Askold Zapashny and his family. Askold zapashny

Askold Zapashny with his wife Helen and little daughter Eva live on wheels, traveling with the Zapashny Brothers Circus tour from one city to another. We managed to catch the family in Moscow - new circus performances are in full swing here. About how it changed their lives last year Askold and Helen told our correspondents what it’s like to be millionaires, and whether children and women can be trained.

You better go to your mom...

Askold: It's funny, but our child has three copies of every item. Three cribs, three strollers, three high chairs, and so on. One set is in Moscow, another is in Israel with my wife’s parents, the third is traveling with us in containers. This is how all circus people live. Where to go? I'm happy that we - me, Helen and little Eva - are together now.

I became a dad on the second day of the year. If my daughter was born on the first of January, I would probably be upset. All her life her holiday would have been combined with New Year's. And Helen and I on the night under New Year asked their daughter: “Wait! It's not time yet." And she listened to her parents - good girl! She was born at four o'clock, when I had a break between two performances. In the morning I took Helen to the maternity hospital, and I went to the performance. And in the afternoon I receive a text message from my wife: “Eva and I are waiting for you.” It was at this moment that life seemed to be divided into before and after. I stand with a mobile phone in my hands, look at the screen, re-read it and smile. Colleagues remarked: “Well, what’s there? What? Has your wife given birth? Whom?" - "Daughter!!!" I arrived at the maternity hospital after the performance. I don’t know how to put into words the feelings that filled me at that moment. Responsibility appeared, some special love for the child awoke. I take Eva in my arms and imagine: she will grow up and begin to greet me with joyful cries:
“Daddy has come!” Sentimental and touching...

Helen: When our friends had a daughter, I was very interested to see my husband’s reaction. I took her in my arms and said: “Askold, look what good girl! Here - hold her." He took the child in his arms and immediately gave it to him. And I thought: “No, my husband won’t babysit the children.” But my intuition let me down - she’s babysitting, and how!

Askold: I have never been touched by other people's children. But I’m ready to look at my daughter for hours. It seems to me that a person generally matures not through years, but through serious events, decisions taken. Fatherhood is a major change in the life of any man. When my older brother, Edgard, was born, our dad interrupted the performance, jumped out onto the streets of Yalta, where he was touring, and set off fireworks. In the evening, I made the whole team drunk to celebrate and drank myself, although I didn’t drink at all! They had a great time! And of course - the heir appeared!

- Is having an heir so important for a man?

Of course, the son will continue the family name. And for the circus this is especially important. My wife agrees with me, now we both want a boy. But when we had Evochka, I was incredibly happy.

- And a few weeks later they left their wife and child...

What was there to do? The tour began at the end of January. Don't drag a newborn baby with you.

Helen: When Askold said that it was better for me to go with the child to my mother, I burst into tears. Of course, as a loving wife, I wanted to be with my husband.

Askold: I only went to Israel with them in March and for only a week. Only in the fall we were finally reunited - now Helen and Eva go everywhere with me.

- And how do you, Helen, live the life of a circus performer’s wife?

Helen: Touring life turned out to be quite comfortable. We don’t live in trailers, as they show in old films. Quite decent hotels with two- and three-room rooms, a kitchen, and spacious bathrooms. I adapt quickly, literally in two or three days, and get comfortable. Although before, any change in my usual routine brought me to tears. As soon as my parents sent me to the camp, I began to bombard them with letters of pity and tried to get them to take me away. I also cried in the army: I was ready to serve at least a year more, if only they would let me go home for the night (Ellen, as an Israeli citizen, served military service. - Note "ZN").

Askold and I have been living apart for the five years that we have known each other. If before I was still somehow patient, then when I gave birth to my daughter, I started going crazy. I was afraid that one day my daughter wouldn’t recognize her father. In Haifa, where my parents live, there are many photographs of Askold near Eva’s crib. And when dad arrived, she immediately went into his arms and smiled. I felt my own blood.

Helen, you sacrificed a lot for your family: emigration alone is worth it. And they abandoned their career as a doctor. Aren't there many victims?

Yes, my career is very important to me. When I, having served in the army, entered the Belarusian State medical University, I never thought that I would become the wife of a circus performer. State exams I took the test when I was already pregnant, so I postponed entering a residency or internship. Now I’m just a wife and mother, but I’m already eager to leave home. And as soon as we decide who to leave Eve to, I will study further.

Askold is against kindergartens and nannies. To some extent he is right. My mother, who is also a doctor, went to work when I was four months old. I was raised by nannies, grandmothers, aunts and uncles. There is nothing bad in this, but nothing good either: the woman does not see how the child grows. Mom says that I came to her work and asked: “Is this your home?”

Where are the tigers?

- According to Forbes, the annual income of the Zapashny brothers is $5.7 million. And what is it like to be the wife of a millionaire?

