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There is no sadder story in the world than the love story of the 42-year-old Russian navigator Count Rezanov and the 15-year-old Californian girl Conchita - for almost 30 years now (since the rock opera "Juno and Avos" appeared on the stage of the Moscow theater "Lenkom") all Russians are sure. But in reality, things were not quite like that...

Report of the Inspector of Russian America, Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, to the Minister of Commerce, Count Rumyantsev, sent from San Francisco on June 17, 1806: “Here I must confess to Your Excellency my private adventures. Daily courting the Gishpan beauty, I noticed her enterprising character, unlimited ambition, which, at the age of fifteen, already only one of her whole family made her homeland unpleasant. She always joked about her: “Beautiful land, warm climate. There is a lot of bread and livestock, and nothing else. I imagined the Russian climate more severe and, moreover, more abundant in everything, she was ready to live in it, and, finally, insensitively, I planted in her impatience to hear something more serious from me to the point that I only offered her a hand, then I received consent. In Petersburg
they were not particularly surprised by the report: this overseas courtship of Nikolai Petrovich fit into the logic of his whole life ...

Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov was no count. He was born into an impoverished noble family in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1764. Soon his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk, and the family moved to Eastern Siberia.

Nikolai received an education at home - apparently not bad, because he knew, among other things, five foreign languages. At the age of 14, he entered the military service, first in the artillery. Then for the stateliness, dexterity and beauty of his

They transferred the Izmailovsky Regiment to the Life Guards. Apparently, this was not without patronage from Catherine II - otherwise it is difficult to explain the sharp rise in his career. During the trip of the empress across the Crimea in 1780, Nikolai was personally responsible for her safety, and he was only 16 years old (so it is unlikely that the matter was explained by great experience in ensuring the safety of the reigning persons). Inseparably, day and night, he was then with the mother queen, and then something happened. It can be seen that the empress for some reason remained unhappy with Nikolai. In any case, he left military service and disappeared for a long time from the environment of the empress.

Young Rezanov entered the most boring service in the Pskov civil court. And then - a new sharp jump in career. He was summoned to the capital and given the post of head of the chancellery at Count Chernyshov, and was soon transferred to the same position to Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin himself, the secretary of the Empress for a report on the "Senate memorials". Thus, after 11 years, Rezanov again entered Catherine's field of vision. And her then-favorite Zubov considered Nikolai a dangerous competitor. It was rumored that it was Zubov's jealousy that Nikolai Petrovich owed a business trip to Irkutsk, where he had to resolve the issue with the merchant Shelikhov, who asked the empress to grant him a monopoly on fur trade off the Pacific coast of Russia. And that supposedly Zubov hinted to Nikolai Petrovich that if he decides to return to Petersburg, he will not stay free for a long time ...

And here is Rezanov in Irkutsk. Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov, whom he had to inspect for an indefinite time, was nicknamed the “Russian Columbus” because in 1783, having built three ships at his own expense, he sailed to America and started Russian settlements and fur trade there. In a word, Grigory Ivanovich was an enterprising person. And the inspector of St. Petersburg took into circulation instantly, with the hands of ... the eldest daughter, 15-year-old Anna: a girl with a tight blond braid and bulging blue serious eyes. Rezanov was then already thirty ...

The wedding was played in Irkutsk on January 24, 1795. Not too rich Rezanov took a good dowry for the bride, and Anna received a title of nobility. And six months later, a strong, strong, rather young Grigory Ivanovich died suddenly, and

Nicholas became a co-owner of his capital.

Nikolai Petrovich dared to return to the capital immediately after the death of the Empress and, accordingly, the fall of Count Zubov. The new emperor Pavel accepted him graciously and granted the petition to create a single Russian-American company based on the crafts of Shelikhov and other Siberian merchants, whose representative office was established in St. Petersburg, and Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov himself was appointed head. Even members of the imperial family became shareholders of the company. Around the same time, he was also made chief secretary of the Governing Senate. Big career, very big. Especially for a poor nobleman from a seedy family...
Happiness and well-being came to an end when his wife died of childbed fever, leaving Nikolai Petrovich in the arms of his one-year-old son Peter and daughter Olga, 12 days old. It is in Voznesensky's poems that Rezanov speaks of his wife as something secondary in his life. In reality, Nikolai Petrovich loved his wife very much and grieved for her. He wrote: “Eight years of our marriage gave me a taste of all the happiness of this life, as if in order to poison, finally, the rest of my days with the loss of it.”

