How the Sex Symbol of the USSR, Zharikov, Lived a Double Life

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Publiation data: 28.02.2026 16:11

Любимцем женщин он оставался до конца своих дней.

Throughout his life, the artist struggled with the consequences of a severe injury.

He gifted millions of viewers unforgettable characters and lived a bright yet complicated life.

The actor was born on February 26, 1941, in Moscow to writer Leonid Zharikov. He spent his childhood with his grandparents near Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad). After finishing school, Zharikov almost accidentally enrolled in VGIK — he went to this university solely to be close to the girl he was in love with.

By his second year, the artist starred in his first film — in the drama by Yuli Raizman, "And What If It’s Love?" The following year, director Andrei Tarkovsky invited Zharikov to his debut feature film, "Ivan's Childhood." After graduating from university in 1964, the actor moved to East Germany for two years, where he acted in the series "Russian for You." The main project in Zharikov's career became the multi-part television film "Born of the Revolution" (1974–1977).

In 1970, during filming, Zharikov fell from a horse and sustained a compression fracture of the spine and an injury to his hip joint. The consequences haunted him throughout his life: in 1999, he had to undergo two complex surgeries involving prosthetics.

Zharikov was married twice. His first wife in 1962 was figure skating coach Valentina Zotova, with whom he lived for 12 years. In 1973, Zharikov met actress Natalia Gvozdikova, whom he married a year later. In 1976, they had a son, Fyodor.

In 1994, Zharikov began an affair with journalist Tatyana Sekridova, who bore him two illegitimate children. For nearly nine years, he lived a double life until his mistress revealed their relationship. Then, at Gvozdikova's request, he completely ceased communication not only with Sekridova but also with the children he had previously supported.

"He was everything to me. I could even forgive the betrayal — not because I forgot, but because there was more good than bad," Gvozdikova said.

On January 18, 2012, the actor passed away from cancer at Botkin Hospital. He was buried at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.