It will soon be a century since the famous song “Murka” - a unique brainchild of thieves' folklore - is walking around the world. Remember this motive?
Eh, Murka, you are my little little murky!
Murka, you are my kitten!
Murka, Marusya Klimova,
Forgive my beloved...
It would not be an exaggeration to say that its popularity was ahead of most famous hits created by professional poets and composers. People belonging to the most diverse strata of society love to listen to it, and sometimes sing it, from homeless people to oligarchs. The main character of the song is an employee of the Odessa criminal investigation department Marusya Klimova - Murka, whose biography formed the basis of this article.
A city in the hands of criminals
The story of Murka - Marusya Klimova (the photo of this woman opens the article), so vividly presented in the famous song, is a reflection of real events witnessed by Odessa shortly before the end of the Civil War. The rampant crime, caused by a series of social upheavals associated with a radical change in the state structure, became extremely aggravated in 1921. According to the recollections of contemporaries of those events, Odessa, the largest commercial port in Russia, became practically uncontrollable, which various types of criminal elements did not fail to take advantage of. They turned out to be its true masters, making robberies and robbery commonplace.
That part of the biography of Marusya Klimova (Murka), which is described by the authors of the song, is preceded by events that occurred a year before her appearance in Odessa. By order of the leadership of the local GubChK, in 1921 an attempt was made to “cleanse” the cities of thieves and bandits. For this purpose, a group of operatives under the leadership of S. Martynov was given the right to shoot on the spot all suspicious persons. The security officers themselves disguised themselves as a “stray gang,” provoking local criminals into “joint” robberies and destroying them at the scene of the crime.
Dangerous task
For some time, this method of struggle brought results, but soon the bandits “figured out” the culprits of their failures and mercilessly shot them. This is where the events began that became a bright and heroic page in the biography of Marusya Klimova (Murka). The fact is that the situation in the city became so critical that the Main Directorate of the All-Russian Emergency Commission took control of it.
In Moscow, at Lubyanka, they decided to carry out the next operation to introduce their agent into the most dangerous gang, who was supposed to be a woman. This trick would help to lull the suspicion of criminals and ensure the success of the whole business. The most suitable candidate was considered to be Maria Prokofievna Klimova, a 25-year-old employee who already had sufficient experience in the criminal investigation department. It was she who went to Odessa on a secret mission.
For complete objectivity, it should be said that there is no data that would allow us to compile a complete biography of Marusya Klimova - Murka, as this woman is usually called. That part of the archive of the Moscow Cheka, which contained her personal file, was destroyed (at least, it is considered so), and in the hands of researchers there is only fragmentary information.
Actress Maria Klimova: “I confess, I am a shopaholic!”
Photo: personal archive Maria Klimova graduated from the Shchukin Theater School. The viewer knows the actress from such films and TV series as “Black Goddess”, “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”, “She-Wolf”, “Happy Together”, “Stepmother”, “Adult Games”, “Champion”, “Stunts”, “Lavrova’s Method” “,” “Wanted,” “I will never give up,” “How long have I been waiting for you,” etc.
— Maria, does beauty help in the acting profession, or does it sometimes get in the way?
“I don’t consider myself a beauty, but, naturally, I am not without attractiveness.” All this helps me in my profession and gives me an extra bonus. But it also happened that they didn’t give the role because a less bright heroine was needed. Basically, my roles are bitchy young ladies. I played many negative roles, starting with the series “Black Goddess”. I stole my best friend’s husband there, and there were also various twists and turns associated with the Black Goddess diamond.
— What kind of stones and jewelry do you like in life?
— I love silver or white gold. I don’t wear any stones, unless they are from Swarovski. There are diamonds that lie in a box at home; I only wear them for certain events. In my life I wear jewelry.
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— Do you often attend social events?
— I don’t like social gatherings. I am essentially a home person. Although it would seem that this doesn’t really fit in with my profession. I need to attend events more often, but I’m a bit of a closed person, I can’t come to a party alone and meet someone. It’s hard for me, there is a certain barrier.
-Are you a good housewife?
- I think so. True, I don’t really like to cook, but when I do it, I put my heart into it and it turns out very tasty.