Helen: You just drove me into a dead end with your question... Do not forget that the indicated amount is not in the pockets of the brothers. There are animals that need to be maintained, and this is very expensive. There is a team of two hundred people, expensive projects.
But Askold doesn’t deny me anything, he buys everything I want.

Askold:$5 million is the money that we have in circulation, in production. My brother and I earned them with our sweat and blood. Our lives with Edgard are proof of the formula for success: dreams come true if you put effort into it. They tell us: “Well, yes, you are the children of Walter Zapashny, your last name has paved the way with roses!” I say: “Excuse me, please, we also have a sister, my dad’s daughter from his first marriage - Maritza, and a nephew, they are also circus people. There is the direction of Mstislav Zapashny and Igor Zapashny, father’s brothers. They worked together and were very successful acrobats.” Do you know as much about them? No, unfortunately, they don’t have the kind of success we have yet! I say this because a surname is not an indicator of success. I believe that money comes as a consequence of work. And by the way, I treat them very calmly, only as a means of acquiring amenities - good home, cars.
My wife has the opportunity to buy whatever and as much as she wants. But he doesn’t abuse it, which makes me incredibly happy. She treats money correctly and, for example, does not ask for a Ferrari, although, in principle, I could buy her one.

- Helen is Israeli, and you met her in Belarus, where you were touring then. How did fate bring her there?

Helen's parents hoped to marry her to a dentist, and she was even engaged, but, realizing that she did not love her groom, she broke off the engagement and fled to Minsk, under the supervision of relatives. An old friend of Edgard and I brought her to the performance. I liked the girl right away. Both his appearance is unusual, and his manner of speaking is strange, with a slight drawl. She had a slight accent; her native language was Hebrew.

Helen: I was 26 years old then - it was time to get married. I subconsciously tried on all the men I met for the role of husband and father of the unborn child. And yet, at that time, I was much more occupied with my studies - third year, the very peak, I live in a dormitory, I don’t go anywhere much, because I’m poring over textbooks. I only saw posters - some tiger brothers unknown to me were performing - and that’s all! Askold led our relationship right up to the registry office. It was he who conquered me, he behaved like that, he said such words that I fell in love very quickly.

- Askold, in your early interviews you said that you would marry only the girl who manages to greatly surprise you with something. What struck you about Helen?

Askold: Surprisingly unbiased attitude towards me. She behaved very naturally. She is not boring, not amorphous. Well, I don’t like people who float rather than run through life!

Helen: Our first date took place in Askold's car. He played his favorite horror films on DVD to see how I would react. If a friend had not warned that Askold was a respected man, not some kind of scoundrel, he would have gotten up and gone. But I wanted to see what would happen next. Well, I finished watching it... I really, really liked it.

We immediately began to spend a lot of time together, walked until four or five in the morning, and at eight I ran to study... I didn’t get much sleep, but I flew like on wings - I fell in love. Askold leaves and immediately sends a text message: “Darling, I want to be close, I don’t want to leave you at all.” I answered: “The tour will end, you will begin a different life, without me. And I’ll stay shedding tears.” I never even thought that we could become a family. And yet, I wrote all his sincere, wonderful text messages in my diary and re-read them a hundred times.

- Helen, words are words, but a man’s actions speak for him...

There were enough actions. We met for a month and a half - and Askold left for Moscow. And then he started running back to me in Minsk - he drove 800 km at night, and back in the morning. That’s when I realized: his words were not empty at all. But she continued to resist, repeating: “Leave me alone, nothing will work out for us.” Another would have waved his hand, but Askold didn’t. He had the strength to break through my mistrust and fear of love. Naturally, I was jealous of him, threw hysterics, cried: “Girls are always hanging around you.” And he had the strength to assure me: “Darling, everything is fine, I am yours, even when there are thousands of kilometers between us.”

They say that Walter Zapashny produced future wife an indelible impression when I went on a date with a tiger on a leash.

Yes, I heard this one wonderful story. When Askold and I were dating, I dreamed during lectures: now the door will open and my prince with a tiger will enter the audience. It was probably easier for Walter Mikhailovich to do this, times were different. Askold cannot take the tiger and put it in the car. Transporting a tiger is a whole story. And so it’s getting ridiculous: traffic cops stop and, looking out the window, ask: “Where are the tigers?” Moreover, everyone thinks that they joked well. The guys answer: “Now they’ll catch up!”

Xin en how!

Helen: Time has shown: Askold is my soul mate. I’m in a foreign country, but next to him I feel calm and confident. And I even fell in love with the harsh Russian winters... Probably, every woman is looking for such a state of mental comfort.
Family life made Askold a little softer. Previously, he was more domineering: he said it bluntly. Now you can argue with him. I won’t praise our life anymore, I’m superstitious - I’m afraid I’ll jinx it!

