Edgard Walterovich Zapashny. Born July 11, 1976 in Yalta. Circus performer, predator trainer, representative of the famous Zapashny circus dynasty in the third generation. Film actor. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (1999). People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2015).

March 11, 2014 signed the appeal of cultural figures Russian Federation in support of the policy of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in Ukraine and Crimea.

In September 2016, like his brother, he became a confidant of the party " United Russia» in the elections State Duma VII convocation.

Edgard Zapashny in the program "Alone with everyone"

The growth of Edgard Zapashny: 189 centimeters.

Personal life of Edgard Zapashny:

His first love was a Chinese woman.

"It was in 1993, in China. I met the charming Chinese woman Achun. Later we lived with her for more than three years. Achun worked in a safari park, where we arrived on long term. I really loved her. I truly felt and understood for the first time what love is! We left because I had to return to Russia. And for me it was a serious step, either to take her with me, or to stay there. We decided that we still need to leave. Still young, we were afraid, we'll do something stupid. Here, this is my first love! ”, - he said.

13 years lived in civil marriage with circus performer (aerial gymnast) Elena Petrikova.

Elena Petrikova - ex-civil wife of Edgard Zapashny

He was in a relationship with the former soloist of the Silver group. However, later Edgard Zapashny admitted that.

In 2012, the circus artist had an affair with an actress.

In March 2015, it became known that Edgard Zapashny had been in a relationship with fitness instructor Olga Denisova for several years, whom he met while visiting a gym in Voronezh. During this time, Olga gave birth to Edgard's daughters Stephanie (2011) and Gloria (2013). At one time there were rumors that Zapashny intended to marry the mother of his daughters. But the marriage never came to fruition.

After breaking up with Olga Denisova, he began a relationship with a girl named Yaroslavna, who became his common-law wife. They met in 2013 through friends. The novel proceeded very rapidly - at first the lovers spent a lot of time together, and then they came together. Yaroslavna got a job at the Zapashny Brothers Circus as an administrator.

He enjoys billiards and bowling.

Filmography of Edgard Zapashny:

2009 - Foundry (Season 4) - Edgard
2009 - City of temptations - Vlad, Masha's boyfriend
2010 - Interns - cameo, fearless tamer of wild animals, but afraid of rats
2011 - I'm afraid that they will stop loving me. Andrey Mironov (documentary)
2011 - Cool guys- cameo
2013 - 12 months - cameo
2013 - Don't be afraid, I'm with you! (Qorxma, mən səninləyəm! 1919 - Azerbaijan, Russia) - Danila, student of San Sanych
2014 - Family business- cameo
2016 - Margarita Nazarova - Oleg Pavlovich Rigel, director of the circus

Who does not know the most powerful and 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 in the whole 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 the 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 - at the celebration of his 70th birthday, gave them the attraction "Among the Predators". Askold Zapashny entered the Guinness Book of Records with a trick for the longest jump on a lion. Together with his brother, they created the Zapashny Brothers Circus.

Askold's wife Helen

The wedding of Askold and Helen was held in secret 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 coast mediterranean sea. She is attached to this country with all her heart and soul, because her parents live here, who are always waiting for them. In a marriage with Askold, they had two girls, whose names are Eva and Elsa.

According to Helen herself, her and Askold's parents were against their relationship. His mom is like wise woman, wanted him to marry a circus girl, as she would be more loyal to his constant business trips, all sorts of hardships and the inconveniences associated with this. And most importantly, she will always and everywhere follow her husband. And Helen's parents were afraid that their daughter would be abandoned by the Minsk Medical Institute in this regard.

Acquaintance

Once, the future Helen Zapashnaya, while still studying at the institute, went with friends to the circus performance of the Zapashny brothers. They had a fun evening, but then a couple of days later their common friend with Askold calls her and says that Askold asks for her phone number. But then she did not know the trainer Askold and did not particularly see his posters. She replied that she didn’t need it at all, because she already has a boyfriend, and the guest performers will leave soon.

Helen thought that if this is a famous artist, then he is spoiled by female attention. The friend was outraged, but still managed to get her phone. Then, at a lecture, she received a message on the 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 it was a trick to fall in love with her. 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

Helen until the last did not understand everything that was happening to her, she slowed herself down so as not to completely go into relationships and feelings. But Askold, although it was not easy for him, explained to her that their relationship had already reached another level. Three months after they met, Zapashny confessed his love to her. They began to dream about a wedding, about children, in general, they made plans for the future at full speed, and even if the whole world would be against them.

