“God punished my mother’s relatives”: a frank interview with Valentina Leontyeva’s son. The drama of “Aunt Valya”. TV presenter from “Good night, kids!” loved the people, but not the family Family of Valentina Leontyeva

Private bussiness

Valentina Leontyeva (real name - Alevtina Mikhailovna Thorsons, 1923-2007) born in Petrograd. Her father, Mikhail Grigorievich Thorsons, had Swedish roots and worked as a chief accountant at the Oktyabrskaya Railway. Mother Ekaterina Mikhailovna worked as an accountant in a hospital. The family was creative, the children were often taken to museums and theaters, and they organized home concerts for Alevtina and her older sister Lyudmila.

The TV presenter said: “Dad was 20 years older than mom, I loved him madly. Years later, both my sister and I, when we got married, kept our maiden name in memory of him. I remember wonderful musical evenings with competitions, balls and masquerades in our house, when dad played the violin.”

During the siege of Leningrad, Leontyeva and her sister served in an air defense detachment. One day, while dismantling furniture for firewood, their 60-year-old father injured his hand and soon died of starvation and blood poisoning.

In 1942, when the Road of Life was opened, the family left Leningrad for the village of Novoselki, Ulyanovsk region. “My mother, my sister Lucy and I were saved. Lyusya's son, whom she gave birth to at the beginning of the war, died on the road, and her sister was not even allowed to bury him. She buried the baby’s body in a nearby snowdrift,” Leontyeva recalled. In Novoselki she graduated from the ten-year school with honors.

In 1945, Alevtina moved to Moscow with her mother, but her sister remained in the village, where she lived until the end of her life, working as an economist on a state farm. In the capital, Leontyeva wanted to enter the acting department, but was late in submitting documents. She applied to the Institute of Chemical Technology, but soon left it and began working as a cleaner in a clinic. Later she entered the Shchepkinsky School and at the same time the opera and drama studio at the Moscow Art Theater, which she graduated from in 1948 (the course of the actor of Stanislavsky’s student Vasily Toporkov).

The TV presenter’s sister said: “After graduating from the studio, she was assigned to the Tambov Regional Theater. She played a lot, her role was “heroine”. And then a young director [Yuri Richard] came there and staged his graduation performance there. They liked each other, got married, and [in 1954] he took Valya to Moscow. It somehow didn’t work out with Moscow theaters, but then they announced a competition for television. She decided to try: maybe it would work out, and as a result, she found a job for the rest of her life.”

The TV presenter's first marriage broke up after three years. After that, she married a diplomat, Khrushchev’s personal translator Yuri Vinogradov. The marriage produced a son, Dmitry Vinogradov, with whom Leontyeva developed a difficult relationship.

In 1965-1967, she lived with her family in New York, where her husband was on diplomatic duty.

Returning from the USA, she again went to work on television, where she hosted the program “With All My Heart”, holiday concerts “Blue Light”, as well as popular children’s programs “Good Night, Kids”, “Alarm Clock”, “Skillful Hands”, “Away” at a fairy tale." In children's programs she was presented as Aunt Valya.

In the early 1970s, the TV presenter’s second marriage broke up, and she never remarried. She recalled: “My Vinogradov fell ill with a male problem, I got him into the best clinic on the Gulf of Finland. And he very soon recovered, falling in love with a young nurse... I also had affairs on his side. My husband drank a lot, but sometimes I wanted to be a woman. So there was every reason for betrayal.”

In another interview, she noted: “Very quickly our marriage became a formality. Yura did not file for divorce because it would have put an end to his career. My husband was constantly offended by me and said that he got a TV box as his wife.”

In 1989, all Leontyeva’s programs were closed, and she herself was transferred to the position of announcer-consultant. In the same year, the autobiography of the TV presenter “Declaration of Love” was published.

From 1996 to 1998, together with Dmitry Krylov and Igor Kirillov, she hosted the television program “Telescope”.

In 2004, she suffered a hip fracture and a concussion - according to the official version, she fell at home. There were also rumors that her son had beaten her. After leaving the hospital, she moved to the village of Novoselki, where her older sister and her sister’s children took care of her.

Sister Lyudmila said: “The doctors did everything they could and warned us that she would have serious problems with her head. They wanted to send Valya to a nursing home, but I didn’t allow it. Valya herself said: “Only to Lucy!” We provided her with excellent conditions, such as she would not have had anywhere else: we looked after her and prepared everything she asked for. Valya loved pasta.<...>When we took her, the doctors warned that she wouldn’t last more than a year, but she still lived for three years.”

