In the cinema and with a song: how was the secular premiere of VIA Cornflowers with Kharatyan?

The secular premiere of the dramedy "VIA Cornflowers" took place at the Odeon Theater in Moscow. The plot centers on a fictional story about the revival of a popular Soviet-era, but now forgotten musical group. The roles in the series were played by Dmitry Kharatyan, Irina Rozanova, Nikolai Dobrynin, Anna Kotova, Igor and Grigory Verniki. The composer was Sergey Zhukov. His songs for a fictional band were played on the stage of the Odeon, while guests were treated to ice cream in waffle cups at the entrance. For more information about how the premiere went, see the Izvestia report.

Back to the USSR

There are several points on the map of Moscow where secular premieres of films and TV series usually take place: the cinemas October, Khudozhestvenny, less often Cinema Park Mosfilm and Moscow. VIA Cornflowers turned off the usual route and went to the stage of the Odeon Theater. Inside, colorful ice cream vendors greeted them with a tray of vanilla, chocolate and creme brulee, inviting them to treat themselves to Cornflowers. At that time, the musical mood in the auditorium was set by a cover band performing The hits of The Beatles, and the stars of the series shone on the carpet. According to the plot, "Cornflowers" grow out of the members of the construction team. Vladislav Vetrov, who played one of the roles, also performed with a propaganda team in his youth.

— The most fun thing! Everyone else is working, and you wait for the lunch break, and then you perform, or after that, at the disco, when the guys come home from work. Good impressions! It was all in the 80s. Volgodonsk, Kazakhstan, Chita — the geography is quite extensive. Walking in a construction crew jacket was considered an honorable, luxurious thing! Back then, the tapes were copied from each other, taken to collective farms and construction teams," Vladislav Vetrov shared his memories.

On the screen, the late 70s, with nostalgic warm memories of youth, the romance of construction crews and campfire songs, collides with the cynical present. Elena Petrovna Klyukina does not have long left, and she decides to bequeath her entire fortune — an investment company, $93 million in securities, and other movable and immovable property — to her two daughters and grandson. Her last wish is to see on December 31 on the federal TV channel the performance of the VIA Vasilki group, which suddenly disappeared more than forty years ago. The airtime has been paid for, and in order to receive all these untold riches, the heirs only need to find once-popular musicians and persuade them to get back together on the same stage. Yuri Vasilkov and Klyukina have been played by Dmitry Kharatyan and Irina Rozanova these days. In his youth, Anton Shavrin and Daria Petrichenko. The latter has already had to meet on the same site with her senior colleagues.

— I watched a lot of movies with Irina Rozanova, I tried to learn some reactions. What's most interesting is that she and I have already played granddaughter and grandmother once — in the TV series "Native People". That was ten years ago. And Dmitry Kharatyan and I worked when I was nine years old on the Goldfish in the City N project," said Daria Petrichenko.

The young actress took a responsible approach to the image for the carpet. I completely thought it out and put it together myself, inspired by Soviet fashion.

— I really like to dress up! I picked it up myself. This is not some kind of high-end suite. I ordered the earrings on the marketplace. It turned out to be very funny, because the guy who works at the pick-up point helped me collect the onion. My mom gave me the purse for my birthday. I don't remember which store the dress and shoes came from," said the performer of the role of young Lena.

Elena Petrovna's heirs were performed by Anna Kotova, Alevtina Toukan and Kai Getz. They were accompanied on the set by Nikolai Dobrynin, Vladislav Vetrov, Igor and Grigory Verniki.

— Many times, and it was always Grisha's initiative, we decided not to act together. He was saying: "I don't want to be associated with you." More than once or twice we refused joint projects when we were offered to play father and son, although I told Grisha: "Come on! It's interesting! It will be part of our biography." And for the first time, when Grigory agreed, it was here at the Cornflowers. I probably understand what he liked about this scenario. He's very lively, a delicious story about two generations. For the younger generation, there is this crazy drive here, young, daring, happy, which youth is filled with. For the older generation, there is an understanding that life is wonderful at any age," said Igor Vernik.

However, one actor got into the series without any casting, just by chance.

— We were supposed to shoot a scene with the director of the Melodiya record company, but there was a hitch, and the actor was not on the set. As a result, it was decided quickly, in just five minutes, that our production designer Leonid Kipnis would play him, and it took him another ten minutes to write the text. I like to control the process, but sometimes if something doesn't go as planned, it's even for the best. He fit in so perfectly that the audience wouldn't even think that he wasn't specially chosen for this role," the director of the project, Yuri Sharov, who also attended the premiere, told Izvestia.

Secular premiere of VIA Cornflowers

Dmitry Kharatyan was unable to attend the premiere, but addressed the first viewers of the project via video link.

"I am with you today with my soul, my heart, my thoughts and my songs," said the artist and continued with one of the hits of the ensemble: "I thought everything was lost, but the first love warms my soul again."

The composer of the project was the leader of "Hands Up!" Sergey Zhukov. He wrote 16 songs for the fictional VIA Cornflowers. He himself was also unable to attend the premiere. The daughter of musician Nick Zhukov took the floor.

— I came to thank everyone for being here with us. Unfortunately, Dad couldn't make it. He got sick and even canceled two cities to come to Moscow for treatment. But I'm telling you this because I know how important this project is to him and how much music, creativity, and love he has invested in it. We recently left, and every day we had an hour's drive to the city. Every time we listened to the tracks of "Cornflowers". That's why I'm a big fan now, I know them by heart. They forced us," Nika Zhukova joked from the stage.

Before the show, the audience played the main hits of VIA. The project was worked on by "Hands Up! Production" with the support of NMG Studios. The premiere will take place in the online cinema Wink on April 10, and after the series will be broadcast on CTC.