Popular actress Anna Kovalchuk, known for her work in film and theater, is among the stars who gave their children unusual names. But if the choice of name for her daughter (Zlata Anatolyevna Ilchenko - Anna’s daughter from her first husband) received mostly positive assessments from the public, then the appearance in the family of actress Dobrynya Olegovich Kapustin - a son from her second husband - was widely discussed on the Internet and literally divided Anna’s fans into two fronts .
Personal data
The talented actress Anna Kovalchuk is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful women in Russian cinema. The numerous memorable heroines that Anna embodied on screen and stage have one thing in common - they are strong women with character. This description fits the actress herself.
- Full name - Kovalchuk Anna Leonidovna.
- Birthday: June 15th.
- Year of birth: 1977.
- City: Neustrelitz, Germany.
- Gemini.
- Height - 1.75 m.
- Weight - 56 kg.
Last news
Currently, filming of the 17th season of the series “Secrets of the Investigation” continues. Zlata's daughter, from the minor role of Lisa, receives the status of one of the main characters.
At the same time, Anna Kovalchuk is the leading actress of the Lensoveta Theater and continues to play in the troupe’s most popular productions.
For example, “Night and Day”, “Baby” and “City”. Marriage. Gogol." Anna Kovalchuk plans to give birth to her second daughter as soon as possible.
Childhood and youth
The future favorite of the audience was born in the GDR. Anna's parents are not Germans at all, but Russians. All representatives of the Kovalchuk family from generation to generation devoted their lives to pedagogy. The father of the future actress, Leonid Ivanovich (a military teacher by profession), taught classes at the engineering academy. Anna’s mother, Natalya Fedorovna, worked as the head of a kindergarten. My grandmother was a literature teacher, and my grandfather was a school director.
Due to the direction of his father’s activities, the Kovalchuk family, like all military families, regularly moved from one place of residence to another. After Neustrelitz, Germany, where the family lived at the time of Anna’s birth, they moved to the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, but did not stay there long. The next refuge was the main Russian city - Moscow. Soon the Kovalchuk couple made another move - this time to St. Petersburg, or as it was called then - Leningrad.
The city on the Neva became not just a new link in a series of relocations. The family has firmly settled in this habitat. It was here that Anya Kovalchuk went to the most ordinary secondary school, where she received her secondary education. And it was here that the actress subsequently took her first professional steps.
The girl’s parents took care of the comprehensive development of their daughter, so in addition to school classes, Anya additionally attended the following sections:
- artistic gymnastics;
- ballet
In addition, the girl received a good musical education. From an early age, thanks to her mother, Kovalchuk learned to play various instruments.
But still, despite the extensive list of extracurricular activities, in little Anya it was still difficult to discern the future charismatic actress and simply the spectacular, self-confident woman that Kovalchuk later became. A timid, modest and rather shy girl, she did not even think about an acting career. However, everyone around was of the same opinion.
Anna was best at serious exact sciences. The girl’s mathematical mindset was so pronounced that those around her saw her in the near future as a real computer genius. The girl showed no interest in the theater. In those years, it never occurred to any of the people who knew Anya, nor to her herself, that her future life would be inextricably linked with cinema and theater.
Anatoly Ilchenko - Kovalchuk’s first husband: biography
The actor was born on June 14, 1976 in Norilsk. After graduating from school, he became a student at SPbGATI (St. Petersburg Academy of Theater Arts), receiving a diploma in 1998.
In the city on the Neva, Ilchenko was unable to find a job in his specialty. He had to leave for Moscow at the invitation of the Theater in the South-West, where Anatoly worked for about a year. New from the biography and personal life of Andrei Mironov and his family.
The young actor showed great promise, but a year later he gives up everything and returns to the Northern capital for the sake of his beloved (Anna Kovalchuk). Anatoly had to leave the theater, becoming an employee of his father-in-law's oil company.
Several years after the wedding, Anatoly and Anna live happily, their daughter Zlata is born. Soon the wife's workload in cinema and theater becomes a barrier to the couple's relationship. Both spouses decide to divorce.
After breaking up with Anna, Anatoly returns to his profession. Ilchenko auditions for all the theaters in St. Petersburg and gets a job on the stage of Comedians. He had to start from scratch, but today he is part of the leading actors of the troupe.