Out of anguish, he thought of moving away from people, hiding with his children somewhere in the wilderness ... But the emperor intervened (by this time it was no longer Pavel, but his son, Alexander I). Not wanting to let Rezanov retire, he appointed him ambassador to Japan in order to establish trade: Russia wanted to sell Japan fur products, mammoth and walrus bones, fish, skins, cloth, and

Buy - millet, bayonet copper and silk (an extremely problematic assignment, given that the Japanese have been pursuing a policy of strict isolationism for more than a century and a half, with Western countries they didn’t trade, they didn’t maintain any relations, they didn’t let anyone in) ... It was decided to combine this embassy with a round-the-world trip, on which the Nadezhda and Neva ships under the command of captains Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky were about to sail. By decree of the sovereign, Rezanov was appointed "a full master's person during the voyage", that is, the head of the expedition ...

"IN THE SEA OF SALT AND SO TO HELL, THE SEA DOES NOT NEED TEARS"

This expedition has been in preparation for a year now. Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern was rightfully considered its leader. He owned the idea, and the development of the route, and the organization. Moreover, for the sake of the expedition, he left his young wife for demolitions. In general, the appointment of a civilian official as a "full master's person" was a complete surprise for Kruzenshtern. However, he did not take this seriously, relying on the maritime charter adopted by Peter I, where it was clearly stated: there is only one owner on the ship - the captain, and everyone on board, regardless of their position, rank and position, are under his full control...

Misunderstandings began already during loading. There was not much space on the compact "Nadezhda" (a sailing sloop 35 meters long), and the retinue, which was supposed to be an ambassador, extremely hampered the expedition. As for Rezanov and Kruzenshtern themselves, in the absence of a second command cabin

They had to live in one (very small - only six square meters and with a low ceiling).

July 26, 1803 at 10 am "Nadezhda" and "Neva" left Kronstadt. In November, Russian ships crossed the equator for the first time. Captains Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky brought their sloops closer together, the teams were lined up in parade order on the decks, and a thunderous Russian "Hurrah!" thundered over the equator. Then a sailor dressed as Neptune shook his trident, greeting the first Russians in the Southern Hemisphere. Then they swam in the Atlantic themselves and bathed ... cattle: pigs, goats, a cow with a calf - they were thrown overboard, and then caught from the water (this was done rather for sanitary reasons, because in the cramped ship stalls the cattle pretty much got scabrous).
Christmas was celebrated off the coast of Brazil. Both ships required a thorough overhaul: on the Neva, part of the skin was rotten, on the Nadezhda, the main and foremasts were damaged. For the expedition they were bought in England as new, but they turned out to be used. When cleaning the bottoms, even the former names were found: "Leander" and "Thames". While standing in the dock, a scandal erupted with the local authorities. The blame for everything is the enfant terrible of the expedition, a member of Rezanov's embassy retinue, the young Count Fyodor Tolstoy (he was mistaken for a smuggler, and instead of explaining himself, he opened fire on the police).

He was an extremely bright and restless man who adored dangerous pranks. He became famous for daring to climb hot-air balloon very imperfect design. There was a breter (that is, without

End fought duels and got into quarrels especially for this). They hastened to attach him to the expedition when he challenged the colonel of his own regiment to a duel (unheard of impudence). And now Fyodor Ivanovich was making all sorts of things on the ship. Once I got the old man of the ship's priest drunk and, while he was sleeping right on the deck, I sealed his beard to the floor with a government wax seal. And when the priest woke up, Tolstoy yelled at him: “Lie down, don’t you dare get up! You see, a government seal! And in the end, crying, the old man cut off his beard with scissors to the very chin. On another occasion, Tolstoy dragged an orangutan into the captain's cabin (there was a small zoo on board, replenished at all stops) and taught how to pour ink on a sheet of paper. That's just Count Tolstoy used clear sheet. And the orangutan is the captain's diary of Krusenstern, lying on the table.

On the island of Nukagiva, Fyodor Ivanovich went to the native tattoo artist and returned covered from head to toe with intricate ornaments. Later in Russia, when Kruzenshtern, who had lost patience, landed Tolstoy ashore, and he finally hit the road on some ship that turned up to the Aleutian Islands and only after that returned to St. showing tattoos. In Petersburg, he was nicknamed the American. By the way, Fyodor Tolstoy the American became the prototype of Silvio in Pushkin's "Shot" and Dolokhov in "War and Peace". And in "Woe from Wit" he is described as follows: "A night robber, a duelist, he was exiled to Kamchatka, he returned as an Aleut."

