Thanks to her late husband Nikolai Karachentsov, Lyudmila Porgina does not live in poverty, although she complains about a small pension. Photo: Dmitry LIFANTSEV/Express Newspaper
There is an opinion: they say, artists roll like cheese in butter all their lives. Millions of fees, all kinds of privileges and, as a result, an enviable pension. However, as KP discovered, not all stars are happy with their old age benefits.
“Some of them are left with nothing,” says showman Denis Sorokin, an expert on Let Them Talk. – For example, the star of the 90s, the singer Anastasia, who in her youth was often compared to Alla Pugacheva, recently discovered that she had no pension at all. The actress went with a complaint to the Pension Fund, where she was told that according to the documents she allegedly did not have enough seniority. Some kind of error occurred in the system, but Anastasia could not prove otherwise. His workbook burned down during a fire in 2014, when his house was set on fire by a maniac suffering from pyromania. Now it seems that a small victory has been achieved: the singer was promised that in the near future she would receive a pension, but so far she is forced to live without benefits. Anastasia has few concerts, she has to save on everything.
I complained about a pension of 17 thousand rubles and the legendary actress, star of “Eternal Call” Tamara Semina. She says that many Soviet actors live extremely hard. Poor, but proud, Semina for some reason refused an allocation of 30 thousand rubles for the title of the village. Movie stars, in his opinion, should receive millions, because in Soviet times they made a huge box office for our film distribution.
– The singer, interpreter of the hit “Music Plays on the Ship” Olga Zarubina also has a meager pension – less than 20 thousand rubles. Fortunately, after winning the show “Superstar” Olga has a full concert schedule, – says showman Sorokin.
“I live off tenants’ money”
But Nikolai Karachentsov’s widow, Lyudmila Porgina, scolds the salary in her native theater “Lenkom” more than a small pension.
– Yes, my pension can be modest – 17 thousand rubles. But I receive a surcharge of 30 thousand rubles for the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, – explains “KP” Lyudmila Porgina, 74 years old. – But the salary in “Lenkom” is just cat tears – 40 thousand rubles. Probably, they think: why pamper the wife of the People’s Artist who created Lenkom? My husband said to me before his death: “Little girl, don’t forget the way to our house, shine on the stage!” Kolya considered Lenkom a second home. Although Kolya’s salary was standard – 150 thousand rubles a month.
I don’t forget the way to the theater, but in Lenkom I, an artist of the highest category, was pushed through the crowd, and they wouldn’t let me play anything worthwhile. I decided to leave the theater, I will quit of my own free will. I don’t know how I would have survived with retirement and this salary if it weren’t for Kolya. Even after she left, my husband took care of me. When Kolya fell ill, Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov gave us a room 400 meters away in the center of Moscow. We have been renting this room to the shop all these years. The money I get paid by tenants helps our family live with dignity. Now I’m in the hospital, I broke my toes at a water park in Abu Dhabi. My grandchildren convinced me to go to the water park with them: they say, there are no scary slides, even old ladies can ride. I swept in such a way that I have been lying in the hospital for the second week. They operated on my fingers, installed pins and are treating me. I hope the doctors will put me on my feet. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to afford that treatment and trips abroad for retirement. And beauticians, suits? My husband always told me I had to look like a queen. So he said, “Don’t forget about cosmetics and hairstyles. I will watch over you even in heaven!”
Tatyana Sudets is rescued by an assignment
But 75-year-old broadcaster Tatyana Sudets, who was remembered by audiences as the host of “Good Night, Kids!” and “Blue Light,” admits she now has no income other than pension payments.
– I have a disability pension – 17 thousand rubles. Although I have work experience since 1965, – Sudetenland tells Komsomolskaya Pravda. – I am grateful to the state that artists have a surcharge of 30 thousand rubles for the title. After all, now I live only from retirement. Previously, he worked part-time at the Institute of Culture and at the Ostankino school, teaching there. But the stakes there are minimal. I spent more on gas. Therefore, I had to resign there. It turns out not to be profitable: you spend your mental strength, but in the end you gain nothing. Yes, I have never lived richly. These are all legends that Soviet stars won a lot. My mother sewed suits for me. Not provocative, dignified. It is now when the artists take the stage half-naked. And then the TV presenters understood that it was necessary to look modest, but tasteful.