Askold: Our life is not ideal, we often get into arguments: sometimes about the child, sometimes over some trivial matter. Recently Helen says: let's go to the cinema. I was tired after the rehearsal, but I thought, okay, I need to please my wife. I called my friends, gathered a crowd - we love company. Everyone took off and rushed to the cinema from different parts of Moscow. There are ten minutes left before the session, we haven’t gotten there yet, and then Helen says: “I’m dying, I’m hungry! Let's go have dinner." I ask: “What about cinema?” - “We’ll have a movie later, or we’ll do without it altogether; we’d better eat.” Let’s call my friends again: I’m persuading them to go to a restaurant. In general, you won’t get bored with my wife, she is unpredictable. Especially, as it turned out, in everything that concerns the child. When I was pregnant, I asserted: “I will be strict, and the baby will probably twist ropes out of you.” And so I am surprised to see how, in front of Ellen, my daughter opens some kind of cream with her teeth. I say: “Take it! She’ll be poisoned!” The wife calmly replies: “Nothing will happen, he’s not scary.” I get excited: “This one is not scary, but the other one will be scary.” I take the tube away, Eva yells in a voice that is not her own, because she has already learned to demand. And our mother gets blown up and runs for another cream - just so that her daughter doesn’t cry... At this point I explode. Yes, I may be a tough parent, but I love my child and do everything to ensure his safety. Although I don’t intend to lay down straw either. Our baby is crawling around the room, Helen screams: oh, she will hit the chair, the table. I say: “Sit still! He’ll hit you a little and he’ll understand how painful it can be.” I have a lot of experience in this regard, because I am a trainer. Stupid people sometimes say that training is violence. Not a damn thing like that! Training is, of course, the imposition of one's will. But the will of an intelligent being is the will of a stupid one. I can’t wait for the tiger to figure it out and answer me something like that. I will make him submit. It’s the same with children, actually. Training is education. If a predator attacks you, he needs to be punished. If the child doesn’t listen, so does that. Another question is how...
Eva already understands everything. I recently unplugged the antenna cord from the outlet. I strictly say: “Eva!” And she immediately brought it to me.

- How were you punished as a child?

They put me in a corner - just to stand and think. Dad sometimes scared me: “Oh, I’ll whip you!” But he never spanked me... Once, when my brother and I were seven or nine years old and my father’s circus was touring in an Asian republic, Edgard suggested: “Let’s go to the river with the boys.” I got scared and said: “Garik, don’t, we don’t know how to swim.” And he: “Come on! Don't be afraid." And I followed him out of desperation. They arrived, and there was a raging river... Local boys immediately, in their clothes, jumped into the water, and they were carried away by the current... I look at all this horror and understand that I would not go there for any price. Suddenly I notice: my brother is undressing: “I’ll dive in too, look!” I was so scared, terrified! I’m crying, trying to dissuade him - it’s no use! Edgard jumped. And when he got out, our Aunt Olya runs out of nowhere. He waves his hands, his face is frightened and pale. And then dad appears on the horizon - right in makeup. They told him that we were missing, he interrupted the performance and rushed to look for us. Saw. He slowly approached and hissed - well, just like a snake: “March home, wait, I’ll come soon.” We are scared - terrified. In the evening, my father returned home, went into our room, pulled the mattresses off the beds, turned them over and said: “You don’t respect your parents - that means you sleep on the floor!” He never raised his hand against us.

But for rudeness we got the full price! I could never snap at him, or at my mother or grandmother. Once at a rehearsal, my brother was performing a trick on a horse, he did something wrong, dad corrected him and heard in response: “Yes, right now!” I didn’t even have time to think of anything - my brother had already hit me in the ass with a whip. That's all. Very good upbringing.

Askold, you lived in China for four years. Is it true that, having fallen in love with a Chinese girl, you learned the most difficult Chinese?

I learned the language because we immediately signed a contract for three years. Languages ​​come easy to me. I teach according to my own system: I take a lot of thick notebooks, write down all the words by category: everything related to a restaurant, a store, culture. Yes, of course, I didn’t know grammar, but I had a very rich vocabulary!

And yes, there was love. But this is a kid, I was only 15. The first girl was a Chinese Mongolian, a little older than me. The second one is Chinese. She and I didn’t even live together for long, and then she went to Hong Kong to act in films. Her departure became a tragedy for me: “Ahhhh... I’ll go to the ends of the world for her.” Mom smiled and patted me on the shoulder: “Hold on! Maybe I'll see you soon." She liked the girl, but she understood: it was all childish. The distance immediately separated us. Then there was no mobile phone, no internet. I remember sending her two cards - with the hieroglyphs “I love you” (“Wo ai ni”) and “Happy New Year” (“Xin en hau”), literally translated, “The New Year is good.”

- Well, what do you dream about in the new year, 2011?

I'm like anyone normal person, I only dream about good things. Recently we were in Magnitogorsk, our friend took us up a mountain on which a tree of wishes grows - everyone attaches ribbons to it. I tied it too. I don’t need anything specific, just the health of my loved ones and my own. And the rest is in my power.