It is not surprising that this man managed to quarrel the heads of the expedition almost immediately with two or three jokes: Rezanov and Kruzenshtern. It got to the point that they, living in the same cabin, stopped talking and communicated with each other only through correspondence, and very sarcastic. The "explosion" occurred in the Marquesas Islands, nine months after sailing from Russia.

There it was necessary to replenish food supplies, and Kruzenshtern, noticing the respect of local residents for European iron axes, forbade the exchange of these axes for anything other than pigs, so as not to bring down the price. And Rezanov, not knowing anything, sent his servant ashore to exchange several axes for ethnographic rarities (clay bowls, beads, wooden sculptures - he collected a collection for the emperor). Everything that the servant managed to exchange, the captain ordered to be taken away and dumped on deck as a warning to the rest.

Rezanov recalled: “Feeling such impudence, when I saw Kruzenshtern on the quarterdeck the next day, I said to him: “Aren’t you ashamed to be so childish and console yourself with the fact that you don’t give me ways to fulfill the entrusted to me?” Suddenly he shouted at me: "How dare you tell me that I'm childish!" “So, my sir,” I said, “I dare you very much, as your boss.”

Unfortunately, the skirmish did not happen anywhere, but, as Rezanov mentioned, it was on the quarter quarters - the captain's most sacred place for any sailor. According to the maritime charter, any bickering with the captain on the quarterdeck is punished doubly. And here - such audacity! In a word, Rezanov, due to inexperience in

Maritime affairs did not attach to this circumstance special significance, but Kruzenshtern was offended unthinkably ...

“Some time later, lieutenant commander Lisyansky and midshipman Berg arrived from the Neva,” Rezanov continues. - They called the crew, announced that I was an impostor, and many insulted me, which, finally, with exhausted forces, plunged me unconscious. Suddenly it is supposed to pull me out on the quarters to the court. He was dragged out of the cabin completely sick. They demanded to present the royal rescript. Nikolai Petrovich obeyed. Naval officers read the paper and asked, "Who signed?" “Our sovereign Alexander,” replied Rezanov. "Yes, who wrote?" they asked. “I don’t know,” the ambassador answered honestly. "That's it," concluded the officers. We want to know who wrote it. The emperor, perhaps, put his signature without looking. In the meantime, we do not know this, we have no boss, except for Kruzenshtern. And then the sailors shouted: “Kill him, the cattle, into the cabin!” The offended Rezanov himself went down there and did not leave the cabin again until his arrival in Petropavlovsk.

There, Rezanov wrote a complaint to the Governor-General of Kamchatka: they say that the crew of the expedition led by Kruzenshtern rebelled. Kruzenshtern had something to think about: “His Excellency Mr. Rezanov, in the presence of the regional commandant and more than ten officers, called me a rebel, a robber, he sentenced me to execution on the scaffold, threatened others with eternal exile. I confess I was afraid. No matter how fair the Sovereign is, but being 13,000 versts from him, everything can be expected ... ”Forcibly, the Governor-General managed to reconcile them. On August 8, 1804, the commander of the Nadezhda ship, Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, and all the officers came to Rezanov's apartment in full uniform and apologized for their misdeeds. Rezanov agreed to continue the journey in the same composition. Taking two non-commissioned officers, a drummer and five soldiers (the guard of honor of the ambassador) from the Governor-General of Kamchatka, Nadezhda moved to Japan (Meanwhile, Lisyansky led Neva to Alaska).

"UNDER THE RUSSIAN CROSS FLAG AND THE MOTTO "AVOS"

September 26, 1804 "Hope" arrived in Nagasaki. At the entrance to the bay, Kruzenshtern ordered to fire cannons, as it should be on such solemn occasions. And then the bay blossomed with multi-colored lanterns and sails: a whole flotilla of Japanese junks moved towards the Russian

Ship. And so translators and officials boarded the Nadezhda. They greeted the Russians by crouching and holding their knees in the local custom. But they asked not to shoot from the cannon anymore and in general to hand over all gunpowder and weapons (except for the officer's sword of Rezanov himself) and not to enter the bay. Well! Kruzenshtern dropped anchor where he was told. I had to stand there ... more than six months.

