Still remained a mystery why the actor and Director left his wife and children in Israel and returned to Russia.
Michael Kozak in the movie “the Pokrovskie gate”. 1982
Mikhail Kozakov made the decision to return to Russia spontaneously, literally in an instant. Seeing off at the airport in tel Aviv a group of artists, among whom were Lyudmila Gurchenko, Alexander Shirvindt, Mikhail Derzhavin, the Cossacks suddenly bought a ticket and flew with them to Moscow. Director Andrey Zhitinkin said that the cause of the “sudden” departure was the incendiary character of Lyudmila Gurchenko.
“Mikhail was the organizer of tours of Theatre of satire in
Israel, recalls Zhitinkin. — Remember when he met us at the airport with a wide smile and Western
strongly demonstrated how rich he is, successful as he is… well Then to
the evening there was the vodka, pipe tobacco, he made us read Brodsky and Pushkin and the result has been
to complain of homesickness and to criticize local orders. And then we it was time to depart, and
Cossacks escorted us to the airport. But then came the murder of their Prime Minister
the airport was closed, all flights were delayed. Cossacks are stuck with
the others, to leave the building and could not he. And here’s the play: Shirvindt,
Derzhavin, Gurchenko — hanging around the airport, and again Mikhail read
we Pushkin. Reading it alternated strong statements Lucy, which was
not verses: she hurl abused abroad. And it is this exclamation in
the end Rustaveli soul Kozakov. So when the flight is finally announced, it
said, “Well… I think I’m going to get out of here! But fuck it
everything!..” On our astonished eyes quickly with someone agreed, bought the ticket and
got on the plane. Luggage when it was not no, only daddy with some
literary work. Of the things — only what is on it. In
Israel Kozakov has left his wife and children. And he just got on a plane and
and I flew Home. When I asked him: “How? So, all of a sudden…” — he said
“Yeah, you know, to emigrate, I was preparing for much longer…”
Full interview with Director Andrey Zhitinkin read here>>