Alla ZANIMONETS, Telenedelya LLC, Moscow (especially for ZN), photo by Vitaly FEDOROV

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Askold Zapashny is a successful producer, National artist Russia, artistic director of the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue. He has won high-profile awards and recognitions, as well as grandiose shows for which the Zapashny brothers’ circus became famous: “Sadko”, “Camelot”, “Legend”, etc.

Askold and his older brother Edgard were born into an artistic family. And this meant that children with a high degree of probability would become successors circus dynasty. And so it happened.

Askold's father, trainer Walter Mikhailovich Zapashny, famous throughout the Union, and his mother, Tatyana Vasilievna Zapashny, actively traveled around the country on tour in the second half of the 20th century. The children traveled with them and grew up practically in the arena. It was thanks to their parents that the brothers were inseparable. Despite the fact that Edgard is a year older, the boys studied in the same class because their father believed that this was important for their future circus careers.

The future trainer Askold entered a tiger cage for the first time when he was only 10 years old. But the official debut of the 11-year-old boy took place in the winter of 1988-89. Then he and Edgard performed in Riga with the number “Time Machine,” which was a hit with the public. The younger Zapashnys portrayed kidnappers who stole a teleporter from the clowns and ended up in different eras.

Later, in 1991, just when the boys graduated from school, the family left to work under contract in China. The move became a salvation, as the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom offered good deal, thanks to which the Zapashnys could save their animals from starvation (at that time there were difficult times in their homeland, and food for circus animals was tight).

By the way, a summer circus was built specifically for the Zapashnys’ performances in the Safari Park near Shenzhen. There, Askold's father, Walter Zapashny, was training Chinese specialists in animal training.

And while Walter acted as a mentor, Askold was actively mastering the Chinese language and circus basics. Askold began his career as a horse juggler and monkey trainer. Following this, he and Edgard’s numbers were awarded the main prize of the First All-Russian festival-competition circus art in Yaroslavl - “Golden Troika” (in 1997). Askold is also known as a vaulting acrobat, tightrope walker, Segway juggler, roller acrobat, etc.

By the way, it was in China that Askold and Edgard dyed their hair, turning them blonde. This was done specifically to stand out in the arena among Chinese dark-haired colleagues.

After China, Askold and Edgard performed in different countries- Japan, Hungary, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, etc.

Upon returning to Russia, Askold and Edgard began working with tigers and lions. Father Walter Zapashny gave them his issue “Among Predators” in 1998. Askold with the trick “The longest jump on a lion” even entered the Guinness Book of Records!

In their homeland, together with Edgard, they created their own circus - the Zapashny Brothers Circus, which is distinguished by a special style, unlike any other circus genre.

Family

Askold Zapashny is married, his wife is Helen Zapashny - Raikhlin. They have two children - Eva and Elsa.

Titles and awards:

1999 - Honored Artist of Russia - for services in the field of art;

2012 - People's Artist of Russia - for great services in the field of circus art.

curious

The circus world is not only a bright spectacle, but also a spectacular sound. Therefore, when Askold and Edgard’s parents chose names for their children, they did so with a future stage career in mind.

Zapashny is a well-known surname in the circus, spanning several generations, and the name in the arena should sound impressive. Petya or Vasya are charming names in their own way, but not catchy, like Edgard and Askold. However, choosing a name was not easy. And if Edgard was named almost immediately after birth, then the parents had to tinker with Askold. There were several options: Siegfried, Richard, Octavian. Last name is still a source of jokes. Edgard assures that in the heat of a quarrel he would definitely call his brother Octaviash, and in a deliberately gentle and mocking tone. Although he admits that one could get paid for such jokes.

Segway juggler, roller acrobat.

Askold Zapashny
Date of Birth	September 27(1977-09-27 ) (41 years old)
Place of Birth	Kharkov, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Profession
Citizenship	Russia Russia
Circus	Zapashny Brothers Circus
Dynasty	Zapashnye
Awards
Website	zapashny.ru
Askold Zapashny at Wikimedia Commons

Biography

Education

Graduated with honors Russian Academy theatrical arts(GITIS). Speaks English and spoken Chinese. [ ]

Personal life

Wife - Helen Zapashnaya (Raichlin). Daughters Eva and Elsa, in the spring of 2010, first entered the arena of the Great Moscow Circus, took part in the New Year's show at Luzhniki. [ ]

Creation

Together with his brother, he founded the “Zapashny Brothers Circus”, became the scriptwriter and director of a number of circus shows, including: “Colosseum” (2007), “Camelot” (2008), “Sadko” (2009), “Camelot-2: Deputy of the Gods" (2010), "Legend" (2011), "K. U.K.L.A.” (2012), “Terrible Force” (2013), “System” (2014), “Mistress of the Dead Lake” (2015), “System-2. Human factor"(2016).

Participation in television projects

Social and political activities

In 2011, together with his brother Edgard, he signed an Appeal from members of the public against informational erosion of trust in the judicial system of the Russian Federation, which condemned the pressure on the judicial system against the backdrop of the second trial in the case of the leaders of the Yukos Oil Company.

