Yulia Shilova: “Nobody needs a guest marriage. Milestones of a glorious biography

Heroes of literary novels famous writer Yulia Shilova often becomes the people she meets in real life. And it was precisely the vicissitudes of our reality that at one time served as a catalyst for Yulia to become a writer. A huge incentive for the author is her communication with her readers. And psychological education helps her give them good advice in difficult life issues. And Julia’s entire own life could easily form the basis of her novel...

— Julia, what inspired you to write?
— I became a writer, one might say, by accident. Before that, I had never written a single poem, not a single line in my life, and had never even thought about doing literary work. And this came, probably, like love comes to a person, and suddenly such a gift awoke in me. As a rule, this happens when you are in a borderline state and it seems that you have already lost everything and have nothing left to lose. It is in moments of such depression and monstrous troubles that something suddenly awakens, and a person finds himself anew.
- What happened in your life?
— When the country defaulted in 1998, I was the director of a large pharmaceutical company and was quite successfully involved in business. And then suddenly the business went bankrupt. I had to dismiss the employees at my own expense and declare the company bankrupt. My companion, with whom we did business together, shot himself out of despair. Then it was scary times, people reacted very badly to what happened in the country, there were many suicides. So my life itself is like a crime melodrama. At that moment when I lost my business, I was very scared. After all, I have already reached the level of life that I have been striving for for a long time. And suddenly, like this, I was left with nothing!.. In connection with all these events, I fell into a monstrous depression. No, of course, I knew how to properly communicate with competitors who put a spoke in your wheels, and how to behave with business partners when they set you up. But when the state did this to you!.. I could no longer imagine how it was possible to do business in such a country.

My life itself is like a crime melodrama

— Did you already have a family?
— Yes, at that time I was married, I had two children. Youngest daughter it was eight months. But, due to the fact that I had a lot of work, my personal life was not working out, and I decided to separate from my husband. Because when my business collapsed, instead of supporting me, he began to gloat: finally, they say, you will become a simple woman who will sit at home. All I could do at that time was to collect his things and send him to freedom. So the crisis occurred not only in the country, but also in my family. Having lost everything in the world, I was left alone with small children.
That's when I decided to write my first book. Because I had accumulated so many feelings, emotions and experiences that I wanted to get rid of them. When I started writing, I felt that I was treating myself with my own book. That is, it was a kind of therapy. Because in real life I had small children, loneliness, complete loss of everything. And in book history - luxurious life, in which I hid from harsh reality. It became much more interesting for me there. And in real life I didn’t even want to go back. This is how my first novel was written. At the same time, it was very difficult for me to raise children alone. They often got sick, I called an ambulance and didn’t sleep at night. So at that time I didn’t even think about publishing - I just wrote for myself, because I needed to get out of this depressive state. When the novel was written, I thought: why don’t I try to publish it? That's how it all started.

I decided to write my first book because I had accumulated so many feelings, emotions and experiences that I wanted to get rid of them

— So, literary creativity helped you not to break down?
- Yes, I healed myself with my own book. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t started writing. It would be terribly difficult for me.
— It turns out that fate itself pushed you to connect your life with writing?
- Maybe. Now I often see in publishing houses people who have been dreaming of publishing their books for 20-30 years, specially keeping watch over the people they need, asking: they say, please help... Watching all this, I think: Lord, how lucky I am in this life, and everything turned out so that at the very difficult period in my life this gift came down to me from above! So I'm grateful for that default. Because if it hadn’t happened, I probably would never have become a writer.
- What do you live on then, excuse the indiscreet question?
“I have never hidden the fact that in addition to writing, I do business.
— Are books for the soul?
- Both for the soul, and simply this is a part of my life that I can no longer part with. Now I can no longer imagine how one can live and not write. Because carrying all these emotions inside yourself is very, very difficult. In general, I will no longer be able to quit writing. I have already entered the top, and this is incredibly interesting to me. Therefore, for me, writing books is no longer a question of money. Of course, I get something for them, but, I repeat, this is not the money that can maintain my social level.
- You write only from female face?
- Yes, it was like that all this time. And recently I was asked to write a book from a man. I think: how can this be? I'm a woman to the tips of my nails. How can I write from a male perspective? But I am well versed in male psychology, so I still decided on this unusual experiment for myself. As a result, I wrote this novel, and it sold out with a bang. This was a man who simply treated women like beasts. In general, I made him an absolute anti-hero. And I was so amazed when girls started writing to me and saying that he wasn’t that bad at all. He didn't promise anything to anyone. The girls themselves allowed themselves to be used this way and treated themselves this way. The negative hero did not cause any negativity. Men, by the way, also agreed with the opinion that this is how life works: why, they say, do all the girls think that someone owes them something? Subsequently, I released the second part of this story, which was also successful. So the experiment was a success. And it’s not a fact that I’ll stop there. Perhaps someday I’ll write something else from a man’s point of view.

