the mystery of tragedy in Mozambique
Yuri Chulyukin lived a short, but busy life. The secret of birth, criminal youth, directorial fame, a beautiful wife, a mysterious death in a distant African country.
Yuri Chulyukin was born in 1929 in Moscow. His mother was a director at the Bolshoi Theater. But in the fathers, popular rumor attributed the then-famous actor Mikhail Astangov, from whom Chulyukin's mother studied. Basically, these rumors were based on the striking outward resemblance of the matured Yuri with his alleged father.
It was rumored that the child was from the popular actor Mikhail Astangov (“Russian Question”, “Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin”), to whom, as he grew older, he became surprisingly similar in appearance. However, such an intimate question has never been raised in conversation. There were no confirmations or rebuttals by the mother, who worked as a director at the Bolshoi Theater.
In his youth, Yuri contacted a criminal company. On suspicion of murder he spent some time in jail. There, criminals, mocking the young man, beat off his kidneys, which he then felt his whole life. But still, his involvement in the murder was not proved, and he was released.
The beginning of the director's career
Apparently, a close acquaintance with criminal morals made him think about his fate. In 1956, he graduated from the directing department of VGIK.
His first “pen test” came out very successful. In 1959, his comedy “The Undecided” was released with Nadezhda Rumyantseva in the title role. The film immediately won the sympathy of the audience and, having stood the test of time, remains popular to this day.
Chulyukin's next comedy was even more successful. “Girls”, all with the same Rumyantseva in the title role, has firmly entered the golden fund of Soviet cinema and will certainly be broadcast in holiday television programs.
Personal life
In the same years, the director married a novice actress, “Russian Bridget Bardot,” Natalia Kustinskaya. In principle, directing and acting unions in Soviet cinema was not uncommon.
But, unlike some of his colleagues, Chulyukin was in no hurry to film his beautiful wife in the lead roles. So, he refused Kustinskaya her request for the role of Tosya Kislitsyna in “Girls”, rightly believing that her western beauty is not very suitable for the role of cook in the Siberian taiga. The couple did not have children, although they sought to have
Once Chulyukin still took off his wife in the sports comedy “Royal Regatta”. The film was warmly received by the audience, but he was far from the director’s previous works, and now this picture is almost forgotten. Kustinskaya will soon leave Chulyukin, accusing him of treason.
Much later, the director married for the second time to Lyudmila Smirnova. She starred in several of his latest films.
Further work in the cinema
After the “Girls” Chulyukin’s career began to decline. He shot several more paintings in different genres, trying to find his own. From his later films, one can single out the adventure film “Let's Talk, Brother ...” about the civil war in the Far East and the fantastic comedy “How to Be Happy” with Nikolai Karachentsov in the title role.
As an actor, he starred in several films in episodic roles.
The death of Yuri Chulyukin
In March 1987, a week of Soviet cinema was organized in Mozambique. In those years, the former Portuguese colony continued to build socialism. Just a few months ago, the country's first president, Zamora Machel, died in a mysterious plane crash. To assure the new authorities of Soviet support, a trip was organized by the Soviet cinema delegation to the country.
Yuri Chulyukin was part of the delegation, presenting his “Let's Talk, Brother ...” ribbon. The Soviet delegation was accommodated in a hotel in the capital of the country Maputo. Yuri Chulyukin lived on the 10th floor. After an evening banquet in honor of the Soviet guests, everyone went to numbers. On the morning of March 7, 1987, hotel staff discovered the director’s body in the elevator shaft. Death came from a fall from a great height. The circumstances of the tragedy remained unclear. Perhaps Yuri was the victim of an accident.
The famous director was buried in Moscow, at the Kuntsevo cemetery.