“Anatoly Papanov swore in blood to give up alcohol”: Zoya Zelinskaya on the actor’s struggle with addiction 05.13.2023, 12:05

Zoya played the role of Mrs. Teresa in “Tavern “13 Chairs”. The actress admitted that Papanov had a difficult period in his life when he had serious problems with alcohol. Then he came up with a method that was supposed to work flawlessly: the artist decided to swear on blood.

The actor of the TV movie “The Adventures of Electronics” came to his aid in this. “Papanov and Yevgeny Vesnik are coming. And they say: “Now we will drink for the last time and sign in blood, which is no longer the case. And you have to prove it,” Zelinská said.

Artists have reached the end of this unusual ritual. “After drinking, they pricked their fingers with a needle and signed themselves in blood. And they kept their oath!” Zelinskaya shared in an interview with the Caravan of History magazine.

The 93-year-old actress worked with many stars of Soviet cinema. At the Moscow Theater of Satire, she appeared on stage with Andrei Mironov, Alexander Shirvindt and others.

The actor from the film “The Diamond Arm” died in 1987. Papanov took a cold shower, contrary to the prohibitions of doctors. The artist, suffering from problems with the cardiovascular system, had a heart attack in the bathroom, from which he died.