly-minted soothsayer and released it under the title “Maximilian.”
In the late nineties, he reported for the Stolitsa magazine, but soon left the publication because, in his words, it had turned into a “brothel,” after which he worked on the staff of the Vesti weekly.
Work in cinema as a screenwriter continued with the cult film “DMB” by Kachanov, where, to a certain extent, Okhlobystin’s own memories of serving in the army were embodied. In 2001, based on his script, another comedy “Down House” was shot by the same director.
Okhlobystin’s commitment to Orthodoxy became known to the public back in 1997, when he began hosting the religious television program “Canon.” At the beginning of 2001, after the release of Down House with his participation, it turned out that Okhlobystin was ordained a priest by Archbishop Vladimir (Ikim) of Tashkent and Central Asia in the Tashkent diocese. The wife could not bear the Tashkent heat, and after seven months of service, at the end of the year the family returned back to Moscow, where a presentation of a short film about Prince Daniel took place. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin presented Ivan with a personalized gold watch “For services to the Fatherland,” although he did not understand for what exactly - either for the series of television films “Lives of the Saints,” or for reports from warring Serbia made for the program “ Canon".
Ivan left his profession for a while and worked only as a screenwriter. In 2005, his book “XIV Principle”, written in the genre of fiction, was published.
Until 2005, Father John served in the Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitsky, located on the Raushskaya embankment of the Moscow River. Afterwards - in the Church of St. Sophia of the Wisdom of God on Sofia Embankment. He hosted the “Flock” program on the Russian News Service radio station, as well as a column in the “Snob” multimedia community.
Later, Ivan Okhlobystin again actively engaged in cinematic activities. In the film “Conspiracy,” directed by Stanislav Libin, he played the role of Grigory Rasputin. In 2008, based on his script, the famous rock musician Garik Sukachev shot the nostalgic dramatic film “House of the Sun.” In 2009, several films with his participation were released: the most famous are the action movie “Fool Bullet” and the historical drama “The Tsar”, where he played the royal jester Vassian. From 2010 to the present, he has been acting in the comedy television series “Interns”, playing the main role in it. Okhlobystin himself explained his return to cinema by the fact that the family does not have enough money.
On November 26, 2009, a message appeared in news feeds that Okhlobystin asked Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' to release him from service due to “internal contradictions.” On February 8, 2010, Kirill fulfilled the request, removing him from the priesthood and prohibiting the wearing of priestly robes and the priestly cross. The Patriarch noted that if priest John Okhlobystin makes a “final and unambiguous choice in favor of pastoral ministry,” then his temporary ban on ministry may be lifted. On November 29, in an interview with the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, Okhlobystin said that within the next two years he intends to return to serving in the church.
Since December 2010, he has been maintaining a blog on Facebook on behalf of his character Dr. Bykov from the television series “Interns,” where he alternates facts from his own biography with events in the life of a fictional character. Until the beginning of January 2014, he held the position of creative director of the Euroset company.
From January 15, 2014 to the present - creative director of the clothing manufacturer and supplier Baon.
Ivan Okhlobystin and politics:
On August 14, 2012, he headed the Supreme Council of the Right Cause party. On August 21, a press conference of the party leadership was held at Interfax, at which Okhlobystin was introduced as chairman of the Supreme Council. Some observers perceived him as a possible party leader. On October 5 of the same year, due to the resolution of the Holy Synod prohibiting priests from being members of political parties, left the party, but remained its spiritual mentor (consultant).
He repeatedly made homophobic statements. In particular, Okhlobystin called the tolerant attitude towards homosexuality “blue fascism”, calling for depriving representatives of sexual minorities of the right to vote and said that they would be “stuffed alive into the oven.” The actor compared same-sex marriage to “marrying a guinea pig” and necrophilia. In the text of Doctrine 77, he voiced the thesis “A man cannot marry a man.” Okhlobystin associated his departure from the Snob magazine with the “imposition of preaching homosexuality and lesbian love” by editor Masha Gessen.
On January 7, 2014, he wrote an open letter to Russian President V.V. Putin with a request to return to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation the article for sodomy, repealed in 1993, citing the fact that the adopted laws banning the promotion of homosexuality, in his opinion, are “not effective enough” . In March 2014, the Tushinsky Court of Moscow rejected the claim of LGBT activist Nikolai Baev against Ivan Okhlobystin. In the claim, Baev asked to recover compensation for moral damage from Okhlobystin and to make a public apology for his proposals to return the punishment for sodomy to the Criminal Code, expressed by Okhlobystin in December 2013 in Novosibirsk.
An active supporter of the legalization of rifled short-barreled firearms(pistols and revolvers) in Russia. He is an honorary member of the All-Russian public organization“Right to Arms,” which defends the interests of civilian gun owners.
In August 2014, he was included in the sanctions list by Ukraine for his position on the war in Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to Russia. On October 26, 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that Okhlobystin was included in the list of several hundred Russian cultural figures who are prohibited from entering Ukraine because of their political position.
On November 30, 2014, Okhlobystin brought his new film “Priest-San” to Donetsk and showed residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and publicly expressed his support for the DPR and its leaders. On December 9, the Commission on Distribution and Exhibition of Films under the State Cinema Committee of Ukraine banned the showing of 71 films and television series in Ukraine with the participation of Okhlobystin.
On October 25, 2014, it was announced that Okhlobystin was included in the “black list” of persons prohibited from entering Latvia. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich explained the decision by Okhlobystin's statements inciting ethnic hatred. According to the gay minister, the inclusion of Okhlobystin on the list was influenced by the words that gays should be burned. He is also included in the list of persons prohibited from entering Estonia.
