Dmitry Nagiyev: “I don’t need freedom without my beloved”

Behind the open windows of the studio, where we are talking with Dmitry, there is an amazing view of the Neva. The corner of the Fontanka and the Kutuzov embankment is the center of the city, in which Nagiyev was born and took place as an artist, and now happens on short visits.

“Now I’m already flying to Moscow as if I were home, I have sprouted roots,” Dmitry admits. It’s not just about the work that awaits in the capital. Obviously, there is also a personal reason, which he is not yet in the mood to talk about publicly. “You will write my biography in your declining years …” But it seems that this is still far away: tanned, pumped up, he looks younger and more stylish than before, does not miss the opportunity to flirt, expose tattoos and play with ambiguities.

“Then make my eyes brighter, the stylist forgot to let me down,” he points out to the photographer. It cannot be said that at this moment he is very different from his usual television image – an ironic macho or a cynical jester with a good heart.

It is all the more surprising that our conversation develops across all patterns. The reason for this is Nagiyev’s new work: the tragic role of Vitaliy Kaloev overshadowed for a while his most successful projects – the television series “Fizruk” and “Kitchen”, the show “Voice”, forcing him to raise topics that are indecently serious for the entertainment industry master.

Psychologies: At the Crystal Spring film festival in Essentuki, the film Unforgiven was awarded press and audience awards, and you personally won the Best Actor award. Congratulations, the picture is off to a great start!

Dmitry Nagiyev: Thank you!

Vitaly Kaloev himself, the prototype of your hero, came to the competitive screening of the film. Did he comment on your work?

No, he only said one thing: “May all children go to heaven, if, of course, it exists.” And left. I understand that it was very difficult for him to watch, because such events have no statute of limitations. And discussing his reaction is not very correct.

Your character is going through suffering that many are not ready to face even as spectators. How did you decide to let this pain go through you? After all, it is impossible to play such a thing from a distance.

I wanted not to let this hell through me. Because – why? I have three years of the TV show “Windows” behind me – three years of sobs, snot, to which at first I sincerely reacted, and then I realized that after a couple of months you can die like that. And he began to work remotely.

And here, too, I decided: I’ll get my best stamps out of the gas holder – I have a lot of luggage – I’ll dust them off and work them out. They veiled their unwillingness, or perhaps their inability to immerse themselves in tragic material. But by about the middle of the first shooting day, I realized: no, it didn’t work. We’ll have to go deep.

I can’t stand artists who drag their feet on life, forgetting that everything we do – even a genre like this – is the entertainment industry. But here I myself fell for this hook and could not straighten up after the shooting. The whole body began to hurt, to numb from internal experiences. However, what worked and what didn’t is up to the viewer to judge.

What was the decisive argument in favor of the role?

The tragedy itself, which you involuntarily associate with yourself, twisted the characters out of the script and screwed in your loved ones, twisted it. Something more terrible cannot be imagined. I was struck by the simplicity of the style and the incredible drama.

Do you justify a terrible act committed by a hero in a state of passion?

As an actor, I justified everything for myself. I had to do it. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have questions as a person. I remember how 15 years ago I first read about these events in the news feed – I was literally torn apart: at first I thought that I would have done the same, and after 4 minutes – no, I would never have done that. These throwing continued for a long time. As it turned out, they are still fresh. I really hope I never have to make that choice.

This story is largely about the inability to forgive and receive forgiveness. Are you good at forgiving? Is it easy for you?

I can. But it’s definitely not easy. It’s easy to say, “I love you! I can you! And it’s very hard to squeeze out “Forgive me” or forgive yourself. But I’m going for it. Although sincerity is still a problem. Words are already flowing, but feelings, as Evgeny Leonov said, are hiding behind a pebble.

You briefly mentioned in the press about the hazing that you encountered in the army, about your broken ribs. Have you forgiven the people who allowed violence against you personally? Do you remember their faces?

(Long pause) You know… Today, everything connected with violence, I would even say everything connected with aggression, is disgusting to me. In art, in politics, in business, everywhere. But now I remember my offenders of those years, and it turns out that this is not so disgusting (grins). The volcano has gone out, but the smoke is still coming from inside me. Although I really think I forgave.

Have you ever wanted to search these people in social networks and see how they live?

No, I’m not interested at all. Here is my first girlfriend I tried to find. But I was driven only by a nasty curiosity that had nothing to do with tenderness, or love, or good memories. I caught myself thinking: “Look how cool I am. Let me look at you, grandma.” Something close to this.

It’s cruel.

Yes, it’s cruel. Actually, that’s why I stopped looking for her, so as not to kindle the fire of cynicism and vanity inside myself.

Was it easier for you to forgive your father? You said that you were offended by him for leaving your mother.

I have absolutely nothing to forgive him for. Everyone has such grievances. So my son was offended when his mother (Alice Sher, the artist’s ex-wife. – Ed.) and I separated. It’s hard to accept someone else’s woman from your father. I would call it childish insults, nothing more.

Today, when my mother is no longer there, my brother and I (Evgeny Nagiev, 4 years younger than Dmitry. – Approx. Ed.) have one father left, and all attention to him. As he says: “Well, now you will bother me?” After all, we call him endlessly: “Well, how are you? Did you go today? I hope you don’t sit all day?” “No, I’m in bed.” “Dad, let’s move.”

Today there are no offenses – the motives of his actions are clear. But time had to pass. After 40 years, as the beautiful actress Tatyana Vasilyeva once noted, brains begin to adjust exponentially.

Without any effort on your part?

I hope that I put in some effort during my life. At one time, I yelled at my mother, why is she dragging me into sambo, forcing me to study music – this will never come in handy for me – but now I understand that I am eating on those resources that my parents laid in my childhood. It’s the same with brains – I read something, looked at something, and it bears fruit.