Valentina Leontyeva died on May 20, 2007 at the age of 83. She was buried in the Novoselok cemetery, as she herself bequeathed. Leontyeva’s son has not seen his mother in recent years, and he also did not come to the funeral.

Leontyeva's older sister died in September 2013 at the age of 93.

What is she famous for?

The legendary Soviet TV presenter, “Aunt Valya” for millions of people who grew up on her programs “Good night, kids!”, “Visiting a fairy tale”, “Alarm clock”. The most noticeable creatively was her program “With all my heart,” which Leontyeva hosted for 15 years. The program became the prototype of the modern television project “Wait for Me” and was dedicated to finding people who had lost contact with each other for many years. The program was filmed throughout the country - the presenter traveled with her to 54 cities of the USSR. In the releases of “With All My Heart,” Leontyeva became the pioneer of the talk show genre on Soviet television.

What you need to know

Leontyeva loved her work and put it above everything else. Her friend Lyudmila Tueva said: “Valya wanted a child, but she had no time - television was sucking her in. At 39 years old, not everyone decides to give birth. And three days after giving birth, she went on air. Raising little Mitya fell on the shoulders of his mother, Ekaterina Leontyeva.”

In 1982, the TV presenter’s mother died. Valentina Leontyeva recalled those days: “I came to her, dying, in the hospital. “I’m cold, hug me,” my mother asked. And so, she died in my arms. And the next day I had to fly to filming the program “With all my heart” in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. And on the way I have a heart attack. And after the transfer - fainting. So I didn’t bury my mother.”

The TV presenter’s son was offended because she did not pay attention to him as a child. Leontyeva explained: “I raised children throughout the Soviet Union, but I didn’t have enough time for my baby. Mitya hated TV. Once, with tears in his eyes, he said to me in a completely adult way: “You are not my mother, you are everyone.” He probably has the right to be offended by me... Mitya’s life did not work out; at the age of 40 [at the beginning of the 2000s], he had never been married, did not receive a higher education, and always did odd jobs. To tell the truth, he just got used to sitting on my neck.”

Direct speech:

About life after the war:“My mother and I moved in 1945, immediately after the Victory, to Moscow from Leningrad. The city was a complete catacomb: everywhere there were barriers from tanks, destroyed houses, trenches dug by captured Germans. Once I was walking near such a trench. Suddenly, dirty, thin hands literally reached out from under the ground. The German looked at me with pleading eyes: “Bread, give me bread!” I looked at his hands and was stunned: only pianists and violinists have such thin, long, beautiful fingers. I begged the guard to allow me to feed this German. They brought him to our house, I poured him some soup. At first he ate very slowly, he didn’t even look up at me - he was afraid. Then he became a little bolder and asked where my parents were. I told him that my father died during the Leningrad blockade from hunger psychosis, and my mother was left with us alone (she saved us by forcing us to smoke so that we would feel less hungry). The German had tears in his eyes, he didn’t finish his lunch, got up and left. And two years later our doorbell rang. The same German stood on the threshold. True, now he was not at all grimy and skinny, but a washed, combed, dressed in a formal suit, quite a handsome young man. An elderly woman stood next to him. He smiled at me and said: “I couldn’t forget you, so I came with my mother to propose to you.” I refused him because I couldn’t marry an enemy. Then his mother began to cry and said to me goodbye: “Baby, you don’t even know what you mean to me. You saved my son from starvation. I will thank you all my life.”

On failed romances:“When you fall in love, you take a basin, make yourself hara-kiri, dump your insides in there and put it all under the nose of your suitor. And he turns back. There must remain some kind of secret in a woman. And from the first day I was afraid of losing my man. I gave them gifts, and they gave me only flowers, and only occasionally. I got them phones and helped them “knock out” apartments. Sometimes I was in such a hurry to go on a date that I waited at my own entrance for half an hour so as not to be the first to arrive.”

About oblivion on TV (TV producer Vitaly Zaikin):“The director, who came to television during the perestroika years, filmed all her programs in one day: “Good night, kids!”, “Visiting a fairy tale” and “With all my heart.” He invited Valentina Mikhailovna into his office and invited her to retire. To which I immediately received the answer: “I’ll now hang a sign on my chest with the inscription “Blame the boss for my death” and lie down under the tram at VDNH!” Then she was transferred “behind the scenes” to the position of assistant director. And when we met her, we were appointed as a consultant in the sign language translation department. “That’s why I’ve been grinding my tongue all my life, so that in my old age I can explain myself with gestures,” Aunt Valya said ironically.”