All these six months, the Japanese behaved extremely politely: everyone squatted, holding hands on their knees, smiling, nodding happily. They delivered everything to the Russians at the slightest request: fresh water, the freshest food, ship materials for repairing the ship ... But they did not take payment for all this and the ship was not allowed into the harbor.

Rezanov himself was allowed to go ashore and wait for an answer from the capital, from the Japanese emperor, to whom they brought a letter from the Russian tsar and gifts. The ambassador was provided with a luxurious palace, but they were not allowed to go beyond it, and no one was allowed to see Nikolai Petrovich. Finally, in March, a dignitary from Ieddo (as Tokyo was called in those days) arrived. He brought a disappointing answer: the emperor was extremely surprised by the arrival of the Russian embassy, ​​he could not accept it and did not want trade and asked the Russian ship to leave Japan. Like, for 200 years it has been decided that it is not useful for the Japanese to leave their country or let someone in. Even the gifts were not accepted, and the dignitary with a respectful bow returned them to Rezanov. Perhaps the Japanese emperor simply did not like them, because they were unsuccessfully selected: porcelain dishes (and it was worth taking them from Europe to Japan!), fabrics (inferior to the quality of the local

Silk), finally, furs, among which there were too many silver foxes, and in fact in Japan the fox is considered an unclean, devilish animal.

Rezanov did not refrain and uttered insolence to the dignitary: they say, our emperor will be more helpful than yours, and on his part this is a great mercy, which “from a single philanthropy followed to alleviate your shortcomings” (he said so!). The translators were frightened, sighed, fidgeted, but Nikolai Petrovich kept insisting that they translate. The case was finally defeated. Perhaps, this embassy not only did not bring closer the moment of establishing diplomatic relations between Japan and Russia, but rather postponed it. But at the same time, Rezanov entered the Japanese history books as a very worthy and respectable person. Returning to Petropavlovsk, Nikolai Petrovich learned that the emperor, having awarded Kruzenshtern with the Order of St. Anna of the II degree, granted him only a snuff-box, showered with diamonds. This meant that the highest authority took the side of the captain in the conflict. Nikolai Petrovich was released from participation in the first Russian round-the-world expedition - he was now offered to go with an inspection to Russian settlements in Alaska. And Kruzenshtern rushed to catch up with Lisyansky in the Atlantic Ocean.

And here is Rezanov in Novo-Arkhangelsk, on the island of Sitkha. The situation in which he found the Russian colony was terrible. Products were delivered to them exclusively from Russia - through all of Siberia to Okhotsk, from there by sea ... To this

Months passed, everything came spoiled. Contacts with the "Bostonians" - American merchants - did not work out. In a word, the settlers simply died of hunger. Rezanov developed the most vigorous activity there: he bargained for the ship "Juno" from the merchant John Wolf, loaded to the eyeballs with food, so that he did not have time to come to his senses. Not to mention the fact that Wolf had absolutely no intention of selling Juno at all.

But this was only a partial solution to the problem. Winter was approaching, and until spring the products from the Juno would not be enough for the settlers. Rezanov ordered to build another ship with speaking name"Perhaps" and thus equipped a small expedition of two ships to the south, to California. By this time, already half the team was dying from scurvy. “Let's save the colonies from starvation. Or we'll die. Maybe we'll save you anyway!" - that's the motto they set off on their journey.

In March 1806, the Juno and Avos moored in San Francisco Bay. California at that time belonged to Spain, and Spain was an ally of Napoleon, and therefore an opponent of Russia. War could break out at any moment. In a word, the commandant of San Francisco, in theory, simply should not have received Russians. In addition, any communication between the colonists and foreigners, bypassing the Madrid court, was not welcome. And yet Rezanov managed to get through to the Californians! Moreover, during the six weeks of his stay there, he completely subdued the governor of Upper California, Jose Arillaga, and the commandant of the fortress, Jose Dario Arguello. The daughter of the latter was 15-year-old Donna Maria de la Concepcion Marcella Arguello. Conchita…

One of the members of the Rezanov expedition, the ship's doctor Georg Langsdorf, wrote in his diary: “She stands out with her majestic posture, her facial features are beautiful and expressive, her eyes are charming. Add here a graceful figure, wonderful natural curls, wonderful teeth and a thousand other charms. Such beautiful women can be found only in Italy, Portugal or Spain, but even then very rarely. And one more thing: “One would think that Rezanov immediately fell in love with this young Spanish beauty. However, in view of the prudence inherent in this cold man, I would rather admit that he simply had some diplomatic views on her. Maybe the doctor was just wrong? But Rezanov himself, in his reports to Russia, did not

Looks like a man who lost his head from love.