From that moment on, they declared themselves a couple. Askold went to 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, they were quite young at the time. Askold was waiting for his brother's support, but then everything quickly calmed down, and today the whole family was embraced pleasant relationship. Edgard became the godfather of their first daughter Eva, he also has two daughters.

Helen Zapashnaya gave birth to two girls, but she and her husband still very much want a son to continue the dynasty of Zapashny 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 this is very correct from the point of view of hygiene, but Askold does not at all share the opinion of his wife and so far stands his ground.

Eva and Elsa

Askold himself chose the names for his daughters, Helen considered that he had every right to do this, since a woman is carrying a child, and a man, giving a name to a child, should feel his involvement that he became a dad. The name Eva is Jewish, and Askold liked it, and also became pleasant for Helen's parents. It 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 young people about this so that they would not call the child names successful people. But when there are some complex and contentious issues The Zapashnys start looking for a sign, and they got it. When, after a call from their mother, the young parents stopped at a traffic light, they suddenly saw a truck nearby, on which “Elsa” was written in large letters. And then another significant event happened on the birthday of little Elsa, the famous world actress Elizabeth Taylor died.

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 younger Elsa is exact copy Pope, and therefore she is jokingly called Askolda Askoldovna.

Helen Zapashnaya: nationality

Helen is Jewish, and sometimes the Zapashnys live in Israel for a long time, but they consider their family to be modern and do not follow Jewish traditions. Helen Zapashnaya (Raikhlin) at first took offense at her husband, who did not help her in the kitchen. But Askold explained to her very simply his position, saying that he finds it funny, for example, when a guy carries his girlfriend's small handbag.

After marriage, Helen changed her views about real men, she resigned herself to the fact that her husband does not even know how to fry scrambled eggs and does not bring coffee to bed.

Tour

Helen Zapashnaya tries to follow her husband everywhere with her children. The circus of the Zapashny brothers constantly tours around the world, and Askold is sometimes away from home for months. From the experience of other families, Askold knows that in long separation feelings cool down, and spouses wean from each other, so Askold and Helen with 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 managed to get used to the nomadic way of life, and if her husband leaves alone, then after a while, having become very bored, she hurries to him. Yes, and children should see their father more often and with their uncle Edgard, who already has sufficient upbringing skills, having his own daughters.

Askold believes that it works best with children for a good deed to be encouraged, and for a bad one to be punished, and it is better not to confuse the boundaries. Because of the upbringing of children, the Zapashnys have disagreements, since, according to Askold, Helen Zapashnaya pampers their children. After all, children immediately feel concessions and begin to manipulate and whims to achieve what they want.

Jealousy

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

However, Zapashny is not a tyrant in his family at all, he allowed his wife to study in residency so that she would finally complete her medical education. It's a little stupid to unlearn seven years, then to abandon everything. Ellen is beautiful and clever woman she wants to be independent. When many years have passed, she does not want to regret the missed opportunities, especially since modern marriages have ceased to be 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 expected to marry a circus performer, and she - an Israeli doctor. But now everything is wonderful, and parents are only happy for the young and for their beloved granddaughters.

On Thursday, September 22, at the age of 79, trainer Mstislav Zapashny, one of the most prominent representatives the oldest circus dynasty in Russia. NTV tells about who the Zapashnys are and what made their circus dynasty famous.

Read below

Walter and Mstislav Zapashny

Mikhail and Lydia Zapashny had five children: Sergei, Walter, Anna, Mstislav and Igor.

Mikhail did not want his children to work in the circus, he hoped that they would get a good education and therefore, in principle, did not take them on tour. However, during the Great patriotic war 16-year-old Walter and 6-year-old Mstislav had to perform an acrobatic act in the Saratov circus to feed their families. After the war, the boys remained in the circus and performed in a variety of genres: clowning, aerial gymnastics, horse riding, motorcycle racing, animal training, and taming predators.

And although over time the brothers began to perform separately, both came to training.

By the way, it was Walter Zapashny who for the first time saddled a lion in the arena and created the attraction “Among Predators”, in which tigers, lions, panthers and lynxes simultaneously participated.