We didn’t consider ourselves stars, we were announcers for Central Television. Like everyone else, they walked to the store and stood in line. I remember standing in line, my aunt pounced on me: “Here, she got up, eats our sausages, although they have their own special supplies there!” What kind of reserves are there? We didn’t have any bonuses. Yes, the salaries were good: 250 rubles plus some other part-time jobs. This is a very decent amount at the time. Once every two years, broadcasters were allowed to buy something from GUM. The problem is that they offered exactly the same costumes to choose from. Just different colors. And to stand out somehow, I gave my costumes to the artisan who worked for Slava Zaitsev. She decorated my outfits with embroidery, it turned out to be an exclusive outfit.
AND IN THE MEANTIME
Boyarsky receives generous payments for corporate parties
– Until the early 2000s, people’s artists had special preferences. For example, three or four times a year they could use the VIP lounge for official delegations at the airport,” says Evgeny Morozov, promoter, head of the Ru-Concert company. – Then these benefits were canceled. Now all older artists are waiting for a quota from the Russian Film Actors Guild. And the quota there is small: 100 people a year. Thanks to her, famous retirees once a year can go to a good sanatorium or for treatment in a decent clinic. The guild at one point supervised Batalov’s treatment.
Mikhail Boyarsky receives one million rubles for a 40-minute concert. Photo: Boris KUDRYAVOV/Express Newspaper
Someone helps real estate: in the Soviet years, folk artists received apartments in the center of Moscow. For example, Leonid Kuravlev even had several apartments, which allowed him to live without thinking about retirement.
And Natalia Varley sold her 5-bedroom apartment on Stolovy Lane, bought a house in the suburbs and put the remaining funds in the bank.
Now older artists have the only part-time job: going to festivals and receiving fees in envelopes for this. As a rule, these are small amounts – thousands of 20 rubles. I’m talking about a galaxy of old stars that are more than 70 years old.
In Moscow, artists still have a good pension – 17 thousand and a city allowance of 30 thousand rubles. And in St. Petersburg, for example, there is no such thing. Mikhail Boyarsky drips only 20 thousand rubles a month. But Misha is already rich, his corporate party costs an average of one million rubles for a 40-minute concert. However, St. Petersburg is full of poor artists. Of course, after retirement, none of the elderly expect large rates. My late friend Valentin Gaft starred in a cameo from the film “Burnt by the Sun” for 30 thousand rubles. Nikita Mikhalkov called, guest, Valya said: “I will shoot with you even in the episode. As a result, they paid 30 thousand. Not much. But Gaft was not offended, it was important for him to star as a great artist.
WHO ELSE?
Nazarov gives everything to his great-grandchildren, and Antonov to the dogs
Actor Yuri Nazarov has more than 300 roles: “Sannikov Land”, “Mirror”, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, “Let’s Get Married”, “Little Vera” and many other films and TV series. But the 86-year-old actor’s pension is also within the capital’s standards.
– I am paid 30 thousand rubles for the title of People’s Artist. As a result, 50 thousand a month run, – Nazarov shares with KP. – But I don’t see this money, I give my pension to my great-grandchildren, I have six of them. Why else do we need money? It is better to help your children. They don’t ask me for anything, I give them everything myself. In addition, I am still actively filming, now there is a lot of work. It is true that I am not entirely satisfied with the papers. There is little good material. Recently, I played a scene in a TV series where two prostitutes cheated on me. Now I have given up two roles. Reputation is more valuable than money.
Yuri Antonov lists a subsidy to help homeless animals.
Photo: Mikhail Frolov
The same pension (about 50 thousand rubles) and Yuri Antonov. But the master admits that he does not see this money at all, he gives everything to charity.
– I help shelters where stray dogs and cats live. And I often take animals from there. I don’t think about my pension, as there are savings. Now I don’t perform much because of my sore leg, but there are many job offers,” says the artist.
Alla Pugacheva, who left the country, does not think about her pension either. The singer has a long-time fan confined to a wheelchair. It is to her that the director of the artist transfers 47 thousand rubles every month, the entire pension of Pugacheva. Writer Daria Dontsova also sends her pension – 19,560 rubles to a fan of the provinces. Fortunately, Daria herself makes a lot of money from her detectives.
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