A year later, Natalya Terekhova appeared in the theater. A romantic relationship arises between colleagues, which leads to marriage. At the beginning of 2011, the couple had a son, Dmitry. Biography stories of actress Glafira Tarkhanova from an expert.
Love story
Anna and Anatoly met at the introductory rounds of the theater academy. A young applicant more knowledgeable in the humanities helped Kovalchuk move on.
The newly arrived students were tasked with renovating the auditorium. During communication, it turned out that they were born almost on the same day. This is how sympathy arose between the young people, which became serious feelings.
Starting from the 2nd-3rd year, Anna and Anatoly already lived together in a rented room in a communal apartment.
After graduating from St. Petersburg State Technical University, Ilchenko leaves for Moscow, and Anna Kovalchuk continues her studies. The separation did not affect the feelings of the lovers, on the contrary, it made them even stronger.
On March 8, 1998, Anatoly sends Anna a box with a gold ring. After the gift came a proposal of marriage. In 1999, Anna Kovalchuk receives a diploma and marries Ilchenko. In 2000, Zlata was born, the birth of her daughter was filmed in the series “Secrets of the Investigation.” After living for 5 years, the couple, unable to bear family life, separated. About the wife of Gauguin Solntsev.
Anatoly demanded attention from Anna, a cozy home, which she could not give due to the workload on the set.
Road to glory
She did not immediately set foot on the path that led the actress to fame. After finishing school, Kovalchuk decided to continue her education at the Leningrad Polytechnic University . The girl chose science as her vocation and applied to the Faculty of Cybernetics. It seemed that everything had already been determined. But an incident intervened in the girl’s plans, turning Anna’s life path in a completely different direction.
This turn was largely facilitated by her close friend Kovalchuk, who asked Anna to accompany her on the entrance exams to the theater institute. At the Polytechnic University, exams began later, and Anna agreed to support her friend, deciding that she still had nothing to lose.
Kovalchuk did not have any special training, much less experience in acting, so a miracle did not happen - the girl failed the first round of the competition. This could be the end of her acting story. But actor Anatoly Shvedersky (professor and member of the admissions committee) still managed to recognize the theatrical talent in applicant Kovalchuk and gave the charming girl another chance. Anna was called to re-audition.
The future actress did not miss the new chance - the tour was successfully completed and Anna received a place among the students on probation. At the same time, Kovalchuk learned that the competition, which she still managed to overcome, was about thirty people per place. This spurred the girl on, and she firmly decided that she must, simply must, reach the end. The mother supported her daughter in her choice. So the scientific world lost cybernetics Kovalchuk, and the world of theater and cinema gained a talented actress.
Anna liked studying theater arts. Each lesson brought pleasure and Kovalchuk became increasingly happy with her choice - she had found her true calling. Having successfully graduated from the institute, the girl began building a career as an actress. Anna had a lot of plans and hopes, but even more - the desire to realize herself professionally.
Oleg Kapustin - husband of Anna Kovalchuk: biography
The current husband of the actress is, by all characteristics, a positive and serious person. Even as a child, he did not show any bad inclinations; he was constantly busy studying and attending additional electives. Loves music and theater.
Oleg’s mother raised her alone, his father left the family early, so the boy was raised strictly. After graduating from school, he became a law student.
This was followed by receiving a diploma, after which he went to serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Oleg was a member of the Chechen company, in hot spots. Resigned as an officer.
Currently, Kapustin is a successful entrepreneur.
Theater works
The young actress fell in love with the theater stage even during her studies. Student Kovalchuk was involved in the performances of the legendary Alexandrinka, although at that time the girl got small roles. Then, already a graduate of the theater institute, Anna joined the troupe of the famous Lensovet Theater. There, certified actress Kovalchuk received a large-scale role for the first time - in “The Imaginary Invalid” directed by Gennady Trostyanetsky based on Molière.
In 2001, Kovalchuk again appeared in Trostyanetsky’s production - this time it was the drama “Karenin. Anna. Vronsky” , where the actress played the main role. Then there were roles in plays:
- “Frederick, or the Boulevard of Crimes” (heroine - Berenice);
- “Measure for Measure” (heroine - Isabella).
Three Sisters received high marks from theatergoers . But Anna gained the greatest popularity as a theater actress after “A Bed for Three ,” where she played Lilith.