On February 6, 2012, he was officially registered as a confidant of Vladimir Putin for the third term. [ ]

In September 2016, like his brother, he became a confidant of the United Russia party in the elections to the State Duma of the 7th convocation and a confidant of the mayor of Moscow S.S. Sobyanin. [ ]

Member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation since 2016.

He is a supporter and active promoter of the circus with animals, speaking on the side of competent and responsible training, which is based on dynastic work experience, the revelation of the individual abilities of animals and a humane attitude towards the wards. [ ]

Awards and achievements

• 1997 - Winner of the Golden Troika circus arts festival in Yaroslavl.
• 1999 - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (July 30, 1999) - for services to art .
• 1999 - Title “Artist of the Year” from the Union of Circus Workers.
• 2001 - Winner of the Moscow Government Prize.
• 2002 - Laureate of the national Circus award.
• 2005 - Laureate of the International Circus Artists Competition in Saratov, main prize “Golden Troika”. A special prize for high achievements in circus art was awarded by International Prizes from the Chinese Association of Circus Arts - the Golden Lion award.
• 2006 - Together with his brother, he was included in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest leap of a lion with a man on his back.
• 2007 - Laureate of the International Circus Art Festival-Competition in Izhevsk. - Main award “Golden Bear”.
• 2008 - People's Artist of Udmurtia (October 13, 2008, Udmurtia).
• 2011 - Winner of the International Circus Art Festival-Competition in Moscow. Special prize from the Mongolian State Circus and from the Great Circus Mundial (Spain). Also has Public awards from the Governor of the Kemerovo region, Governor Bryansk region and the governor of the Novosibirsk region.
• 2011 - For the second time, together with his brother, he was included in the Guinness Book of Records for the record stunt “The highest column of 3 people on a running pair of horses.”
• 2012 - Laureate of the International Festival-Competition of Circus Arts in Izhevsk and for the second time the Golden Bear award for the performance of the equestrian act “Hellas”.
• 2012 - People's Artist of the Russian Federation (March 21, 2012) - for great achievements in the field of cinematographic, musical, theatrical, choreographic and circus arts
• 2012 - Order “Key of Friendship” (August 31, 2012, Kemerovo region) - for high professionalism, dedication and fidelity to their work .
• 2014 - Awarded a commemorative medal and letter of thanks from Dmitry Medvedev “For his great contribution to the preparation and holding of the XXII Olympic Games winter games and XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi.”
• 2015 - Awarded a letter of gratitude from V. Kolokoltsev - Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation “For active work in preparing and carrying out a set of events in 2014 aimed at social support for family members of internal affairs officers who died in the performance of official duties, and disabled people due to war injuries ." (January 20, 2012)
• 2016 - Awarded a certificate of honor from V. Kolokoltsev, Minister of Internal Affairs, “For active work in preparing and carrying out a set of events in 2015 aimed at social support for family members of internal affairs officers who died in the performance of official duties, and disabled people due to military trauma. »
• 2017 - Princess of Monaco, Stephanie, presented the prize “For services to the development of the Russian Circus”.
• 2017 - Silver Clown Award at the 41st International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The brothers expressed disagreement with the results of the jury's vote.
• 2018 - For assistance and assistance practical help in the preparation and implementation of a set of measures aimed at social support for family members of internal affairs officers who died in the performance of official duties, and disabled people due to military trauma, he was awarded the badge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia “For Assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs” (

Edgard Zapashny is a representative of the famous and ancient dynasty circus artists Zapashny. Edgard and his brother are fourth generation trainers. Their names are known today far beyond Russia.

Edgard Zapashny was born in the summer of 1976 in Yalta, under the zodiac sign Cancer. His father Walter Zapashny was already one of the most respected trainers in the country. His charges are predatory animals. Walter Mikhailovich - Honored Artist of the RSFSR since 1988.

My grandparents were also circus performers. Moreover, the father of Lydia’s grandmother was the famous eccentric and clown Karl Thompson, a German by nationality, who performed in Russia under the stage name Milton.

So the great-grandchildren of the clown Milton - Edgard, Askold and Maritsa Zapashny - did not see any other way for themselves. They, as they say, absorbed the festive atmosphere of the circus with their mother’s milk. The children are already in early years knew that they would continue famous dynasty Zapashnykh.

Throughout his childhood, Edgard Zapashny carefully watched his father’s work. He left the arena at the age of 70. But until the end of his life he was never able to leave his favorite business and held the post of artistic director of the Zapashny Brothers troupe he created.

IN early childhood Edgard Zapashny was a year different from his own younger brother. He was a calm and reasonable boy. But Edgard has a difficult character, he constantly got it from his parents for his eccentric antics and ebullient energy, which was in full swing and did not always find the right way out.

