Fyodor Lavrov in the image of Paul I is almost unrecognizable! Photo: Still from the series.
The Stieglitz mansion on the Promenade des Anglais in St. Petersburg has been under reconstruction for a long time, so it is even strange to see a caravan of filmmakers and crew members wandering around it. Several scenes (out of the planned 450) of the series “Alexander I” were filmed here, in a once luxurious mansion that is now in a rather deplorable state.
We climb up to the second floor, passing the scaffolding. In the middle of the spacious hall there is a luxuriously laid table with replicas of dishes and fruit. “Don’t go near the table, I have real black caviar here,” warns the props manager. “If you put artificial caviar on it, it will be immediately visible.” We leave, of course, this royal dinner, apparently, will take place without us.
According to the script, Paul I’s family gathers in a mansion during renovations, so the entire atmosphere of the building is in line with the theme. Alexander I and his wife Elizabeth, his brother Konstantin and his wife Anna, and his mother Maria Feodorovna will take part in the scene.
Women of Paul I’s family: Maria Feodorovna (played by Anna Banshchikova – center) and her daughters-in-law Elizaveta and Anna. Photo: Still from the series.
The almost unrecognizable Fyodor Lavrov quickly passes by in a curly wig (it’s a bit unexpected to see him like this after the role of the maniac Poptsov in “The Shadow of Chikatilo”18+, but he looks very organic) – he plays the controversial Emperor Paul I. The actor gets used to the character, not being distracted by anything, and refuses to comment. But his “film wife” Anna Banshchikova, reincarnated as Maria Fedorovna, turns out to be more talkative.
“My character is a special person in Russian history. A powerful woman, one might say, the head of the family. Thanks to her wisdom she managed to restrain her husband in his various manifestations. I think that now is the time for strong women like Maria Fedorovna,” says Anna Banshchikova, dressed in a luxurious black dress and matching jewelry.
At this moment, Anna’s “son” – Alexander I himself – appears in the room. He is played by a young, charismatic and very tall actor (he once worked as a model) – Evgeniy Romantsov.
Actor Evgeny Romantsov, 31, in the role of Emperor Alexander I. Photo: a still from the series.
“In our artistic expression, Alexander I, or, as I call him, Sasha, is first and foremost a person,” Romantsov explains. “A great man. With a big heart. But how he lived his human life, how he loved, how he treated people, look in the film. For these films, I learned to play the violin and the piano, and received extensive training in horse riding and special etiquette.”
The series was also filmed in Tsarskoye Selo, the Kazan Cathedral, the Marble Palace and other places not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Moscow. The project is being created with the support of the Internet Development Institute (ANO IRI). The premiere will take place on the “Smotrim” media platform, and the television premiere will take place on the “Russia” TV channel.
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