I healed myself with my own book

— Does your education help you in your writing?
— My legal education helps me in concluding contracts with the publisher, when I need to fill out various papers and check that everything is in order regarding copyright. But directly in creativity, to be honest, absolutely not. But I also have another education. I graduated from the Faculty of Psychology. True, the theory of psychology and practice are completely different things. I have extensive experience communicating with readers who often ask for my advice. And I do it. But for me this is not so much advice as my subjective view from the outside. As for creativity, I wouldn’t say that psychological education helps me here in any way. Education probably helps more in life. And observation helps in creativity. I spy on people, analyze their actions. When I see a person, I immediately think: will his type be useful for my novel?
— In this regard, can we say that you are a dreamer?
- Yes, I am undoubtedly a great dreamer. This is my job. Now, even years later, I remember that once upon a time, many, many years ago, when I, a provincial girl, came to enter the Shchepkinsky Theater Institute, I passed the first two rounds, and on the third they cut me off. We were doing sketches, and I was asked to depict a key. I lay down on the floor, put my hands on my hips and said: “I am the key!” They answered me: “No, girl, you have a very poor imagination.” Now, I understand that you cannot write books with meager imagination. But then my imagination was not appreciated.
— In your stories, do you use situations related to the side side of business, when a partner cheats, the bank doesn’t pay?..
— Yes, I always reflect everything I observe in my books. I even featured some publishers (under pseudonyms, of course) several times in my novels. In order to avoid problems later, I always write that all events and characters are fictitious, although... Legally there is no way to get into this. Therefore, I can easily give a ride to all the publishers who are not always clean in business and human terms. When I can’t reach my friend who goes to a Turkish animator and spends all her money on him, I can write about it in my book so that she can look at herself from the outside and understand that this is absurd. I am not a judge, but just an author who describes events and characters as he sees them.

For me, writing books is no longer a matter of money.

— Today there are many people who know how to sell themselves, but do not know how to write. Aren't such would-be writers getting in the way?
“There’s definitely no one in the way under my feet.” The word competition is completely unfamiliar to me. Those who have competitors simply cannot evaluate themselves, they have no self-confidence. No matter how many authors there are, I wish everyone strength, health and large circulations. I have my own readership, my own niche, which I have conquered for 15 years, which I know how to and want to maintain. I want to surprise, I am proud that I am so in demand. For God's sake, let new stars appear, those who have something to say and who succeed, because everyone in this life has the right to achieve something.
— How do you feel about writers’ ratings in general?
— I used to worry: what place, what circulation? It’s normal when you are developing, when you are at the stage of your formation. At first I had third place in the writing rating, only then I won second and, of course, I wanted to be first. Now there is a monopolization of the book market. Today it is concentrated in one hand. It is clear that this did not make anyone feel good. Since then, all the ratings have ceased to interest me, I have calmed down, I no longer need this whole race. Now I just want to live for my own pleasure, enjoy life, write for people and no longer chase these circulations. If before there was healthy competition, and I understood the purpose and meaning of achieving something. Today, when the market is ruled by one person, it is simply stupid to prove anything. IN this moment I changed my mind and took this whole action normally. I write in the same mode, but I’m not chasing ratings.
—Who is your favorite writer?
— I read a lot. I'm an omnivore in this sense. If an ordinary girl goes on vacation with a suitcase of things, then I go with a suitcase of books. I just read very quickly. When I go to a bookstore, I buy all the new items and quickly “devour” them. Of course, I also enjoy re-reading our classics. The only thing that can stop me from choosing a book is the presence of obscenities in it. IN Lately Unfortunately, obscene language is found in books. And if I come across such a book, I can just throw it in the bin.

I spy on people, analyze their actions

— How do you feel about the fact that sometimes frankly weak works are published that are simply impossible to read?
“I think that such a situation cannot even irritate anyone, except perhaps the person who gave money for the publication of this mediocre book.” I don't think such a writer will have an audience. Yes, now a lot of people publish for their own money. As a rule, they then give away their books because they have a huge problem with sales. And even if such books go on sale, their author will not gather readers around him. There are many examples of when such a would-be author publishes two or three books, and that’s it. creative activity ends. The person simply stops writing. How much will he pay himself to please himself, just to amuse his vanity?.. Because if the author, as they say, hits the mark with his book, gathers an audience and knows how to hold it, that’s one thing. But there are also fly-by-night writers who, in fact, are of no use to anyone but themselves. This is writing without prospects and without further advancement in the book business.
— What are you working on now?
— Now I’m already approaching writing my hundredth book. I’m already writing my 99th novel, and it will be in the mystical detective genre. In general, I like to experiment. And I already had the experience of writing a work with a slight touch of mysticism. And now there is interest in this topic in society. Everyone's life is hard, and everyone wants to believe in miracles and magic. I wanted to write a more serious mystical detective story. And I was so carried away by it, I became so interested in what I was doing that I didn’t want to part with this novel at all. And, if I understand that readers will accept this book of mine with a bang, then, quite possibly, I will return to this topic again.