And if the mother sometimes turned a blind eye to her son’s tricks, then strict father got it. He controlled not only the behavior, but also the studies of his sons, checking school grades right up to the graduation class. Even at the institute, he was keenly interested in the progress of Askold and Edgard.

Edgard Zapashny received higher education. He has a diploma from the Moscow Institute of Entrepreneurship and Law. He speaks English and Chinese.

Career

The circus biography of Edgard Zapashny began in 1988, when he was 12 years old. This happened in Riga, where my father went on tour.

After graduating from school, the family went to China. These were difficult years, which are usually called the “dashing 90s”. The whole country was experiencing a crisis. Artists and circus performers were no exception. In 1991, the Chinese offered Walter Zapashny a lucrative contract, which literally saved the lives of circus animals. After all, caring for them required a lot of money.

So Edgard Zapashny and his family went to a strange, amazing country, which greeted the whole family and their charges quite warmly. A spacious summer circus was built especially for the Zapashnys in the famous Safari Park near the city of Shenzhen. To differentiate themselves from the Chinese, the brothers changed their hair color and became blonde.

After the end of the contract, the entire family returned to their homeland. On tour they traveled all over the former Soviet Union. We visited Japan, Mongolia, Hungary.

And in 1998, a turning point occurred in the life of Edgard Zapashny and his brother: at the anniversary celebration, the father handed over to his sons the reins of the most striking and complex attraction called “Among the Predators.”

The young trainers were able to accept this gift with dignity and successfully developed the family business. They created the Zapashny Brothers Circus and increased their show programs. New circus attractions have appeared: “Colosseum”, “Camelot”, “Sadko”, “Camelot-2: Viceroy of the Gods”, “Legend”, “K.U.K.L.A.”, “Terrible Force” and others.

Edgard has a circus act that is unique in its complexity and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. This is a trick during which Zapashny stands with his loose legs on the croup of two horses moving in the arena, and two girls balance on his back. This issue was prepared for a year and a half.

In November 2012, Edgard Zapashny was appointed director of the famous Big Moscow State Circus, on Vernadsky Avenue, by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

There were also dark streaks in the trainer's work. One day, his brother came out of the tigress’s cage with a bloody face, having received a strong blow from the animal’s paw. And more than once he had to encounter tragedies that happened to his closest colleagues, because work in the circus is one of the most dangerous. An example of this was not only my brother, but also my mother and father, who were repeatedly seriously injured in the arena. Unfortunately, Edgard himself was not spared from serious injuries.

In 2006, during a trick on a horse, Zapashny landed unsuccessfully on the arena and tore ligaments in his leg. As the circus performer himself says, at that moment he did not even feel pain, he only heard a sound as if a string had broken. Long-term treatment in Germany was required; the man had to undergo several operations to restore his health.

And this is far from the artist’s only injury. In 2017 in German clinic he underwent spinal surgery - he had an intervertebral disc replaced cervical spine to artificial. This operation was planned, but due to his busy schedule he kept putting it off.

And in 2010, he and his brother were in a terrible accident, and although the car could not be restored, the guys remained safe and sound.

Edgard Zapashny in the show “King of the Ring”

Edgard Zapashny often appears on screen in TV shows and movies. In the spring and summer of 2007, he became a participant in the “King of the Ring” show, which was broadcast on Channel One. Here he managed to win 6 out of 7 possible victories in intermediate battles, winning in the final battle.

Viewers also watched the popular trainer in the programs “Big Race”, “Cube”, “Alone with Everyone”, “Comedy Club”, “The Invisible Man” and “Empire of Illusions: The Safronov Brothers”. Edgard Zapashny hosts his own program on the Zvezda TV channel, called “Legends of the Circus.”

Edgard Zapashny in the program “Alone with Everyone”

In 2015, he, his brother and his ward, the tiger Martin, came to the studio. And in 2015, television came to visit them - they starred in the program “While Everyone is Home.”

The artist also starred in several films, for example, in the TV series, where he played himself, in and.

Edgard Zapashny in the program “While everyone is at home”

In February 2012, Edgard Zapashny registered as a proxy of a candidate for President of the Russian Federation, and now current president. In March 2014, he signed the appeal Russian figures culture in support of the president’s policies in Crimea and Ukraine.

In the fall of 2016, during the elections to the State Duma, he became a confidant of the party " United Russia».

Personal life

According to the artist, he managed to “accustom” journalists to the fact that he is not one of the media persons who provide rich food for yellow publications. Therefore, the personal life of Edgard Zapashny for a long time was in the shadows, no one knew anything about her except ten of her closest friends. But no one doubted that the handsome handsome man (his height is 189 cm and his weight is 95 kg) is not deprived of female attention.

In 2008, the artist gave frank interview magazine “7 days”, where he spoke about his first woman. He was 16 when he moved from theory to practice. But his chosen one was 36. She worked in the Novosibirsk circus, where Edgard came for a month. He admits that there was a mind-blowing passion between them. But love did not work out, the difference of 20 years and the artist’s youth had an impact.