Biography of Oleg Kapustin
Oleg Kapustin is a Russian businessman. Second husband of actress Anna Kovalchuk. early years
Oleg owes his upbringing to his mother Valentina Pavlovna.
Valentina and her husband divorced when Oleg was still a child, so the strong woman took upon herself all the care of her son. It is worth noting that mother and son did not live well. But Oleg always tried to be a good son for his mother - he did not behave like a hooligan, did not associate with bad companies, studied hard, and attended all kinds of clubs after school. He studied choreography and adored theater since childhood. Education and career
After graduating from high school, Oleg Kapustin entered the university at the Faculty of Law.
After graduation, he began working as a police officer. It just so happened that Kapustin ended up in a “hot” spot - Chechnya, and at the very height of hostilities. Upon returning from there (fortunately, alive and well), Oleg immediately wrote a letter of resignation from the internal organs. Apparently, the man had enough of the cruelty that he had already seen, and he wanted to at least fence himself off from evil (since he was not able to eradicate it - like any person). After leaving the service, Kapustin took up entrepreneurial activity. As a businessman, Oleg rose very quickly and earned a lot of capital. Personal life
In 2005, Oleg Kapustin began courting Russian film and theater actress Anna Kovalchuk. The businessman showed Anna sweet attentions - he met her after performances with huge bouquets of flowers, gave her expensive gifts, made compliments, and tried to fulfill her every whim. Just six months after they met, Oleg proposed marriage to Anna. However, Kovalchuk, who literally just broke up with her first husband, was in no hurry to get married. She decided to give her relationship with Oleg time to test. Kapustin proved himself to be a reliable and responsible person. And in the end, Anna gave her consent to the marriage. On December 1, 2007, Oleg and Anna got married in St. Petersburg. Kapustin presented his newly-made wife with a luxurious diamond ring, an expensive car, and also presented her with a thoroughbred horse (the actress is a big fan of horse riding). On April 30, 2010, Oleg and Anna had a son, Dobrynya. Kapustin gladly took on new responsibilities - the responsibilities of a father. It is worth noting, by the way, that Oleg became close friends with Zlata, Anna’s daughter from his first marriage. There can be no talk of any jealousy or rivalry in their family.
Kovalchuk’s second husband – Oleg Kapustin
At the end of 2005, Kovalchuk met her second husband, businessman Oleg Kapustin. Their relationship developed very rapidly, six months later Oleg invited Anya to become his wife. However, the actress decided not to rush things, and they lived in a civil marriage for a couple of years.
Anna Kovalchuk and Oleg Kapustin
In December 2007, the wedding finally took place. The groom gave his beloved a handsome thoroughbred stallion. For Anna, such a surprise was special, since she loves horse riding. In 2010, their son Dobrynya was born. Oleg was present at the birth; it was his first child.
New season of happiness
In 2005, Anna Kovalchuk met Oleg Kapustin. He was serious and respectable, did business and courted the actress so beautifully and romantically that he was able to very quickly win the beauty’s heart. Chic bouquets and fireworks, trips to the sea and sweet surprises - the entrepreneur used every opportunity to win the actress. At the same time, Oleg Kapustin also managed to win over Anna Kovalchuk’s daughter.
In 2007, the actress married for the second time. The wedding was very beautiful, and as a gift the husband presented his wife with a real stallion, because Anna was fond of horse riding. But the main thing was not the gifts and surprises, but the love and care with which her husband surrounded his beloved woman. At first, she could not do without jealousy, because the actress often disappeared on set, went on tour, and simply communicated with a huge number of people, attended presentations and a variety of social events.
Over time, Oleg and Anna learned to set priorities correctly and were able to build their lives so that everyone was comfortable. And now they often prefer spending time together over any event. They appear together in public, but Oleg Kapustin tries not to get caught on camera. At the same time, Anna Kovalchuk knows for sure: her husband is always there and is ready to extend his hand to her at any moment.
The couple dreamed of having a child for many years, but the baby was born only a few years after marriage. Dobrynya was born in 2010. Anna Kovalchuk was very worried about Zlata and tried to do everything so that her daughter would not feel deprived of her mother’s love.