Leontyev about old age and TV (on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2003):“I love television, I love my colleagues with whom I have lived side by side for decades, I love my viewers who still write me letters and say hello to me on the street. I love my life and don’t feel age at all, although some people constantly hint at it to me. They write that I don’t see anything, I don’t leave the house, that I’m going to die. It's all a lie! When they sent me an invitation to the next TEFI ceremony, at first I didn’t want to go, but when I read about my imaginary illness, I got ready and went so that people could see: Leontyeva is alive and well. She got out of the car and said to the assembled spectators: “Please, my dears, look at me and tell me, do I look like I’m dying?” Everyone started laughing."

6 facts about Valentina Leontyeva

• As a child, I played in the drama club. In the sixth grade, she took first place in the reading competition among Leningrad schools.
• During the siege, Leontyeva and her sister were taught to smoke by their mother in order to stave off the feeling of hunger. So the TV presenter developed the habit of smoking two packs a day.
• Leontyeva's first husband, director Richard, was fond of erotic photography. In memory of him, the presenter had several candid photographs for which she posed.
• In 1982 she received the title of People's Artist of the USSR. In its entire history, only two announcers have become People's Artists of the Union - Valentina Leontyeva and Igor Kirillov.
• In 1975, she was awarded the USSR State Prize for the program “With All My Heart.”
• In 2000 she received the TEFI award “For personal contribution to the development of domestic television.”

Materials about Valentina Leontyeva:

Valentina Mikhailovna Leontyeva (nee Alevtina Thorsons). Born on August 1, 1923 in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) - died on May 20, 2007 in the village of Novoselki, Ulyanovsk region. Soviet and Russian TV presenter. Announcer of the Central Television of the USSR State Television and Radio in 1954-1989. People's Artist of the USSR (1982).

Alevtina Thorsons, who became widely known as Valentina Leontyeva, was born on August 1, 1923 in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) into a family of native St. Petersburgers.

Father - Mikhail Thorsons.

Sister - Lyudmila.

Uncle - architect Vladimir Shchuko.

“Dad was 20 years older than mom, I loved him madly. Years later, both my sister and I, when we got married, kept our maiden name in memory of him. I remember wonderful musical evenings with competitions, balls and masquerades in our house, when dad played on the violin," she said.

From an early age she studied in a theater group at the Youth Theater.

The Leontyev family survived the Leningrad blockade. At the age of 18, Valentina signed up to become a sanitary worker to help the wounded and sick in the besieged city. Her father died during the siege. In 1942, my mother and two sisters left Leningrad for evacuation to the village of Novoselki, Melekessky district, Ulyanovsk region.

After the war, she studied at the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology and worked in a clinic.

Then she graduated from the Stanislavsky Opera and Drama Studio at the Moscow Art Theater, course of V. O. Toporkov.

After graduating from the studio in 1948, she served at the Tambov Drama Theater for several seasons.

In 1954, after passing a competitive selection, Valentina Mikhailovna came to work on television. At first she was an assistant director, then she became an announcer.

Sometimes she acted in films in small roles - as a TV presenter.

Valentina Leontyeva in the film "Behind the Department Store Window"

Valentina Leontyeva in the film "Northern Rhapsody"

She regularly appeared in the Blue Light programs.

Over the years of her long-term work on television, Valentina Mikhailovna hosted both “Blue Lights” and many holiday broadcasts, the program “From the Theater Box” (together with Igor Kirillov), as well as many other favorite and popular television programs at that time.

Valentina Leontyeva - Blue Light 1962

From 1965 to 1967 she lived in New York with her diplomat husband and son. Upon arrival from the USA, he returns to television.

More than one generation of Russians grew up on Valentina Leontyeva’s children’s programs, such as “Visiting a Fairy Tale,” “Good Night, Kids,” “Alarm Clock,” and “Skillful Hands.” Millions of children were waiting for these programs.

Valentina Mikhailovna earned the honorary title - Aunt Valya.

Valentina Leontyeva - Visiting a fairy tale

The peak of her creativity was the program “With all my heart,” which was awarded the State Prize. The TV show first aired on July 13, 1972. The transfer lasted 15 years. In 1975, she was awarded the USSR State Prize for these programs. The last 52nd graduation took place in July 1987 (from Orenburg). Valentina Mikhailovna remembered her heroes until the end of her life.

Valentina Leontyeva was the first and only female announcer of the USSR Central Television to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. Throughout history, two announcers became People's Artists of the USSR - she and Igor Kirillov.