For 13 years the trainer lived in civil marriage with his circus artist Elena Petrikova. But living together The couple was not legally married. According to Edgard, Lena realized that the “youth” of her half would never end, which means strong family it won't work with him.

It seemed to Zapashny that he met his love in Voronezh. He liked Olga, a red-haired beauty with a beautiful figure, immediately when he saw her. This happened in one of the Voronezh fitness centers. Olga Denisova – fitness instructor. A romance broke out. It continued when the girl moved to the capital. The move to Moscow was connected with her career.

Olga gave birth to Edgard’s daughter Stefania in 2011. But the couple never turned into official family. This did not happen 2 years later, when the second daughter Gloria was born.

Nevertheless, Edgard Zapashny is a wonderful dad. He takes an active part in the life and upbringing of the girls, gave them his last name and took on financial expenses. After each tour, he rushes to his beloved daughters and tries to give them maximum parental warmth.

Further, the personal life of Edgard Zapashny seems to be developing in its own way. Soon he admitted that he had a girlfriend. He hid her for a long time, but when the news leaked onto the Internet that the trainer was preparing to become a father for the third time, he revealed the name of his chosen one. She became Yaroslavna Demeshko. They met in 2013 in the company of mutual friends. They talked a lot, and soon decided to move in together. To be closer to Edgard, Yaroslavna even got a job at the Zapashny Brothers Circus as an administrator.

In August 2017, the couple had a son, who was named Daniel. True, a boy was born ahead of schedule for several weeks, and he had to be placed in the intensive care unit in a special box. But, fortunately, everything worked out. Today at " Instagram"The artist regularly appears with photos of his children. But the microblog on Twitter has not been updated with new entries since 2015.

Fans of the trainer are all waiting for news about the wedding, but for now Yaroslavna remains in the status common-law wife Edgard.

Edgard Zapashny now

On April 1, 2017, information appeared on the website of the Great Moscow Circus that Edgard fired his brother from the circus. Allegedly, Askold himself wished to leave the post of artistic director of the BSMC. This position will be filled by Honored Artist of Georgia Gia Eradze. This news was received with indignation among the masses. But by the evening of the same day, Edgard announced that it was an April Fool's joke.

But in June 2018, a serious scandal broke out around Zapashny. A video has appeared on the Internet from the training of his daughter Gloria, who is already learning the circus profession with all her might. In the video, the girl cried in pain after stretching. The man was immediately accused of child abuse, to which he did not remain silent. He published a long response to his detractors, but main quote in this speech there was a phrase:

"No pain - no result...".

Who doesn’t know the strongest and most courageous tamers of tigers and lions - the brothers Edgard and Askold Zapashny? With their talent, they have long won the love of a multimillion-dollar public and have become one of the most famous hereditary trainers throughout the world. Each of them has their own personal and family life, which they, in general, carefully hide from prying eyes.

Askold

Askold Zapashny, whose wife will be discussed further, was born in Kharkov in 1977. He entered a cage with tigers for the first time at the age of 10. He began his circus career with his brother Edgard as a horse juggler and monkey trainer. In 1998, their father, People’s Artist of Russia Walter Zapashny, gave them the “Among Predators” attraction to celebrate his 70th birthday. Askold Zapashny entered the Guinness Book of Records with a stunt for the longest jump on a lion. Together with his brother, they created the Zapashny Brothers Circus.

Askold Zapashny's wife Helen

The wedding of Askold and Helen took place secretly from prying eyes, without much publicity on television and in the press. On the eve of this event, he was appointed chief artistic director of the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue.

His wife today is Helen Zapashnaya. Her biography says that she was born in the Holy Land of Israel, in the city of Haifa, located on the shore Mediterranean Sea. She is attached to this country with all her heart and soul, because her parents live here and are always waiting for them. Married to Askold, they had two girls named Eva and Elsa.

According to Helen herself, her and Askold’s parents were against their relationship. His mother, as a wise woman, wanted him to marry a circus girl, since she would be more loyal to his constant business trips, all sorts of hardships and associated inconveniences. And most importantly, she will always and everywhere follow her husband. And Ellen’s parents were afraid that their daughter would abandon the Minsk Medical Institute because of this.

Acquaintance

One day, the future Helen Zapashnaya, while still studying at the institute, went with friends to a circus performance by the Zapashny brothers. They spent the evening having fun, but then a couple of days later a friend they had in common with Askold called her and said that Askold was asking for her phone number. But then she didn’t know the trainer Askold and didn’t see much of his posters. She replied that she didn’t need it at all, because she already had a boyfriend, and the tour performers would be leaving soon.

Helen thought that if this is a famous artist, it means he is spoiled by female attention. The friend was indignant, but still managed to get her phone number. Then, at a lecture, she received a message on her phone where Askold invited her on a date, and they met. Their first evening was great, but then Askold disappeared for four days. It turns out that this was a trick to make her fall in love with him. She broke up with her boyfriend. Then the circus left and toured for 2 months. But the lovers used the phone to communicate at any time of the day or night, as it turned out.