He writes to Count Rumyantsev: “My offer (of the hand and heart of Conchite) struck down her parents, brought up in fanaticism. The difference of religions and ahead of separation from their daughter were a thunderous blow for them. They resorted to the missionaries, they did not know what to decide on, took poor Concepcia to church, confessed her, persuaded her to refuse, but her determination finally calmed everyone. The holy fathers left permission for the Roman throne, but agreed to betroth us by agreement that until the permission of the Pope this would be a secret. Since that time, placing myself as close relative commandant, I was already managing the port of His Catholic Majesty in the way that the benefit of Russia required, and the Governor was extremely surprised to see that, so to speak, he

He found himself visiting me. They began to bring bread to the Juno, and in such quantity that I already asked to stop the carriage, because my ship could not take more. And Nikolai Petrovich admitted to his brother-in-law and co-owner of the Russian-American Company: “From my California report, my friend, do not consider me an anemone. You have my love in Nevsky under a piece of marble, and here is the result of enthusiasm and a new sacrifice to the Fatherland. Concepcia is sweet as an angel, beautiful, kind-hearted, loves me; I love her and cry that she has no place in my heart, here I am, my friend, as a sinner in spirit, I repent, but you, as my shepherd, keep the secret. ambition, tried to inspire this girl with the idea of ​​an exciting life in the capital of Russia, the luxury of the imperial court and so on. He brought her to the point where the desire to become the wife of a Russian chamberlain soon became her favorite dream. One hint that the implementation of her views depends on her, Rezanov was enough to make her act according to his desires.

And right after the betrothal, the groom left the bride in order to return to St. Petersburg and ask for the emperor's petition to the Pope for consent to the marriage. Nikolai Petrovich calculated that two years would be enough for this. Conchita assured him that she would be waiting...

On June 11, 1806, the heavy "Juno" and "Avos" rolled off the California land, taking away 2156 pounds of wheat, 351 pounds of barley, 560 pounds of legumes, saving for the Russian colony in Alaska. A month later we were already in Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here Nikolai Petrovich managed to make one extremely interesting order: he sent detachments of his people to California to look for a suitable place for organizing Southern settlements in America. Such a settlement in the California bay: a fortress, several houses and 95 inhabitants - was even organized. But the place was chosen unsuccessfully: the bay was flooded every now and then, and after 13 years the Russians left from there. Perhaps if Rezanov returned to them, he would find a way out and secure California lands for Russia; in any case, the American Admiral Van Ders claimed: “Live the Rezanov ten years longer, and what we call California and the American

British Columbia would be Russian territory"...

Having hastily finished business in Alaska, Rezanov rushed headlong to St. Petersburg. He was impatient to realize his "American" ambitious plans as soon as possible ... Or maybe he was still impatient to return to Conchita (whether Rezanov was quite sincere in his letters to relatives and superiors - who knows?). Whatever the case, he was in a hurry. In September he was already in Okhotsk. The autumn thaw was approaching, and it was impossible to go further, but Nikolai Petrovich did not want to listen to anything. Went on horseback. On the way, crossing the rivers, he fell into the water several times - the ice was too thin and broke. We had to spend several nights right on the snow. In other words, Nicholas

Petrovich caught a terrible cold and lay in a fever and unconsciousness for 12 days. And as soon as he woke up, he set off again, not sparing himself at all ...

One frosty day, Rezanov lost consciousness, fell off his horse and hit his head hard on the ground. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where on March 1, 1807, Nikolai Petrovich died. He was 42 years old...

After 60 years, Russia sold Alaska to America for nothing, along with all the possessions of the Russian-American Company. Rezanov's plans were not given to come true. But he still won fame over the centuries - thanks to Conchita.

True, she did not wait for him for 35 years, as the famous rock opera says. No. Only for a little over a year she went out to the cape every morning, sat on the rocks and looked at the ocean. Exactly at the place where now the support of the famous California bridge "Golden Gate" ...

