“I persuaded Marina to sign a marriage contract. Alexander Dobrovinsky: “Dinner with the groom Alexander Dobrovinsky with his wife and daughters

“Girls, now you will be stunned by my new hairstyle!” - this is how Alexander Dobrovinsky greets the receptionists in the chic office of his law office. We exchange glances with the secretary and freeze in anticipation, but then he takes off his hat and we smile - no special changes, just a neat haircut. Everyone should have such a sense of humor, like Dobrovinsky. It is easy to confuse his office with a museum: at the entrance to the building in the Last Lane, in the center of Moscow, you are met by four-meter-high Atlanteans propping up the visor - the authorship, by the way, belongs to the architect Andrei Nalich - the father of the same singer Pyotr Nalich, who blew up the Internet in 2007 guitar song. The walls of the hall are decorated with works of art, here is the "Student" by Alexander Deineka, and a portrait of a naked Carla Bruni, and more than two hundred pens donated to a lawyer. Alexander Dobrovinsky invites me into the office, asking the secretary to bring a cup of tea, takes his workplace at the desk.

"Shaken by divorce!"

Was the news of Vladimir Putin's divorce expected for you? Abroad for public people this is a common thing, and we have the first precedent!

I'm completely shocked! This is confirmation that Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin - normal people. And it's great! It's not great, of course, that they are getting divorced, it's great that they openly announced this. Most of us on the throne were some kind of mannequins that did not allow themselves to show feelings. Vladimir Vladimirovich and Lyudmila Alexandrovna are the same people as all of us - neither the end of a relationship nor love is alien to them.

From your professional point of view, if this is a “civilized divorce”, as Lyudmila Putina called it, will the division of property follow the statement?

I suspect that there is an agreement between them - is it expressed in the marriage contract or is it done without papers, but, apparently, everything has already been decided. For example, I leave the Spassky Gates for you, and I take the Borovitsky Gates for myself ... But there is no divorce stamp in the passport yet! If they have no claims against each other, and the children are already adults, then they will not go to court, but they will have to visit the registry office.

Do you think it is possible for the President new marriage? Here Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Vladimirovich has long devoted himself to the country!

We have no reason not to believe Dmitry Sergeevich - he is a serious person, but no one forbade marriages without registration.

Where do you get this kind of knowledge from? For example, you were the first in Russia to confirm the death of Berezovsky, and stated that he had committed suicide. Were you friends?

No, we weren't friends. In general, I thought Boris was a little crazy. Having information is power, so about twenty people in Russia and about the same number in the West work with me on a permanent basis - they immediately report news in areas that may interest me. For such information as the death of Berezovsky, one has to pay dearly!

A few years ago, your name was associated with any show business showdown, now you are less involved in this maelstrom. Earn a name and that's enough?

I'm not interested in where a person comes from, I'm only interested in him! There is an opportunity - I work with people from show business. Many business relationship grew into a strong friendship, as with Philip Kirkorov. But ordinary people among my clients, about fifty percent, like any star lawyer. And on hearing only the photographer Zhenya Guseva, whom I defended in the case against Valery Meladze. Our conversation is interrupted by a phone call. Alexander Andreevich takes him to the speakerphone: “Beloved, hello. For the first time in 35 years, I did not begin to congratulate you first due to the fact that I sent a pretty bouquet with a note that says everything that I think of you. A pleasant female voice is heard from the receiver: “At your feet, beautiful Elena, you have to throw a chinchilla and diamonds, and I throw miserable flowers. Forever loving you cat "... Thank you, dear, what kind of "miserable flowers" are these, a chic basket! Thank you! Adore". Dobrovinsky laughs: “The tattoo with the date of your birthday was made on one of my interesting place well, you know! Kiss!" - This ex-wife, we saved great relationship. My current wife is not jealous at all. Marina and I have been together for more than twenty years, two daughters are growing up. Both are far from us - they study abroad. The youngest at school in Germany wants to become a prosecutor, and the eldest at the Faculty of Law wants to be a lawyer. I am constantly in touch with them - text messages, calls, consult with me even about clothes and boys. Back to our questions...

Okay... Would you like to protect someone from the world's celebrities - to share the property of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher or the children of Madonna and Guy Ritchie?

You have hit the mark! This month I'm flying to Monaco to meet a super-duper star - this woman is number one in France. Her child was taken away from her, we will agree - we will return it together. I am sure this scandal will be in all the world's media! So we continue to blur the boundaries: the office in London is successfully operating, we will soon open in St. Petersburg and Monte Carlo.

“If you know how to laugh at yourself, nothing is scary”

In addition to writing humorous sketches about lawsuits, family and everything that happens, what other hobbies do you have - golf, collecting?

Ha, I still can’t understand: I am a lawyer whose hobby is collecting, or a collector whose hobby is advocacy. I have about twenty collections - paintings, drawings, a collection of erotica (why not remember at your leisure how I went through the pre-conservative period in the development of our civilization), Soviet jewelry (a cameo with Trotsky or cufflinks with Lenin), posters, furniture, a collection of pens, cigarette cases , books, rare cars, agitlak (revolutionary icon). Everything dates back to the 20th century. Memorabilia are of particular value to me - things famous people, in my collection is the pocket watch of the King of England Edward VIII, things of Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Krupskaya. The biggest pride is the medals of the legendary hockey player Anatoly Tarasov and his honored coach badge. The title was taken away from him, but he did not give the badge. They were given to me by his daughter, a coach in figure skating charming Tatyana Tarasova. My wife was also infected with my passion - she retrained from a dentist to an art critic and has been teaching the most fashionable courses in the capital for five years. She also organizes amazing trips abroad, but not on tourist routes but finds something exceptional.