Oleg Kapustin turned out to be an absolutely incredible father. He took care of his son from the very moment he first held him in his arms back in the maternity hospital. He got up to see the baby at night, changed diapers, fed and walked. And at the same time he did not forget to take care of his wife and daughter.
Anna Kovalchuk tries not to advertise her personal life, but it is impossible to hide the happiness that overwhelms her. Like her heroine Maria Shvetsova, the actress was able to find her happiness on the second try, but, unlike her, she plans to live a long and happy life with her second husband. Moreover, she has a good example: Anna Kovalchuk’s parents have lived together for many years, but it seems as if they are in love with each other as passionately as in their youth.
In the family of Anna Kovalchuk and Oleg Kapustin there is no clear division of responsibilities; everyone can cook dinner or clean the apartment. The main thing is that the house is warm and cozy. The actress does not like to talk about her personal life, because happiness, as you know, loves silence.
Screen Star
Following the theater stage, the actress gained a foothold on film sets. Kovalchuk’s film debut occurred in the late 1990s, and more specifically in 1998, when a comedy melodrama called “Love is Evil” was released. In this film, the actress appeared as a princess.
After the screen debut, there were castings, one after another, but, unfortunately, few of them brought real roles. Kovalchuk managed to conquer the screens and win the love of TV viewers in 2001 through the serial detective story “Secrets of the Investigation,” in which the actress played the main character Maria Shvetsova. The series instantly gained popularity, and Maria and Anna, who played her role, turned into people's favorites.
By the way, a trick helped Anna become the leading lady. The project required an actress at least thirty years old. Kovalchuk, at that time, was only 22. She really wanted to get the role, and the actress decided to go for a harmless deception - she did an aging hairstyle with bangs and went to the casting in this form. During the auditions, Anna lied to the director that she was already 29. According to Kovalchuk herself, she thinks that the director saw through her deceptive trick, but was probably amazed at the quality of the actress’s performance, which is why he decided not to expose her.
So Kovalchuk received the coveted role, which had already become for her something more than just another job. Repeatedly, the scriptwriters adjusted the plot to the performer, taking into account the events in her life - pregnancy, the birth of a child, etc. Filming in “Secrets of the Investigation” to some extent became permanent for Anna, that is, constant. The series is released season after season, so the actress has to work on other projects in parallel, combining filming.
A great contribution to Russian cinema was the multi-part film directed by Bortko “The Master and Margarita” based on Bulgakov’s greatest creation of the same name, where Anna played the role of Margarita. For the sake of this project, the actress sacrificed her beliefs - previously, naked shooting was taboo for Anna. It is unnecessary to emphasize how impressive the beautiful actress with a good slender figure looked in the image of the beautiful reincarnated Margarita. For her work in Bortko’s project, Kovalchuk received an award at the festival “Vivat Cinema of Russia - 2006” - the prize for best actress.
Among the most significant works in films and TV series, the role of Princess Anastasia Trubetskoy in the historical film “Peter the Great. Testament”, as well as the role of Sophia Kolchak in the acclaimed historical film “Admiral”.
The charming actress has many good roles in her arsenal. Her characters were investigators, military officers, police officers, and even witches. But Anna is not going to put an end to her career. She still plays in the theater, new films with her participation appear on the screens. How much longer the actress will continue her creative activity is not known. Of course, all fans hope for as long as possible.
Oleg Kapustin. A legendary man, or about a communal apartment with a smile
Few people are as versed in the intricacies of communal services as Oleg Semyonovich Kapustin. Smart, well-read, with his own opinion about everything, this man is impressive. Some even call Kapustin the “gray eminence” of the Volgograd housing and communal services. And he just laughs at such titles. The utility guru, who has dedicated more than 40 years to the industry, gave Volganet an exclusive interview.
Volganet: Oleg Semyonovich, I was very impressed by your Museum of Heat. You talk about the heating industry with such love... Surely, like no one else, you know not only the history, but also how things stand today?
Oleg Kapustin: I haven’t worked in this field for 10 years. In 2009, I left the administration, although I still know all the guys, and everyone knows me... But one thing I can say: changes are obvious.
- For the better?
- Well, of course! Despite all the criticism, the situation is changing for the better. Sometimes I open the Internet, start reading and fall into a stupor. It feels like they are being written by people who simply have nothing better to do. What do they call them - losers or bloggers?