On December 7, 2014, at a press conference in Komsomolskaya Pravda, he made a statement about the need to create an ideological program aimed at instilling patriotism in children and youth.
In August 2015, the SBU added Okhlobystin to the list of cultural figures whose actions pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine.
Height of Ivan Okhlobystin: 180 centimeters.
Personal life of Ivan Okhlobystin:
At home, Okhlobystin has a mini-collection of guns. He is a member of the Union of Hunters and Fishermen of Russia, is interested in jewelry making, and also has a rank in chess. Member of the International Aikido Association Kyoku Remmei. In the period from 2005 to 2008, he was fond of applied karate, practiced Kyokushin Budokai and knife fighting.
Filmography of Ivan Okhlobystin:
1983 - I promise to be! - Misha Strekozin
1989 - Wave Destroyer - policeman
1989 - Marcun
1990 - Short game- salesperson in a clothing store
1991 - Leg - Valera Martynov (under the pseudonym Ivan Alien)
1991 - Referee - Andrey
1992 - Above the Dark Water - Son of Leo (under the pseudonym Ivan Alien)
1994 - Coming from the metro
1994 - Round dance - Gena Ivanov
1995 - Giselle Mania - Serge Lifar (under the pseudonym Leopold Luxurious)
1995 - Comedians' Shelter - Ivan
1996 - A man for a young woman - director
1997 - Old songs about the main thing 2 (TV) - the image of Yuri Detochkin
1997 - Midlife crisis - crime boss, sailor
1997 - Three stories - doctor
1997 - Mom, don’t worry - nephew Makar
1998 - Who, if not us - pathologist
1999 - “8 1/2 $” - director Gera Kremov
1999 - Maximilian - professor
2000 - DMB - counterintelligence officer
2000 - Instead of me - drove from the island
2001 - Down House - Parfen Rogozhin
2001 - Black Room
2007 - Conspiracy - Grigory Rasputin
2009 - Bullet Fool (parts 2 and 3) - Stas (Zen) Utochkin
2009 - Crazy Angel - Kesha, Muromtseva’s assistant
2009 - St. Petersburg vacation - Ivan Gnedushev
2009 - Figa.Ro - Semyon
2009 - Tsar - the royal jester Vassian
2009 - Belyaev
2010 - Moscow, I love you! - Father John, Doctor of Theology
2010 - The irony of love - ornithologist Kotelevsky
2010 - House of the Sun - lecturer
2010-2015 - Interns - head of the therapeutic department Andrey Evgenievich Bykov
2010 - Real boars - racer Maxim
2010 - Capercaillie - Maxim (episode in the New Year's series)
2011 - Kiss through the wall - tramp wizard
2011 - Love affair at work. Our time - Grigory Trusov
2011 - Generation P - Malyuta
2011 - Criminal circumstances - cop Tolik
2011 - Supermanager, or the Hoe of Fate - Genrikh Robertovich Stern
2011 - My boyfriend is an angel - a driver with a flashing light
2012 - Chapaev Chapaev - Chapaev
2012 - Freud's method - Roman Freidin (Freud)
2012 - Nightingale the Robber - Sevostyan Grigorievich Solovyov (Nightingale)
2013 - Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - Captain Gutt (voice)
2012 - Grach - Samsonov (Doctor)
2014 - Priest-San - Andrey Nelyubin
2014 - Gena Beton - deputy director of the company
2014 - Freud Method-2 - Roman Freidin
2014 - Secret City 2 - episode
2015 - Priest-San: Confession of a Samurai - Nelyubin
2015 - Bartender - bartender
2016 - Bird - Oleg
2016 - Moth - owner of a gambling club
2017 - Temporary difficulties - Ivan Kovalev
2017 - Fugitive
2017 - Zomboyashchik
2019 - Rostov - Kotelok
2019 - - Bolt
2019 - Wizard
2019 - Serf
2019 - Floor - friend of Peter Petrovich
2019 - Flash - Grigory Malinin, photographer
Voiced by Ivan Okhlobystin:
1989 - Wave Destroyer (short film) - Sergei (role of S. Lebedev)
2011 - Rango (animated)
2011 - Ivan Tsarevich and Gray wolf(animated) - Tsar Father
2012 - Snow Queen, The (animated) - Troll
2012 - Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (animated) - Captain Gutt
2013 - Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf 2 (animated) - king
2014 - Snow Queen 2: Refreeze (Snow Queen 2: The Snow King) (animated)
2015 - Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf-3 (animated)
2017 - The Tale of Peter and Fevronia (animated)
2018 - Prostokvashino (animated) - Postman Pechkin
2018 - Bullshit (animated)
Scripts by Ivan Okhlobystin:
1991 - Arbiter
1993 - Freak
1997 - Publican
1997 - Midlife crisis
1999 - Spirit
1999 - Maximilian
2000 - DMB
2001 - DMB-002
2001 - DMB-003
2001 - DMB-004
2001 - DMB - again in battle
2001 - Down House
2001 - Garbage Man
2001 - Holiday
2002 - The beginning of the journey
2007 - Paragraph 78
2008 - Antikiller D.K: Love without memory
2008 - House of the Sun
2010 - Moscow, I love you!
2010 - Partisans
2012 - Nightingale the Robber
2012 - Freud's method
2014 - Priest-san
2016 - Moth
Directing works by Ivan Okhlobystin:
1988 - Nonsense. A story about nothing (short film)
1989 - Wavebreaker (short) - course work at VGIK
1992 - Arbiter
2010 - Moscow, I love you! (film almanac)
Producer works of Ivan Okhlobystin:
2012 - Nightingale the Robber