I serve beautifully: actor Gleb Kalyuzhny left the military unit for the red carpet

The story of Yuri Tyukalov, the first Soviet Olympic rowing champion, has come to life on the big screen. The secular premiere of the drama "The First on Olympus" took place in the capital, at the October cinema. The famous athlete Gleb Kalyuzhny played, who is currently serving in the army, but on this occasion received a leave of absence and personally presented the work to the audience, including Izvestia correspondents.

"I am glad that not only my family, but also my colleagues will watch the film."

The red carpets in Moscow were simply not surprised by the first joint appearances of new star couples, bold outfits, even the appearance of animals and robots on them. But it seems that no conscript artist has ever become the main star of the track. Actor Gleb Kalyuzhny, who joined the army in May 2025, took a day off from a military unit for the premiere of the sports drama "The First on Olympus", where he played the main role. He did not change into civilian clothes. Before the secular premiere on October 1, he, dressed in a uniform, took part in a press conference dedicated to the event.

— I would like to thank the leadership and the command of the unit for letting me go on leave for the premiere of the film. In general, in principle, military service in the army is a very inspiring and important period for me. I am glad that today the film will be watched not only by my family and friends, but also by colleagues with whom we have become friends and with whom we have a wonderful relationship," Gleb Kalyuzhny told reporters.

This is the second major film event in the actor's biography after he went to repay his debt to his Homeland. In early September, another film with his participation, the detective action film Red Silk, was released on wide screens in China after its success at the Russian box office.

"I've been told all about it!" I'm in touch with my mother, with my director. They said that the film was well received and warmly received there. I am very happy about it! — the actor shared with Izvestia.

Support service: how actor Gleb Kalyuzhny was sent off to the army

A black "Gelik", mother's tears and a song from the TV series "Soldiers" — this has never been seen at the assembly point.

"Films should be made about such people"

Our viewers have yet to see The First One on Olympus. The plot is dedicated to one of the greatest biographies in the history of Soviet sports — the first Olympic champion of the USSR in rowing, Yuri Tyukalov. The future athlete was born in 1930 in Leningrad. I found the war as a teenager. Together with other boys, he was on duty on the roofs of houses in the besieged city and extinguished incendiary bombs.

He began his career in sports in June 1945, when he joined the Krasnoe Znamya rowing Club. First, there were the victories in the USSR championships. And then — gold at the Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952. It became a sensation — he was not among the favorites.

"You can understand what his future rival, Australian Mervyn Wood, ate for breakfast in the 1940s, and what Yuri Tyukalov ate for breakfast at that moment, putting out incendiary bombs and starving along with the residents of the indomitable city,— sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev said during a press conference.

Tyukalov won another Olympic gold medal in 1956 in a pair with Alexander Berkutov. Actors playing rowers, including Gleb Kalyuzhny and Artyom Bystrov (he played the role of Mikhail Savrimovich Tyukalov's coach), began rowing training under the guidance of Yuri Zelikovich, the silver medalist of the World Championships, the head coach of the Russian national rowing team.

— It is necessary to make films about such people, so I did it with pleasure, with the utmost, — said Artyom Bystrov.

The pleasure also turned out to be a challenge for the film crew. The camera crew had to build a special raft to film on the water. The main locations were the Rif Fort as part of the Kronstadt forts, as well as the waterways and spaces of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area. The director was Nikita Mikhalkov's son, Artyom Mikhalkov, who already has a sports movie in his filmography.

In 2022, he released the drama "Mr. Knockout" about the Soviet boxer Valery Kuchenko. He says the script made him shoot the story about Yuri Tyukalov.

— I didn't think that I would continue to make films about sports, but there was a wonderful script that inspired me. It was very important to me because it's a new step in cinema. And it was a definite challenge, because no one knew how to make a movie about rowing, how difficult it was," said Artem Mikhalkov.

In the evening of the same day, the group gathered again in the walls of October for a secular premiere. The conscript actor came out in uniform again on the red carpet to the photographers. He was accompanied by the director of the film, as well as actors Irina Pautova, Elena Lyadova, Anton Filipenko. Among the guests were Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, director Janik Fayziev, President of the Russian Academy of Arts Vasily Tsereteli, Tatiana and Nadezhda Mikhalkov. His mother came to support Gleb at the premiere. Yuri Tyukalov's widow was also in the audience. "The First on Olympus" will be released on October 9th.