That's how much criticism there was about Sovetskaya Street! It's torn up, it's impossible to drive! But after that, the problem with heat and hot water was closed for 30 years. Remember Parkhomenko Street, which was dug up every winter, piece by piece, because there was no money or modern materials. That was done too. And there are many such examples.
Let the skeptics and critics look at the numbers. Last year alone, about 2 billion rubles were spent on replacing the heating main along Sovetskaya. In just three years, about 8 billion were invested in heat and water supply concessions in housing and communal services. When was that kind of money spent? Previously, this was a maximum of 200-300 million per year.
Today we lay polyethylene pipes, which last many times longer than old metal ones. This year it is planned to change about 20 kilometers of networks. Last year the numbers were approximately the same.
In Volgograd there is only one coal-fired boiler house left on Angarskaya Street! I think it will also be closed this year.
In the Kirov region there was a big problem with heat supply because the VolgoGRES was closed. We built an automated boiler room No. 2. And take the Razgulyaevsky sewer collector, which solved the problems of the Dzerzhinsky and Central districts of Volgograd with sewerage. We have dreamed about it for many years. Or the sewage treatment plant in the village of Airport... There are many such examples.
– Maybe people are skeptical about everything because of the experiments that all sorts of videoconferencing and cable TV have done over the “communal apartment”?
– I understand that people are afraid. But the concessionaires came in earnest and for a long time. And the most important thing in the concession agreement is that the property handed over to the company remains municipal and all improvements and new facilities will also remain the property of the city. It is clear that concessionaires are not patrons of the arts, they came to make money.
Kilometers of networks
– However, many complain that tariffs in Volgograd are very high.
– If we take water, for example, then in our region the tariffs for it are the lowest among the surrounding regions. Although the geographical location of Volgograd is very specific. Our city stretches along the Volga for 90 kilometers. Can you tell us what kind of networks we have?! We cannot create a classic water supply and heat supply scheme. The radial scheme is not available to us when the radii can be connected to each other by backup lines and jumpers. We have a linear scheme.
Among the luminaries of Russian heat supply Photo: from the personal archive of Oleg Kapustin
The length of networks in Volgograd is more than 900 kilometers of heating networks, more than 2000 kilometers of water supply networks, and the same number of kilometers of sewerage. It is clear that the costs of their maintenance are much higher.
- And what is the way out?
– We found a solution in heat supply. Now we are creating small radial schemes in the regions. Take Krasnooktyabrsky district. In it, three large boiler houses operate in one network and in the summer, when the load is only 20%, only one is left, and the remaining two are engaged in routine repairs. Of course, the networks also need to be changed, but this cannot be done without completely stopping the supply of hot water.
– It seems to me that now blackouts have become less painful, less long...
- Now the deadline is a week. Well, a little more if the work is very complex. But even such outages are widely criticized, but the networks need to be repaired and changed.
Everyone fancies himself a hero, seeing the battle from the outside. It's easiest to criticize. I can also see this from the number of requests from citizens - there have been significantly more of them.
Public inspection
– Oleg Semyonovich, you anticipated my question. You are the creator of the Regional Public Inspectorate in the field of housing and communal services. Do many townspeople come to you with their problems? What is the most common complaint?
– The largest number of complaints are about the work of management companies. The number of complaints regarding major repairs has noticeably decreased. We at the inspection even specially opened a “hotline” for major repairs. We work very closely with the Foundation. I want to say that this is one of the few organizations associated with housing and communal services that is so willing to make contact and delve into people’s problems. They provide experts when we conduct workshops.
– So, your main task is to help?
– In fact, not accepting people with complaints is our main function. For this purpose, there are public receptions, State Housing Supervision and other departments. Our task is to teach people. We live today in completely different conditions: both legislation and property relations have changed. Only our consciousness has not yet changed. I always suggest people take a simple test: answer the question, what words come to mind when they hear the Russian anthem? Most remember: “The union is indestructible...” That is, our consciousness still remains in the “scoop”. We cannot change this in 30 years.
In the same boat
– It turns out that you and the authorities are now on opposite sides of the barricades?
– I constantly repeat to the authorities: there is no need to be afraid to talk to people. But there is no need to divide us, to separate us on any side, even barricades, even trenches.
