Famous Russian actor, director and screenwriter Alexander Adabashyan told in an interview with “Metrostroevets” how he participated in the filming of the film on the territory of the capital’s subway and what he would add to its modern design.
Alexander Artemovich, how was filming in the Moscow metro with your participation?
– I filmed in the metro near Danelia (film director Georgy Danelia – editor’s note), in the film “Nastya”. We worked at night, and one day – and this was in the “holy nineties” – a local mafia attacked us. She demanded money for permission to film on what they declared was their territory. But Georgy Nikolaevich’s father was once the boss at Metrostroy. They turned on the administrative resource and, out of respect for his father, Danelia helped disperse this punk.
The capital's subway is depicted in many domestic films. Do you have any ideas for a new film with scenes in the Moscow metro?
– I know a lot about the Moscow metro during the war, it’s a pity that these days of its history are not widely known. There was even an idea for a script for a children's film, where part of the action took place in the subway of that particular period. It's a shame it hasn't worked out yet.
In the Moscow metro there are many mosaics, panels, statues, and bas-reliefs. What works of art are missing from the modern subway?
– There are wonderful paintings and graphics by Alexander Samokhvalov, Alexander Deineka, where the heroes are metro builders, young, strong and cheerful. It would be nice to decorate several carriages with reproductions of these works.
Have you ever used the metro abroad?
– Among the foreign ones, I like the Paris metro the most. Although a little dirty and the decor monotonous, it is comfortable. The stations are shallow, there are no escalators at all, and the distances between stops are small. Often from one station you can see the next through the tunnel, so you can get to any point in the city center without having to then drive or walk to the desired house.