And Mstislav graduated from the directing department of GITIS and became famous not only as a trainer, but also as a director of circus programs. So, in 1977 he created the only performance in the world where elephants and tigers were in the same cage, in 1996 the artist received the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art for it. No less famous is the heroic-historical circus performance-pantomime by Mstislav Zapashny "Spartacus", which has no analogues in the world in terms of the scale of the production. From 2003 to 2009, Mstislav Zapashny served as general director of the Russian State Circus.

Dynasty founders

The founder of the circus dynasty of tamers, gymnasts and acrobats Zapashny was the clown Karl Thomson, who toured back in tsarist Russia under the pseudonym Milton. Thompson's daughter, Lydia, from the age of 15 performed in the circus as a rider and gymnast, and her husband Mikhail Zapashny gave the dynasty a well-known surname.

Mikhail Zapashny was born in 1900 and had nothing to do with the circus - he worked as a port loader in the small seaside town of Yeysk. Wrestler Ivan Poddubny invited him to the arena, who noticed remarkable strength young man. So, Mikhail began to practice in the genre of French wrestling and for some time performed under the pseudonym Eaglet. Later, he became interested in power acrobatics and became especially famous with the number "Acrobats-snipers", an element of which was shooting from a small-caliber rifle.

Edgard and Askold Zapashny

Edgar and Askold Zapashny the most famous successors family tradition, children of Walter Zapashny. At the age of seven, the brothers first entered the cage with predators and have since worked in a variety of circus genres. Now they are successfully touring the country. They received a number of circus awards, were recognized as the "Best Circus Artists of the Year", since 1999 they have been Honored Artists of Russia, and since 2012 they have been awarded the title of People's Artists.

Their elder sister Maritza also became a circus performer, the world's only trainer of black panthers. In addition, Askold and Edgard great amount cousins, all of them are somehow connected with the circus and perform on the arena independently of each other.

Dynasty of animal trainers Zapashny

On Thursday, September 22, trainer Mstislav Zapashny, one of the brightest representatives of Russia's oldest circus dynasty, died at the age of 79. NTV tells about who the Zapashnys are and what made their circus dynasty famous.

Read below

Walter and Mstislav Zapashny

Mikhail and Lydia Zapashny had five children: Sergei, Walter, Anna, Mstislav and Igor.

Mikhail did not want his children to work in the circus, he hoped that they would receive a good education, and therefore, in principle, did not take them on tour. However, during the Great Patriotic War, 16-year-old Walter and 6-year-old Mstislav had to perform an acrobatic act in the Saratov circus in order to feed their families. After the war, the boys remained in the circus and performed in a variety of genres: clowning, aerial gymnastics, horse riding, motorcycle racing, animal training, and taming predators.

And although over time the brothers began to perform separately, both came to training.

By the way, it was Walter Zapashny who for the first time saddled a lion in the arena and created the attraction “Among Predators”, in which tigers, lions, panthers and lynxes simultaneously participated.

And Mstislav graduated from the directing department of GITIS and became famous not only as a trainer, but also as a director of circus programs. So, in 1977 he created the only performance in the world where elephants and tigers were in the same cage, in 1996 the artist received the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art for it. No less famous is the heroic-historical circus performance-pantomime by Mstislav Zapashny "Spartacus", which has no analogues in the world in terms of the scale of the production. From 2003 to 2009, Mstislav Zapashny served as general director of the Russian State Circus.

Dynasty founders

The founder of the circus dynasty of tamers, gymnasts and acrobats Zapashny was the clown Karl Thomson, who toured in Tsarist Russia under the pseudonym Milton. Thompson's daughter, Lydia, from the age of 15 performed in the circus as a rider and gymnast, and her husband Mikhail Zapashny gave the dynasty a well-known surname.

Mikhail Zapashny was born in 1900 and had nothing to do with the circus - he worked as a port loader in the small seaside town of Yeysk. He was invited to the arena by the wrestler Ivan Poddubny, who noticed the remarkable strength of the young man. So, Mikhail began to practice in the genre of French wrestling and for some time performed under the pseudonym Eaglet. Later, he became interested in power acrobatics and became especially famous with the number "Acrobats-snipers", an element of which was shooting from a small-caliber rifle.

Edgard and Askold Zapashny

Edgar and Askold Zapashny are the most famous successors of the family tradition, the children of Walter Zapashny. At the age of seven, the brothers first entered the cage with predators and have since worked in a variety of circus genres. Now they are successfully touring the country. They received a number of circus awards, were recognized as the "Best Circus Artists of the Year", since 1999 they have been Honored Artists of Russia, and since 2012 they have been awarded the title of People's Artists.