Public inspectors are not enemies, but government assistants. Moreover, we are defenders of power: we stand as a barrier between it and the population. People come to us, we resolve their issues, we participate in courts. By the way, when representatives of public control appear at meetings, judges behave differently, because our specialists know the intricacies of housing and communal services laws and have practice.
– Do I understand correctly, you provide help to people for free? What do you live on then?
“For people, our help doesn’t cost a penny. And we live on grants. We were the first in the country to apply for a presidential grant two years ago and win it. In the same year, they also took out a regional grant. We have become winners for three years in a row because we do the right thing. We prepare, teach people, teach them the basics of housing legislation, explain the principles of relationships between all participants in the housing and communal services industry, and show ways out of a particular situation. Moreover, we always try to resolve issues pre-trial. And once again explain, explain and explain that now a person solves all his problems himself, and not the party committee, the district committee... We give a fishing rod, and people must learn to catch fish themselves.
No revolutions
– Oleg Semyonovich, your inspection already has such a solid geography - in addition to many cities in the Volgograd region, you have undertaken to help create such a structure in Kalmykia. Where do you get so many frames? Are these old-timers?
– The most interesting thing is that our team is young! The first public inspectors, of course, were elderly people. And now a lot of young people are emerging. In the new grant we include the training of a youth group of inspectors from among students. Let them, so to speak, delve into it from a young age.
Consciousness needs to be built over decades. This process does not happen quickly, quickly - it’s only a revolution! And we already have enough revolutions.
By the way, returning to geography. We have submitted a new application for a grant, under which we will train inspectors and experts for Sevastopol, Elista and Kabardino-Balkaria.
– Is it true that in addition to strict regulations and rules for conducting inspections, your organization has a Code of Ethics?
- Absolutely right! And if our inspectors repeatedly violate it, then they lose their status. Ethics is an essential part of an inspector's work. By the way, in two years we have trained more than 2,000 people in the region.
Didn't have time to prepare a shift
– Oleg Semyonovich, in 2009 you left the post of vice-mayor of Volgograd. Many people regret that the housing and communal services sector has lost such a specialist. Would you like to return? Have there been any such proposals?
– I am 73 years old on August 9, and as an official I no longer fit into any framework!
– So, it’s only age that stops you?
“I have strength, but I still don’t need it anymore.” Do you know what I regret? I was not given the opportunity to prepare a shift. Unfortunately, we have lost the continuity of generations. This is our problem.
When the dashing 90s began, in which you could earn money by moving a piece of paper from one end of the table to the other, our youth decided that picking up a shovel, standing at a machine, or sitting behind the levers of an excavator was not for them.
We closed all sorts of technical schools, and now we are hastily opening them. We now see that not everything was bad in the Soviet Union. But today this consciousness of the 90s is still present. There is still no competition for admission to technical universities. Where are the children going? For economists, lawyers, managers...
– You are talking about the continuity of generations. Maybe when the new generation grows up, in 10-15 years, the situation will change?
– You are having communist attacks again (laughs)! At least two generations must change!
Patriots or idiots?
– Oleg Semyonovich, not so long ago your book “Country Communalia, or With a Smile About Serious Things” was published. Unfortunately, it is simply impossible to get a copy - the book is already worth its weight in gold. How did you get the idea to write a book?
– I prepared for its creation for a very long time. I retired, there was time. But on principle I did not want to write memoirs. In my opinion, memoirs are something ponderous and pretentious, and I don’t like that in any form. And memoirs are for the end of life.
I wanted something light and interesting, so I decided to create a collection of casual, humorous, and sometimes semi-tragic stories related to housing and communal services. As a result, my book was born.
I always said: “Either idiots or patriots work in housing and communal services.” True, I now add that they are rather idiots, because smart people don’t come, and they don’t take fools. So my book is precisely about such idiotic patriots, seasoned with humor and irony.
The Ballad of Chopiks and Water for Honecker
– Tell our readers a couple of your favorite stories!
– At the Heating Networks enterprise there was a boiler room “Dynamo”, which provided hot water and heat to the stadium of the same name, a hostel and the “House of Special Purpose Guests”. To stop this boiler room, permission from the regional party committee was needed. Summer of 1979, we were given permission and a period of ten days for repairs.