To be accepted into this organization, two recommendations from writers are required. They told me each recommendation costs $200

— Are you a member of the Writers' Union?
- No, and I’m not eager to. Now for me there is no need for this at all, because it will not give me anything. I am not the kind of person who needs to stroke my pride and prove something to someone. Because I proved everything to myself a long time ago. At the beginning of my career, of course, I wanted to join the Writers' Union. I went there and was told that in order to be accepted into this organization, two recommendations from writers were needed. And they gave me the coordinates of people who should recommend me. When I contacted them, they told me that each recommendation costs $200. This was enough for me to no longer strive to join this Union. I thought: how is this not entirely beautiful? If people read my book wholeheartedly and gave me a recommendation, that would be understandable. And they, it turns out, didn’t even intend to read it. You just had to pay $200. But, most importantly, they reassured me, saying that later they would definitely teach me how to write correctly. It was a disappointment for me that I remember. And then I thought in the words of the classic: “We don’t need such a Union!”
— The chairman of the Moscow section of the Writers' Union, Vladimir Gusev, once told me an anecdote: “The secretary of the Union is building writers and says: “Pay off the first or second!” And he hears: “First, first, first...”. Is it good that each writer considers himself the first?
“I think there’s nothing wrong with that.” Creative people are special. So if they want to be first, let them be. After all, they live in their own inner world. No matter how much everyone says, just think, what nonsense it is to write a book! It just seems like a simple matter. And you sit down and write... Writing is a forced seclusion when a person, no matter what, sits within four walls and writes. So let it be creative people create and will be the first. And they need to forgive everything in this life.

Interviewed Vitaly KARYUKOV

I was born to write detective stories. And she doesn’t need, like some colleagues, to buy ideas for books. U Shilova such a biography that would be enough for a thousand novels...

- My life from the very beginning was full of adventures. When I was very little, my father left my mother, taking every penny from our house; only switches and sockets remained on the bare walls. It was not easy, but my mother and I overcame it. At the age of 16 I almost got married. I lived then in the city of Artyom, Primorsky Territory, but I already clearly understood that I didn’t want to stay there forever. I knew that I deserved more.

The wedding was already underway, alcohol had been purchased for the table, the dress was ready. But at the last moment I came to my senses: if I get married, I will be forever chained to the house - and the end of my dreams of the capital. In general, she ran away right from under the aisle and left. I did everything I could to get by in this initially foreign and uncomfortable city for me: I donated my blood, sold jeans at the market. Suddenly a fabulous opportunity arose - with the dance ensemble in which I had once studied as a child, I went on tour to Japan, where I met my first husband.

We lived in perfect harmony and did business together. My first daughter was born - Lolita. And when she was three years old, her husband was killed. I fell into depression and pulled out, probably, only because I had a little daughter in my arms and I had to move on with my life.

She married a second time, gave birth to a second daughter - Zlata. But we separated from her father, and very ugly. At that moment I was engaged in the pharmaceutical business, working day and night at work, and my husband demanded that I sit at home and cook borscht. And when during the default of 1998 everything collapsed and I lost both my business and my money, I began to openly gloat: they say, I told you that you were doing an unwomanly thing - but nothing happened. I asked him to leave, but he could not forgive me and a few months later, wanting revenge, he hired a man who beat me half to death and disfigured my entire face. Do you see the earlobes are torn? He tore out the earrings with the meat. I lay in the hospital for a long time, mourning myself, and generally not understanding how to go outside now. But over time, of course, everything healed - both the face and the soul.

There is a suspicion that after such horrors you are no longer in a hurry to get married...

- Everything is fine with my personal life, I have a loved one. But I’m not getting married yet, yes. My world now is my daughters and mother. And this world is higher and more valuable than anyone, even the most beautiful man. If a man wants to join our family, you are welcome, but remember that you should not enter someone else’s monastery with your own charter.

That is, imagine a situation where a man tells you: “You shouldn’t work!” or “You shouldn’t wear a miniskirt,” impossible?

- If a man on the first date tells me that I owe something like that, we won’t have a second meeting. I once had a person who tried to explain that I don’t need to work, saying that I will provide you with everything, you just need to rest. To which I answered him: “Sorry, today you will give me anything you want, and tomorrow you will disappear from my life - and what will I do then?”

I look with surprise at women who don’t care as long as they have “pants” in the house. They say, I don’t need anything from him, just let him lie there on the sofa like a decoration, and I will pray for him and do everything on demand. The “pants” start up in the house, and then for some reason they run away to neighbor Katya, and a whole tragedy results: “I dedicated my life to him, and he ran away to Katka.”

By the way, there is a pattern: the more you cling to a man, the less likely it is that he will stay with you. Conversely, independent and independent women attract attention.

And they fall in love with you and invite you to marry, even when you don’t even dream about it. I remember I had a very strange affair at the resort. From the first day we met, the man for some reason decided that my family (I was with the children) was automatically his family. He immediately got involved in my life, tried to raise my children, and when I, realizing that things were bad, tried to get rid of him and meet someone else, he began to arrange scenes of jealousy for me. The vacation was over, and I hoped that our romance would also end, but that man did not give me peace - he decided to get married at all costs. He wanted to live happily ever after with me and die on the same day. But he forgot to ask me about my plans, and meanwhile I didn’t promise him anything and didn’t understand at all on what basis he was making matrimonial plans.