Are you happy with what your parents have invested in you?

Maybe it’s customary for a man to talk about his father’s lessons. But there is a lot in me and my brother from my mother. She was a well-read, educated person, she taught a foreign language at the military academy. But most importantly, she was a very wise woman. She sat opposite and said some things that stuck in her memory.

I’ll give you an example. We go one day to the subway, we talk. And I, an 18-year-old, drop: “Oh, I feel so good with her!” Then my mother stops, takes my hand and says: “Remember for the rest of your life. First you must make it good for her, and then, if there is time, think about yourself. A rare mother will not hesitate to say this. And I think I’ve been doing that all my life. And I will not be ashamed to say the same to my children when they grow up.

My mom also gave me a lot of helpful advice. This one was especially useful: “When working with people, don’t act like love, try to love them for real.”

What do you take from your father?

You know such an anecdote – when the hooligans attacked, I remembered everything that my father taught me. But the ability to smoke a pig, unfortunately, was not useful. Remembering everything that my father said and did, I learn to either do it this way or not do it that way.

My brains are enough at least for this: to understand that it is impossible to do this. Although dad makes less and less punctures over the years, he has already gained that calmness and prudence that I still dream of. Because – you can’t hide an awl in a bag – my brother and I went to dad.

Libido is said to decrease with age…

Here I am already now, without waiting for the loss of libido, I am trying to become just as reasonable, without shifty eyes. Only now I begin to understand that a real man does not manifest itself in aggression. In what? In deeds. In the calmness of movements and clarity of thought. In literacy and logical expression of emotions – which I really lack.

Is it permissible for a woman?

Again, everything that is connected with aggression – in the kitchen or in bed, all these Instagram “tacks” – “I’m a rare bitch / fool” – I’m not interested. Intuitively I avoid such women. And as one famous witch in show business said, my intuition is good.

Listening to your intuition, you still sometimes found yourself in “thrash” projects. For example, in the show “Windows”, which was on the verge of a foul …

Not on the edge, but beyond.

Especially. Did you regret it later?

I take any job as an experience. And I definitely don’t regret it. You know, there is one original Cola drink and dozens of derivatives of it. There were “Windows”, and everything else that we see today – all the dirt of today’s broadcasts – are derivatives of the “Windows”.

What is there to be proud of?

I left just at the moment when I realized what it was leading to. What is my mistake here? Some teachers of the theater institute stopped talking to me after I came to television. They said that I had betrayed the theatre. And then I was very worried. Now I don’t care. Because I am a small person with the surname Nagiyev. I had to cling to what was offered to me. I just worked, climbed.

Where is your goal?

Now I have a desire to work, to produce a good, competent and beautiful product, without thinking about achieving any material goals. And I am working on myself so that this desire does not border on vanity.

In this life, so short-term, in general, what do you see as your mission?

I’m afraid to articulate it. In order not to suddenly find out for myself that my mission was simply to give you a salt shaker, as in a well-known joke. I only say to myself that this mission is grandiose, feasible and has not yet been realized by 30 percent.

We now take children out of the equation, of course. And if I put the condition “either-or”, then, of course, their happiness and well-being will come first, for the sake of which I am ready to wash the floors on the deck of the boat that is now sailing past us with pleasure.

You became a father at 22 – did you even experience any paternal feelings at such a young age? The joy of the fact that someone will continue the race …

There was absolutely no desire to continue the race. Abortion seemed to me a natural solution: we terminate the pregnancy and continue to move on through life, holding hands, free, happy. But Alice categorically refused to look for money, for which I thank her.

At what point did you feel like a father?

Yes, I still don’t feel that way about myself. Worries only: what if my energy, my love is not enough? I am a very responsible person. But overall, I’m a good dad. I don’t know how to play cars and I just fall asleep in four seconds, yes. But spending time together, walking, talking, running after each other, giving pendels – here I am a good father. And Cyril, I think, will confirm this. And I get softer with age. And sentimental, unfortunately.

It’s not very noticeable. You confidently wear the mask of a brutal and impenetrable hero.

I got tired of this mask. I allow myself to flirt less with the audience. Today it has become much more important for me to like my beloved, my loved ones.

Then, as a loving person, tell me: is it possible to love and remain free?

Yes. I don’t like talking about love being a daily job… If it’s a job, then something is wrong with love. Therefore, I hope and dream that it is possible to love and at the same time be free. What matters is what the limits are within yourself.

Our freedom ends where the freedom of another begins.

Here I hope that my freedom does not end there. That our freedoms, holding the handle, smoothly flow into each other. At least, some mythical freedom without Her is of little interest to me. “Without Her” is basically a collective image. But for me, there is a specific person behind it.

Love lasts three years.

Damn whoever said that.

This is what neuroscientists say, in terms of scientific research. After passionate love, something else will come…

You know, when you write my biography at the end of my career, I hope that by then I will be able to prove to you that this is not so.

Are you interested in knowing more about yourself?

Rather, to catch harmony, which is not easy in today’s political environment and in our wonderful country. And I hope that, having found harmony, I will not become a grump. And something else to please the viewer.

You got me into a serious conversation. I hate such artists – yesterday there was a normal person, a clown-clown – and suddenly today he is sitting so serious, talking about high things. When I was immersed in this hell of the “Unforgiven” for 25 shooting days, the unique make-up artist Elena Vakhovskaya, after sticking on my beard, said loudly: “I ask for silence. Frodo put on the ring. At that moment, I became a different person. But as soon as it sounds “stop, filmed”, I peel off my beard …

… Frodo takes off the ring.