— You and Victoria Gerasimova had a chance to advertise Dirol chewing gum. What was interesting about the filming, since there was a whole series of commercials?
— I passed the usual casting. We were young girls, we were a passionate and talented group. We shot an entire mini-series in ten days. There were many stories there. For example, we, Dirol pads, are in the mouth and clean our teeth by running with a brush. Someone is smoking, we stand in the smoke, and then we freshen the smoker’s breath... It was very interesting!
— You acted a lot in melodramas. Why is this genre so popular in Russia?
— Because the bulk of TV viewers are housewives. They like pictures where someone leaves someone and then returns to their loved one. Or an abandoned woman, like a phoenix, rises from the ashes and finds her new love.
— Don’t such stories dull viewers? Or is there a difference between melodrama and melodrama?
— Yes, there are different melodramas, but mostly they inspire our women - there is true love, wonderful relationships, there is life after divorce, and so on.
— In the series “Happy Together” you played the daughter of an oligarch. How do you feel about super rich people?
- With caution, because they behave as if everything is allowed to them. They think that money can buy everything. Money rules the world. That's why I don't like all these glamorous parties where rich guys feel like masters of life.
—Are you middle class?
- Maybe. Unfortunately, we almost don’t have it. Either poor or rich.
— How do you feel about the slogan “take everything away and divide it”?
- Shall we share everything? I will answer this way: there are people who could be shared with the common people. But on a massive scale, there is no need to equalize everyone. This has already happened in our history, everyone was a common gray mass.
— How do you feel about brands? Are you chasing them, or is it important to you that you just like the thing?
- No, I’m not racing. For brands - no. Fashion changes at the speed of light. Today you bought a thing for fabulous money, and tomorrow it is no longer in trend. Comfort is important to me and that the item fits me perfectly. But, to be honest, I love shopping.
- Seriously?
“Everyone tells me that’s enough, stop buying things.” But I can not. For me this is some kind of stress relief. It definitely lifts your spirits.
— Do you go by yourself or with friends?
- No, I need to be alone. If I go with someone, I will never gain anything for myself.
— Which of the venerable actors of the old school did you act with in films or act on stage?
— I’m currently playing in the play “I Want to Buy Your Husband” based on the play by Mikhail Zadornov. My partners are Valentin Smirnitsky and Elena Safonova. We tour a lot, and I learn something from them every time. Their skill, how they live without pathos and stardom, how they play on stage. Although there are very difficult journeys on tour, I have never heard any complaints from either Safonova or Smirnitsky. Sometimes we travel in not the most comfortable buses or cars, sometimes three hundred kilometers away. Everyone is quietly silent, although they could, in theory, express their dissatisfaction. This is old school - they are completely different. Unlike some young artists who starred in one series, and it seems to them that they have already grabbed God by the beard. Elena Safonova and Valentin Smirnitsky can always give me something practical advice when I turn to them for help. Lena and I can often chat about life and even about men.
-What is the play about?
- It's a love triangle. The husband's mistress comes to the family and invites his wife to buy this very husband. Such a funny story. I play the mistress. A play for three actors. This show has been running for 20 years. Lena Safonova and I have already introduced ourselves into it and, it seems to me, gave it a new breath. When I was introduced to this production, I was still playing with Galina Aleksandrovna Polskikh. As a child, I could not even imagine that fate would bring me together with such outstanding people, and I am very grateful to God and fate that I was lucky enough to work with living legends.
— We talked about women. What do you value most in men?
— A man must be kind, reliable, decent, responsible, generous and always have a sense of humor.
- What if the man is not rich? Is this option not being considered?
- Under consideration. But my man still has to stand firmly on his feet. I am used to earning money myself, and I have a certain standard of living to which I am accustomed. I cannot be with a person who is lower in status than me.
— How do you feel about misalliances?
— I am not categorical about this, absolutely. It happens, why not? But if there is a big age difference, I won’t be able to justify this girl for myself. If, say, a man is forty years older than her. I understand why she is with him, I don’t think it’s out of great love. But I don’t dare condemn her.
— In the film “Stepmother” you played a woman who runs the “Fan” youth club, where goths, bikers, skaters, and musicians gather. Do you understand the current young generation now?