The gentleman was so annoying that I no longer knew how to get away from him. And I decided to cover it in my book. She described the situation as it is, without embellishment. As soon as the circulation hit the stores, a call came: “Do I really look that idiotic from the outside?” “Who,” I say, “told you that this was written about you? Your name is Leonard, and my hero’s name is Leopold.” And he: “Do you think I’m a complete fool, or what? You described me in colors!” In general, he apologized and did not appear on my horizon again.

Do you often weave autobiographical episodes into your novels?

- Well, it would be strange to say that all my heroines are based on me. If I myself had actually committed all the murders that I write about in my books, I would have been in prison for life long ago. (Laughs.) But any heroine definitely has my traits. Although, of course, basically all the characters and situations are the fruit of my imagination. And by the way, I almost never use other people’s stories. Friends come up to me almost every day and strangers and they say: “Such a story happened to me, right now in your book!” I answer: “Thank you, but I have enough of my own.” And indeed, while I am not complaining about the paucity of imagination - today I have already published a hundred books.

100 novels is a colossal work...

- When I first started writing, I was afraid to sign a contract even for 10 books: what if I ran out and couldn’t write another line?! I remember that one venerable author reassured me then: “Have you already written several books?” Two? Three? This means you won’t be able to stop, you’ll write both 10 and 20.” And he was right. The muse did not leave me, did not fly away anywhere. But I also can’t say that writing is like a pleasant walk in the park. It's a hell of a job.

In addition to books, you write many letters to your readers...

- Yes, I have extensive correspondence, which takes up not so much energy and time as nerves. Recently I received a letter: “My child is one year old, and his dad left me! What should I do? Maybe kill yourself? And then my beloved will come to his senses?” There are thousands of letters like this, and I try to answer them all.

To save such unfortunate women, to help them cope with despair, to protect them from the irreparable - this is my mission, my duty. I write letters to them, and call them, and communicate on the Internet. And in books I describe standard, recognizable situations.

Let's say a woman is happily married, she has children and everything is fine. And one day, going to a resort in Egypt, she meets a sultry macho masseur there. Then, of course, a passionate romance under the southern sky, he promises to marry, she rushes headlong back to her Rostov to divorce her husband and rushes back to Hurghada in a wedding dress. And there in massage room a whole line of women, all as one, in the same wedding dresses. Macho, of course, is gone. Then I receive a letter from a reader with the words: “Thank you, I read the book, recognized myself in this fool and came to my senses in time. “I already took out a loan for a trip to Egypt, and almost divorced my husband.” So sometimes I also save families.

You are used to being responsible for yourself, for your life. Does it happen that you make decisions for your daughters?

- Quite rare. They are completely self-sufficient girls. Lolita 21 years old, she studies at the ancient university of Bilbao, at the Faculty of Law. A Zlata he studies in Moscow at college, studies tourism, is interested in photography and does not want to go to his sister in Spain yet.

So we live in two cities - one in Moscow and one in Barcelona. The capital of Catalonia is incredibly beautiful, it is so bright, so mystical. And when I arrived there for the first time, I suddenly clearly realized that I wanted to have an apartment in this city, and certainly in an old house with stucco, and to have an entrance with a doorman who would open the doors when he saw you. As a result, we live overlooking the famous Sagrada Familia. We gather in the evening on our huge terrace, light candles and have dinner while admiring the cathedral.

There is another place that our whole family is in love with - Herzegovina. There, 30 kilometers from Dubrovnik, we have a house. I once pictured it in my imagination - with green shutters, next to the sea, and then, when I saw it in reality, I bought it without hesitation. I am sure that all the objects that are in these walls have a soul, and when I arrive, I apologize to the house for my long absence.

Maybe there is not a soul there, but a natural brownie?

- No, believe me, I know what a brownie is! I once bought a house - cozy, wonderful, but after a while I hurried to get rid of it. In the attic on the third floor, terrible sounds were heard at night - as if some healthy man was snoring in his sleep.

Sometimes something started knocking. And when I went up there to look, some planks and chips were flying at me from the pitch darkness - as if someone was throwing themselves. And I, an absolutely sober-minded person who never believed in any otherworldly force, began to be afraid to enter the house. It's scary! Yes, and everything could burn out like that, the wiring would short-circuit - and hello. So we quickly sold it and forgot it like a bad dream.

Are there no brownies in your city apartment?

- Thank God, it’s not observed. In a luxurious penthouse on the 29th floor, there lived before me an extravagant bachelor who built an apartment in an absolutely masculine style - an iron gray staircase, like in a factory, transparent floors. But the main thing that struck me in this apartment was the door that leads to... a real helipad. At least that’s what they say in the housing office, and that’s why I had a problem for many years - I wasn’t allowed to go out there. A strategic object after all. But now we managed to reach an agreement, and I can walk freely on the roof. True, you can’t put a chair to drink tea or a chaise longue to sunbathe. What if a helicopter does arrive?

