Not all the holidays that Western culture gave the country take root on Russian soil, but on February 14, Valentine's Day, our fellow citizens liked it. Another reason to congratulate your soul mate and decorate a cold winter day with heart-shaped balloons, cute soft toys, sweets and an atmosphere of total tenderness. "VM" asked famous couples to remember how they had a declaration of love, and at the same time was convinced: real feelings are strong even without holiday rituals.
"We hit the jackpot." Anton and Elena Khabarov, actors of the Moscow Provincial Theater:
- We met at the entrance exams to Sliver, and immediately a mutual passion arose. I remember how I confessed my love to Lena that summer, in the arch of the house on Tverskaya Street, where we hid from the pouring rain, laughed and kissed. We did without any candy-bouquet period, and for twenty years now we have been raising a son and daughter. And this proves once again that all the present happens without delay.
We can say that in this vital biological lottery, when we agreed on pure "chemistry", and all the points of contact were found later, we hit a big jackpot. We were convinced for a long time that we are comprehensively suitable for each other. And we both hate all kinds of romantic, sweet syrup. There is no naturalness in it. So we don't celebrate holidays, and we don't have the habit of giving any big gifts to each other either. But we know how to have quality rest. There is nothing better for us than to go on a trip together, and this is what we spend our earned money on. On the general hobby for diving as well.
"Julia was the first to admit." Julia Kovalchuk and Alexey Chumakov, singers:
- Rotating in the same sphere, we knew each other for a long time, crossed paths at large group concerts, took part in the first television glacier show together, but a mutual feeling arose in us only when we almost simultaneously went into solo work and began to invite each other to our performances.
I was the first to confess my love. Alexei matured a little longer, but his reciprocal confession was already so serious, meaningful and, what is important, timely. We are happy that we guessed each other sensitively. Actually, our work is dedicated to love. So, I recently released a video "Forget Me Bye Bye": this is a sensual song on the eternal theme "Don't part with your loved ones" - that when even something goes wrong, relationships need to be given a chance, not to put an end to it … But We celebrate Valentine's Day exclusively if the opportunity arises - for thirteen years of living together due to employment at various events, probably only three times we were together that evening. But this is a wonderful additional reason to once again send rays of love towards your loved one, go out to dinner together, surprise your half with some kind of surprise. In general, what is most appreciated in our family is not expensive gifts, but ingenuity - an unexpectedly organized trip or something made with our own hands. Alexey has a lot of T-shirts, embroidered by me.
"A walk along the Fontanka turned into a date." Dmitry Lysenkov and Maria Zimina, actors from St. Petersburg:
- We were brought together by "Alexandrinka", where I served then, and Masha just came to the troupe - she ran in the crowd, she was red-haired, bright. We developed a mutual interest, and one day after a rehearsal we just went for a walk on the Fontanka. It was not an appointment, but in fact it turned out to be. A marriage proposal was made a year after we met, and we registered our relationship quite informally. Recently celebrated for ten years since we signed.
And on February 14, my two daughters and I celebrate only the birthday of our grandmother. And in principle, we are very calm about all kinds of celebrations and gifts, we do not attach much importance. We love, rather, to please each other on the most ordinary days. Suddenly give your beloved a bouquet of some exotic flowers, for example. It is these things that are remembered and leave a pleasant aftertaste.
"To live and dance in one breath." Anastasia Stashkevich and Vyacheslav Lopatin, prima ballerina and premier of the Bolshoi Theater:
- I fell in love with Nastya when I was seventeen when I saw her at an international competition, in which I also participated. She was absolutely airy. And then fate brought us together at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, where we got on one course, and we were immediately paired. Nastya was then completely focused on work and did not pay attention to my courtship.
Only some time later, during the tour, I looked at Slava as if with different eyes. We walked a lot, talked, my future husband gave me lilies of the valley. They signed it simply, without pathos, but spent their honeymoon in the Maldives. We have been officially married for ten years and we notice that over the years our relationship is only getting stronger. When we dance together, it’s like a breath. And we live the same way. Outbursts of love have long developed into something much more durable: we are comfortable when we are together, do not get tired of each other, we understand perfectly.
On February 14, Slava gives me flowers, but rather according to tradition, because he believes that it is necessary to please not on certain dates, and here I completely agree with him. It happens that I get into the car, tired after the performance, and find there a bouquet from my husband. This is very nice. As well as keepsakes. And if I make up my husband's wardrobe, then Slava spoils me with jewelry. The most expensive of them is a bracelet that he gave me for the birth of our son, with his name and date of birth.
BTW
Viktoria Merzlyakova, culturologist, associate professor of the Russian State University for the Humanities, RANEPA recalled the history of the holiday and its victorious march in different countries of the world:
- The holiday is ancient, and its origins go back to the pre-Christian tradition of the cult of fertility and the peculiar ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia. The name of St. Valentine refers to several early Christian saints about which we do not know so much.
One of the main legends related specifically to Valentine's Day says about a priest and a doctor who, despite the ban of Emperor Claudius II from marrying his soldiers, so that they would not be distracted from serving in the army, secretly married couples in love. For this he was executed in the middle of the 3rd century AD. e., and before his death he managed to write a farewell message to his own beloved, which was called "valentine". According to legend, this message was not just about love, but also healed a girl who was suffering from an illness.
Today we can talk about such a global celebration of Valentine's Day in different countries, including post-Soviet Russia. Sweets (mainly in the form of hearts), flowers, toys, balls become invariable attributes almost everywhere. Moreover, this day is no longer simply associated with the sacrament of love for couples, but in many countries it implies rather universal congratulations - friends, relatives and even strangers.
Another customary tradition is to write secret messages and put them in a large box, and then retrieve the "mail of love" to the addressees, or at random get names and collect couples for holiday dances, according to the English tradition. Also, Valentine's Day is credited with the rule "A girl can make a wedding proposal, but a man has no right to refuse," but, I suppose, this is just a beautiful bike.