— My daughter is 11 years old. And I can’t always keep up with her anymore. She knows something I don't know. For example, I don’t know any bloggers who are popular among young people. I'm far from it. At the age of 11 they are all advanced. I remember myself at 11 years old – I was still setting up dolls and playing school. And my daughter’s dolls are already far advanced; she comprehends the world with the help of the Internet.
— Do you allow your daughter to use the Internet freely?
- No, everything is limited for me. Maximum hour per day. However, her day is so tightly scheduled that she has no time to surf the Internet. So, an hour before bed.
— How immersed are you in the Internet? How many followers do you have on Instagram?
— It seems to me that now there are no people who are off the Internet. It's all there now. There are even platforms for showing new films. You can no longer turn on the TV at all. I have about two thousand followers on Instagram. That's not a lot. I don't particularly develop it. But it should be: many people advertise something there, earning good money. But I don't want to be a slave to the Internet. You often see a picture like this. A loving couple is sitting in a restaurant, and instead of communicating with each other, they watch their gadgets. Where is this good?
— You played in the film “Champion”. It's about football. Are you interested in this sport? What do you do yourself?
— I studied ballroom dancing for 10 years. Now – fitness. I have a gorgeous park next to my house where I go jogging. This is my love. I'm not particularly interested in football. But, if I watch, I am an active fan. I usually watch some iconic matches. Not so long ago I was rooting for our youth hockey team. It's a shame we lost to the Canadians...
— You film a lot in Ukraine. Do they love you in Kyiv?
- Yes, I just arrived from there. She starred in the four-part melodrama “Life is Beautiful.” I play the main character's friend there. The character is positive, she supports her friend in everything, takes care of her, tries to direct her life in the right direction... Yes, they love me in Ukraine, and I love Ukraine. I've never had any problems. I film there a lot. In Kyiv you can increasingly hear Ukrainian speech. For example, in stores. That's the rule there now. But everyone responds normally to Russian speech.
— In the series “The Lavrova Method” you played a psychotherapist. In life, can you understand a person, have a heart-to-heart talk with him? Do you have developed intuition?
- I feel people. I can’t communicate with everyone; if I feel that some kind of negativity is coming from a person, I try not to meet with him again. From afar I say “hello, goodbye,” but I don’t let you get close to me.
— Do you like to travel with your daughter? What was your most memorable trip?
— My own older sister has been living in France for seven years. She got married, she is also an actress, but she is not working now. By the way, I followed her into the acting profession. And we spent the whole summer traveling around Europe. My sister took us everywhere, she lives right on the border with Switzerland and Germany, and we have been everywhere. The most memorable place is the German town of Badenweiler. These are thermal baths and swimming pools. It is a great pleasure when you bathe in hot thermal baths while admiring the mountains. Well, in France I liked the small towns - just “open-air museums”. Everywhere you look - extraordinary beauty!
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Fearless Marusya
To carry out the assignment received from Moscow, Odessa operatives assigned the largest gang at that time, the leader of which was a certain Mishka Diamond. The introduction of a female secret agent in itself is not a new idea. Even in the pre-revolutionary years, law enforcement officers carried out many operations, as a result of which even the most seasoned criminals fell for the bait in a skirt. But in this case there was one important detail that made the already difficult task almost impossible - none of the operatives knew this very Diamond by sight.
The planned business was also associated with a number of difficulties characteristic of this kind of enterprise. First of all, the employee chosen for this task had to have remarkable acting talent, because portraying a seasoned criminal in front of seasoned criminals is an extremely difficult task, fraught with mortal risk. Moreover, the unforeseen circumstances in which she might find herself required not only a flexible mind, but also desperate courage. As noted by everyone who set themselves the task of writing a biography of Marusya Klimova, Murka fully possessed these qualities.
Cunning trick
It is known that the leadership of the Odessa Cheka carried out preparations for the operation to introduce Klimova into the Mishka Diamond gang with special care. A very convincing legend was developed, which, according to operatives, should have ensured her trust from the bandits.