Alexander Dobrovinsky is a lawyer, a specialist in difficult divorces, a collector, a radio host, a philanthropist ... One can list for a long time. Who are you, Alexander?

I? I am my own favorite. (Laughs.) This is mutual love. Having arisen once, it is constantly cultivated. Once, I thought about what my positive and negative qualities are, and concluded that my main negative quality is that I do not know all my positive qualities, and most importantly my positive quality in that I know a couple of my negative qualities. So Alexander Andreevich and I live in perfect harmony, we understand each other, it’s easy and comfortable for us to be together, and, most importantly, it’s interesting! (Laughs.)

A man with a great sense of humor is a rarity these days!

With my last wife, we just died of laughter at the divorce. They looked at us like we were crazy, and we laughed, remembering something.

What did you remember?

Well, as the bed was broken, from laughter too. (Laughs.) In my family, first of all, a sense of humor was always valued, and a sense of self-irony was even higher than a sense of humor.

You can't live without self-irony.

People who take themselves too seriously are terrible boring people who are not fun to talk to. My people survived 5700 years only because they could smile at themselves.

How many wives did you have?

Yours or in general? Official, when did we go to the registry office? One two Three.

What about unofficial ones?

I will say that it has always been an amazing relationship, and even after breaking up.

Are you friends with everyone?

Do not spill water. There are exceptions, but this is generally the case.

This is another positive quality, but you breed a large number of people in this city?

And I breed, and I make peace.

What happens more often: divorce or reconciliation?

Of course, divorces happen more often, because there are aggravating circumstances. But when a couple manages to reconcile, it costs hundreds of divorces!

Do many clients remain your friends after that?

Yes, of course, because the moment when you reached out to give, not to take away, is very important for a person in trouble. And every divorce is a tragedy. After all, people got married in order to walk hand in hand along the thorny and winding road of life, to be together until the very end, and suddenly the family collapses. At this time, a lot of people appear around who give advice there, give advice here, in the middle there are often children who must take some position, or adults try to get the children to take this position. Often parents come in and stick to their own line. Sea of ​​advisers! And suddenly there is a person who says: “Listen, let me try to reconcile you.” And when this happens, a completely shocking state sets in!

An unexpected story, especially when your job is to stay on the client side.

I remain on the client side, there is no other way. But trying to convince a person that you need to think and make peace is great. By the way, one of the biggest cases that I had happened thanks to such an event. A divorcing husband came to me, the son of a very wealthy man.

Others don't come to you!

Why? I have a lot of friends who need help. Yes, and there are simply people who come to get a business card, then to scare a husband or wife. This also happens. (Laughs.)

So, they came together with their father with a definite intention to “tear and trample” the woman. I listened and listened, and then I said: “Why are you doing this? She lived with you for so many years, when you walked down the aisle with her, you probably loved her. Why now it is necessary to throw it out into the street, explain to me? To end this once and for all, let's do marriage contract. Leave her an apartment, a car, a summer house on it and give her 200-300 thousand dollars. For you, this is nothing like taking the subway.” They were both surprised, but obeyed. And when they signed this contract, her husband said to her: “I can’t understand why I’m doing this, but I got a strange lawyer who insisted that you be given all this money. Send him a bottle of cognac." The woman remembered this and years later sent me one client. She came in tears - she was at odds with a phenomenally rich man, whom she was very afraid of, and all she wanted from him was that he leave her a boutique, a lease for a store in Moscow. The story ended with her receiving $620 million instead of a boutique.

Is it difficult to compete against people of this level? They then do not take revenge?

That is why they come here. Take, for example, the high-profile trial between Slutsker, which was widely covered in the media. When I was talking to a client who was unable to take the hit, I said, “Look, this story needs someone to focus all the hate on. I will be the one to call fire upon myself."

And it was done, 24 lawyers opposed me,
and I was alone.

And when the judge pronounced her decision, she said that in two decades of work she had not seen a case for the party to focus on proving that the lawyer was wrong, and not the defendant. For some time now it has become a certain calling card my work. I take all the negativity on myself, take the whole blow, and the danger passes by my client. The opposing side understands that I invented everything, and that I will go to the end, and its anger goes to me, not to my client. This happens both in the courtroom and outside its walls, from beginning to end.

Tell us about your passion for art. I know you collect paintings, watches, porcelain...

Yes, I have 22 collections. In total, as the museum workers say, there are 40,000 items.

Do you keep collections in Russia?

Yes, of course, I bring everything here. Now you are sitting next to Napoleon's purse. Touch it, he traveled all over Europe with it and got stuck here in Russia. (Laughs.)

What other weaknesses do you have besides love for beauty?

I don’t even know if this is a weakness, but I have never been able to hit or just raise my voice to a woman. And sometimes they do that. (Laughs.) I can't scream, I can't at all. A couple of years ago, there was a case on this carpet when my secretary, an assistant, did something stupid, and since I can’t scream, I started to hiss at her.