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Alexander Maksovich Shilov is a realist artist, author of portraits in the traditional romantic style. People's Artist of the USSR.
Born in 1943 in Moscow. Graduated from Moscow State Academy of Arts named after V.I. Surikov. He participated in exhibitions of young artists, and in 1976 became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
In 1997, the State Art Gallery of People's Artist of the USSR Alexander Shilov was opened in Moscow.
Since 1997 - corresponding member (since 2001 - full member) Russian Academy arts
Since 1999 - member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art.

“It was with great pleasure and admiration that I got acquainted with the works in this wonderful gallery. Unsurpassed portraits, of course, are part of the history of Russia and its people,” “I am glad and happy that we have such a wonderful museum of a talented, recognized, beloved master. It’s a real pleasure to view the exhibition; it leaves an indelible impression on the artist’s skill—high, spiritual, philosophical!” - such enthusiastic words are left in the guest book by visitors to the Alexander Shilov gallery.

We have long been accustomed to the fact that in the center of Moscow - opposite the Kremlin - there is the State Art Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR, portrait painter Alexander Shilov. This year she turned 15 years old. Is it a lot or a little? It is up to visitors, admirers of the painter’s talent, and those who first step into the high exhibition halls to judge. Many have already forgotten how this museum was created, with a constantly updated exhibition. Unfortunately, there are more and more people with short memories and no respect for their past. These are the realities of our life. But at the same time, interest in realistic art and the genre of portraiture remains. We met with the founder of the gallery and the brightest representative this genre by Alexander Maksovich Shilov and asked him several questions.

Correspondent. Alexander Maksovich, tell us how it all began?

Alexander Shilov. In 1996 I contacted State Duma with an offer to donate your works to the country, people, and state free of charge. I had a moral right to do this. After every exhibition in the 80-90s - and they were held in Manege, and on Kuznetsky Most, and on Tverskaya - people in their reviews and in appeals to the heads of various departments asked to make my exhibition permanent. After listening to my proposal, the Chairman of the State Duma, and then he was Gennady Seleznev, raised this issue at a plenary meeting. What I am proud of is that all factions, although I never belonged to any of them, voted unanimously to create a state gallery, deciding to give it my name. After this, they turned to the Kremlin with a request to allocate premises in the city center. Not for me personally, as the unscrupulous media write, which is the most despicable lie, but for the gallery. At first they offered three halls in the Kremlin Palace, which had just been restored at that time, but this room was sensitive (not open every day), and my work would not fit there. Therefore, this option was eliminated. Then the Moscow government allocated a mansion designed by the architect Tyurin, built in 1830, at the address: Znamenka Street, building 5. A small cosmetic renovation was carried out here, and the gallery opened on May 31, 1997. On that solemn day, I said that I would give away works that were not made to order by me - and this is almost 95 percent of what I write. This has been happening for 15 years now. The best in my work - 15-20 paintings and graphics - I give to Moscow every year on City Day.

Corr. How many works are in the collection today?

A.Sh. The collection consists of 935 works of painting and graphics.

Corr. You have interesting portraits using pastel technique.

A.Sh. Yes, this is a very complex technique. I rub my fingers so that they bleed because I work with fine sandpaper so that the pastel doesn’t fall off...

Corr. Your gallery has gained fame as one of the most famous concert venues in Moscow.

A.Sh. Again, by decision of the Moscow Government, we are holding concerts of classical art stars “Visiting the Shilov Gallery”. Over the years, world-class masters have performed with us - Obraztsova, Matorin, Sotkilava, Pakhmutova and others. We are always sold out. In addition, we often invite people to our concerts who cannot afford to buy tickets.

We also organize free evenings for children with disabilities. I would like to give more attention to those who are deprived of this from birth. We organize drawing competitions, I select children's works for exhibitions. I hope that the children find a good home here and feel complete.

In addition, there are meetings with the heroes of my paintings. I made a number of portraits of military personnel, intelligence officers, and border guards. We invite children who are preparing to become defenders of the Fatherland to such meetings. I must say that these evenings are warm and cordial.

Corr. Your creative credo...

A.Sh. The most important thing is to grow as an artist. From work to work, try to increase the level of skill and achieve depth of content. I write what I feel in my heart. An artist must be a Samoyed, and in this state he must work. Only fools are complacent. If a person is satisfied with himself, he dies in creativity. And in order to feel shortcomings, Repin said, you need to look only at the great.

Corr. How do you choose subjects for portraits?

A.Sh. I paint portraits of the most different people. And doctors, and artists, monks and nuns, homeless people and abandoned old people. “History in faces”, “an absolute cross-section of society” - this is how they write about the gallery’s collection. An artist is, first of all, a state of mind. First of all, I must be ready to work. For my last heroine, I spent 9 hours driving along our roads, but I couldn’t live without it. They told me about her, showed her photograph, and I wanted to meet her.

Corr. Has anything rocked you lately?