Especially for her, part of the card index was removed from the old police archive, in which data on representatives of the Odessa criminal world had been stored since pre-revolutionary times. The idea was that, having contacted the gang leader, she would show him these documents, saying that she managed to steal them and now wants to sell them profitably to interested parties. Secret materials presented as goods will force Diamond to treat his new acquaintance with complete confidence. This is exactly what happened in reality.
The biography, or rather, the essays about her life, does not say whether an intimate relationship developed between the bandit Mishka and Cheka employee Marusya Klimova (Murka). It is only known that they became such close business partners that they gave her a certain part of the loot.
The defeat of Mishka Diamond's gang
The operation, carried out by the Odessa GubChK with the participation of Maria Klimova, lasted about three months and brought the desired results. Despite the fact that not everything could be foreseen in advance in this multi-step combination, the hitherto elusive Mishka Diamond gang, and with it several other criminal groups, were completely destroyed.
Most of the criminals were killed during arrest, and those who survived received long prison sentences. In all the fragmentary and far from complete biographies of Marusya Klimova (Murka), compiled over the years that have passed since then, she is credited with the main merit in the liquidation of so many bandits.
Find in the Odessa archive
The text of the famous song about Marusa Klimova is known in many versions. They say that the collectors of thieves' folklore number more than a hundred of them (a verse of one of them is given in the article). There are many differences between them, but they are similar in one thing - at the end of the song, the main character is overtaken by a bandit bullet, which served as retribution for her double game. Was it really like that? Fortunately, no. It turns out that the real story of Marusya Klimova (Murka) has a very happy continuation.
Doubts that the version presented by the authors of the song reflects the real course of events arose a long time ago. It began with the fact that Odessa historians, who had been trying for several decades to find the grave of the fearless operative, failed, failing to even find any documentary evidence of her death. The question, as they say, hung in the air, and this continued until the archives of the Odessa GubChK were declassified during the years of perestroika. They contained an account card and a photo of Murka, an employee of the Cheka, Marusya Klimova. In the biography of this legendary woman, many significant gaps were filled.
Song
We probably would never have known about such an employee of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department if it were not for the famous song. “Murka” has become almost popular from pure “blatnyak”. There is no person who would not hear it. This song is loved by millions of residents of our country; it is performed by distinguished choirs (for example, the Turetsky Choir), as well as famous pop performers (Nikolai Baskov).
Still from the film “Murka”
But what is the story of this song? What is the secret of her popularity?
Initially, it was an ordinary urban, so-called “cruel” romance, in which there was no hint of “thieves”. The author of the words was the then famous songwriter Yakov Yadov (he wrote the text of the hit song of those years - “Bublichki”).
The essence of the romance was as follows: a young man enters a restaurant and sees his beloved dancing and flirting with another. Beside himself with anger, the deceived lover approaches the girl and utters an angry speech, very similar to that contained in Murka’s “canonical” text:
"Hats and jackets,
rings and bracelets
Didn’t I buy it for you?”
At the same time, the girl is called “Murka” - apparently, this is a modified version of the name Mura, a derivative of Maria. Having expressed all the bitter reproaches to Murka’s face, the guy grabs a pistol and kills his unfaithful beloved.
A version close to the current one appeared around the 1920-1930s, just almost immediately after the high-profile case described above, which struck the entire thieves’ environment. As often happens, the melody was composed of popular songs of that time - the previously mentioned “Bublichki”, as well as “Gop with a bow”. Yakov Yadov's words have been slightly modified to reflect the events that took place. This is how a legend was born.
It must be said that there are a great many variants of the words of the song “Murka” - no less than twenty-five. The meaning and plot always remained the same, but some circumstances could undergo changes to please the performer. So, for example, the gang arrived in Odessa either from Rostov or from Amur. The heroine's name sounded either like Masha or Marusya; they also called her Lyubka. In one of the options, she even had a cop husband.
Excerpts from the song were used in the beloved TV series “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed,” and according to the plot, the performance of “Murka” serves as confirmation of the truth of Volodya Sharapov’s words. Also, some verses are heard in films such as “Cold Summer of '53...”, “Stories”.