And then, in 1808, Conchita found out about the death of her fiancé: a relative of Nikolai Petrovich wrote to her brother. He added that Signorita de Argüello was free and could marry whomever she pleased. But she rejected this unnecessary freedom. Whom was she to marry, what dreams to cherish? For twenty years, Conchita lived with her parents after that. She was engaged in charity work, taught literacy to the Indians. Then she went to the monastery of St. Dominic under the name Maria Dominga. Together with the monastery, she moved to the city of Monterrey, where she died on December 23, 1857. Having survived, thus, Rezanov for half a century ...

Not so long ago, in 2000, in Krasnoyarsk, a monument was erected on Rezanov’s grave - a white cross, on one side of which is written: “Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov. 1764-1807. I will never forget you”, and on the other – “Maria Concepción de Argüello. 1791-1857. I will never see you." The sheriff of Monterrey came to the opening - specifically to scatter a handful of earth from Conchita's grave there. He took back a handful of Krasnoyarsk land - Conchite.

Summary

Creators "Juno and Avos" defined the genre of this performance as "modern opera". Its plot is based on the fate of the Russian count, chamberlain Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, who set off in 1806 on the sailboats "Juno" and "Avos" to the shores of California.

Spiritual suffocation, the unbearability of existence in Russia make Rezanov look for new lands to fulfill the eternal dream of a free country for the Russian people. Rezanov is aware of the utopian nature of his plans, but stubbornly submits one petition after another with a request to be allowed to travel to California.

The refusals broke his will. In desperation, Rezanov prays to the Mother of God, confessing his most intimate and frightening feeling - love for the Mother of God as a woman. Rezanov is seized by a painful obsession and he hears an unearthly voice blessing him. Following this, Rezanov's dream comes true - he receives highest resolution for a trip.

After a hard journey across the Pacific Ocean, Rezanov comes into contact with the Spanish Franciscan monks and with the governor of San Francisco, José Dario Arguello. Being invited to an appointment with the governor, Rezanov meets his daughter, sixteen-year-old Concepsia de Arguello. At the ball, Conchita's fiancé Federico sings a sonnet about the sad fate of two lovers, and Rezanov sees in Conchita the earthly embodiment of the supernatural passion that torments him.

At night in the garden, Rezanov hears Conchita and Federico talking about their upcoming engagement. Unable to cope with the feeling that gripped him, he enters Conchita's bedroom. Rezanov begs her for love, and then, despite all the girl's despair, takes possession of her ... And again a sad, quiet, unearthly voice is heard. At this moment, love is born in Conchita's soul, and only despair and bitterness remain in Rezanov's soul.

From this moment on, happy fortune turns away from Rezanov. His act causes Conchita's fiancé to challenge the chamberlain to a duel, during which Federico dies. The Russians are forced to urgently leave San Francisco.

In his letter to Rumyantsev, Rezanov writes that his dreams of enlightening human souls in the new Russian colonies have been shattered, and he dreams of one thing: to return the ships and sailors to Russia.

After a secret engagement with Conchita, Rezanov sets off on his return trip. In Siberia, he falls ill with a fever and dies near Krasnoyarsk. Conchita remains true to her love for the rest of her life. After waiting thirty years for Rezanov, she takes the veil as a nun and ends her days in the cell of the Dominican monastery in San Francisco.

1806. Two sailing ships "Juno" and "Perhaps" arriving under the Russian flag California where is the captain of the brig "Perhaps" fell in love with a local beauty from the hacienda. He is 46, she is 16. He is from Russia, she is from America. He is Orthodox, she is Catholic. They love each other... But fate has prepared a difficult test for them... The plot is based on "Juno and Avos" lay down a true romantic love story of a Russian count Nikolai Rezanov and Conchita Argüello. As the story goes, in 1806 Rezanov undertook a sea expedition Alaska to the shores California on ships "Juno" and "Perhaps" in order to obtain provisions for the starving Russian colonies in America. Arriving at California he met in the Spanish colony San Francisco daughter of the local governor, but their rapidly developing romance was interrupted by the urgent departure of the count to Russia. But, he never returned. Conchita waited for him for 35 years until she received reliable information about him, after which she retired to a monastery

Mark Zakharov, no doubt, managed to create a real masterpiece with small means and for the most part, thanks to great game Nikolai Karachentsov, Elena Shanina and Alexander Abdulov. This is a television version of the famous rock opera of the same name, staged on the stage of Lenkom in 1983 and is still part of the theater's repertoire. This amazing, sad love story of a Russian traveler, Count Rezanova to the daughter of a Spanish colonist, cum , formed the basis of the plot "Juno and Avos" - the famous cult rock opera, which became a hit the day after the premiere, and continues to collect full houses 30 years later!