She fainted right there.

It seems to me that the quieter you speak, the more attention people pay to you, because they begin to listen. So the cry is not mine. True, sometimes I want to bark, but I can’t.

Do you travel a lot?

Oh yeah! I've been traveling all my life, but I haven't seen everything yet. One minus - I like to return to where I felt good.

And how often does this happen? I fell in love with Sardinia, I go there every summer. But best trip in my life is in Peru and I'm not sure I can go back there soon.

Differently. I was just in Sardinia and I didn't like it there. I liked Thailand! I bought a villa in Phuket, a car, and have been going there for 18 years. Every year I think about the fact that I should go somewhere else, but closer to the new year, thoughts always arise: “Where to? What for? It's so good in Thailand!”, and I fly there again. This is my distant dacha, it's so nice there in winter!

You can't forbid living beautifully. What did you dream about as a child and what do you dream about now? Have you fulfilled your aspirations? They say that successful men stop dreaming.

I haven't grown up yet to stop dreaming. (Laughs.) As a child, I knew very well what I wanted.

Perhaps these were goals, not dreams.

No, dreams. Because I wanted a Rolls-Royce. Who would have thought in Soviet time that I will have a Rolls-Royce. But my mother told me as a child that everything a person dreams about materializes.

I had crazy dreams, and gradually I realized them,
but they appear again and again.

I wanted to pee from the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris during the day - I did. I wanted to meet Brigitte Bardot, so she herself came to me by chance.

But seriously?

Probably make a film and try yourself as a director. I really love new things! All my collections are discoveries for myself and for the world. I collect what no one has collected, I love to do what no one else has done.

Will it be a feature film?

Probably yes. I almost despaired of finding a screenwriter and director for myself. I have come across the fact that writing books and being a playwright are completely different things. I succeed in writing, inducing a smile - the second book is already being published with a circulation twice as large as planned. But dramaturgy is a separate genre: you have to imagine a scene or film set with all the ensuing requirements. I tried to work with several screenwriters, but they are creative people, and they begin to advise me and offer me things that, for example, I do not want. I already have a couple of scripts that do not suit me, they need to be redone. I would like to make a film myself according to my ideas, and be responsible for it myself, and not make excuses, complaining that it turned out so badly, because the director was bad. I am always responsible for what I do.

This is a rare quality that distinguishes a successful man from an unsuccessful one - the ability to take responsibility for people, for situations.

Yes, rare, especially in Russian culture. No matter how many times a person is late, he will always find a reason and an excuse: traffic jams, stomach ache, menstruation. I can't stand it. It's rare that a person comes in and says, "Sorry, I'm late, my fault." Period. This is how I was brought up - to be responsible for my actions.

Have there been times when you regretted your actions and would like to change everything?

Certainly. There is an anecdote that I often tell my clients. (Laughs.) On the eve of the 15th wedding anniversary, the wife wakes up and sees her husband sitting in the kitchen. In front of him is a glass of vodka, a cucumber ...

Honey, are you celebrating one?

Not really.

Why are you drinking?

If I had strangled you 15 years ago, today I would have been released. (Laughs.)

Of course, there are things that you regret, and which have settled in you and tormented by memories. But Jewish wisdom says that experience is your mistakes, and we never consider experience that we have done good. From time to time I think about what I would have done differently, what would have happened if I had come to Russia in 1992 and dealt with oil. Perhaps life would have turned out differently. (Laughs.)

Poor women would be left without an ideal lawyer, defender and intercessor! Are there more women than men among your clients?

No, it's about the same.

And who is more interesting to protect, women or men?

You know, the hardest things are the most interesting. With women it is more difficult, but more pleasant. Will explain. On the certain stage a woman feels how a lawyer becomes, that is, I become, her brother, father, attorney ...

Strong male shoulder?

Yes, and the woman's subconscious wants to say thank you. She is looking for a person who sues her or goes to talk with the bandits, or shakes the rights with her husband, which is actually the same as talking to the bandits, who fenced her off from all troubles and promises a wonderful future, to thank. And how women say thank you, do I need to explain. And then the moment comes when you are invited to celebrate the victory in a restaurant, and I already know what will happen next.

Is it not pleasant for a man when a large number of women fall in love with him?

If we are talking about love, I will tell you, I great specialist in this region.

A person absolutely does not care whether they love him or not, it is more important for you that you love.

A person sincerely wants to prove his gratitude, so in no case can he be offended. It is best to come to dinner with a friend, with his wife, which dot the i's. After all, you came with your beloved, and that's it. But this comes with experience. I had very difficult cases when you lose a client. I was also warned by my grandfather's brother, Uncle Fima, a very famous lawyer in Leningrad. Never protect relatives, if you lose, everything will be bad: resentment, scandals, etc. And you can sleep with clients only after everything is over. Why? First, stop paying. (Laughs.) I had a case when I didn’t listen to Uncle Fima many, many years ago: we won, everything was great, but now I have a bill for her in front of me, and the girl comes and says: I want to go on vacation, please give me money ... This was not part of my plans when we got into the legal business.

Yes, perhaps it is a heavy burden to be your wife. Marina Dobrovinsky is a wise and beautiful woman.

Marina is beloved, there should not be another wife and never will be. Marina is a brilliant person. We are of the same breed, went through the same school of life, both were emigrants. She is the first woman in my life who was able to create a home where I am drawn and where I want to return. I'm interested in her, and she, I hope, with me too.

Are you helping her?

Tomorrow I will give a lecture at her Phillips art history course. Her teacher is ill and I will have to give a lecture on photography. About Rodchenko and Helmut Newton, about two photographers whom I love and collect. At lectures, I always talk about my impressions, about my vision of these people. When a person gives a lecture in general, without passing through the prism of his perception, it is very boring to listen.

Tell me, do you always get what you want?

Almost yes. But it happens that I started to do, and how to continue, but I'm too lazy to go further.

You have so much time for everything, you have laziness!?

I want to have time for everything: both here and there. I'm doing a radio program "Yoga for the Brains" on Silver Rain. The program has been running for four years now with a phenomenal rating, it is listened to by both schoolchildren and pensioners. I remember you and Vitaly Kozak were visiting me. I have fun on the program! But I'm already thinking to come up with something new, you remember that I'm a lover of novelty!

Perhaps it will be a TV program?

Very likely.

Well then big ship- great swimming!

Photo by Jan Coomans

Our first heroine

curator and art expert Marina Dobrovinskaya.

Wife famous lawyer Alexandra Dobrovinsky, Marina preferred the image secular ladies career in the art world. She realized in time that it was in the world of art that she was able to feel truly happy. And that means successful. Our meeting took place in the apartment of Marina and Alexander, where we were able to personally see their famous collection.

Marina, recent times I heard a lot about your art tours. Tell me, are they part of the educational program of the Phillips auction house, or are these your own ideas?

These are all my ideas. Educational program- also my idea, which I just proposed to the auction house. It seems to me that they were very happy and are still satisfied that such courses exist in Moscow. The idea of ​​trips is not new, they are already 7 years old, the same as my program. I call it educational, people who come to us are already quite educated in this regard. And we started riding from the first year. This is an integral part of the program, since hearing one theory is not enough. You always want to see everything with your own eyes. Agree, it’s nice, after listening to a series of lectures, to go to this city, country and see for yourself the masterpieces that you were told about.

So these trips are directly related to the courses? Is it pointless to go without preparation?

It happens to us, everything is possible. But I always try to warn people who haven't taken courses that they're going to have to face something they're not quite used to. For example, contemporary art, for which, I am convinced, you need to prepare.

And if a person is savvy, familiar with the era and the authors that he was told about, will he be interested? Why is it worth going specifically as part of your project, and not visiting the chosen city and museum on your own?

Of course, we also go to museums, but not to permanent exhibitions - you can really see it for yourself. The trips that I organize are aimed at places that you just can't get to. They include acquaintances with artists and their ateliers, trips to the storerooms of museums, some special exhibitions and galleries where you can communicate with people of art. If we go to the museum, then the curator or the director himself meets us there. We have a personal approach.

How do you develop a program for a year - do you know in advance which cities you will visit as part of the courses and taking into account exhibitions?

Everything is shaping up differently. I organize all the trips myself, there are only four of them a year, a maximum of five. I prepare something for three months, and there are those that take a year to prepare. We have two cycles in parallel in our courses: classical applied art, that is, the old masters, and the history of modern contemporary art. In any case, the trip "covers" those places, artists that the person has already heard about. It's always interesting.

I would like to hear about the organization of your courses: how many times a week they run or whether it is difficult to fit them into your schedule. And what period is discussed in the lectures on contemporary art?

Courses are designed for academic year from the beginning of October to the end of May. I try to make them comfortable for people with children. After the rest, September is a difficult month: you need to make a schedule, get organized and solve some everyday problems. It is better to start studying in October. During the school holidays, we also take a break: this is a week on the November holidays, two weeks in New Year and then rest in May. The cycle is for everyone. A total of 30 lectures per academic year on classical history and 30 on modern history. Lectures are held 2 times a week: Tuesday - classics, Wednesday - contemporary and contemporary art. We begin the cycle of classical art from antiquity to the middle of the 19th century, modern and contemporary art - from the middle of the 19th century to the present day, including the art of video art and performance, that is, what is especially relevant today. Everything has been accounted for. The lecturers who read with us change every 5 classes so that you can hear new topics, opinions, because each specialist has his own "horse". It is important to hear perfectly different people. Listening to one, even a beautiful one, is wrong. The classical part is arranged a little differently: there is my favorite lecturer who leads 15 classes at once, and then there are thematic lectures in blocks of 5 lessons.

And all 7 years it is in demand?

We started with a narrow circle, which at first included my friends and acquaintances. And until now, 90% are women, but now men are also interested, gradually we no longer fit in the small gallery where we started classes. So we moved to the lecture hall at the Central Department Store. Then it became crowded there, and now we are based on Ostozhenka in the hall for 130 seats in the Museum of Photography of Olga Sviblova.

So this is a serious school?

Yes, although I didn't expect it myself. Despite the fact that I understood how it was necessary and interesting. Seven years ago, when I started doing courses, there was nothing like this in Moscow. There were some courses at the Pushkin Museum and in the Tretyakov Gallery. But not about modern art, but only classics, and there was a lot of censorship. I do everything in a very Western way, I have no censorship. Artists, art critics can say any word and express any opinion, and I welcome this.

How did all this come about, how did this project of yours suddenly come to life?

It began with the fact that I left my profession - by my first education I am a dentist. After 18 years in dentistry, I left because youngest child hurt a lot. Since my husband and I are passionate about art and collecting, I decided to find some courses myself and do something. I found a program at the Museum of Arts and Crafts - it was pure classics, the courses lasted two years, and I went there 4 times a week. In the end, she wrote her thesis and received a diploma.

What topic?

I collect Soviet glass, I have a favorite artist - Vladimir Muratov from Gus-Khrustalny, he, unfortunately, has already died, but I knew him and bought several works from him. I believe that this is an absolutely brilliant artist with a very refined taste, and it was about him that my graduate work. Then I realized that courses should exist, but they should be different, not so boring, and I made my own program. At that time, I was very friendly with the Sotheby's auction house, they were building an office in Moscow and offered me to take a certain position with them.

Were you friends as a collector?

Yes, my husband and I are their customers. I didn’t like their offer then, I don’t see myself sitting in the office and writing reports. In response, I offered to organize courses in Moscow. They have courses in London, but they are for a slightly different target audience - for future employees, they nurture professionals there. And I offered to make lectures for amateurs and clients. But the decision was never made. It was then that I met Simon de Pury, at that time the owner of Phillips de Pury, a company that deals only with contemporary art. Simon was wildly delighted with my idea and immediately decided that such courses should be organized in Moscow. A week later he already sent me from New York financial director who signed a contract with me. And since then, I've been kind of at Phillips.

If we are talking about a full-scale educational course, then the choice of cities for trips is very large. How did you make a short list of places you often go to?

There is no such list, any city can attract with its culture. We even went to St. Petersburg. It is interesting, of course, to travel around Europe. Since I do everything myself, organizing a trip to some new town takes up to a year. For example, there will be New York soon, and I have been preparing this trip for a long time. It's not easy, because I always go for very few days: to Europe - for 3 and a half days, to New York - 5 days. Why? First, there is a lot of material to look at. Everything must be in right time and not too long, so that the person is not tired, not bored. Every 5 minutes - thought out and organized. For three and a half days we watch a lot, plus lunches and dinners, sometimes going to the opera or theater. The program is very rich. After these three days, it seems that you were on a trip for two months, but of course, it’s difficult to leave for such a long time - we all have little time, all our families. In addition, if a person sees and hears too much, then the information is difficult to remember and easy to get confused. Everything should be proportional. I tried a lot before I came up with this format, and now it seems perfect to me.

I understand this very well from my previous work. We need to make sure that everyone is happy, so that people have the opportunity to relax and exhale, change clothes before dinner. I understand the work behind it.

Yes, it's not that simple. But I really like it, I myself get great pleasure and never repeat anything. Although I have a favorite city - Brussels, which we will go to for the fourth time, but this is a real storehouse of art, culture, incredible tasty food, and each time the trip can be made completely new.

Tell us about your Brussels! I also love this city, but usually, having been there for one day, I go somewhere to Ghent or Bruges. And suddenly you tell me that you will be there for the fourth time...

Firstly, we always go there at the end of January to get to the BRAFA antique fair. I think this is one of the best art fairs in Europe. The prices are good and things are of high quality, excellent galleries participate - many are from Paris, and in Paris they have completely different prices. We usually come to the fair on the first day, for the vernissage, after which there is a dinner, which is sometimes visited by the queen. Society of collectors - it's very interesting! Then - Ghent, my favorite city, I never miss it. The drive is only 40 minutes, and you should definitely see the Ghent altar of the van Eyck brothers, I consider it one of the wonders of the world in art, you can look at it endlessly. Ghent also has a wonderful museum of modern art with an amazing director who met us last time and told us everything. He showed the exposition and even took it to the storeroom, took out the hidden Kabakov.

Ghent altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers

By the way, I was always interested to know: can you buy something from the storerooms of museums?

No, museums do not sell anything, they only buy for their collection. If you need to sell something, then - through an auction, but rarely. They keep everything in storerooms and gradually change the exposition, they can get some things for exhibitions, lend them to other countries and cities.

Ghent also has an excellent design museum. Sometimes we go to Antwerp - to the museum of modern art and the fashion museum, where there are always excellent exhibitions. This time we will definitely go to the Antwerp suburb to the studio of Wim Delvoye, a contemporary artist whose most famous work is tattoos on the backs of pigs. His things were recently exhibited in our Pushkin Museum, interspersed in the main collection, and his gothic sculptures looked great.

Works by Wim Delvoye

In Brussels, there is Villa Ampan, an unreal beauty building in the Art Deco style, built by the Count of Ampan. After his death, the villa was sold, and whoever lived there even had a Soviet embassy. As a result, it was bought by the Bogosyan family - jewelers from Geneva from the Bogart company. They restored the villa very beautifully and made an exhibition space: 3-4 exhibitions per year, one better than the other. It's impossible to miss.

Villa Empain

Also, everyone knows about the Rene Magritte Museum, but few people know that there is also his house-museum in Brussels. This artist was very modest, he lived with his wife on the outskirts of the city, his apartment and studio have been preserved in the original! What else? Museum Island in the center of Brussels - the Royal Museum with an amazing collection, the Museum of Music. Everything is nearby. We also visited the studio of the sculptor Isabelle Tilges, she is French but has been living in Belgium for a long time. Creates very exquisite sculptures. Then we were in the studio of the artist Isabelle de Borgrave, she makes costumes, dishes, furniture out of paper. In the studio, the works of artists can be purchased, or you will be given the address of the gallery where this can be done.

Works by Isabelle de Borchrave

Approximate cost of her work?

From 2-3 thousand euros, some things - up to 20 thousand ... We also dined at the house of Gerald Watlet, a famous decorator. He is also a television cook, he has his own program. I met Gerald at the Belgian embassy in Moscow, told about the project, about the trip to Brussels, and he invited us to his house for dinner, said: “I will cook for you.” I clarified that there are 17 of us in the group! He did not raise an eyebrow: "No problem, I will cook for 17 people." He has an amazing apartment, eclectic and beautiful, and a great dinner. Chicken fricassee I will remember for a long time!

We also visited the comic book museum, without which it is impossible to imagine Brussels. And in next year we will definitely go to the arsenal building, where the Belgian bag factory Delvaux is located, which has existed since 1869. This is my favorite brand royal family. Dressing is not inferior to Hermes bags - beautiful work, exquisite models. The factory employs 200 people, each for 40-50 years. Plus - a museum of bags. They usually don’t like to let visitors in there, but they will make an exception for us .. Also in the program is an old brewery, which was bought by a collector who also deals with interiors. He made a showroom of interiors and added his incomparable collection there. He collects everything: from antique statues and Chinese vases to Anish Kapoor, the collection contains only masterpieces.

Marina, many people are interested in you as a media person, you are known not just as a wife famous husband, namely as Marina Dobrovinsky. What is your attitude towards this?

I take it very calmly. And I do not at all strive to get into the gossip column. What I do is more important to me than what people say about me as a person.

Looking at you, you understand that you have achieved some high level identity, culture and attitude to life. Therefore, it is very interesting, what does the quality of life mean to you? Let's say a 5 star hotel? Is it primarily service or decor?

This is absolute convenience. For me, luxury is the right mattress, the right closet, the right bath with the right shower. For my taste, W hotels with open showers without partitions are uncomfortable - beautiful, but uncomfortable. In Brussels, I love the former Conrad, now he is Steigenberger, in Paris I love Le Meurice, Hotel Georges V. It is important for me where the hotel is located so that it can be conveniently reached from there. If I'm traveling with a group, then I'll see if the bus can park near the hotel - the narrow streets won't fit, because then our ladies in high heels will walk on the paving stones.

The Prince de Galles is relatively new, door to door to Georges V. Both hotels are luxurious, but in different ways.

I have not been there, you need to see how modern and comfortable it is. Not so long ago we were in Israel, one day in Jerusalem at the Mamilla Hotel. It is very beautiful, with a chic restaurant on the roof and in the garden, but the rooms are terribly uncomfortable, open showers without partitions ...

Do you have your own chef?

There is an assistant who cooks when I'm away. But for my daughters and husband, I cook myself. But I don't like it for myself.

What are your food preferences? I have one daughter who eats meat, the other doesn't, my husband loves to eat, I'm always looking for new diets...

When traveling with a group, we just go to good restaurants so that everyone can enjoy. I myself have not eaten meat for 3 years, but I eat fish, and going to a restaurant is not a problem for me, I will always find what I like. But I never mix, say, protein with the wrong carbohydrate, I don't eat fish with rice or potatoes. And I try not to eat flour, I just don’t like sweets. I prefer salty. Pizza tastes better than sweets to me.

How do you feel about macrobiotics?

You need to donate blood and understand your individual characteristics. It does not suit someone, and on the contrary, you need to eat a lot of proteins. Ordinary milk can be replaced with milk from almonds, buckwheat, soy ...

But the taste of soy milk is soy.

Yes, real taste will be missing. But I'm fine with soy. My friend Ira Azarova opened the Fresh restaurant, and this cuisine really suits everyone. There is milk and goat cheese, so the restaurant is still not vegan, but it is vegetarian. Huge selection, everything is fresh. I love yogurt, I make it myself in a yogurt maker. I buy Russian goat milk, I take 1 goat yogurt as a starter and cook.

In general, everyone laughs that sanctions contribute to the development of a philosophy of eating local products.

You know, it would be possible if we lived in Azerbaijan, where everything grows. It's unrealistic for us. Tomatoes do not grow, and cucumbers only in summer. And we need cucumbers and lettuce in winter. Do not eat only potatoes and apples. Apples, too, by the way, do not always grow.

What are your hobbies, for example, what do you read?

I love art magazines - I bring many from trips. I really like Beaux Arts. And travel magazines. In Russia, I read Conde Nast Traveler, Geo, the German collection of Merian magazines... By the way, I am currently working on my guidebooks, I think they will be ready next year.

How did the idea of ​​their creation come about?

Thanks to the trips, as I was always looking for unusual, semi-closed places. I did not come across anything similar, and I decided to make an art navigator myself: it will be galleries, hotels, and restaurants. So that a person can open a book and find out where, for example, to go in London, to connect his whole trip with art: museums, hotels, bookstores... If you come with children, I will tell you about thematic workshops for them.

When can we expect these guides to be released?

In February-March 2015 there will most likely be Paris and Brussels. They are written by journalists or art journalists, each about his city. I make guidebooks only in Russian and initially only for Russia. There will be only 500 of them - limited edition. Not much, but there are reasons for that. There will also be secret addresses in them, where you can get only with this guide as with a key!

If we take, for example, New York - what kind of places will they be?

Most likely Tiffany & Co. Or a storeroom of some museum. Something unusual, where you can not go on your own. In Paris, it will be the Cartier Museum and their ateliers. I will not reveal all the secrets yet. The guide will be without photos, but with drawings by the artist, he specially creates a series of illustrations for the city. So sign up for the waiting-list. It will cost about 10,000 rubles, a lot has already been booked, but you can still buy.

Marina, if I go back to you personally - you are considered a very elegant woman, did you specially work on the image?

It so happened that from the age of 13 I lived in Germany, then 8 years in Italy, then in France. Living in Italy, especially in Milan, it is impossible not to find something Italian. It seems to me that everything happened to me by itself. The taste was instilled in me by the countries where I lived.

What style do you prefer?

Italian. It is there, it seems to me, that the style is really visible, it is in everything and everywhere. There is no ugliness anywhere, at least I don't see it.

But in Russia?

In Russia, I pay attention to other things. As for my family - yes, in terms of taste, I can decide that this is how it should be, and not differently. I recommend something for my daughters. Although they already know everything themselves.

And are you satisfied with their taste?

Not always, they are young, and teenagers often want to get pink bangs - let them go through it, I think that this is normal. But I never try to change or correct anyone, and in no case will I impose anything if the person himself has not come for advice. It couldn't be worse. But even if they ask for recommendations, you also need to be careful: if they come to you for advice, this does not mean that they will like your answer.

This is wise, but in your diplomatic answer it is read that something can strain the environment.

- “Strain” is not the right word, I can just note to myself. Not everyone here knows yet what it means to be “out of place”, “to be in moderation”, there is a story about overdressed. Pompously and diligently dress, do or say. You can't get away from this. I prefer to be tolerant.

This is the key to harmony.

Yes, and it will be boring to live if everyone sees everything and does everything the same way. By standards.

If someone asks you for advice: I want to be like you, what should I do?

“Study, study and study.” Read, learn languages, get rich. This is real wealth. And that no one will ever take away from you. This is especially important for women. She is interesting to children, girlfriends, a man, when she is educated and busy with business.

Being a gallant gentleman and socialite, Alexander was always amiable with the fair sex - and never went beyond the bounds of decency. Even gossip about his affair with TV presenter Yulia Baranovskaya (former civil wife football player Arshavin) gradually subsided: the couple really found a lot in common - but not adultery, but a bill. Secular chroniclers had already decided that behind such exemplary family man it’s not worth watching, but then the star master of divorces unexpectedly plunged into history himself.

Dobrovinsky often appears surrounded by admirers, and there is nothing strange in this: in addition to his other virtues so beloved by women - such as wealth and a big name - he recently made his film debut. And not just anywhere, but at Stanislav Govorukhin's - in the "Weekend", which quickly became fashionable in a stylish black and white ribbon. Spectacular young ladies are more than enough among his clients (Little Red Riding Hood Yana Poplavskaya, former sausage queen singer Angelica Agurbash, Mata Hari of the 21st century Goga Ashkenazi, Ekaterina Liepa, Lada Dance and many others - beautiful, rich and famous). Therefore, the appearance of Alexander with new passion At first, no one was alerted - secular chroniclers decided that this was another client.

However, the couple became more frequent: starting from March, they appeared here and there, absorbed in each other and not paying attention to anyone. And this is a courteous gentleman, whom Dobrovinsky has proven himself to be! The ladies' part of secular Moscow was offended - and the rumor rushed through the Mother See.

Photojournalist MK Natalia Gubernatorova was the first to react. An interesting blonde, she entered the lawyer's office under the guise of a client, hiding the equipment in a folder with papers. While waiting for the owner of the establishment, I tried to ask the office staff, but they kept a professional silence.

But then, on her journalistic luck, the same stranger swam right out of the master’s office - moreover, in an embrace with him.

Here it turned out that the couple is not particularly encrypted (or so relaxed). The brunette clung to Alexander, and he enthusiastically showed her new arrivals in his famous collection of paintings (opening day at Dobrovinsky right in the office) and told the lady about his new grandiose undertaking - a historical epic from the life of Grigory Alexandrov and Lyubov Orlova (in their house Sasha visited as a child and described it in his book "Dobrovinsky Gallery"). However, the new project promises to become not a book, but a museum exhibit - such rare facts and photographs are collected there. It sat right there creative Group historians, art historians and artists, discussing requests to the British Museum and other most important museums in the world, where there may be exhibits related to the life of Alexandrov on different stages his creative way- and even these people already knew the unknown brunette!

Where did she come from in life and in the office of Alexander Dobrovinsky?

Are you an artist? - Natalia threw the bait.

No, I'm a writer, - the stranger readily responded.

This is my Jeanne! Dobrovinsky corrected his friend.

Here it turned out that Zhanna Golubitskaya, the author of 7 books for women ("A Man as an Object", "One F in big city", "Reporting from hairpins", etc.) And, at the same time, it became clear how she managed to get closer to Alexander: she was looking for materials for her new book about the behavior of men in the division of property. At first, for the purity of the experiment, she also wanted to pretend to be a client, but, having read the Dobrovinsky Gallery, I realized that Dobrovinsky would understand it as a writer of a writer without any tricks.

It was in March, - Zhanna Golubitskaya clarifies. - And now I'm really getting a divorce. I love Alexander! - and the writer looked at the lawyer with inexpressible tenderness.

But he's married! - the photojournalist MK could not stand it, who, if not she, is aware of the matrimonial layouts of secular Moscow.

So what! Jeanne responded easily. - You see, when a real Man is next to you, everything else becomes unimportant! I call Alexander my Messire. Do you know why? Incredible power emanates from him - but not ordinary, as in formal power - but some kind of downright unearthly! I have always dreamed of meeting a truly influential, powerful, strong, generous man, and that his main erogenous zone was the brain. From whom, like Bulgakov, you don’t have to ask for anything - he will offer, he will give. My Messire can do anything - I feel it! He is extraordinary: he should live in the era of picaresque novels - in best sense this word! In times of enchanting adventures, court passions, duels of honor and love, flashing from an ankle accidentally seen at a ball beautiful lady! And also my Messire is kind: in divorces, he is always on the side of the unfortunate spouse. He is very thin - he immediately feels who is harder to break. Heavier is usually given to women, so he often protects wives. Well, then my Messire conducts seminars on love and is an experienced nudist, so he knows how to make a woman happy in all manifestations - both mentally and physically. What else does a woman need to be completely happy?

I don't know, Jeanne replies. - When Messir is next to you, this answer is quite normal. If your lover is a specialist in love and divorce, you can not think about anything at all. I only know that I met the Man of my dreams, who led me to a fairy tale. As a child, I thought that my prince should live on the Arbat (because I myself was born there, but moved a long time ago, and now I want to go back) and drive a Rolls-Royce. Imagine it came true! My Messir lives on the Arbat and has a hammam in his apartment, which I adore. These are such fateful coincidences! Yes, now I will divorce all my life, just to be next to Messire.

Alexander, what do you say? - I could not believe my ears photojournalist.

But the mysterious and unpredictable Messire pretended not to hear the question. But everyone saw how that very piece of the devil flashed in his eyes - which is so often mentioned in his connection.

Based on press release

Alexander, who is called the master of divorces, meets with the writer Zhanna Golubitskaya and is even, according to rumors, ready to make her happy. But before Dobrovinsky quite often went out with beautiful ladies, among whom are many of his star clients like Yana Poplavskaya, Anzhelika Agurbash, Goga Ashkenazi, Ekaterina Liepa, Lada Dance and many others. But with the spectacular brunette Jeanne, the lawyer began to be seen most often. Starting from March, Dobrovinsky and Golubitskaya do not spill water at social events.

ON THIS TOPIC

According to the publication, lovers are no longer shy about showing their feelings in public. Reporters caught a couple looking at paintings by Dobrovinsky in the office. It is reported that Jeanne "clung to Alexander", but he did not mind and enthusiastically told her about his new grandiose undertaking - a historical epic from the life of Grigory Alexandrov and Lyubov Orlova (the lawyer was in their house as a child and described it in his book " Dobrovinsky Gallery).

"This is my Jeanne!" - Alexander introduced his girlfriend to reporters. They met when Golubitskaya was looking for materials for her new book about the behavior of men in the division of property. "That was in March. And now I'm getting divorced. I love Alexander!"- said the brunette in the presence of media representatives.

Dobrovinsky is officially married, but this does not bother Jeanne. "So what! You understand when next to you a real man everything else becomes irrelevant! I call Alexander my Messire. Do you know why? Incredible power emanates from him - but not ordinary, as in formal power - but some kind of downright unearthly! - the writer is delighted. - I always dreamed of meeting a truly influential, powerful, strong, generous man, and that his main erogenous zone was the brain. And also my Messire kind: in divorces, he is always on the side of the most unfortunate of the spouses. He is very thin - he immediately feels who is more difficult to break. Heavier is usually given to women, so he often protects wives. And then, my Messire conducts seminars on love and is an experienced nudist, so he knows how to make a woman happy in all manifestations - both mentally and physically. What else does a woman need to be completely happy?

Zhanna also boasted that she was already at the lawyer's house. His apartment is luxurious. “As a child, I thought that my prince should live on the Arbat and drive a Rolls-Royce. Imagine, it came true! My Messir lives on the Arbat and has a hammam right in his apartment, which I adore. These are such fateful coincidences! Golubitskaya - Yes, I'm going to get divorced for the rest of my life., just to be next to Messire."

But Alexander is in no hurry to give emotional interviews. Their he did not comment on the relationship with the dreamy writer pretending not to hear the questions. But the joint pictures of the couple, of which there are already a lot on the Web, confirm the words of Jeanne - on them Dobrovinsky and Golubitskaya look happy and in love.