The series “Gentlemen Comrades” and “Murka” are dedicated to the story of Marusya Klimova. In the latter, the role of the legendary agent is played by actress Maria Lugovaya. Nothing is known about Klimova’s personal life, but the authors of the “Murka” script suggested that she could be in love with a security officer. Well, perhaps it was so, and it was this fact that forced the intelligent girl doctor to join the ranks of crime fighters? Who knows…
In 2021, a monument to the famous native of this city, Maria Klimova, in the image of the heroine of the song “Murka” was unveiled in Veliky Ustyug.
Monument to Marusya Klimova
New profession
First of all, it became known that she was born in 1897 in Moscow. This made it possible to talk about her as a 25-year-old employee sent in 1922 to perform a difficult and dangerous task. In addition, it turned out that Maria Klimova was a doctor by training. As for the reason that prompted the young woman to part with such a prestigious profession and devote herself to capturing criminals, one can only speculate about this.
Perhaps she was attracted by the romance of detective work or was prompted to take this step by tender feelings for one of the operatives. Anything is possible, but it is also possible that in those difficult times the hospital where she worked closed, and Maria decided to get a job at the Cheka, knowing that the employees there were provided with everything they needed.
Filming in advertising
Maria Klimova is an actress whose fame was also beneficially influenced by her filming in commercials. The colorful advertisement for Dirol chewing gum with her participation, shown in 2008, became especially famous. Klimova played one of the “pillow girlfriends” fighting for fresh breath and a white smile, in a duet with Victoria Gerasimova. The contract was extended for another three years, because the public appreciated the bright images of the girls. Their images settled into jokes, and their phrases became catchphrases. They also appeared in a seductive photo shoot for one of the issues of the men's magazine Maxim. Maria Klimova also starred in advertisements for other famous brands, for example, in a video about Bon-Paris sweets.
Leningrad police captain
The main surprise for historians was the entry that after completing the task, she served in Odessa for several more years, and then was transferred to Leningrad. Thus, a new page was opened in the biography of Marusya Klimova (Murka). What happened to her on the banks of the Neva was found out without much difficulty, since perestroika opened the doors of many archives for researchers. As it turned out, the heroine of the famous song was an employee of the Leningrad criminal investigation department for a long time and was very successful in catching criminals, as evidenced by the government awards she received. She retired in 1952 with the rank of police captain.
Personal life of Marusya Klimova
In 2021, Maria will celebrate her 31st birthday. Naturally, fans are concerned about the actress’s personal life. It is known that today the girl is not officially married. However, her heart has not been free for a long time. For several years, Karaulova has been in a relationship with screenwriter Alexei Karaulov.
Marusya Klimova and Alexey Karaulov
It is possible that he is the future husband of the talented actress.
The man worked on creating scripts for projects such as “Gogol. The Beginning”, “Call DiCaprio!”, “Diggers”, “Gogol Viy”. It is likely that Alexey met his beloved on the set and could not resist the girl’s charm and charisma.
It can be assumed that family and children are part of Klimova’s plans. But she does not share her thoughts on this matter with journalists and the public. The couple loves felines and has three cute four-legged pets in their home.
Anna Khilkevich is a good friend of Marusya Klimova
Marusya tries to keep her personal life strictly secret. If on Karaulov’s Instagram you can occasionally see photographs of his chosen one, then on Klimova’s page there is no information about her love relationships. Marusya and her potential husband participated together in the series championship in 2021. They released a trailer for the “Fortress” project, which they created themselves.
Unfinished story
And yet the story we tell remains unfinished. To this day it has not been possible to establish where and when this legendary woman passed away. The final stage of her fate is unknown. There is no record of her death in the archives of the Leningrad Civil Registry Office, which leaves room for a variety of assumptions. A short biography and photo of Marusya Klimova - Murka from a popular song - discovered in the Odessa archive is almost the entire volume of materials at the disposal of researchers. As for her personal life, there is no reliable information about her at all.
Odessa prostitute
There is another version, according to which Marusya Klimova is the Odessa prostitute Vera Grebennikova, who handed over the White Guards to the Bolsheviks. The image of a woman became the prototype of the heroine of the story “The Wind has Already Been Written” by Valentin Kataev. The work talks about the events that took place in Odessa in the twenties.
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It is difficult to understand which version is correct. Some even suggest that Vera and Dora are the same person.
