A Prophetic Debut: How Konstantin Khabensky’s First Role Foreshadowed His Wife’s Fate
A Prophetic Debut: How Konstantin Khabensky’s First Role Foreshadowed His Wife’s Fate
Directed by Dmitry Meshiyev, the film “A Woman’s Property” was a leap of faith, a soulful endeavor rather than a calculated masterpiece. It is a poignant exploration of love that transcends age, social status, and even death. The movie is a tender and lyrical drama about a profound emotion that persists despite a terminal illness.
The Evolution of a Character
In Valentin Chernykh’s original story, Andrei Kalinin is portrayed as a young, macho theater student, a passionate and cynical lover of his university professor. He initially seeks her favor and eventually achieves his long-standing dream of being admitted to a theater institute. However, Meshiyev decided to refine this character, making him more sentimental and portraying the actor as a confused and lost individual, desperately in love with his professor. After her death from cancer, the student spirals out of control and becomes “a woman’s property.”
Konstantin Khabensky’s Journey
A series of lovers fill his youth, leaving his soul empty until he meets a woman on set who resembles his late professor. The film’s finale suggests that Kalinin intuitively understands that his great love has led him to another profound relationship. It seems as if she continues to care for him from beyond.
Meshiyev was immediately impressed with Khabensky’s audition. The young actor possessed a depth and maturity that perfectly suited the complex character of Kalinin. Their first encounter was amusing. Khabensky later recounted:
“I was called to voice something in the film ‘The American Woman.’ As I was descending the stairs at the studio, a man approached me and said, ‘I don’t know you!’ I replied, ‘I don’t know you either!’ and we went our separate ways. Later, I was told that the man was director Dima Meshiyev and that I had been approved for a role in his new film.”
On set, there was an immediate chemistry between the actors and the director. Despite the tragic plot, the filming process was smooth. Although Safonova often chuckled during rehearsals, noting that she was essentially playing herself again. This role in “A Woman’s Property” was her first after a long hiatus. Safonova had been married to French actor Samuel Labarthe, lived abroad, and raised her son. After her divorce, she decided to return to her homeland.
A Prophetic Debut
The 1990s were challenging times, with little work, no money, and no funding for film production. Safonova appeared in commercials and even taught at a theater institute, much like her character in the film. The debut was also prophetic for Khabensky. A year after filming, he met journalist Anastasia Smirnova, whom he soon married.
“She radiated such warmth that it was impossible not to fall in love,” Khabensky said about his first encounter with Nastya. They both longed for a child, and after seven years, they were overjoyed when Anastasia became pregnant. However, she soon began experiencing severe headaches, weakness, and nausea. The doctors’ diagnosis was devastating—glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer.
A Devastating Diagnosis
Anastasia refused aggressive treatment to save her unborn child’s life. Khabensky, in turn, did everything to save his beloved wife. He sold part of his property, spent all his earnings on medical care, and took her to the best clinic in the USA. Experienced doctors achieved remission, and they said she would live for another 10 years. However, she passed away just six months later. For the next two years, Khabensky was barely able to function.
A few days after her death, Khabensky wrote:
“I believe and know for sure that you are somewhere up there, watching over us and protecting someone, becoming the gentlest guardian angel… We remember you, Nastya! We remember!”
A New Love
Like his character in “A Woman’s Property,” another love brought Khabensky back to life—Olga Litvinova, who became his second wife. They have been together for over 10 years.
“She is from another planet, and you need to realize this as soon as possible. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, ‘You just have to look at her and breathe her fragrance.’ So I won’t say that she is a friend, comrade, or provocateur. All of this may be true, but she is still a person from another planet,” Khabensky said.
Khabensky’s life mirrored that of Andrei Kalinin from “A Woman’s Property,” but in real life, he did everything to be happier and more fulfilled. He established a foundation to help children with cancer, became a father again, and took on the role of director at the leading theater in the country—the Moscow Art Theatre named after Chekhov.
“Of course, it’s pleasant to realize that you have discovered a good actor—Kostya Khabensky first appeared in my film,” Meshiyev analyzed the actor’s creative path. “But I am convinced that Khabensky, Evlanov, and other actors who worked with me at that time would have become famous anyway. I was lucky to meet Kostya, not the other way around. After all, it is the actor Khabensky that the audience needs, not the director Meshiyev. Actors reveal themselves, and directors only help them,” the director believes.
According to Woman.ru, Khabensky’s journey is a testament to his resilience and dedication, both in his personal life and his career.