A.Sh. Yes. That's exactly what shocked her. I recently returned from the Saratov region. I went to the village to paint a portrait of an amazing woman - Lyubov Ivanovna Klyueva, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. Her portrait will be included in the exhibition “They Fought for the Motherland.” She is 90 years old and has been at the front since she was 19. If you could see her hands! These are not women's, and not man's hands. They are all in knots. This woman had no days off. She worked all her life and raised six children. I have already buried my husband. When I talked to her, my throat began to spasm, tears welled up. It was some kind of mental cleansing. Lyubov Ivanovna is intelligent, modest and pleasant to talk to. God, what subtle manners she has! When we said goodbye to her, she gave me a rose. This is so touching... It's sad that such beautiful people leaving. For six months I dreamed of breaking out to her. The work, however, was very difficult. It is very difficult to write in a cramped hut with small windows, where you can’t really place an easel. But this path to a portrait is dear to me.

Corr. How often does your gallery travel with exhibitions to other cities?

A.Sh. About once a year. Organizing exhibitions is not an easy task. The gallery does everything itself, for its own money. Recently, the exhibition “They Fought for the Motherland” was held in Volgograd. The exhibition included more than 40 of my works. These are portraits of participants in the Great Patriotic War. Here are ordinary soldiers, clergy, and famous cultural figures - Bondarchuk, Etush, Viktor Rozov... There was great interest - the exhibition was extended twice. Front-line soldiers came, not those who were holed up in convoys, but, you know, real warriors. If I had the opportunity and time, I would definitely paint their portraits. After all, these are the last witnesses to the terrible events of the 20th century, in their eyes it is war. There were a lot of young people. In general, our exhibition has great educational significance. Soon, at the invitation of Aman Tuleyev, we will go to Kemerovo. Of course, I would dream of traveling with this exhibition to all the hero cities! But the gallery alone cannot achieve this...

Corr. How long have you exhibited abroad?

A.Sh. For a long time. True, now there is no such special need. Firstly, there is a gallery. Now people come to us from different parts of Russia and abroad. AND simple people leave reviews, and distinguished guests. The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, and recently Vladimir Putin were there. Everyone highly appreciated my work, which I am very proud of. For example, I had an exhibition in Paris. A lot of people came. I remember Louis Aragon’s comment: “It’s amazing that under such pressure from ideology and all sorts of “isms” you have preserved the traditions of classicism.” Secondly, I repeat, organizing a visiting exhibition, especially abroad, is a big risk. Now, if someone made such an exhibition for me, I would be happy!

Corr. How can young artists make their way, since realistic art is not in honor today? For example, the organizers of the award named after. Kandinsky is not even considered the work of realist artists?

A.Sh. Chekhov also said: “Talent needs help, but mediocrity will break through on its own.” I want to assure you that it is always difficult to break through in my country and abroad, but this is a test of one’s vocation. If a person draws and cannot live without it, like without air, and if he has a gift, then such a person cannot be stopped. Talent cannot be stifled. It wasn’t easy for me either, but I worked hard, and even today I write every day for 4-5 hours. Then, of course, I feel like a dead lemon. But until I finish the portrait, I can’t calm down, I feel inadequate, I can’t be completely happy. Not for the sake of beautiful word I will say: “Without work, I will die.”

Of course, some people today paint just to get rich. That's what PR is for. But, unfortunately, the criterion of mastery is trampled underfoot. The level of skill, I believe, is deliberately lowered to the level of vestments. And this happens in all areas. In literature, painting, music... Everything is deliberately mixed. Now everyone is a genius, everyone can sing, draw, etc.

Corr. Is it possible to change this situation?

A.Sh. Yes, sure. Must be Government program. Art must be taught kindergarten, in order to develop the souls of people. High art saturates with thoughts and feelings.

I remember how my mother took me to the Tretyakov Gallery for the first time. I was shocked. Portraits by Levitsky, Borovikovsky, Bryullov are something divine. I was constantly haunted by the question: “Can a person really paint a portrait so that I can see his face? real person Who can I talk to?" I enjoyed the way it was done. Craftsmanship brought to perfection! I was surprised that I didn’t see the artist’s kitchen, and in my work I also strive not to see it.

But returning to the topic of education, I repeat: there must be a state program. If a child learns to draw and sees masterpieces in front of him, he will never be interested in cheap and vulgar fakes in the future. Look at how they painted before the revolution in noble families and military families. We studied music a lot and seriously. What a waltz Griboedov composed - a miracle! And if people do not come into contact with art, purify themselves, and grow, they will quickly turn into a herd. Well, there will always be a shepherd.

Corr. What if you are offered to create some kind of educational program? Do you agree?

A.Sh. Yes, I will be happy to do this.

Corr. Do you often visit provincial art galleries?

A.Sh. Yes. Just recently I was in the same Saratov. The gallery is in terrible condition. Although there are paintings by Shishkin, Polenov... Who should support this? Probably the Ministry of Culture. Let's remember the story. The elderly Pope supervised how Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. Russian emperors constantly visited the Academy of Arts, interested in what was happening in Russian art. After all, the state of artistic values ​​and achievements in art determine the level of development of a country.

Corr. What museums do you prefer to visit abroad?

A.Sh. I love Italy, I love the amazing Louvre Museum. Of course, everything came from Italy. It is no coincidence that our boarders - graduates and medal winners of the Russian Academy of Arts - were sent to Italy at state expense. Kiprensky, Bryullov, Ivanov, and many other outstanding artists improved their skills there.

