And Malvina with blue hair gave birth to two and got divorced.
Recently, actor Dmitry Iosifov celebrated his 60th birthday. He is known to the domestic audience for his role as Buratino in the cult film "The Adventures of Buratino." How does he live, and what has become of other child actors?
Dmitry Iosifov was born on October 22, 1965, in Minsk, in a family that was not connected to creative activities: his father worked as an engineer in machine engineering, and his mother was a biologist.
The future actor did not initially aspire to a creative career — sports led him to the screen. He practiced figure skating, and it was on the rink that he was noticed by an assistant director from the "Belarusfilm" studio, who suggested he try his hand at a new role and star in "The Adventures of Buratino."
One of the key milestones in Dima Iosifov's life was his role in the cult film "The Adventures of Buratino" from 1975. Initially, the boy auditioned for the role of Harlequin, but the film crew could not find a suitable performer for Buratino, and then Dima was offered to try for the lead role, which he performed brilliantly.
As the actor later recalled, his first acquaintance with the filming process did not excite him: he even asked his grandmother, who had come with him to the audition, to say that he had a stomach ache so he could avoid participating in the shooting.
After the film's release, Iosifov became a real star. His sincere image and lively performance won the hearts of moviegoers. The role of Buratino not only brought him nationwide fame but also opened doors to the world of cinema: offers for filming followed one after another, and Dmitry had to give up figure skating and dedicate his free time to working on screen.
In his teenage years, he continued to act: in 1977, the actor played Wolf Cub in the film "About Little Red Riding Hood," and in 1979 — a hooligan in the film "Captain Roughneck." This was followed by roles in the films "Sold Laugh," "Big Talk," and "How I Was a Wunderkind."
After finishing school, Iosifov considered enrolling in a technical university, but ultimately became a student at the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov (VGIK) in the course of director and actor Alexei Batalov. After graduating, he joined the Minsk Theater Studio of Film Actor and continued to act in films. However, all these roles were secondary, so the success that the role of Buratino brought him remained in the past.
Dmitry switched to directing and advertising. In the mid-1990s, he entered the directing workshop of the Belarusian Academy of Arts, then shot about 40 commercials.
Later, Dmitry moved to Moscow, where he worked on projects as a director: he participated in the filming of reality shows and also directed feature films. In particular, in 2002, he became one of the directors of the second season of the show "The Last Hero." He also directed films such as "Summer of Wolves," the second and third seasons of the series "Catherine," "Elizaveta," "Love of the Soviet Union," and others. During this period, he continued to appear in episodic roles.
Tatiana Protsenko, who played the role of Malvina, was born on April 8, 1968, in Moscow. Her father was the head of the documentary films department at the State Cinema of the USSR, and her mother worked as a dispatcher at Vnukovo Airport. The family provided her with a good starting point for getting acquainted with the film environment.
It is not surprising that from an early age, Tatiana showed a tendency towards creativity: she participated in school productions, easily connected with the audience, and possessed stage ease.
The role of Malvina, the "doll with blue hair," brought Protsenko nationwide popularity: she began to be recognized on the street, and she received love letters from all over the country. However, this fame had a dual nature: on one hand — popularity, on the other — pressure, especially for a child who had to face public attention.
For Tatiana, this role was not just an appearance on screen but a serious test. But she coped and left a lasting impression on the viewers. The role of Malvina was so strong that it defined the actress's image for many years. On one hand, it brought constant attention and love from the public; on the other hand, she became a hostage to Malvina, as she was associated with her even as she grew up, which created difficulties in being perceived as a serious actress or as a person outside of the role.
After the triumph in "The Adventures of Buratino," Protsenko did not pursue an active acting career; she graduated from the script and film studies faculty of VGIK. After finishing university, she engaged in computer design and editorial work: she worked as a layout artist and designer of sports paraphernalia. She lived a relatively quiet life, dedicating herself to work and family; the woman was married twice and gave birth to a son and a daughter.
The role of Pierrot in "The Adventures of Buratino" was played by Roman Stolkarts. He was born in 1965 near Minsk to a family of doctors but showed creative inclinations from an early age: he participated in school artistic activities, loved music, and the stage. His parents, as can be judged from later interviews with the actor, supported their son's inclinations but wanted him to pursue a "solid" education. In 1975, the 10-year-old boy played the role of Pierrot, who was in love with Malvina. After such success, he could expect to shoot in other films, but ironically, the role of Pierrot became the only one for Roman.
After finishing school, Roman entered the Minsk Medical Institute to become a pediatrician. There, he actively participated in artistic life: organized events and performed on stage. It seemed that during his studies at the university, Roman faced a choice — acting or medicine. In 1989, he graduated from the medical institute and made what may seem to many an unexpected choice — he moved to Israel. Since then, Stolkarts has lived there, still working as a pediatrician and has already managed to establish two of his own clinics.
The role of the poodle Artemon in the film adaptation of the tale of Buratino was played by Tomas Augustinas. He was born in 1967 in Vilnius. The filming crew of "The Adventures of Buratino" spotted him among hundreds of boys, although Tomas had not previously shown interest in the arts and was the captain of the basketball team. However, out of curiosity, he decided to attend the auditions, and his mother, who insisted on him getting a "serious" profession, agreed to let her son go to Minsk.
Tomas diligently worked through everything, although filming in a furry costume was quite challenging. Moreover, he was in love with Tanya Protsenko — Malvina, and even brought her flowers, but the girl did not reciprocate his feelings; she liked the actor who played Pierrot, Roman Stolkarts. Later, Tatyana admitted that she was childishly offended by Tomas, as she thought that Artemon would be played by a real dog, not a boy.
"The Adventures of Buratino" remained the only project for Augustinas — he, by his own admission, became disenchanted with acting. In 1985, his family emigrated to Canada. There, Tomas graduated from Concordia University's business school, where he defended a thesis on the decentralization of companies and became an honorary member of the faculty council of commerce. In the early 1990s, he returned to Russia as a manager for corporations opening branches in the post-Soviet market. Later, Augustinas founded his own consulting firm, which serves energy and logistics startups in Canada and the USA.
Tomas has been offered several times to participate in nostalgic programs dedicated to "The Adventures of Buratino," but he has declined each time, saying that Artemon should remain in childhood, fearing that everyone would only talk about his one role and not about his adult life. However, Augustinas makes annual donations to support young actors at the Belarusian Academy of Arts, as a kind of tribute to the legendary film that gave him a start.
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