The boiler room was a room in the basement with an area of 25 square meters - it had three boilers and a pump. We dismantled the boiler, began to change sections, and then the nightmare began: “Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, the head of the GDR, Erich Honecker, is flying to Volgograd!”
They call me to the regional committee and say: “Kapustin, we don’t know what you will do, but there must be hot water in the residence tomorrow, otherwise you will not be here!” I gathered the men, outlined that we have 24 hours, and then heads will roll.
And the boiling began in this room! It was difficult to fit more than five people in the boiler room, but here twelve people were crammed into it: secretaries of the regional and city party committees, the deputy chairman of the regional executive committee, heads of departments, the head of the regional communal services and other important persons. Everyone is screaming and panicking.
I asked everyone to leave. With difficulty, but the top officials left and arrived in the evening, but my team did not sleep for a day. The boiler was repaired, lined, plastered, all that remained was to connect the pipes. There are about ten pipes, they were cut off for repairs. Let's connect... Either cold water comes from the hot tap, or steam comes out of the cold tap.
The top officials are standing there, everyone is hysterical. Honecker flies from Moscow! We all already believe that we have been expelled from the party, and I was the first. Meanwhile, tired foreman-installer Kuzmich sits at the table, his head resting on the oiled sleeves of his overalls, dozing.
Malchenko is furious: “Why is this guy sleeping here?”
Kuzmich raises his head: “Insert this pipe here, this one here.”
We have nowhere to go, this is what we do. After 20 minutes, the welding was completed and the hot water started flowing.
Then Malchenko is relieved and says: “Let him always sleep!”
– Oleg Semyonovich can’t help but ask about the legendary chopiki...
– On November 19, 1974, I came to work as chief engineer at Heat Networks. Before that, I worked in the installation department as the head of the planning and production department, so I had nothing to do with heating networks.
I began to get acquainted with the economy. First of all, I went to the dispatch service, where emergency workers and dispatchers sit. I walk in and see: a man in overalls is sitting, he has a suitcase next to him, and he is whittling blocks - like sharpening pencils.
“What is he doing here?” I was surprised. And the chief dispatcher said to me with such indignation: “Well, why? Chopiki is cooking! If the pipe whistles, they hammered it with a chopper and put a clamp on top.”
Then I personally saw pipes in which there were more choppers than iron. There is such a hot water supply pipe, studded with choppers, like a hedgehog. Even without clamps - apparently, there was no time for them.
The whole world is behind you
– Oleg Semyonovich, in your office there are dozens of photographs from different parts of the world. Do you like to travel?
– I can only say thank you to Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev for one thing – for giving me the opportunity to see the world. In Soviet times - before his appointment - I was restricted from traveling abroad (a secret carrier). And then I traveled a lot around the world - both on business trips and just as a tourist with my wife.
-Where have you been? Countries counted?
– The only places I haven’t been to Europe are Norway, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The rest of the Old World passed through. I was in the USA and Canada, in Asia - in India and China. He flew to Egypt, even lay in the large pyramid of Cheops in the place of the pharaoh (laughs). I love Istanbul! The stiffness of Europe, the beauty, noise, smells of Asia, especially Turkish coffee...
– Do you have a dream now, new ideas that you want to realize?
– I won’t do it myself, there’s not much time. But I dream that the residents of Volgograd will forget the phrases “beginning of the heating season”, “end of the heating season”.
When I was on a business trip in Denmark, I lived at the Heating Networks enterprise in their apartment. It’s the end of August, it’s already cool in Denmark, I woke up and it was cold in the apartment. In the morning I say to the director of the enterprise: “Nils, you should tell the municipality that it’s time to start the heating season!” He was very surprised: what does the municipality have to do with it?
“Is it cold? Well, go to the radiators, open the tap and you will have heat!” he told me.
That is, their networks operate all year round. They stop only in case of emergency repairs.
I wish it would be the same in Volgograd!
PS Our publication was published on August 9, when Oleg Semyonovich Kapustin celebrates his 73rd birthday.
The editors of Volganet sincerely congratulate the well-deserved and, perhaps, still the most important public utility worker in all of Volgograd on his birthday! We wish Oleg Semenovich health, strength, optimism, new ideas, creative plans and their implementation - and, of course, always warmth in his soul!