Corr. Do you have students?

A.Sh. No. Firstly, you need to have time, but I don’t have it. Secondly, you need to have patience, I don’t have it either. Apparently this is not my calling. I am an artist. I put a lot of effort into my work. I invite everyone to the exhibition “They Fought for the Motherland.” I believe that people who fought and laid down their lives on the altar of the Fatherland should be rewarded much more than is being done now. I want to be heard through these portraits. The exhibition has a very beneficial effect on the viewer, it makes you think about a lot, remember the concepts of honesty, honor and decency... I want a sense of pride in our people, in our art to take root.

Corr. What qualities do you value in women and men?

A.Sh. Whatever the relationship, I value loyalty in a woman, even blind. Any relationship should be based on this. A woman should be loving, caring, feminine. Previously, in villages it was believed that if a woman loves a man, she will take care of him. A man is obliged to take care of a woman while maintaining her dignity. But in general, by and large, I love people with a delicate mental structure. After all, I am an artist after all.

The conversation was conducted by Oksana Lipina.

Shilova is one of the most popular authors of women's novels, having published more than a hundred books. Her books are about how to make your way in Moscow, how to marry a rich man, how to find your happiness... Has Yulia achieved all this in life herself? “We suspect so...” we thought when we entered the writer’s luxurious two-story apartment.

Yulia, we know that you were born and raised in the provinces, in the small town of Artem, Primorsky Territory. So there was an incentive to go to the capital?

– I had the desire to escape from Artyom from the very beginning. early childhood. We sat for hours without light; it was provided according to a schedule. Usually it was from two to six in the morning, and at this time everyone ran to the stove in order to have time to cook something. And I didn't understand why there was only one faucet with cold water. That is, it wasn’t even supposed to be hot... Nevertheless, I went to school there, and of course I couldn’t leave before.

– And what did you start doing in Moscow?

– Like all provincials, the first thing I chose was the theater institute. Of course, I didn’t get in... But it seems to me that life in Moscow worked out well for me because I always thought: what can I give to this city? This is a more correct position than immediately thinking: what should I take from the city? As a result, I received two degrees – legal and psychological.

– Your career as a writer began in 1999. And before that there was a business...

- Yes, it was a pharmaceutical business. Then I was already married for the second time. And it so happened that in 1998 I simultaneously lost both my business and my husband. I didn't have the strength to restore anything. I had a terrible depression, I was left without money with two children in my arms, and my husband left. My hands gave up, I didn’t understand what to do at all... And at that moment I for some reason wanted to write something...

– It’s clear that you once took the manuscript to the publishing house... But there are thousands of such “newbies” there! Why did they choose you? Is it really by chance?

– I won’t lie, of course it’s not by chance. The fact is that I appeared at the publishing house impressively, using the remnants of former luxury - I arrived in a good fur coat, wearing cool car. She walked past the guards, casually saying as she walked: “I’m from Ivan Ivanovich!” (This was the first name that came to my mind.) I flew into the editor-in-chief’s office and placed a floppy disk on his desk. She said that all leading publishing houses already have the same text and they only have three days to make a decision. And he called!

– And after that you began to swim in money, publishing novel after novel...

- It wasn’t like that! Nowadays the majority of writers are paid little for books, but before the situation was even worse: they didn’t pay at all! We worked “roughly”, there were no contracts. I published book after book, I was already famous writer, but they didn’t give me a penny of money. Moreover, the publisher mocked me. Once he sent me a pack of counterfeit bills for my birthday. Then a plastic craft - a bucket of black caviar... It’s not surprising that one day I left this publishing house and then changed several more until I returned to AST, where I now work.

- Why were you escorted out of one of them, Eksmo, in such disgrace? Did you write in a press release that you had exorbitant requests and that you were envious and jealous of other authors? These are serious charges...

- Complete nonsense! And the reason for such accusations is clear. That publisher did not understand that the author had left him. He thought that the woman had left him.

– Did you have any personal relationships?

“He really liked me as a woman.” And he thought that I would never leave. And I left, writing him a very good letter, believing that we would separate cleanly. But as you can see, the man stooped to cheap revenge on the woman. He organized a terrible persecution in the press: that I was written out, that I was stealing stories and taking them from readers’ letters. This war has been going on for two years.

- This is true. Many of my readers have become almost friends. They call me for advice on their situations. From time to time, I even organize bachelorette parties in my apartment where I invite women... Recently we invited strippers to a party (smiles). I witness weddings, baptize children... It’s an amazing feeling when so many people love you!

– And it all started with the fact that at the end of each book you encouraged readers to share their stories...

– Yes, and at the end of each of my books there are letters from readers, to which I respond. Of course, I always emphasize that my advice is a subjective opinion. And to follow it or not, the person decides for himself.

– Were there any situations when you were unable to give advice?..

