Per Avdotya Smirnova the director, known for making films about the depressing lives of Russians and outcasts, is now living happily abroad with her husband Anatoly Chubais. What is she known for?
Failed at the box office
The wife of the former head of Rosnano and 53-year-old director Avdotya (Dunya) Smirnova has been out of Russia for a while, but her new film “The Carpenter” is sparking attention. It depicts the tragic impact of their son's fatal illness on a once-happy provincial family. Opinions about the film are divided, with some considering it a masterpiece and others seeing it as a negative portrayal of life in Russia.
Professional critics reacted similarly.
According to the official explanation, Dunya was absent from the premiere due to her husband’s illness. According to unofficial sources, it was due to emigration amidst NWO rejection. It is worth noting that the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation provided government subsidies after the budget for “The Carpenter” ran out during filming.
The sponsor of Smirnova’s previous film – “The Story of a Destination” – was Anatoly Chubais, who contributed half of the budget, with the remainder coming from oligarch Roman Abramovich. This movie was accused of being anti-Russian.
voiced the editors of the military history magazine WarHead.
Despite receiving awards, Avdotya Smirnova's films consistently fail at the Russian box office. “The Story of a Single Destination” had a budget of 110 million rubles, but only earned back half of that amount, despite being widely shown in cinemas across the country. “Cococo” recovered less than a third of its budget, and “Two days” also didn't break even. The budget of “The Carpenter” was not disclosed, but it has only brought in a little over $22,000 at the box office so far.
People in Russia are curious about the current whereabouts of Anatoly Chubais and Avdotya Smirnova. In May, both of them were seen at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. They arrived on a night flight from Italy, as reported by an eyewitness.
A photo was published at the beginning of November showing a man who looks very similar to the former head of Rosnano, waiting for something at the same Israeli airport. However, his wife was not with him.
Anatoly Chubais arrived in Israel with his wife.
In the summer, according to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the couple traveled to various European clinics. Chubais received treatment in Sardinia and then underwent rehabilitation in Frankfurt am Main, with his wife accompanying him everywhere.
Irina Rapoport.
Some reports suggest that the latter allegedly bought three villas on the Apennine Peninsula: two for themselves and one for Anatoly Chubais. From Italy, Chubais recently stated that he is not planning to come back. The story of how Avdotya Smirnova and Anatoly Chubais met is unknown. Rumors suggest they have known each other since the nineties. and Their marriage has become well-known. It is said that in 2011, Chubais unexpectedly proposed to her, leaving his previous wife along with all his property. Dunya did not immediately agree, but eventually accepted the marriage proposal.There were reports about the wedding being only modest with an expensive honeymoon in New Zealand. The ceremony included only the registration at the registry office without guests, and a gala dinner with Chubais's elderly relatives in a room with a Soviet carpet on the wall. Chubais himself shared the photo of the wedding on his blog.
Modern men are often described as hysterical, weak, irresponsible, and selfish. Anatoly Borisovich does not fit this description at all. His wife happily rejoiced in this.
Avdotya Smirnova at a public event with Chubais.
Before her marriage to the head of Rosnano, Smirnova presented herself as a simple woman who was not interested in luxury.
But everything changed after marrying Chubais. Dunya received a diamond engagement ring from Cartier. She attended fashion shows, befriended the owner of Rusmoda company, and appeared on the front pages of Tatler magazine.
The sharp-tongued wife of Chubais
In the 2000s, Avdotya Smirnova was a co-founder of the information and analytical portal of the Civil Club 'Globalrus'. The publication had many fans. This is what one of them wrote.
Dunya then married Chubais. She played on the same SPS team with Khakamada in 'What? Where? When?'. Her son from her first marriage later revealed in an interview that his mother was Boris Nemtsov's lifelong close friend. He's like family to them.
A still from the unaired program 'School of Scandal'. Hosts Dunya Smirnova and Tatyana Tolstaya were hunting down Leonid Parfenov.