During work, funny things happened more than once. For example, during the broadcast of one of the “Ogonyok” shows, the heel of Leontyeva’s shoes became firmly stuck on the floor during a live broadcast, putting Leontyeva in a very difficult position. During one of the programs about animals, Leontyev was bitten by a bear cub. But she didn’t even show it and brought the program to the end - she understood that the entire Soviet Union was watching her live, and when the program ended, she had to call an ambulance - she felt very bad.

Since 1989 - television announcer and consultant.

In the 1990s, a difficult period began in the life of Valentina Leontyeva. All of her programs were closed, and no new offers were received. She tried to independently revive the “With All My Heart” program, but all her efforts did not produce results.

In 1996, together with I. Kirillov, she participated in the “Telescope” program.

In 2000, the TV presenter was awarded the TEFI Prize in the category “For personal contribution to the development of domestic television.”

Since 2004, she lived in the village of Novoselki, Melekessky district, Ulyanovsk region, with her relatives (she moved in with her sister Lyudmila), who took care of her.

She was buried, according to her will, in the same place, in the village cemetery.

In July 2007, the Ulyanovsk Regional Puppet Theater was named after People's Artist of the USSR Valentina Mikhailovna Leontyeva.

Valentina Leontyeva: fairy tale and reality

Personal life of Valentina Leontyeva:

She was married twice.

The first husband is director Yuri Richard. She met at the Tambov theater, who also transported Leontyeva to Moscow. We lived together for 3 years.

Second husband - Yuri Vinogradov, diplomat, employee of the USSR diplomatic mission in New York. We met in one of the Moscow restaurants. The couple had a son, Dmitry Vinogradov. The marriage broke up in the mid-1970s.

Dmitry Vinogradov - son of Valentina Leontyeva

August 1, 2018, where he told the details of his relationship with his mother, and also talked about his relatives, because of whom he missed his parent’s funeral.

“I lived with my mother until I was 45 years old. For many this seems strange, but it is true. We had a good relationship, I also communicated well with my dad. Mom was very gentle, she always spoiled me, but dad, on the contrary, was strict,” he said.

In the last years of Leontyeva’s life, Vinogradov rarely visited his mother. But this was not connected with their conflict, but with Dmitry’s long-standing enmity with his relatives. After a spinal injury that Valentina Mikhailovna received due to negligence at Ostankino, her relatives living in the Ulyanovsk region took care of her. The son is sure that the true goal of the relatives was the money and valuables of the legendary announcer.

“After she died, they drove a KAMAZ to the house to take out all my mother’s things. They literally took everything away. Moreover, my mother wanted her to be cremated and her ashes buried in Moscow, but they insisted on a ceremony in the Ulyanovsk region. I didn't come to the funeral because I wasn't sure I could control myself. I was afraid that I would kill one of these scoundrels, and then it would be a criminal matter. But justice still prevailed: I wished them death, and they died. You can say that I cursed them,” said Dmitry.

Dmitry is raising a son, whose name is Valentin - almost like the legendary grandmother.

I was in love with Valentina Leontyeva. He courted her very persistently, but never achieved reciprocal feelings; both had families. This went on for 10 years. She said: “He was just not my person! It was interesting to communicate with Arkasha, but as a man I don’t like him!”

Filmography of Valentina Leontyeva:

1955 - Behind a department store window - television announcer (uncredited)
1962 - Blue Light-1962 (film-play) - presenter of "Blue Light"
1962 - Without fear and reproach - television announcer (uncredited)
1964 - Blue Light. 25 years of Soviet television (film-play) - presenter
1965 - In the first hour - guest of "Blue Light"
1967 - Kremlin Courier (film-play) - episode (uncredited)
1974 - Northern Rhapsody - TV presenter
1993 - Just... Aunt Valya (documentary)

Voiced by Valentina Leontyeva:

1968 - Baby and Carlson (animated) - Baby’s mother
1970 - Sweet Tale (animated) - television announcer (uncredited)
1970 - Tymancha’s friend - reads Russian text

Alevtina Thorsons

August 1, 1923, Petrograd - May 20, 2007, Novoselki village, Melekessky district, Ulyanovsk region.

Honored Artist of the RSFSR (02/09/1967).
People's Artist of the RSFSR (05/12/1974).
People's Artist of the USSR (1982).

Valentina had to survive the siege of Leningrad; at the age of 18, she became a sanitary worker in order to help the wounded and sick in the besieged city.
She studied at the Institute of Chemical Technology and worked in a clinic.
Graduated from the Stanislavsky Opera and Drama Studio (course of V.O. Toporkov).
Since 1948 - actress of the Tambov Theater.