Offer

Until recently, Helen did not understand everything that was happening to her; she slowed herself down so as not to completely lose herself in relationships and feelings. But Askold, although it was not easy for him, explained to her that their relationship had reached a different level. Three months after they met, Zapashny confessed his love to her. They began to dream about a wedding, about children, in general, they were making plans for the future in full swing, and even if the whole world was against them.

From that moment on, they declared themselves a couple. Askold went to visit Helen’s parents in Israel. Everyone was worried. Then there in the Holy Land he proposed to her, gave her a ring as his future wife and said those very important and main words and she, of course, answered “yes”.

Edgard

However, Edgard did not support his brother in this matter, and Askold was very surprised, because when he brought and showed his girlfriend to his mother, and she did not like her, Edgard left home with a backpack, and Askold left with him. True, their age then was quite youthful. Askold waited for his brother’s support, but then everything quickly calmed down, and today the whole family enjoyed pleasant relations. Edgard became the godfather of their first daughter, Eva, and he also has two daughters growing up.

Helen Zapashnaya gave birth to two girls, but she and her husband still really want a son so that he can continue the Zapashny dynasty of trainers. True, they have some disagreements on the issue of circumcision. After all, if a son is born, then according to Jewish traditions this process is simply necessary. Helen believes that from the point of view of hygiene this is very correct, but Askold does not at all share his wife’s opinion and so far stands his ground.

Eva and Elsa

Askold himself chose the names of his daughters; Helen believed that he had every right to do so, since a woman bears a child, and a man, giving a child a name, should feel involved, that he has become a father. The name Eva is Jewish, and Askold liked it, and also became pleasant for Helen’s parents. This was the first girl. But they named their second daughter Elsa simply because it is a very beautiful name.

Askold’s mother was against this name and even called the young people about this so that they would not call the child names successful people. But when some complex and controversial issues arise, the Zapashnys begin to look for a sign, and they received it. When, after their mother’s call, the young parents stopped at a traffic light, they suddenly saw a truck nearby with in large letters it was written "Elsa". And then another significant event happened: the famous world actress Elizabeth Taylor died on little Elsa’s birthday.

Zapashny's parents decided that their daughters should have beautiful, catchy and bright, memorable names. Askold and Helen already dream of being circus performers. Eva is very similar to her mother, and the youngest Elsa is exact copy dad, and that’s why they jokingly call her Askolda Askoldovna.

Helen Zapashnaya: nationality

Helen is Jewish by nationality, and sometimes the Zapashnys live in Israel for a long time, but they consider their family modern and do not observe Jewish traditions. Helen Zapashnaya (Raichlin) was at first offended by her husband who did not help her in the kitchen. But Askold explained his position to her very simply, saying that it was funny to him, for example, when a guy carries his girlfriend’s small handbag.

After her marriage, Helen changed her views about real men; she came to terms with the fact that her husband doesn’t even know how to fry eggs and doesn’t bring coffee to bed.

Tour

Helen Zapashnaya tries to follow her husband everywhere with her children. The Zapashny Brothers Circus constantly tours around the world, and Askold sometimes is not at home for months. From the experience of other families, Askold knows that in a long separation feelings cool down and spouses become unaccustomed to each other, so Askold and Helen and their children almost always travel together. Helen herself admits that she is always ready to follow her husband and endure all the inconveniences, especially since they have already adapted well and carry all the necessary furniture with them, household appliances, linen and even curtains.

Helen has already gotten used to the nomadic lifestyle, and if her husband leaves alone, then after a while, greatly bored, she hurries to him. And the children should see their father and their uncle Edgard more often, who already has sufficient parenting skills, having his own daughters.

Askold believes that what works best with children is that they should be rewarded for a good deed, and punished for a bad deed, and it is better not to confuse the boundaries. Because of raising children, the Zapashnys have disagreements, since, according to Askold, Helen Zapashnaya spoils their children. Children immediately feel concessions and begin to manipulate and use their whims to achieve what they want.

Jealousy

The young Zapashny spouses sometimes have disagreements due to jealousy. Especially at first, Helen Zapashnaya was very jealous of her husband towards women, but then she tried to figure out where she should be jealous and where not. In turn, Askold also does not accept the presence of a man near his wife.

However, Zapashny is not at all a tyrant in his family; he allowed his wife to study in residency so that she could finally complete her medical education. It’s a little stupid to study for seven years and then give it all up. Helen is a beautiful and smart woman, she wants to be independent. When many years have passed, she does not want to regret missed opportunities, especially since modern marriages are no longer strong.

Today, the parents of the spouses no longer condemn their choice; the main thing for them now is that their children love and respect each other. The trainer was destined for a circus performer as his wife, and for her, an Israeli doctor. But now everything is wonderful, and parents are only happy for the young people and for their beloved granddaughters.