Their older sister Maritza also became a circus performer, the world's only trainer of black panthers. In addition, Askold and Edgard have a huge number of cousins ​​and sisters, all of them are somehow connected with the circus and perform on the arena independently of each other.

Dynasty of animal trainers Zapashny

Edgard Zapashny is a world-famous tiger trainer, a representative of a famous circus dynasty. Since 2012, the People's Artist has headed the Great Moscow State Circus.

early years

Edgard was born in Yalta on July 11, 1976 in the family of Walter and Tatyana Zapashny. He grew up in a circus environment and, together with his brother Askold and sister Maritza, early age started participating in performances. The whole trinity did not actually have a “normal” childhood, but even then it was a completely conscious choice: the Zapashnys themselves wanted to continue the work of their father and uncle, so they did not see themselves outside the career of trainers.


Career

Edgard's debut in front of the audience took place in the Baltic States in 1989.


The perestroika years turned out to be difficult for the Zapashnys. In 1991, they accepted the offer of the Chinese side and moved to the Middle Kingdom to permanent job. The move was primarily due to the financial side of the issue: not only artists were in poverty, but also animals, which had nothing to support. The Chinese authorities organized a large temporary circus for the Zapashnys near the city of Shenzhen.

Edgard began to perform in conjunction with Askold and visited a number of countries during the tour. Among other things, the brothers visited their homeland and thought about returning, especially since their five-year contract was already expiring.


Since 1998, Edgard and Askold Zapashny officially began to manage the family show "Among the Predators", which their father inherited. The brothers changed it for themselves, although in many ways they remained true to tradition.

In 1999, Edgard was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. He increasingly found himself in front of the camera lens, actively promoting his shows and participating in various programs. The shooting of Edgard in the program "King of the Ring" in 2007 turned out to be especially spectacular. He fought skillfully and reached the final, where he met with Evgeny Dyatlov and, by decision of the judges, won on points. Between 2008 and 2011, Zapashny published 4 books, both in co-authorship and independently.

Edgard Zapashny with a lion cub

Edgard appeared in videos of various performers of all genres: from rocker Valery Kipelov to the pop group Disco Crash.

One of the major cinematic projects of the trainer is the role in the film by Yuli Gusman “Don't be afraid, I'm with you! 1919 ”, where Polad Bul-Bul oglu, Lev Durov, Mikhail Efremov, Igor Zolotovitsky and other actors also starred.


Among the series where Edgard played in episodes or cameos, one can single out the series " father's daughters" Alexander Rodnyansky and Vyacheslav Murugov, "Real Boys" with Nikolai Naumov in the foreground and "Interns", which re-discovered the viewer Ivan Okhlobystin.

In 2012, the trainer became People's Artist. At the same time, he took the vacant position of director of the Great Moscow State Circus, which in the philistine environment bears the name "Circus on Vernadsky Avenue." At the same time, Zapashny did not stop performing and regularly went under the dome with his wards.


Edgard initiated the creation of a KVN team based on the BMGTS. She quickly made it to the Major League and even made it to the finals. In part, their presence on stage is an advertisement for the circus run by Zapashny. He goes to the games, and sometimes helps on stage or participates in the preparation of commercials for video contests.


Edgard offered Channel One and Alexey Pimanov personally to make a series about Margarita Nazarova. The idea was implemented in 2016. The main roles in the project were played by Olga Pogodina and Andrey Chernyshov. Zapashny filmed himself and attracted his circus to stage tricks with animals.

Personal life of Edgard Zapashny

Being a public person, Edgard does not seek to flaunt his personal life. Fans and journalists learned about many of his novels after the fact.

For 13 years, Zapashny lived in a civil marriage with a colleague Elena Petrikova. According to the artist, they should have got married, if not for his "youth". He always spoke of Elena with an exceptionally kind word.

Edgard Zapashny now

In March 2018, members of the Zapashny family, as well as their friends, gathered at the Novodevichy Convent for the baptism of Stephanie and Daniel. This event Edgard gave wide publicity, although he is usually secretive about his personal life.

The trainer not only actively uploads photos to in social networks, but also often responds to subscribers, both to positive comments and negative ones, entering into controversy on a particular issue.

In June 2018, Edgard opposed the initiative of some animal rights activists to ban petting zoos in the country, but still called for prescribing for them general rules and increase control.