I very rarely go to the cinema. The last time was to see Christopher Nolan’s film
Inception, which I strongly recommend. I liked the film’s serious storyline. Unlike many films, where you can guess the ending, there are lots of surprises here and after watching it you’re left with the feeling that something remains unsaid. It’s a film that makes you think. Perhaps there might be a sequel? And if there is, will it be called Conclusion?

By the way, I have to say that it’s not only in cinemas that I discover new and interesting things. There are lots of old Soviet films that I still haven’t watched, so I’m trying to catch up. I recently watched Andron Konchalovskiy’s Romance about People in Love. It was the first youth musical and it’s really good, happy and moving. It’s a story that will always be contemporary, always timeless…

I like Ostrovsky’s plays. They’re so contemporary, it seems you only need to change the name of the town, dress the characters in modern clothes and replace the old-fashioned turns of phase and you’d never guess that it’s all set in the century before last. This eternal modernity of Ostrovsky’s plays is especially true of “Talents and Admirers”, which I saw recently at the Satire Theatre.

Both during and after the play my friends and I discussed how time moves on, the centuries come and go, yet so much remains unchanged: relations between people, differences of opinion, the division of society not only into rich and poor, but also into groups of people with different values…It’s all so true of today’s Russia as well. And it probably always will be true, and that’s the secret of Ostrovsky’s plays.

But it’s not just the content, but the form of these plays that’s such a success. His astonishingly beautiful use of Russian and the vivid characters – even in the smallest role the actor always has something to play! What a pleasure it was to see on stage the divine and charming Vera Vasilyeva - a heroine who is both practical and frivolous.

Or Mikhail Derzhavin (Narokov), who throws himself into the theatrical action with such abandon. The acting was all superb. A huge thank-you to everyone involved in the play. Going to the theatre is such a delight! It’s just a pity that it’s getting harder and harder to find time for it. If you haven’t seen the play, I recommend it. You won‘t regret going!

I recently got great pleasure from re-reading two classics - “Woe from Wit” and “Yevgeniy Onegin”. It just amazes me every time how modern these works sound, even though they were written nearly two centuries ago!

“Woe from Wit” is a kind of revelation – a literary phenomenon, you might say. Griboyedov wrote it to highlight the problems facing Russian society at that time – and incidentally, these are still relevant today. And he found the ideal form in which to do it - a comedy in verse. It’s so refined and light. But this lightness of style conceals some very subtle observations and comments. And what magnificent use of the Russian language! Almost every line has become a popular saying.

I enjoyed reading “Yevgeniy Onegin” just as much. The novel doesn’t change, but every time you re-read it, it produces different feelings and thoughts. It’s a work in which people of different ages can find something of their own, something close to their heart. And over the years your perceptions change: in the past, for example, I simply paid no attention to some of the small points, but now I realize that these are not small points at all… So anyway, take my advice: read the classics!

There’s one very good way of coping with stress – when you are just bursting with emotion and you can’t judge situations properly and risk doing something silly or wrong. Over time, I’ve come to realize that the best way to sort yourself out is physical exercise! On a treadmill, for example: you run for one, two or three kilometers (500 meters might be enough for some) and listen to your inner self. If you’re still not at peace, keep running. And while you’re doing it you’ll also burn some of those extra calories!

Whenever I got nervous and started worrying before a performance, the best way of calming myself down was to work – I would rehearse time and time again. And I noticed that physical exertion calms you down and takes your mind off things. It’s basically quite an easy method of getting hold of yourself: you can wash the floor at home or sort out things in a cupboard. It’s terrific therapy.

When I have a cold I find rosehip syrup very effective. And there’s another tasty mixture that’s also good: dried apricots, raisins, nuts and lemon. You put them all through the grinder, add some honey and take it with tea. It’s full of calories, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with that: when you’re ill, it’s alright. What you need is more vitamins and less antibiotics. Actually when you’re ill, what your body needs is peace and quiet. Of course, the pace of modern life means we can’t always just stop and rest and give the body a break. When I was in competitive sport, for example, it didn’t matter how I felt or whether I was ill or not – I still had to train. And at the world championship I fell ill right in the middle of the competition and was walking about with a temperature. But at that time I had no choice, and just had to carry on. It’s a good thing I didn’t go down with any complications, but it’s risky. Sometimes it’s a huge risk. I knew one footballer who played a match despite having a bad cold because there was no substitute. I think that was his last match, because he had serious health problems afterwards.

So look after yourselves, guys – stay healthy!