I love this show so much. Especially for musical compositions. Listening to them, the body is pierced by a current, the heart shrinks into a ball, the soul is torn to pieces. Alexander Abdulov plays passionately. He is especially good at characters with an unstable psyche, " difficult people". Knowing about the replacement, due to known circumstances, N. P. Karachentsova, D. Pevtsov my heart is filled with sadness. In my opinion, Dmitry Pevtsov too young for the role. I don't mean to offend in any way Dmitry, belittle his talent, or upset his fans, I have absolutely no doubt about his acting data, I really respect and appreciate him for what he does in the cinema and in the theater, but still he is insipid for conveying the inner power of this role. Doesn't hold up a bit. There is no feeling of aching anguish and pain that binds the soul, as from the display of this image by Nikolai Karachentsov. What sacrificial love! Karachentsov is magnificent and incomparable! Master! I can't imagine what this show looks like without Nikolai Petrovich. Playing like this is not for everyone! TV version of the play N. P. Karachentsov and E. Shanina I review it with pleasure: skill, talent, love for my heroes are all in this recording of the performance. Describe - no words. This is a thing from the category when heard a hundred times is not worth watching once. You have to see it with your own eyes, hear it with your ears, and experience it with your heart. This is something that seems quite understandable - a tragic love story, you never know examples - but after watching, when the ability to speak and think returns, the question arises: "What is it? What was it that I saw?" For such a whirlwind of emotions, feelings, experiences, which is shown in the performance, cannot be imagined with the head. Looking at the screen, I had the impression that Rezanov - obsessed. He is obsessed with an idea, he literally burns from the inside, he is full of passion, inner strength, hot, crazy, frenzied blood boils in him. It's a volcano! Even the recording makes a strong impression. The desire to revise, to listen is not quenched. The wonderful fruit of the labor of a team of talents - from the literary basis Voznesensky, music Rybnikova, directing Zakharova, acting work and further down the list.

Whatever happened in the 19th century, one way or another, the performance has long been a separate living creation, a phenomenon of art. Certainly, Nikolai Petrovich Karachentsov is the center of all action. One of our most marvelous actors has created an image - and revived it for millions. No one can surpass him - in sincerity, bestowal ... in everything. And the main aria from this work "I will never forget you" , which he performs himself, with his shortish baritone, strikes on the spot and conquers forever. In the performance of other artists, this great work is no longer perceived in this way. I can’t say about the casts that replaced the original actors, as I only saw the version with Dmitry Pevtsov and this '83 version is great. And captivating Elena Shanina, and Alexander Abdulov, and Mikhail Polyak keep the bar at the highest level. None of them wants to be replaced, all are natural and the only possible, as if in reality.

Divine and therefore eternal. EVERYTHING is LOVE Work "Juno and Avos" - out of time and space. One of the strongest theatrical experiences in my life! I will carry it in my heart until my last breath, through the universe

There is no sadder story in the world than the love story of the 42-year-old Russian navigator Count Rezanov and the 15-year-old Californian girl Conchita Argüello, everyone who watched the play or read Voznesensky's poem "Maybe" is sure, according to which it was staged.

35 years ago, on July 9, 1981, the premiere of the rock opera Juno and Avos took place at the Lenin Komsomol Theater in Moscow. A poignant story based on the verses of Andrei Voznesensky with music by Alexei Rybnikov, brilliantly staged by Mark Zakharov, is still popular - largely due to the incredible acting.

The images created by Nikolai Karachentsov and Elena Shanina were so convincing that no one could even doubt the veracity of the story. Unfortunately, historians believe that in life everything was not as beautiful as in the play.

Rock opera Juno and Avos. Frame from the TV version of the play, 1983

Let's start with the fact that Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov was not a count. He was born into an impoverished noble family in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1764. Soon his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk, and the family moved to Eastern Siberia.

Nikolai received an education at home - apparently, very, very good, because, among other things, he knew five foreign languages. At the age of 14, he entered the military service - first in the artillery, but soon, for his stateliness, dexterity and beauty, he was transferred to the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

Most likely, Empress Catherine II herself took part in the fate of the young handsome man - otherwise it is difficult to explain the dizzying rise of his career.