She came to work on television in 1954. At first she was an assistant director, then she became an announcer. The peak of her fame occurred in the late sixties and early seventies.
Presenter of the programs “With all my heart”, “Visiting a fairy tale”, “Blue Light”, “Skillful Hands”. With the program “With all my heart” she traveled to 54 cities of Russia.
In 1986, her autobiographical book “Declaration of Love” was published (2nd edition in 1989).
Since 1989 - television announcer-consultant.
In the spring of 1996, she joined Dmitry Krylov on the Telescope program, becoming a co-host.

Since 2004, she lived in the village of Novoselki, Ulyanovsk region (she moved in with her sister Lyudmila). She was buried there.

In July 2007, the Ulyanovsk Regional Puppet Theater was named after People's Artist of the USSR Valentina Mikhailovna Leontyeva.

prizes and awards

USSR State Prize (1975) - for the series of television programs “With all my heart.”
Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".
Medal “For Valiant Labor. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin."
Order of the Badge of Honor (1973).
Order of Friendship (1998).
TEFI Award in the nomination “For personal contribution to the development of domestic television” (2000).

Valentina Mikhailovna Leontyeva(August 1, 1923, Petrograd, RSFSR - May 20, 2007, Novoselki village, Ulyanovsk region, Russia) - Soviet and Russian TV presenter. Announcer of the Central Television of the USSR State Television and Radio (1954-1989). Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1975). People's Artist of the USSR (1982).

Biography

Start

Valentina Mikhailovna Leontyeva was born on August 1, 1923 in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg. Parents are native St. Petersburg residents, uncle is architect Vladimir Shchuko.

Since childhood, Valentina studied in a theater group at the Youth Theater.

The Leontyev family survived the Leningrad blockade. At the age of 18, Valentina became a sanitary worker to help the wounded and sick in the besieged city. Her father died during the siege. In 1942, my mother and two sisters left Leningrad for evacuation to the village. Novoselki, Melekessky district, Ulyanovsk region.

In the post-war years, she studied at the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology and worked in a clinic. Then she graduated from the Stanislavsky Opera and Drama Studio at the Moscow Art Theater (course of V. O. Toporkov). After graduating from the studio, she served at the Tambov Drama Theater for several seasons.

Working on television

In 1954, after passing a competitive selection, Valentina Mikhailovna came to work on television. First she is an assistant director, then she becomes an announcer.

From 1965 to 1967 she lived in New York with her diplomat husband and son. Upon arrival from the USA, he returns to television.

Over the years of her long-term work on television, Valentina Mikhailovna hosted “Blue Lights”, holiday broadcasts, the program “From the Theater Box” (together with Igor Kirillov), as well as many other favorite and popular television programs at that time. More than one generation of Russians grew up on Valentina Leontyeva’s children’s programs, such as “Visiting a Fairy Tale,” “Good Night, Kids,” “Alarm Clock,” and “Skillful Hands.” Millions of children were waiting for these programs. And Valentina Mikhailovna herself earned the honorary title - Aunt Valya. Her only role in the animation is also noteworthy - Baby’s mother speaks in her voice in the first cartoon about Carlson in 1968.

The peak of her creativity was the program “With all my heart,” which was awarded the State Prize. The TV show first aired on July 13, 1972. The transfer lasted 15 years. The last 52nd graduation took place in July 1987 (from Orenburg). Valentina Mikhailovna remembered her heroes until the end of her life.

Valentina Leontyeva was the first and only female announcer of the USSR Central Television to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. Throughout history, two announcers became People's Artists of the USSR - she and Igor Kirillov.

Since 1989 - television announcer and consultant.

In the 1990s, a difficult period began in the life of Valentina Leontyeva. All of her programs were closed, and no new offers were received. She tried to independently revive the “With All My Heart” program, but all her efforts did not produce results.

In 1996, together with I. Kirillov, she participated in the “Telescope” program.

Last years

Since 2004, she lived in the village of Novoselki, Melekessky district, Ulyanovsk region, with her relatives, who took care of her.

She was buried, according to her will, in the same place, in the village cemetery.

Personal life

Valentina Mikhailovna's first husband was director Yuri Richard.

The second husband, Yuri Vinogradov, is a diplomat, an employee of the USSR diplomatic mission in New York (the marriage broke up in the 1970s). Son - Dmitry Vinogradov.

Recognition and awards

• Honored Artist of the RSFSR (02/09/1967)
• Order of the Badge of Honor (1973)
• People's Artist of the RSFSR (1974)
• USSR State Prize 1975 - (for the series of television programs “With all my heart”)
• People's Artist of the USSR (1982)
• Order of Friendship (1998)
• TEFI Award (2000) (in the nomination “For personal contribution to the development of domestic television”)
• Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad"