Still from the TV series “Soldiers”
“Hello, sky in the clouds, hello, youth in boots!” – the seemingly ordinary series “Soldiers” about the everyday life of army service has become truly cult and has glorified a bunch of actors (there are even enthusiast channels on YouTube where the project is broadcast around the clock). There is no secret. Naive, childish in its own way, predictable as a metro route, but warm and kind, the series immerses you in the atmosphere of not the simplest sphere of life for men – the service. And yet it attracts, even causing nostalgia among those who served. Lamp humor, worldly lessons and wisdom, and also the truthful existence of bright, characteristic characters.
The political officer (major, later lieutenant colonel) with the telling surname Starokon is one of these. Colorful, handsome, charming, and even the role of a male dog seems to add to his charm. It was this role that made Vyacheslav Grishechkin a real national star. For some reason, many media outlets are deceiving the audience by reporting that the “Brigade” star passed away on September 16th. Inappropriate mockery. Of course, he was not any star in the crime saga promoting an organized crime group: in an inconspicuous episode he played a man at the Riga station. But with his role in “Soldiers” he wrote himself into the audience’s notebook forever.
We were brought to film either the 17th or 18th season of a military series without war 10 years ago. Overgrowth, rain, trailers, slush, autumn and knee-deep water – the best conditions for work! Starokon was the only and main star on the site. Everyone understood this, everyone was in awe of Grishechkin. Humor, courtesy, tact, not a hint of the pretensions with which they so love to poison the unfortunate administrators and assistants of the superstar (one of the luminaries of the “Method” once locked himself in a trailer after he was photographed without permission – and refused to come out until the scoundrel was fired). Grishechkin was an Old Horse in life. And vice versa. It wasn’t deliberate – they say, well, he’s an artist, well, he’s got it weird. No. It was all organic and delicate, because I couldn’t do it any other way. He gave interviews right in the car, making eyes at the young ladies.
It seems like that season never aired.
Alas, “Soldiers” remained the only remnant of the artist’s fame. In the new series “Madhouse” (Premier), the writers played with this through the reincarnation of Starokon and Ensign Shmatko: in the story, the hero Alexei Maklakov, from whom the uniform of Ensign Shmatko has still not come off, in episode 12 talks about his best friend, played by Grishechkin. He remembers how he served with him in the military unit, and receives a parcel and a letter from him. We see how Grishechkin’s hero writes this letter, sitting in a stroller and with a nasal cannula. He doesn’t have much time left. As a result, Maklakov’s character, finishing reading, realizes that this is the last letter and says goodbye to his friend for the last time. And Vyacheslav Germanovich, left without due attention from the profession and loved ones, says goodbye to us.
When “Soldiers” suddenly continued in real life, and we all ended up as extras, Starokon did not spoil the furrow – and did not fuss. The author of the soundtrack to the army series Utah is traveling around the Donbass. Grishechkin supported our guys and was going to perform at the concert of the “Artists for the Soldiers of Russia” movement.
Now he won’t have time.
Now no one will raise their eyebrows, as only Grishechkin could – “Destvittno?!”
Now he is far from fame and fuss, cameras and fees.
It’s a pity.
Thank you for everything, Comrade Major.
No incidents will happen during your absence.