During the trip of the Empress in the Crimea in 1780, Nikolai was personally responsible for her safety, and he was only 16 years old. It is unlikely that such a responsible appointment could be explained by great experience in ensuring the safety of the reigning persons.

Inseparably, day and night, he was then with the mother queen, and then something happened and the empress was left dissatisfied with the young guard. What exactly happened is unknown, but the sharp rise in his career was followed by the same sharp disgrace. In any case, he left military service and disappeared for a long time from the environment of the empress.

American enterprise

Rezanov came to America 26 years later - in 1806, following the order to inspect Russian settlements in Alaska. Arriving in Novo-Arkhangelsk, Rezanov found the Russian colony in a terrible state. The settlers simply died of hunger, as food was delivered to them through all of Siberia and further by sea. It took months, and they came spoiled.

Rezanov bought from the merchant John Wulff the Juno ship full of food and gave it to the settlers. But until spring, these products would not be enough, so Rezanov ordered the construction of another ship, Avos.

From this place the events of the rock opera begin. According to the plot, both ships - "Juno" and "Avos", under the leadership of the naval commander Nikolai Rezanov, went for food for the Russian colonies in Alaska.

In San Francisco, the 42-year-old count met the 15-year-old daughter of the commandant of the fortress, the Spaniard Concepción (Conchita) Arguello. Love broke out between them, and Rezanov secretly became engaged to Conchita. After that, on duty, he went to Alaska, and then to St. Petersburg, in order to obtain permission to marry a Catholic. On the way, he fell ill and died suddenly.

For more than 30 years, Conchita had been waiting for the return of her lover, and when the news of his death was confirmed, she took her hair as a nun.

I really don’t want to doubt the sincerity of Rezanov’s feelings for the young Spaniard, but numerous testimonies indicate that he was rather guided by a sober calculation.
Indeed, he made an offer, but his main goal was to arrange the supply of Russian colonies, and this marriage could turn out to be very, very useful.

The fact is that the events took place at a time of exacerbation of Franco-Russian relations. France was an ally of Spain, which at that time owned California. The commandant of San Francisco was instructed not to enter into trade relations with the enemy. The daughter could convince loving father violate the order.

The ship's doctor wrote that Rezanov did not look like a man who had lost his head:

“One would think that he fell in love with this beauty. However, in view of the prudence inherent in this cold man, it would be more careful to admitthat he simply had some diplomatic views on her.

Donna Maria de la Concepción Marcella Argüello (Conchita) - beloved bride of the Russian commander Nikolai Rezanov

However, witnesses of the events claimed that, alas, there was more calculation than passion on the part of Conchita. Rezanov constantly inspired her with the idea of ​​​​a luxurious life in Russia at the imperial court. The stories turned the girl's head, and soon she only dreamed of becoming the wife of a Russian chamberlain.

At first, the parents were against it, but seeing the determination of their daughter, they agreed to betroth the young. After that, products began to be brought to Juno in such quantities that there was nowhere to ship them.

Nikolai Karachentsov as Rezanov, rock opera Juno and Avos, 1983

Of course, Rezanov was not going to deceive the girl - he really planned to marry her and take her with him in order to establish ties with California and strengthen Russia's position on the American continent.

But having left California in June 1806, Rezanov never returned there. Falling ill on the road, he died of a fever on March 1, 1807.

In his last letter, which he wrote to M. Buldakov, the husband of the sister of his late first wife, Nikolai Petrovich made a very unexpected confession that shed light on the whole story:

“From my California report, my friend, do not consider me an anemone. My love is with you in Nevsky under a piece of marble (note - the first wife), and here is a consequence of enthusiasm and a new sacrifice to the Fatherland. Conception is sweet as an angel, beautiful, kind in heart, loves me; I love her, and I cry that there is no place for her in my heart, here I am, my friend, as a sinner in spirit, I repent, but you, as my shepherd, keep the secret.

However, this does not make the story told by Voznesensky and staged by Zakharov any less beautiful. For Zakharov, Rezanov's expedition was just an excuse to talk about his favorite topic - that "glory to the madmen who dare to love, knowing that all this will come to an end!" And he did it flawlessly.

Hallelujah beloved couple,
We forgot, scolding and feasting,
Why did we come to earth
Hallelujah of love, hallelujah of love
Hallelujah.

Hallelujah to the actors of the tragedy,
That we were given a second life,
Loving us through the centuries
Hallelujah of love, hallelujah!