– I had a situation when I simply didn’t have time to give advice. A reader from another city wrote to me and told me the heartbreaking story of her life. And she wrote: “When you read this, I will no longer exist. I have two close people - my son and you. I wrote an SMS to my son, and I’m sending you a letter.” She left her phone numbers, and at first I thought that the woman was just playing suicide, as often happens. But when I called her at work, they told me that she had already been buried. It was very difficult after this incident... After all, I can’t always help even those who come for advice. There are people who have needed the help of a psychiatrist for a long time. For example, a woman reports that she has not been able to get over her divorce from her husband for twenty years. It is not normal!

– Julia, we know that you have two daughters. Do they turn to you for advice?

- Yes, I have two daughters. The eldest, Lolita, is already eighteen years old. This is just a miracle child, given by God. She graduated from school with a gold medal and entered college. Now she is studying with straight A's and wants to achieve everything in life on her own. Lolita is “sick” of America... She goes for an internship in Miami and wants to study there. She told me: “You once boarded the train and went to Moscow...” Apparently, she will go abroad. What is most valuable to me in our relationship is that there is trust between us, we are like friends. She can tell me everything, even what is happening on the love front.

- What does he do? youngest daughter?

– Her name is Zlata, she studies at school... Now she is in adolescence. We started having problems in our relationship. She began to show character and skip school. One day it turned out that Zlata did not go to school for a whole month, but walked in the park. To the question “Who do you want to be?” she replies: “Nobody!” I realized that I was losing my child and decided to change her environment...

– Sent to study in England?

- No, what are you talking about? There are also drugs and generally a free life for young people. And she is one of those who, if there is something bad, will be the first to try it. Now she is studying in an elite boarding house near Moscow for gifted children. He spends the working week there and comes home on weekends. When I first arrived there, I spoke frankly with the director. She told him: “For us, you are a forced labor colony.” And the first positive results It seems like it already exists.

– Julia, many readers, opening your books, hope that you will tell them how to get married. But why are you not married yourself?

“Both of my marriages didn’t work out.” I lived with my second husband when I was doing business, but he was a man with absolutely no ambitions, who did not strive for anything and pulled me down. When a woman is a maximalist and a man is a minimalist, it’s a disaster. This is the trend of modern men who are becoming weaker. Meanwhile the army appeared strong women. In such situations, men begin to envy their success. It starts to irritate them. When I lost my business, he calmly said: “Okay, now you’ll stay at home with the children.” He was terribly happy! Therefore, when the country went into default, my family and I went into default.

- But nevertheless, you are not alone now...

- Yes, I have a loved one. He is a musician, plays in a band, and is a creative person. It’s just easy and free for me with him. But I will never marry again, and if I live with a man, it will only be in civil marriage.

– It’s unlikely that this man supports you financially... They don’t pay much for books anymore. Where does this apartment come from?

– Of course, I won’t claim that I earned it all from books. The thing is that I returned to the pharmaceutical business.

Our conversation is interrupted by the arrival of a security guard who has gone up to the apartment to escort Yulia on business in the city. On my way out of the apartment I notice four strange dolls on the table. Plastic figurines of men are exact copies of those people who were once close to the writer. Julia made them to order to highlight imperfections former men. One has a red nose, the other has a beer belly... Looking at them, Shilova says that everything should be treated with irony. This is the only thing that saves you in life.

– one of the most popular authors in the genre of crime melodrama. Yulia is distinguished by her amazing love of life and ability to find solutions to even the most difficult situations. Her books inspire hope and help readers gather the strength to move forward. We talked with Yulia, charged with her incredible energy and good mood, and this is what came of it!

Psychology of relationships in detective novels

– Julia, you are amazingly capable of work. Do you set a goal for yourself to write a certain number of books?

- No, I never did. Neither at the time when I was just starting to write, nor now, when the manuscript of the ninety-sixth novel was submitted to the publishing house. Creativity is not a conveyor belt with a plan along the shaft. Each book is a unique story in which the characters do not always obey the author's vision. Therefore, it seems to me impossible to plan anything in creativity.

– Do you think Yulia Shilova is a writer-brand?

– It’s better to ask publishing marketers about this. I am a writer. In my books I communicate with my readers. I worry with them, I feel sad and happy, I even cry sometimes. In general, I live. And “brand” is a bit dry for creativity in general and for me in particular.

– You say that men also read your detective stories, afraid to admit it. In your opinion, what is the difference between a male detective and a female detective?

– I think I won’t discover America if I say that a male detective story is built on action, on the actions of the main characters. In a female detective story, the main thing is psychologism, the relationships of the characters in the situation proposed by the author. And perhaps men read women's detective stories in an attempt to understand women's psychology. It also seems to me that in a female detective story the plot itself is more twisted and eventful than in a male detective story.

– Your books reveal the problems of relationships between men and women, and you are a psychologist by training. Did you have any plans to move away from the detective genre and write a book about the psychology of relationships?

– Your life experience is rich and eventful. Are you planning to write an autobiography?

– I have already published three autobiographies! These are the books “Too rare to live, too strong to die”, “See you in the next life, or It’s hard to walk on earth if you can fly” and “Rise and live, or Where others slow down, I step on the gas” . And since life goes on, I have not yet put an end to my autobiography.

About writers and characters

– In one of your interviews, you say that your reference book is “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” How did Marquez's work influence you?