Another interesting fact from Dunya's biography: she co-hosted the TV show 'School of Scandal' with Tatyana Tolstaya. In 2010, journalist Leonid Parfenov came for an interview. The two women first treated him rudely, then proceeded to outright harassment. Parfenov left the studio before the recording was finished. This scandalous episode was never aired. None of the participants commented on the incident. But the recording still exists and has leaked onto the web.
Avdotya Smirnova is a typical child of the Soviet nomenklatura. Her father, Andrei Smirnov, directed the film 'Belorussky Station', which Brezhnev admired and considered one of the representatives of the cultural neo-Stalinism of the 70s. In modern Russia, Andrei Smirnov is constantly accused of Russophobia. He received a lot of criticism due to the country's portrayal in his film 'Once upon a time there was a woman.' He bluntly responded:
Unfortunately, most of the audience today are morons.
She then married Chubais Dunya. With Khakamada, she played for the same SPS team in “What? Where? When?”. With Nemtsov even more interesting. As Smirnova’s son from his first marriage will later tell in an interview, his mother was close friends with Boris Nemtsov all his life. He is a family friend.
Another curious fact from the biography of Dunya. Together with Tatyana Tolstaya, she was the host of the TV show “School of Scandal”. In 2010, journalist Leonid Parfenov came to them for an interview. Two women first got nasty to him, and then moved on to outright harassment. Parfenov left the studio before the end of recording. This scandalous issue was not aired. None of the participants commented on what happened. But the record is still preserved and leaked to the Web.
Smirnova went to her father and grandfather
Avdotya Smirnova is a typical child of the Soviet nomenklatura. Her father, Andrei Smirnov, made the film Belorussky Station, which Brezhnev liked very much and was considered one of the swallows of the cultural neo-Stalinism of the 70s. In modern Russia, Andrei Smirnov is constantly accuse in Russophobia. Lots of stones in it flew because of the image of the country in his film “Once upon a time there was a woman.” He responded to critics sharply:
Grandfather Avdotya Smirnova led the Writers’ Union of the USSR. He became famous for persecuting Boris Pasternak and complaining about the anti-Soviet actions of Solzhenitsyn and Sakharov.
Widely circulated in the press historyhow 14-year-old Dunya fell in love with the founder of the art group “Amanita” artist Sven Gundlach. And the famous St. Petersburg art critic Arkady Ippolitov became the first husband of Smirnova and the father of her only child.
Dunya Smirnova was an active member of the punk band Dumb. Its leader Dmitry Golubev became famous for dressing his musical group in unthinkable costumes, and once went out in the attire of a king.
Where in Russia did Smirnova and her son live?
Avdotya Smirnova is registered in St. Petersburg, where she has a four-room apartment in a pre-revolutionary apartment building on Belinsky Street. Price – up to 40 million rubles.
Avdotya Smirnova has no children from Anatoly Chubais, but has a child from a previous marriage. Her son, 32-year-old Danila Ippolitov, has gained fame as a goalkeeper in beach soccer. Now she works in the wings in the production team of Alexander Tsekalo, and also from time to time shines in episodes of films shot by her mother. In addition, there is information that he worked in the structures of his stepfather – in the management company “Rosnano”.
Ippolitov is registered in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt in a historic mansion of the 18th century. He has a treshka there worth up to 25 million rubles. In Moscow, he occupies an apartment with two balconies in a premium residential complex on Studencheskaya Street. Avdotya Smirnova, his mother, also sometimes lived there. The location is advantageous: an ecologically clean area, in the neighborhood of the Moscow River, the Dorogomilovsky market and the skyscrapers of the City. The price of such real estate can reach 100 million rubles.
A year ago, Danila Ippolitov bought himself a new BMW 530 business class sedan and already managed to get into an accident on it.
Approximately since the announcement of mobilization in Russia, Chubais’s stepson has been abroad. Judging by the social networks of the young man, in October he was at a music festival in Israel, and in November he settled in Kazakhstan.
